Violet"s face flushed with pleasure. "My dear Lulu, I hope you and little Else are going to be very fond of each other," she said.
"I hope so, Mamma Vi," Lulu answered, pleasantly; then, in a sudden fit of penitence, added, "but I"m afraid she"ll never learn any good from the example of her oldest sister."
"My dear child, resolve that she shall," said Grandma Elsie, standing by; "you cannot avoid having a good deal of influence over her as she grows older, and do not forget that you will have to give an account for the use you make of it."
"I suppose that"s so," Lulu answered, with a little impatient shrug of her shoulders; "but I wish it wasn"t." Then, turning abruptly away, "Max and Gracie," she called to her brother and sister, "papa says we may go and gather up any books and toys we want to take with us."
The three ran off together in high glee. The ladies stayed a little longer, deep in consultation about necessary arrangements which must fall to their share: then dispersed to their several apartments, with the exception of Violet, who, forbidden to exert herself, remained where she was till joined by her husband, when he had finished and despatched his letter. It was great happiness to them to be together after their long separation.
Mr. Dinsmore and Edward had walked out into the avenue, and were seated under a tree in earnest conversation.
"Talking tiresome business, I suppose," remarked Zoe, in a half-petulant tone, glancing toward them as she spoke, and apparently addressing Violet, as she was the only other person on the veranda at the moment.
"Yes, no doubt; but we must have patience with them, dear, because it is very necessary," Violet answered, with a smile. "Probably they are discussing the question how the plantation is to be attended to in their absence. You know it won"t take care of itself, and the men must have a head to direct their labors."
"Oh yes, of course; and for that reason Ned is kept ever so busy while we are here, and I do think it will be delightful to get away to the seash.o.r.e with him, where there will be nothing to do but enjoy ourselves."
Zoe skipped away with the last word, ran up to her room, and began turning over the contents of bureau drawers and taking garments from wardrobes and closets, with the view of selecting such as she might deem it desirable to carry with her on the contemplated trip.
She was humming softly a s.n.a.t.c.h of lively song, feeling very gay and light-hearted, when, coming across a gray travelling-dress a little worse for the wear, her song suddenly ceased, while tears gathered in her eyes, then began to fall drop by drop as she stood gazing down, upon this relic of former days.
"Just one year ago," she murmured. "Papa, papa! I never thought I could live a whole year without you; and be happy, too! Ah, that seems ungrateful, when you were so, so good to me! But no; I am sure you would rather have me happy; and it would be ungrateful to my dear husband if I were not."
She put the dress aside, wiped away her tears, and took down another.
It was a dark woollen dress. She had travelled home in it the previous fall, and had worn it once since on a very memorable occasion; her cheek crimsoned at the recollection as she glanced from it to her husband, who entered the room at that instant; then her eyes fell.
"What is it, love?" he asked, coming quickly toward her.
"Nothing, only--you remember the last time you saw me in this dress? Oh, Ned, what a fool I was! and how good you were to me!"
He had her in his arms by this time, and she was hiding her blushing face on his breast. "Never mind, my pet," he said, soothing her with caresses; "it is a secret between ourselves, and always shall be, unless you choose to tell it."
"I? No indeed!" she said, drawing a long breath; "I think I should almost die of mortification if any one else should find it out; but I"m glad you know it, because if you didn"t my conscience wouldn"t give me a bit of peace till I confessed to you."
"Ah! and would that be very difficult?"
"Yes; I don"t know how I could ever find courage to make the attempt."
"Are you really so much afraid of me?" he asked, in a slightly aggrieved tone.
"Yes; for I love you so dearly that your displeasure is perfectly unendurable," she replied, lifting her head to gaze fondly into his eyes.
"Ah, is that it, my darling?" he said, in a glow of delight. "I deem myself a happy man in possessing such a treasure as you and your dear love. I can hardly reconcile myself to the thought of a separation for even a few weeks."
"Separation!" she cried, with a start, and in a tone of mingled pain and incredulity. "What can you mean? But I won"t be separated from you; I"m your wife, and I claim the right to cling to you always, _always_!"
"And I would have you do so, if it could be without a sacrifice of your comfort and enjoyment, but--"
"Comfort and enjoyment!" she interrupted; "it is here in your arms or by your side that I find both; nowhere else. But why do you talk so? is anything wrong?"
"Nothing, except that it seems impossible for me to leave the plantation for weeks to come, unless I can get a better subst.i.tute than I know of at present."
"Oh, Ned, I am so sorry!" she cried, tears of disappointment springing to her eyes.
"Don"t feel too badly about it, little wife," he said, in a cheery tone; "it is just possible the right man may turn up before the yacht sails; and in that case I can go with the rest of you; otherwise I shall hope to join you before your stay at Nantucket is quite over."
"Not my stay; for I won"t go one step of the way without you, unless you order me!" she added, sportively, and with a vivid blush; "and I"m not sure that I"ll do it even in that case."
"Oh, yes you will," he said, laughingly. "You know you promised to be always good and obedient on condition that I would love you and keep you; and I"m doing both to the very best of my ability."
"But you won"t be if you send me away from you. No, no; I have a right to stay with you, and I shall claim it always," she returned, clinging to him as if she feared an immediate separation.
"Foolish child!" he said, with a happy laugh, holding her close; "think what you would lose: the sea voyage in the pleasantest of company--"
"No; the pleasantest company would be left behind if you were," she interrupted.
"Well, very delightful company," he resumed; "then I don"t know how many weeks of the oppressive heat here you would have to endure, instead of enjoying the cool, refreshing breezes sweeping over Nantucket. Surely, you cannot give it all up without a sigh?"
"I can"t give up the thought of enjoying it all with you without sighing, and crying, too, maybe," she answered, smiling through tears; "but I"d sigh and cry ten times as much if I had to go and leave you behind. No, Mr. Travilla, you needn"t indulge the hope of getting rid of me for even a week. I"m determined to stay where you stay, and go only where you go."
"Dreadful fate!" he exclaimed. "Well, little wife, I shall do my best to avert the threatened disappointment of your hopes of a speedy departure out of this heated atmosphere and a delightful sea voyage to that famous island. Now, I must leave you and begin at once my search for a subst.i.tute as manager of the plantation."
"Oh, I do hope you will succeed!" she said. "Shall I go on with my packing?"
"Just as you please, my dear; perhaps it would be best; as otherwise you may be hurried with it if we are able to go with the others."
"Then I shall; and I"m determined not to look for disappointment," she said, in a lively, cheery tone, as he left the room,
At the conclusion of his conference with Edward, Mr. Dinsmore sought his daughter in her own apartments. He found her busied much as Zoe was, looking over clothing and selecting what ought to be packed in the trunks a man-servant was bringing in.
She had thrown aside the widow"s weeds in which she was wont to array herself when about to leave the seclusion of her own rooms, and donned a simple white morning dress that was very becoming, her father thought.
"Excuse my wrapper, papa," she said, turning toward him a bright, sweet face, as he entered; "I found my black dress oppressive this warm morning."
"Yes," he said; "it is a most unwholesome dress, I think; and for that reason and several others I should be extremely glad if you would give it up entirely."
"Would you, my dear father?" she returned, tears springing to her eyes.
"I should indeed, if it would not involve too great a sacrifice of feeling on your part. I have always thought white the most suitable and becoming dress for you in the summer season, and so did your husband."
"Yes, papa, I remember that he did; but--I--I should be very loath to give the least occasion for any one to say or think he was forgotten by her he loved so dearly, or that she had ceased to mourn his loss."
"Loss, daughter dear?" he said, taking her in his arms to wipe away the tears that were freely coursing down her cheeks, and caress her with exceeding tenderness.
"No, papa, not lost, but only gone before," she answered, a lovely smile suddenly irradiating her features; "nor does he seem far away. I often feel that he is very near me still, though I can neither see nor speak to him nor hear his loved voice," she went on, in a dreamy tone, a far-away look in the soft brown eyes as she stood, with her head on her father"s shoulder, his arm encircling her waist.
Both were silent for some moments; then Elsie, lifting her eyes to her father"s face, asked, "Were you serious in what you said about my laying aside mourning, papa?"