Eleanor had been right glad to avail herself of his arm, seeing that Mr Slope was hovering nigh her. In striving to avoid that terrible Charybdis of a Slope she was in great danger of falling into an unseen Scylla on the other hand, that Scylla being Bertie Stanhope. Nothing could be more gracious than she was to Bertie. She almost jumped at his proffered arm. Charlotte perceived this from a distance, and triumphed in her heart; Bertie felt it, and was encouraged; Mr Slope saw it, and glowered with jealousy. Eleanor and Bertie sat down to table in the dining–room; and as she took her seat at his right hand, she found that Mr Slope was already in possession of the chair at her own.

As these things were going on in the dining–room, Mr Arabin was hanging enraptured and alone over the signora’s sofa; and Eleanor from her seat could look through the open door and see that he was doing so.