She felt radiantly happy, but more shocked at her own boldness than she had been when she perpetrated it.
"Well, my dear, I thought that perhaps you would rather not kiss me in sight of the whole crew, and certainly I shan't be able to restrain myself much longer." "Then, in that case," she said, demurely, "perhaps we had better go below." It was half an hour before they came on deck again.
"Well, my dears," Lady Greendale said, "the more I think of it the better I am pleased.

As far as I am concerned, nothing could be nicer.

I shall have Bertha within a short drive of me, and it won't be like losing her.
"Do you know, Bertha, your father said to me once, 'I would give anything if some day Frank Mallett and our Bertha were to take a fancy to each other.

There is nothing I should like more than to have her settled near us, and there is no one I know more likely to make her happy than he would be.' I am sure, dear, that you will be glad to know that your engagement would have had his approval, as it has mine." Bertha bent down and kissed her mother, with tears standing in her eyes.
"It will be a great pleasure to us both to have you so near us," Frank said, earnestly.

"You know that, having lost my own mother so long ago, I have always looked upon you as more of a mother than anyone else, and have always felt almost as much at home in your house as in my own.
"Now, let us sit down and talk it over quietly.