CHAPTER XVI.
It was a most joyful surprise to Max when, on the following Saturday,his father and sisters walked in upon him, as he left the dinner tablefull of life and pleasure at the thought of the half holiday that hadjust begun.
His standing and conduct had been such that he was entitled to leave,and to be able to spend it with these dear ones was most delightful.
A carriage had brought the captain and his little girls to the door, andthey--father and children--took a long drive together, during which thetongues of Max and Lulu ran very fast.
She and Gracie thoroughly enjoyed Max's surprise on learning of theplans for the winter, so soon to be carried out.
At first he seemed to feel rather badly at the thought that they wouldall be so far away from him; but he presently got over that, as hisfather spoke of the letters he would receive from Viamede every day, andhow quickly the winter would pass and all be coming home again, some ofthem--certainly himself--making haste to pay a visit to the Academy tosee their young cadet and learn what progress he was making inpreparing for future duty in the naval service of his country.
At that Max's face brightened and he said heartily, "And I shall try mybest to have as good a report as possible ready for you, papa, that youmay be proud and happy in your first-born son. Ah, the thought of thatdoes help me to study hard and try very, very earnestly to keep rules,so that I may be an honor, and not a disgrace to the best of fathers."
"Yes, I am sure of it, my dear boy," the captain replied, laying hishand on the lad's shoulder, while the light of fatherly love and prideshone in his eyes; "I haven't a doubt that it is one of my son'sgreatest pleasures to make himself the joy and pride of his father'sheart."
They drove back to the Academy just in time for Max to be ready toreport himself at evening roll-call, according to the rules, with whichno one was better acquainted than the captain.
He and the little girls were to start on their return journey thatevening, and good-by was said at the Academy door.
A very hard one it seemed to the little girls, hardly less so to Max andhis father. The captain and his daughters went by boat, as lessfatiguing for Grace, and reached home on Monday.
The next day was a busy one to all, and Wednesday noon saw them on thecars, bound for New Orleans.
A day and night were spent in the city, then they took the steamer forBerwick Bay.
The morning was clear and bright and the captain, Violet, and thechildren all sat upon deck, greatly enjoying the breeze and the dancingof the waves in the sunlight, as the vessel cleared its port and steamedout into the gulf.
"Oh, it is so pleasant here!" exclaimed Grace; "just like summer. Andsee the beautiful rainbow in the water that the wheel throws up!"
"Oh, yes; so pretty, oh, so pretty!" cried little Elsie, clapping herhands in delight.
"Oh, so pitty!" echoed baby Ned.
"Take care, little ones; I fear you may fall overboard," warned thecaptain. "Come and sit on papa's knee, and perhaps mamma will kindlytell us of all the lovely things we will see at Viamede."
They obeyed and were charmed with mamma's story of what she had done andseen at Viamede when she was a little girl, and of dear grandma beingonce a baby girl in the very same house, and how dearly all the oldservants loved her, and how they mourned when she was taken away to livewith her grandpa at Roseland.
The babies and even the older folks, not excepting papa himself, seemeddeeply interested, and more delighted than before that they were so soonto see Viamede.
At length Ned fell asleep, Elsie presently followed his example, andolder people were left to the quiet enjoyment of the lovely scenesthrough which they were passing; for they had now entered Teche Bayou,and from that pressed on, threading the way through lake and lakelet,past plantation and swamp, plain and forest, coming upon cool, shadydells carpeted with a rich growth of velvety grass, and flowers ofvaried hue, and shaded by magnificent trees, oaks and magnolias; whileamid groves of orange trees they could see lordly villas, tall whitesugar-houses and rows of cabins where the negro laborers dwelt.
"A beautiful, beautiful country," remarked the captain, breaking aprolonged silence.
"Quite up to your expectations, my dear?" queried Violet, glancing up athim, her eyes shining with pleasure.
"I believe it rather exceeds them," he replied, "it is very, verylovely! an earthly paradise, so far as beauty can make it such."
"Papa, do you suppose you will know which is Viamede when you see it?"queried Lulu.
"I very much doubt it, daughter," he answered.
"Yes, sir; there it is, just coming into sight; the sugar-house, atleast, and yonder, a little beyond, is the great orange orchard."
"And it's just beautiful!" cried Grace. "See, papa, the orange trees,with their beautiful, glossy leaves and ripe and green fruit, andflowers all on them at once."
"And presently we will come to the beautiful lawn, with its giant oaks,magnolia trees, velvety grass and lovely flowers," exclaimed Lulu. "Oh,I am so much obliged to dear Grandma Elsie, for inviting us all to spendthe winter here again!"
"Yes, it was very kind," her father said, "and I hope my children willdo nothing to mar the peace of the household, and so distress Mamma Vi'sdear mother."
"I do intend to be a very good girl, papa, and if I begin to be theleast bit bad, I do hope you'll stop it at once by punishing me well andmaking me behave myself," Lulu said, in a low, earnest tone, speakingclose to his ear.
"Dear child," he returned, in the same low key in which she had spoken,"I have not the least doubt that you intend to be and do all I could askor wish."
There was no time for anything more just then, for, as they were nearingtheir destination, baggage must be seen to and satchels and parcelsgathered up.
Presently the boat rounded to at the wharf and in another minutegreetings and embraces were being exchanged with the cousins, who,having been duly informed of the intended arrival, were gathered thereto give a cordial and delighted welcome to Violet, her husband, andchildren.
There were servants also, some few of the old and some new ones, eachand all eager for a handshake and a few words of greeting from "MissWi'let and the cap'en and dere chillens," in which they were notdisappointed.
In a few moments the baggage had been landed and was being taken to thehouse, while ladies, gentlemen, and children followed, the newly arrivedgazing, delighted, about upon the beauties of the place, the othersasking many questions concerning Grandma Elsie and those of her familyleft behind--how they were in health, and when they would come toViamede.
"You will find the house in very tolerable order, I think, Vi," remarkedMrs. Keith, "though doubtless many little repairs and improvementsneeded, that Cousin Elsie may find everything in order when she comes.It was a good idea to get you and the captain to come a little inadvance of the older folk and have everything in order for theirreception."
"I think so," Violet said with a smile, "and that no better person thanmy honored husband could have been found to undertake that task."
"No more trustworthy one, I am sure, judging from his looks," returnedIsa. "I am delighted with his appearance, Vi; he is as noble-looking aman as ever I saw."
Violet flushed with pleasure. "And he is all that he appears to be,Isa," she said; "the better he is known the more highly is he esteemed."
A bountiful supper had been prepared for the travelers, and the othersstayed and partook with them, but soon after leaving the table badegood-night and went to their own homes.
Then Violet took her sleepy little ones upstairs to see them to bed,leaving the captain, Lulu, and Grace on the veranda.
As usual, the two were hanging lovingly about their father, he seemingto enjoy it as much as they.
It was a beautiful moonlight night, warm, and sweet with the breath offlowers; away in the distance, beyond the wide-spreading lawn, theycould see the waters of the bayou glittering in the moonbeams, and thesoft plash of oars came pleasantly to their ears.
"Oh, isn't it just lovely, here!" exclaimed Lulu, breaking a momentarysilence. "Papa, did I exaggerate in telling you of the beauties of theplace?"
"No, I think not," he replied; "it is certainly very lovely, and I hopewe are going to have a happy winter here."
"I'm sure we will; I'm happy anywhere with you, my dear, dear papa,"said Grace, putting an arm round his neck and pressing her lips to hischeek.
"So am I," said Lulu, "unless I have been doing wrong, and papa isdispleased with me. Oh, I do mean to try my very hardest to be good! andI'm sure it will be ever so much easier with you for my tutor, dearpapa, than it was before, going to that horrid school and having to takemusic lessons from that Signor Foresti, who was so ill-tempered andstruck me, when I was trying as hard as I could to play my piece justright."
"Yes, daughter, I think it will be easier for you with the tutor wholoves you and is loved by you," assented the captain, drawing her into aclose, loving embrace. "We must see if a music teacher is to be hadhere, but certainly will not try Signor Foresti again."
"Oh, I am glad to hear you say that, papa! though I never thought youwould send me back to him again. I am, oh, so glad I belong to youinstead of to--anybody else."
"So am I," he responded, with a happy little laugh.
"And that I do too, papa?" asked Grace, in a half-pleading tone.
"Yes, yes, my own darling," he said, addressing her with greattenderness. "You are no less dear than your sister."
"How good in you, papa! for I'm not half so bright or pretty as Lu," shesaid, patting his cheek with her small white hand.
"Why, Gracie!" exclaimed Lulu, "whatever put such a thing as that intoyour head? You are far prettier, and better too, than I am. Isn't she,papa?"
"You must not ask me such hard questions," he returned laughingly, andhugging them both up in his arms, "I really could not say that eitherone is prettier or dearer to me than the other, or that I love eithermore or less than I do each of the other three. The love differssomewhat in kind, but, I think, not in intensity."
"Yes, papa, I suppose so," returned Lulu thoughtfully; "for instance youmust have quite a different sort of love for Max, who is almost oldenough to take care of himself, and baby Ned who is so very young andhelpless."
Violet joined them at that moment, reported the babies as fast asleep inthe nursery, and consulted her husband as to what rooms they shouldoccupy during their stay; saying her mother had kindly bade them pleasethemselves in regard to that matter.
"Choose for yourself, my dear," replied the captain, "and I shall beentirely satisfied; only I should like to have these children close athand--a door of communication between their room, or rooms, and ours, ifthat can be easily managed. We must be near the babies of course."
"Yes, indeed! Near every one of our four," returned Violet brightly; "Icould not be easy otherwise, any more than their father.
"But suppose I take you over the house, if you are not too tired.To-morrow, you remember, is Sunday, and I could hardly wait till Monday,to say nothing of the curiosity that must of course be consuming you."
"Of course," returned the captain laughingly, as he rose and gave herhis arm; "it will give me great pleasure to accompany you, if you arenot too weary for such exertion."
"Not a bit," she said; "the trip on the boat was more restful thanfatiguing; at least so far as concerned myself. May not Lulu and Graciecome too?"
"If they wish; though I fear Gracie is too tired," he said, with aninquiring glance at her. "If you would like to go, pet, papa will carryyou up the stairs."
"Oh, then, I would like to, papa; I'm not so very tired," she answeredeagerly.
"Then of course Lulu is not?" he said with a smiling glance at hiseldest daughter.
"No, indeed, papa; and I'd dearly love to go along," she answered,taking Gracie's hand and with her tripping along in the rear, as he andViolet passed on into the wide hall.
They first inspected the rooms on the lower floor, lingering longest inthe drawing-room, where the many beautiful paintings and pieces ofstatuary were very attractive.
"We cannot give them half enough time to-night," remarked Violet, "butfortunately have good reason to hope for many opportunities for futureinspection."
"Yes," the captain said, glancing at Grace, then at his watch. "Shall wenot call in the servants and have prayers before going upstairs? It isnot far from the usual time, and I see Gracie is growing weary."
Violet gave a ready assent and led the way to the family parlor whereher grandfather had been wont to hold that service.
The servants were summoned and came in looking well pleased. The captainmade the service short out of consideration for Gracie's weariness,though, indeed, he never thought it well to lengthen it so much as torisk making it a weariness to either children or servants.
A few directions in regard to securing doors and windows for the nightand as to what should be done for the comfort of the family in themorning, then he, Violet, and the little girls, having exchanged kindlygood-nights with the servants, went on up the broad stairway, thecaptain, according to promise, carrying Grace in his arms.
Only a hasty survey of the upper rooms was taken that night, for allbegan to feel the need of rest and sleep. Apartments connected with eachother and the nursery were selected for occupation, and soon all wereresting peacefully in their beds.