"I dare say; but he needn't think he can make me very much afraid of him, big as he is," laughed Rosie.

"Perhaps, though, it might turn out to the advantage of Professor Manton, should my youngest sister prove quite beyond the management of her biggest and oldest brother," remarked the captain, with a.s.sumed gravity.

"There!" exclaimed Rosie, "that's the worst threat you could possibly have made. I think I'll try to be at least pa.s.sably good and obedient in the schoolroom. You needn't look for it in any other place, Captain Raymond," making him a deep courtesy, then dancing gayly away.

"Don't you envy her that it is only in the schoolroom she must be obedient to me, whom you have to obey all the time?" asked the captain laughingly of Lulu, noticing that she was watching Rosie with a hurt, almost indignant look on her expressive features.

"No, indeed, papa! I'm only too glad that I belong to you everywhere and all the time," she answered, lifting to his face eyes full of filial respect and ardent affection.

"So am I," he returned, pressing tenderly the hand she had again slipped into his. "But you must not be vexed with Rosie. Could you not see that all she said just now was in sportive jest?"

"I'm glad if she didn't mean it, papa; but I don't like such things said to my dear, honored father even in jest."

"But you must excuse Rosie, Lu, dear," said Evelyn. "It was indeed all in jest, for I know that she feels the very highest respect for your father--her biggest brother; as we all do."

Lulu's brow cleared. "Well, then, I won't mind it, papa, if you don't,"

she said.

"And I certainly do not, daughter," he returned pleasantly. "Rosie and I are the best of friends, and I think will continue to be such."

It was a gay, light-hearted party that met at the Viamede breakfast-table that morning. Even their loved invalid, Grandma Elsie, was looking wonderfully bright and well; yet, as she laughingly averred, everybody seemed determined to consider her as ill and unable to make any exertion.

"I shall have to let you continue to take the role of mistress of the establishment, Vi," she said, with a pleasant smile, as, resigning to her daughter her accustomed seat at the head of the table, she took possession of one at the side.

"Not that I am of so humble a spirit as to consider myself unfitted for the duties and responsibilities of the position, but because older and wiser people do."

"I really think Vi makes as good a subst.i.tute as could well be found, mother," remarked the captain, with a proudly affectionate glance at his lovely young wife.

"In which I entirely agree with you, sir," said Mr. Dinsmore.

The meal was partaken of with appet.i.te, and enlivened by cheery talk; a good deal of it in regard to pleasures and amus.e.m.e.nts attainable in that locality; riding, driving, boating, fishing; to say nothing of the pleasant rambles that could be taken on and beyond the estate.

There was no lack of carriages for driving, or horses to draw them, or for those to ride who might prefer that mode of locomotion.

The final decision was in favor of a drive, for Mrs. Dinsmore, Violet, her little ones, and Grace, accompanied by the rest of the party on horseback.

Breakfast and family prayers over, the young girls hastened to their rooms to prepare for the little excursion, all seemingly in the gayest spirits at the pleasing prospect; none more so than merry, excitable Lulu.

She and Grace were ready a little sooner than either of the other girls, and went down to the veranda to wait there for the rest.

As they did so a servant pa.s.sed them with the bag containing the morning mail, which he had just brought from the nearest post-office.

He carried it to the library, where Mr. Dinsmore and the captain were seated, awaiting the appearance of the ladies, carriages, and horses.

As if struck by a sudden thought, Lulu ran after him. She saw her father take the bag, open it, hand several letters to Mr. Dinsmore, select several others and give them to the servant (with directions to carry them up to the ladies), then lay a pretty large pile on the table, take up one, and open it.

"There, those are papa's own," she said to herself, "and what a number he has!--all to be answered, too. I don't believe he'll take time to ride this morning; he's always so prompt about replying to a letter. Oh, dear, I don't want to go without him, and I just wish they hadn't come till to-morrow."

She walked slowly out to the veranda again.

Rosie and Evelyn had not yet made their appearance, and Grace was romping about with little Elsie and Ned.

Just then a servant man came round from the stables, leading the ponies the little girls were to ride, and at sight of them Lulu seemed to take a sudden resolution.

"Oh, Solon," she said, hurrying toward the man, "you can put my pony back into the stable; I'm not going to ride this morning; I've changed my mind; and if anybody asks about me, you can tell them so," and with that she ran away round the house and seated herself on the back veranda, where she had been when Professor Manton made his call upon the captain.

Presently she heard the ladies and young girls come down the stairs, her father and Mr. Dinsmore come out from the library and a.s.sist the older ones into the carriage, the younger to mount their ponies; then her father's voice asking, "Where is Lulu?" and the servant's reply, "Miss Lu, she tole me, sah, to tell you she doan want fo' to ride dis heah mornin', sah"; then her father's surprised, "She did, Solon? Why, that is a sudden change on her part. I thought she was quite delighted at the prospect of going.

"Violet, my dear, I find I have so many letters calling for reply this morning, that I, too, must remain at home."

Some exclamations of surprise and regret from the others followed; then the sound of hoofs and wheels told that the party had set out on their little excursion, and the captain's step was heard in the hall as he returned to the library.

But a thought seemed to strike him as he reached its door, and he paused, calling aloud, "Lulu! Lulu!"

She ran to him at once, answering, "Here I am, papa."

"Why, daughter, what is the meaning of this?" he asked. "Why did you not go with the others?"

"Because I preferred to stay at home with my dear father; and I hope he isn't displeased with me for it!" she replied, looking up coaxingly, smilingly, into his face.

"Displeased with you, dear child? I am only too glad to have you by my side; except that I feel sorry on your own account that you should miss the pleasant, healthful trip along with the others," he said, bestowing upon her a fond caress.

"But how did you know that I was going to stay at home?" he asked, as he led her in and sat down, drawing her to a seat upon his knee.

"Because I'm enough of a Yankee to be good at guessing, I suppose, papa," she answered, with a merry laugh, putting an arm round his neck and gazing into his eyes with her own full of ardent filial love. "I saw that big pile of letters," pointing to them as they lay on the table, "and I thought, 'Now, if I stay at home with papa, maybe he will let me help him as I did the other day.' So now as I have stayed, won't you be so very good as to let me, you dear, dearest papa?"

"I shall be very glad of both your company and your help, darling, though I am sorry to have you miss your ride in order to give them to me."

"But you needn't be sorry, papa, because I'm ever so glad. I was almost afraid you might be displeased with me for taking the liberty of staying at home without consulting you; but I don't believe you are a bit,"

stroking his face with her little soft white hand, then kissing him with warmth of affection.

"I am so much displeased, that as a punishment you will have to write several letters on your machine at my dictation," he replied, with playful look and tone. "We will set to work at once," he added, putting her off his knee, taking the cover from her typewriter, and placing a chair before it for her to sit upon, then laying a pile of paper and envelopes within easy reach of her hand.

"Ah, papa, I don't care how often you punish me in this way!" she exclaimed, with a merry laugh, as she took her seat.

"Tut! tut! don't talk as if my punishment were nothing," he replied, in pretended displeasure. "You may get more of this kind some of these days than you will like."

"Not while it's a help to my dear father," she returned, smiling up at him.

"You find that a pleasure, do you?" he asked, with tender look and tone, laying a hand caressingly on her head and gazing fondly down into her eyes.

"Yes, indeed, sir! O papa, I just long to be a real help and comfort and blessing to you; and I do hope that some day I may be."

"My own dear little daughter, you are already all three to me," he said with emotion. "Truly, I think no man ever had a more lovable child, or a more grateful and appreciative one."

Those words sent a thrill of exquisite delight to Lulu's heart. "Dear papa, you are so kind to tell me that!" she said. "Oh, I do want always to be all that to you!"

"And it is certainly my ardent desire to be the best of fathers to my dear eldest daughter, and all my children," he responded.