"Yes; I have never tried it, but I should think it was. When mamma died and papa had to go away on his ship--oh, you don't know how hard it was to part with him--I still had my brother Max and dear Gracie. I had them both until a good while after papa came home to stay; so I have never been all alone."

"And I sincerely hope you never may be," he said. "But do you never feel as if you would like to have a life companion, such as Maud was given to-day?"

"A husband, do you mean? No, indeed! for then I should be obliged to leave my dear father--the best man in the world, the dearest, kindest, most loving father to me."

"He is all that, I am sure," said Keith; "but, perhaps, some day you may find that you can love another even better than you love him."

She shook her head dissentingly.

"I can hardly believe it possible. It seems to me that it would just break my heart to have to leave my father or to be separated from him in any way."

Keith sighed drearily. "Miss Raymond," he said, "I love you, I love you devotedly, and if--if you have not given your affection to another, perhaps in time you may find it possible to return my love. Will you not let me hope for that?"

"Oh, don't!" she said, half rising to leave him, her face scarlet with blushes. "I don't know anything about love,--that kind of love,--and my father has forbidden me to listen to such things and----"

"But he would let you this time, for he gave me permission to speak to you and--and tell you of my love."

"That is very strange; I don't understand it," she said, sinking back into her chair with a look of perplexity and distress on her face.

"Ah," brightening a little, "I think papa knew there was no danger that I would be willing to leave him for anybody else."

"Yes; I suppose that was it," sighed Keith, and, at that moment, there came an interruption, very welcome to Lucilla, in the form of little Ned looking for papa. And the next moment papa himself, to find Captain Keith and hand him a letter; a servant having just brought the afternoon mail. Then Lucilla slipped away to her own room, where she stayed until summoned to the dining room by the tea bell.

CHAPTER XIX.

It was a pleasant surprise to Lucilla to find Grandma Elsie and Walter there, and to learn that they had come to stay several days. So it was easy to avoid being left alone with Captain Keith, and there was no more private talk between them. When the carriage drove up to take him to his train she was on the veranda with the others, and he shook hands with her in her turn, saying, "Good-bye, Miss Lu. I shall hope to hear from your father that you are well and happy."

"Thank you; good-bye, and I wish you a safe journey," she said in reply, but without lifting her eyes to his face.

Just as she was ready for bed her father came to her room to bid her good-night as he so often did.

Taking her in his arms and looking searchingly into her eyes, "Is there anything wrong with you--anything troubling you, daughter?" he asked tenderly.

"Yes, papa," she said, colouring and dropping her eyes. "Oh, why did you let Captain Keith talk to me of--of love, when you have so often told me I was much too young to even think of such things?"

"Well, dear child," he said, "I knew it would be risking little or nothing, as I was certain I had too large a place in your heart to leave any room for him, but it seemed the only way to thoroughly convince him of that was to let him try to push himself in there. And he did try?"

"Yes, papa; and when I told him you had forbidden me to listen to such things, he said you had given him leave to speak about it to me; and that surprised me more than his speaking. You didn't want me to say yes, father?"

"No, daughter; no, indeed! I should not have let him speak if I had not been very sure that my dear child loved me too well to leave me for him or anybody else."

"Oh, I am so glad!" she exclaimed with a sigh of relief and laying her head down on his breast, "though I couldn't believe that my dear father wanted to be rid of me, or felt willing that I should love anybody else better than I love him."

"No, dear daughter, you need never be afraid of that. But, now, good-night. Go at once to your bed, for you are looking very weary."

She obeyed, slept sweetly and peacefully till her usual hour for rising, and, as was her usual custom, joined her father in a stroll about the grounds before the breakfast hour.

"How would you and Grace like to have your friends Eva and Sydney here for a few days, daughter?" he asked as they paced along side by side.

"Oh, I think it would be very pleasant, papa!" she answered in a joyous tone. "I know Gracie would like it, and I think Sydney would, too. Eva always does. I believe she loves you almost as well as if you were her father as well as ours."

"Ah! that is pleasant news for me," he said with a smile. "I am fond of her, too, though, of course, not with just the fondness I feel for my own children."

"Oh, I am glad you don't! I shouldn't want you to love her as well as you do me. Will you invite the girls, papa?"

"Yes; we will call to them through the telephone after breakfast."

They did so, there was a joyful acceptance from each, and before the dinner hour they had both arrived. Sydney had not gone with Maud and d.i.c.k. It had been decided before the wedding that it would be better for her to remain in a more northern region till fall, then go South to make her home with her sister.

"I was glad of your invitation, captain," she said when he helped her out of the carriage, "for I was finding it dreadfully lonesome without my sister."

"Ah! so I suspected, as did my wife, and we thought it might relieve your loneliness a little to spend a few days here with us."

"Yes; it was so kind," she responded, "so very kind! And you are here, too, Cousin Elsie, and Walter! Oh, I am sure we are going to have a fine time."

"Yes, indeed, I always do have the best of times here," said Evelyn; "especially when Grandma Elsie and Walter add their attractions to those of the Woodburn folks."

"We will all try to make it as delightful as we can," said Grace. "Papa has kindly excused Lu and me from lessons while you stay; so we can busy ourselves with fancy work or anything we like, when we are not driving or walking; and we have some new books and periodicals that one can read aloud while the rest are doing fancy work or whatever they please. We can play games, too, so I think we will not lack for amus.e.m.e.nt."

"No, we never do, here," said Eva.

And they did not; time pa.s.sed swiftly and pleasantly in the round of occupations and amus.e.m.e.nts suggested by Grace. Friday and Sat.u.r.day soon slipped by, and Sunday came, bringing its sacred duties and pleasures--religious services at home, at church, then the Sunday schools, and after that the home Bible cla.s.s, which all found so pleasant. They gathered upon the veranda, each with a Bible in hand; for even little Ned could now read fluently, and generally find the references for himself.

"Will you not lead us to-day, mother?" asked the captain when all were seated.

"No," she said with her pleasant smile, "I very much prefer to have that burden borne by my son-in-law, Captain Raymond."

"And you wish him to select the subject?"

"Yes; he cannot fail to fix upon a good and interesting one."

"And how is it with you, my love?" he asked, turning to Violet.

"Suppose we take thanksgiving as our subject," she said; "we all have so much, so very much, to be thankful for."

"Indeed we have!" he returned emphatically, "and I think no better subject could be found. Neddie, my boy, can you tell papa something you have to be thankful for?"

"Oh, yes, papa! eyes to see with, ears to hear with, hands and feet, and that I can use them all; for I saw a boy the other day that can't walk at all, though he has feet, but must lie on a bed or sit in a chair all the time; while I can walk, and run, and jump whenever I want to."

"Yes, those are all great blessings," his father said. "And now, Elsie, can you think of some others?"

"Oh, so many, papa! more than I can count," the little girl answered earnestly. "A dear, kind father and mother, and grandma among them; and, oh, so many dear relations besides; 'specially my sisters and brothers.

And I am so glad I was born in this Christian land and taught about G.o.d and the dear Saviour; and have a Bible to read, and know that I may pray to G.o.d, and that he will hear me and help me to be good--to love and serve him. But, oh! I can't name all my blessings, papa, they are so very, very many."

"That is very true, daughter," he replied; "and we can all say the same; our blessings are more than we can count. But the best of all is the gift of G.o.d's dear son. 'G.o.d so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' 'Thanks be unto G.o.d for his unspeakable gift.'

'I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my G.o.d while I have being.' So says the Psalmist, and surely we can all echo his words from our very hearts. Mother, you seem to have selected a pa.s.sage. Will you please read it?"