He was particularly struck with the manner in which he had
placed Captain Dave and his family at their ease, and got them to
talk as freely and naturally with him as if he had been an
acquaintance of long standing. It seemed strange to him to give his
name as Sir Cyril Shenstone to the lackeys at the door, and he almost
expected to see an expression of amusement on their faces. They had,
however, evidently received instructions respecting him, for he was
without question at once ushered into the room in which the Earl of
Wisbech and his daughters were sitting.
The Earl shook him warmly by the hand, and then, turning to his
daughters, said,--
"This is the gentleman to whom you owe your lives, girls. Sir Cyril,
these are my daughters--Lady Dorothy, Lady Bertha, and Lady Beatrice.
It seems somewhat strange to have to introduce you, who have saved
their lives, to them; but you have the advantage of them, for you
have seen them before, but they have not until now seen your face."
Each of the girls as she was named made a deep curtsey, and then
presented her cheek to be kissed, as was the custom of the times.
"They are somewhat tongue-tied," the Earl said, smiling, as the
eldest of the three cast an appealing glance to him, "and have begged
me to thank you in their names, which I do with all my heart, and beg
you to believe that their gratitude is none the less deep because
they have no words to express it. They generally have plenty to say,
I can assure you, and will find their tongues when you are a little
better acquainted.
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