"No; I have always thought no one else could be half so beautiful as mamma."
"Why, Mamma Vi, you are yourself!" exclaimed Lulu in a tone of honest sincerity that made Violet laugh.
"That is just your notion, little girl," she said, giving the child a kiss.
"Oh, I have eyes and can see! besides, papa thinks so, too, and Max and Gracie."
"Yes, my dear husband! he loves me, and love is very blind," murmured Vi, half to herself, with a sigh and a far-off look in the lovely azure eyes.
Her thoughts were following him over the deep, wide, treacherous sea.
She stole on tiptoe into the next room for another peep at his sleeping baby girl, Lulu going with her; then hearing the tea-bell, they went down to the dining-room together.
They gathered about the table, a large cheerful party, the travellers full of satisfaction in being at home again, the others so glad to have them there once more.
Zoe was very merry and Rosie in almost wild spirits, but Max and Lulu, to whom all was new and strange, were quite quiet and subdued, scarcely speaking except when spoken to, "Mamma," Rosie said, when they had adjourned to the parlor, "it"s lovely out of doors, bright moonlight and not a bit cold; mayn"t I take Max and Lulu down to the lakelet?"
"Do you think the evening air would be injurious to them, Arthur?" Mrs.
Travilla asked, turning to her cousin.
"I think there is malaria in it, and would advise them to stay within doors until after breakfast to-morrow morning," he answered, drawing Rose to a seat upon his knee.
"Then you"d better let us go," she said archly, "so you can have some more patients. Don"t you like to have plenty of patients?"
"That"s a leading question, little coz," he said laughingly, toying with her curls. "When people are sick I like to have an opportunity to exercise my skill in trying to relieve and cure them, but I hope I don"t want them made sick in order to furnish me with employment."
"I want to show Lulu and Max the beauties of Ion, and don"t know how to wait till to-morrow," she said.
"Then take them about from one room to another, and let them look out through the windows upon its moonlit lawn, alleys, gardens and lakelet."
"Oh, yes, yes! that will do!" she cried, leaving his knee in haste to carry out his suggestion.
Max and Lulu, nothing loath, accepted her invitation, and they ran in and out, up stairs and down, the young strangers delighted with the views thus obtained of their new home and its surroundings.
Rosie said she hoped they would not be required to begin lessons immediately, but would be allowed a few days in which to enjoy walks, rides, drives, and boating.
"I"ll ask grandpa and mamma if we may," she added, as they re-entered the parlor. She hastened to present her pet.i.tion, and it was granted; the children were told they should have a week in which to enjoy themselves and recover from the fatigue of their journey, and would be expected to show their appreciation of the indulgence by great industry afterward.
Lulu was standing a little apart from the rest, gazing out of the window upon the moonlit lawn, when a step drew near; then some one took her by the arm, and in a twinkling she found herself seated upon a gentleman"s knee.
Looking up into his face, she saw that it was Mr. Horace Dinsmore who had thus taken possession of her.
"Well, my little dark-eyed la.s.sie," he said, "no one has thought it worth while to introduce us, but we won"t let that hinder our making acquaintance. Do you know who I am?"
"I heard Rosie call you Uncle Horace."
"Then suppose you follow Rosie"s example. If you are as good as you are bonny, I shall be proud to claim you as my niece."
"But I"m not," she said frankly. Then hastily correcting herself, "I don"t mean to say I"m bonny, but I"m not good. Aunt Beulah used to say I was the worst child she ever saw."
"Indeed! you are honest, at all events," he said, with a look of amus.e.m.e.nt. "And who is Aunt Beulah?"
"The person Gracie and I lived with before papa got married to Mamma Vi."
"Ah! well I shall not regard her opinion, but wait and form one for myself, and I shall certainly be much surprised if you don"t turn out a pattern good girl, now that you are to live with my sweet sister Elsie. In the mean while, will it please you to call me Uncle Horace?"
"Yes, sir, since you ask me to," Lulu replied, looking much gratified.
At this moment the door opened, and Mr. Lacey walked in. He had come for his wife, and when he and the others had exchanged greetings, she rose to make ready for departure.
Calhoun Conly rose also, saying to his brother, "Well, Art, perhaps it would be as well for us to go, too; our friends must be tired after their long journey, and will want to get to bed early."
"Suppose you all delay a little and unite with us in evening family worship," said Mr. Dinsmore. "It is a good while since I have had all three of my children present with me at such a service."
All complied with his request, and immediately afterward took leave. Then with an exchange of affectionate good-nights the family separated and scattered to their rooms.
Lulu was not quite ready for bed when Violet came in, and putting her arm around her, asked, with a gentle kiss, "Do you feel strange and lonely in this new place, little girl?"
"Oh, no, Mamma Vi! it seems such a nice home that I am very glad to be in it."
"That is right," Violet said, repeating her caress. "I hope you will sleep well and wake refreshed. I shall leave the door open between your room and mine, so that you need not feel timid, and can run right in to me whenever you wish. Good-night, dear."
"Good-night, Mamma Vi. Thank you for being so good to me, and to Gracie and Max," Lulu said, clinging to her in an affectionate way.
"My child," returned Violet, "how could I be anything else to the children of my dear husband? Ah, I must go! Mamma calls me," she added, hurrying away as a soft, sweet voice was heard coming from the adjoining room.
Lulu finished undressing, said her prayers, and had just laid her head on her pillow, when some one glided noiselessly to the bedside and a soft hand pa.s.sed caressingly over her hair.
The child opened her eyes, which had already closed in sleep, and saw by the moonlight a sweet and beautiful face bending lovingly over her.
"Grandma Elsie," she murmured sleepily.
"Yes, dear. Rosie and Walter never like to go to sleep without a good-night kiss from mamma, and you must have the same now, as you are to be one of my dear children."
Lulu, now wide awake, started up to put both arms round the neck of her visitor. "Oh, I do love you!" she said, "and I"ll try hard to be a good child to you."
"I believe it, dear," Elsie said, pressing the child to her heart. "Will you join my children in their half-hour with mamma in her dressing-room before breakfast? I shall be glad to have you, but you must do just as you please about it."
"Thank you, ma"am; I"ll come," said Lulu.
"That is right. Now lie down and go to sleep. You need a long night"s rest."
CHAPTER VII.
"Her fancy followed him through foaming wares To distant sh.o.r.es."
--Cowper.