The Captain thought that might be dangerous. "No, no!" cried out Edward. "Only do you, my dear friend, take care of the D, for what will become of B, if poor C is taken away from it?"
"That, I should have thought, would have been evident enough," replied
Charlotte.
"And it is, indeed," cried Edward; "he would turn back to his A, to his Alpha and Omega;" and he sprung up and taking Charlotte in his arms, pressed her to his breast.
CHAPTER VI
The carriage which brought Ottilie drove up to the door. Charlotte went out to receive her. The dear girl ran to meet her, threw herself at her feet, and embraced her knees.
"Why such humility?" said Charlotte, a little embarrassed, and endeavoring to raise her from the ground.
"It is not meant for humility," Ottilie answered, without moving from the position in which she had placed herself; "I am only thinking of the time when I could not reach higher than to your knees, and when I had just learnt to know how you loved me."
She stood up, and Charlotte embraced her warmly. She was introduced to the gentlemen, and was at once treated with especial courtesy as a visitor. Beauty is a welcome guest everywhere. She appeared attentive to the conversation, without taking a part in it.
The next morning Edward said to Charlotte, "What an agreeable, entertaining girl she is!"
"Entertaining!" answered Charlotte, with a smile; "why, she has not opened her lips yet!"