--- a/liboctave/Array2.h
+++ b/liboctave/Array2.h
@@ -120,9 +120,9 @@
   T& xelem (int i, int j) { return Array<T>::xelem (d1*j+i); }
   T xelem (int i, int j) const { return Array<T>::xelem (d1*j+i); }
 
-  // Note that the following element references don't use
-  // Array2<T>::xelem() because they still need to make use of the
-  // code in Array<T> that checks the reference count.
+  // Note that the following element selection methods don't use
+  // xelem() because they need to make use of the code in
+  // Array<T>::elem() that checks the reference count.
 
   T& checkelem (int i, int j)
     {
@@ -137,14 +137,14 @@
 	return Array<T>::elem (d1*j+i);
     }
 
+  T& elem (int i, int j) { return Array<T>::elem (d1*j+i); }
+
 #if defined (BOUNDS_CHECKING)
-  T& elem (int i, int j) { return checkelem (i, j); }
+  T& operator () (int i, int j) { return checkelem (i, j); }
 #else
-  T& elem (int i, int j) { return Array<T>::elem (d1*j+i); }
+  T& operator () (int i, int j) { return elem (i, j); }
 #endif
 
-  T& operator () (int i, int j) { return elem (i, j); }
-
   T checkelem (int i, int j) const
     {
       if (i < 0 || j < 0 || i >= d1 || j >= d2)
@@ -159,14 +159,14 @@
 	return Array<T>::elem (d1*j+i);
     }
 
+  T elem (int i, int j) const { return Array<T>::elem (d1*j+i); }
+
 #if defined (BOUNDS_CHECKING)
-  T elem (int i, int j) const { return checkelem (i, j); }
+  T operator () (int i, int j) const { return checkelem (i, j); }
 #else
-  T elem (int i, int j) const { return Array<T>::elem (d1*j+i); }
+  T operator () (int i, int j) const { return elem (i, j); }
 #endif
 
-  T operator () (int i, int j) const { return elem (i, j); }
-
   T range_error (const char *fcn, int i, int j) const;
   T& range_error (const char *fcn, int i, int j);