Mr. Dinsmore held little Gracie in his arms. She was much fatigued and exhausted by the long journey.
"Here is a patient for you, Arthur," he said, "and I am very glad you are here to attend to her."
"Yes," said Violet, "her father charged me to put her in your care."
"Then let her be put immediately to bed," said Arthur, after a moment"s scrutiny of the child. "Give her to me, uncle, and I will carry her up-stairs."
"To my room," added Violet.
But the child shrunk from the stranger, and clung to Mr. Dinsmore.
"No, thank you, I will take her up myself," he said. "I am fully equal to it," and he moved on through the hall and up the broad stairway, Violet and the doctor following.
The others presently scattered to their rooms to rid themselves of the dust of travel and dress for the evening.
"Well, little wife, is it nice to be at home again?" Edward asked, with a smiling look at Zoe, as they entered their apartments.
"Yes, indeed!" she cried, sending a swift glance around the neat and tastefully furnished room, "especially such a home, and to be shared with such nice people; one in particular who shall be nameless," she added, with an arch look and smile.
"One who hopes you will never tire of his company, as he never expects to of yours," returned Edward, catching her in his arms and s.n.a.t.c.hing a kiss from her full red lips.
"Now don"t," she said, pushing him away, "just wait till I"ve washed the dust from my face. Here come our trunks," as two of the men servants brought them in, "and you must tell me what dress to put on."
"You look so lovely in any and every one of the dozen or more that I have small choice in the matter," laughed the young husband.
"What gross flattery!" she exclaimed. "Well, then, I suppose I"ll have to choose for myself. But you mustn"t complain if I do that some time when you don"t want me to."
The two Elsies had lingered a little behind the others--the old servants had so many words of welcome to say to them--the younger one in especial, because she had been so far and so long away.
And the babe must be handed about from one to another, kissed and blessed and remarked upon as to his real or fancied resemblance to this or that older member of the family.
"It do "pear pow"ful strange, Miss Elsie, dat you went away young lady and come back wid husband and baby," remarked Aunt Dicey. "And it don"t seem but yistiday dat you was a little bit ob a gal."
"Yes, I have come back a great deal richer than I went," Elsie returned, with a glance of mingled love and joy, first at her husband, then at her infant son. "I have great reason to be thankful."
At that moment Mrs. Travilla became aware that Max and Lulu were lingering near, as if not knowing exactly what to do with themselves.
"Ah, my dears," she said, turning to them with a kind and pleasant look, "has no one attended to you? Come with me, and I will show you your rooms."
They followed her up the stairs, and each was shown into a very pleasant room furnished tastefully and with every comfort and convenience.
Lulu"s had two doors, one opening into the hall, the other into her mamma"s bedroom.
Elsie explained this, adding, "So, if you are in want of anything or should feel frightened or lonely in the night, you can run right in to the room where you will find your mamma and Gracie."
"Yes, ma"am, that is very nice; and oh, what a pretty room! How kind and good you are to me! and to my brother and sister, too!" cried Lulu, her eyes shining with grat.i.tude and pleasure.
"I am very glad to be able to do it," Elsie said, taking the little girl"s hand in one of hers and smoothing her hair caressingly with the other--for Lulu had taken off her hat. "I want to be a mother to you, dear child, and to your brother and sister, since my dear daughter is too young for so great care and responsibility. I love you all, and I want you to come freely to me with all your troubles and perplexities, your joys and sorrows, just as my own children have always done. I want you to feel that you have a right to do so, because I have invited you."
She bent down and kissed Lulu"s lips, and the little girl threw her arms about her neck with impulsive warmth, saying, "Dear Grandma Elsie, I love you and thank you ever so much! And I mean to try ever so hard to be good," she added, with a blush and hanging her head shamefacedly. "I know I"m often very naughty; papa said I gave him more anxiety than Max and Gracie both put together; and I"m afraid I can"t be good all the time, but I do mean to try hard."
"Well, dear, if you try with all your might, asking help from on high, you will succeed at last," Elsie said. "And now I will leave you to wash and dress. I see your trunk has been brought up and opened, so that you will have no difficulty."
With that she pa.s.sed on into Violet"s rooms to see how Gracie was. She found her sleeping sweetly in Violet"s bed, the latter bending over her with a very tender, motherly look on her fair young face.
"Is she not a darling, mamma?" she whispered, turning her head at the sound of her mother"s light footstep.
"She is a very engaging child," replied Elsie. "I think we are all fond of her, but you especially."
"Yes, mamma, I love her for herself--her gentle, affectionate disposition--but still more because she is my husband"s child, his dear baby girl, as he so often called her."
"Ah, I can understand that," Elsie said, with a loving though rather sad look and smile into Violet"s azure eyes, "for I have often felt just so in regard to my own children. What does Arthur say about her?"
"That she is more in need of rest and sleep than anything else at present.
He will see her again to-morrow, and will probably be able then to give me full directions in regard to her diet and so forth."
"You will come down to supper? you will not think it necessary to stay with her yourself?" Elsie said inquiringly.
"Oh, no, mamma! I shall dress at once. I should not like to miss being with you all," Violet answered, moving away from the bedside. "Ah!" with sudden recollection, "I have been quite forgetting Max and Lulu."
"I have seen them to their rooms," her mother said, "and now I must go and attend to Rosie and Walter, and to my own toilet."
"Dear mamma, thank you!" Violet said heartily.
"My dear, I consider them quite as much my children, and therefore my especial charge, as yours, perhaps a trifle more," Elsie returned with sprightly look and tone as she left the room.
Agnes was in attendance on her young mistress, and was presently sent to ask if Lulu was in need of help, and to say that her mamma would like to see her before she went down-stairs.
"I don"t need anything till I"m ready to have my sash tied," answered Lulu, "and then I"ll come in to Mamma Vi and you to have it done. She was very good to send you, Agnes, and you to come."
"La! chile, it"s jus" my business to mind Miss Wilet," returned Agnes.
"An" she"s good to eberybody, ob cose--always was."
"What did you want to see me for, Mamma Vi?" asked Lulu, as she presently entered her young stepmother"s dressing-room.
"Just to make sure that your hair and dress are all right, dear. You know we have company to-night, and I am particularly anxious that my little Lulu shall look her very best."
The child"s face flushed with pleasure. She liked to be well and becomingly dressed, and it was gratifying to have Mamma Vi care that she should be. Mrs. Scrimp was so different; she had never cared whether Lulu"s attire was tasteful and becoming or quite the reverse, but always roused the child"s indignation by telling her it was all sufficient if she were only neat and clean.
"Am I all right?" she asked.
"Pretty nearly; we will have you quite so in a minute," Violet answered.
"Tie her sash Agnes, and smooth down the folds of her dress."
"Mamma Vi, is that strange lady any relation to you?" asked Lulu.
"Yes, she is my aunt, mamma"s sister."
"She is pretty, but not nearly so pretty as Grandma Elsie."