astonishment.

"Didn't you expect to see us?" Mrs. Presty inquired.

"I heard you were here, from our friend Sarrazin," Randal said;
"but I expected to see Captain Bennydeck. Have I mistaken the
number? Surely these are his rooms?"

Catherine attempted to explain. "They _were_ Captain Bennydeck's
rooms," she began; "but he was so kind, although we are perfect
strangers to him--"

Mrs. Presty interposed. "My dear Catherine, you have not had my
advantages; you have not been taught to make a complicated
statement in few words. Permit me to seize the points (in the
late Mr. Presty's style) and to put them in the strongest light.
This place, Randal, is always full; and we didn't write long
enough beforehand to secure rooms. Captain Bennydeck happened to
be downstairs when he heard that we were obliged to go away, and
that one of us was a lady in delicate health. This sweetest of
men sent us word that we were welcome to take his rooms, and that
he would sleep on board his yacht. Conduct worthy of Sir Charles
Grandison himself. When I went downstairs to thank him, he was
gone--and here we have been for nearly three weeks; sometimes
seeing the Captain's yacht, but, to our great surprise, never
seeing the Captain himself."

"There's nothing to be surprised at, Mrs. Presty. Captain
Bennydeck likes doing kind things, and hates being thanked for
it. I expected him to meet me here to-day."