But come up here, my good young sir; you're quite smothered by the missis and the teacups.

We have fine room at this end, haven't we, Beatrice?
You come away up here, Captain Bertram, where you'll have room to use your elbows; the missis mustn't keep you to herself altogether, that ain't fair play." "Oh, we're as comfortable as possible, Peter," almost screamed Mrs.
Bell.
But in vain.

The captain was too acute a person not to seize this opportunity.

He said a courteous word or two to Mrs.Bell, apologized for having already crowded her, smiled at Matty, and then with a light heart seated himself beside Beatrice.
After this, matters seemed to go wrong as far as the Bells were concerned.

It is true that after supper Beatrice called Matty to her side, and looked over a photographic album with her, and tried hard to draw her into the gay conversation and to get her to reply to the light repartee which Captain Bertram so deftly employed.