"
"There," said Bella, "I told you so. That is always the way. Papa dear,
you used always to be firing guns at sea. Do, please, fire one in this
house--just one--before I leave it, and make the very windows rattle."
"I beg your pardon, Bella; I never wasted powder at sea. If the convoy
sailed well and steered right I never barked at them. You are a modest,
sensible girl, and have always steered a good course. Why should I
hoist a petticoat and play the small tyrant? Wait till I see you going
to do something wrong or silly."
"Ah! then you _would_ fire a gun, papa?"
"Ay, a broadside."
"Well, that is something," said Bella, as she closed the door softly.
"No, no; it amounts to just nothing," said Sir Charles; "for you never
will do anything wrong or silly. I'll accommodate you. I have thought
of a way. I shall give you some blank cards; you shall write on them,
'I think I should like to do so and so.' You shall be careless, and
leave them about; I'll find them, and bluster, and say, 'I command you
to do so and so, Bella Bassett'--the very thing on the card, you know."
Bella colored to the brow with pleasure and modesty. After a pause she
said: "How sweet! The worst of it is, I should get my own way. Now what
I want is to submit my will to yours.
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