just now, the ladies had some words
in the drawing-room.

'I have _not_ coquetted, Madam,' said Miss Gertrude, haughtily.

'Then I'm to presume you've been serious; and I take the liberty to ask
how far this affair has proceeded?' said Aunt Rebecca, firmly, and
laying her gloved hand and folded fan calmly on the table.

'I really forget,' said the young lady, coldly.

'Has he made a declaration of love?' demanded the aunt, the two red
spots on her cheeks coming out steadily, and helping the flash of her
eyes.

'Certainly not,' answered the young lady, with a stare of haughty
surprise that was quite unaffected.

At the pleasant luncheon and dance on the grass that the officers gave,
in that pretty field by the river, half-a-dozen of the young people had
got beside the little brook that runs simpering and romping into the
river just there. Women are often good-natured in love matters where
rivalry does not mix, and Miss Gertrude, all on a sudden, found herself
alone with Mervyn. Aunt Becky, from under the ash trees at the other end
of the field, with great distinctness, for she was not a bit
near-sighted, and considerable uneasiness, saw their _tete-a-tete_. It
was out of the question getting up in time to prevent the young people
speaking their minds if so disposed, and she thought she perceived that
in the young man's bearing, which looked like a pleading and eagerness,
and 'Gertrude's put out a good deal--I see by her plucking at those
flowers--but my head to a China orange--the girl won't think of him.
She's not a young woman to rush into a horrible folly, hand-over-head,'
thought Aunt Becky; and then she began to think they were talking very
much at length indeed, and to regret that she had not started at once
from her post for the place of meeting; and one, and two, and three
minutes passed, and perhaps some more, and Aunt Becky began to grow
wroth, and was on the point of marching upon them, when they began
slowly to walk towards the group who were plucking bunches of woodbine
from the hedge across the little stream, at the risk of tumbling in, and
distributing the flowers among the ladies, amidst a great deal of
laughing and gabble. Then Miss Gertrude made Mr. Mervyn rather a haughty
and slight salutation, her aunt thought, and so dismissed him; he, too,
made a bow, but a very low one, and walked straight off to the first
lady he saw.

This happened to be mild little Mrs. Sturk, and he talked a good deal t