CHAPTER XIX.
A bright, beautiful day succeeded that on which the Ion family hadarrived at Viamede. The younger members of their party woke early, andthe sun was hardly more than an hour high when Evelyn and Rosie passeddown the broad stairway into the lower hall, moving with cautious treadlest they might disturb the still sleeping older members of thehousehold.
But on reaching the veranda they were surprised to see the captain andLulu already taking a morning promenade along the bank of the bayou.
"Ah, I see there is no getting ahead of Brother Levis," laughed Rosie."Let us run down there and join them, Eva."
"With all my heart," returned Evelyn gayly, and away they went, racingdown the broad gravelled walk in merry girlish fashion.
"Good-morning, little ladies, I see that you are early birds as well asLulu and myself," the captain said, with his genial smile, as they drewnear.
"Yes, sir," returned Rosie, catching hold of Lulu and giving her ahearty embrace; "on such a morning as this, and in such a lovely place,bed has no attractions to compare with those of out of doors."
"That's exactly what papa and I think," said Lulu; "and, oh girls, I'mso glad you have come to share this lovely, lovely place with us. Eva, Ihaven't yet got over the glad surprise of your coming. I was just sayingto papa how very kind it was in Grandma Elsie and the rest of them toprepare such an unexpected pleasure for me. Wasn't it good in them?"
"Yes, indeed, good to us both!" Evelyn said, squeezing affectionatelythe hand Lulu had slipped into hers.
"Captain," looking up smilingly into his face, "are you intending to beso very, very kind as to take me for one of your pupils?"
"Most assuredly, my dear, if you wish it," he replied.
"Oh, thank you, sir! thank you very much indeed, and I promise to giveyou as little trouble as I possibly can."
"I shall consider it no trouble at all, my dear child," he returned,giving her a fatherly smile. "Indeed, I think the favor will be onyour side, as doubtless Lulu will improve all the faster for yourcompanionship in her studies. Rosie, being older than either of you,will, I fear, have to be quite alone in most of hers."
"Yes, Brother Levis, and as I am to be such a lonely, forlorn creatureyou ought to be extremely good to me," remarked Rosie demurely. "I hopeyou will remember that and try to have unlimited patience with youryoungest sister."
"Ah! my little sister would better not try the patience of her bigbrother too far," returned the captain with a twinkle of fun in his eye.
"I dare say; but he needn't think he can make me very much afraid ofhim, big as he is," laughed Rosie.
"Perhaps, though, it might turn out to the advantage of ProfessorManton, should my youngest sister prove quite beyond the management ofher biggest and oldest brother," remarked the captain, with assumedgravity.
"There!" exclaimed Rosie, "that's the worst threat you could possiblyhave made. I think I'll try to be at least passably good and obedient inthe schoolroom. You needn't look for it in any other place, CaptainRaymond," making him a deep courtesy, then dancing gayly away.
"Don't you envy her that it is only in the schoolroom she must beobedient to me, whom you have to obey all the time?" asked the captainlaughingly 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 everywhereand all the time," she answered, lifting to his face eyes full of filialrespect and ardent affection.
"So am I," he returned, pressing tenderly the hand she had again slippedinto his. "But you must not be vexed with Rosie. Could you not see thatall 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 saidto my dear, honored father even in jest."
"But you must excuse Rosie, Lu, dear," said Evelyn. "It was indeed allin jest, for I know that she feels the very highest respect for yourfather--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 Iare the best of friends, and I think will continue to be such."
It was a gay, light-hearted party that met at the Viamedebreakfast-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 makeany exertion.
"I shall have to let you continue to take the role of mistress of theestablishment, Vi," she said, with a pleasant smile, as, resigning toher daughter her accustomed seat at the head of the table, she tookpossession of one at the side.
"Not that I am of so humble a spirit as to consider myself unfitted forthe duties and responsibilities of the position, but because older andwiser people do."
"I really think Vi makes as good a substitute as could well be found,mother," remarked the captain, with a proudly affectionate glance at hislovely young wife.
"In which I entirely agree with you, sir," said Mr. Dinsmore.
The meal was partaken of with appetite, and enlivened by cheery talk; agood deal of it in regard to pleasures and amusements attainable in thatlocality; riding, driving, boating, fishing; to say nothing of thepleasant rambles that could be taken on and beyond the estate.
There was no lack of carriages for driving, or horses to draw them, orfor 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 onhorseback.
Breakfast and family prayers over, the young girls hastened to theirrooms to prepare for the little excursion, all seemingly in the gayestspirits at the pleasing prospect; none more so than merry, excitableLulu.
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 passed them with the bag containing the morningmail, which he had just brought from the nearest post-office.
He carried it to the library, where Mr. Dinsmore and the captain wereseated, awaiting the appearance of the ladies, carriages, and horses.
As if struck by a sudden thought, Lulu ran after him. She saw her fathertake the bag, open it, hand several letters to Mr. Dinsmore, selectseveral others and give them to the servant (with directions to carrythem up to the ladies), then lay a pretty large pile on the table, takeup one, and open it.
"There, those are papa's own," she said to herself, "and what a numberhe has!--all to be answered, too. I don't believe he'll take time toride 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 cometill to-morrow."
She walked slowly out to the veranda again.
Rosie and Evelyn had not yet made their appearance, and Grace wasromping about with little Elsie and Ned.
Just then a servant man came round from the stables, leading the poniesthe little girls were to ride, and at sight of them Lulu seemed to takea sudden resolution.
"Oh, Solon," she said, hurrying toward the man, "you can put my ponyback into the stable; I'm not going to ride this morning; I've changedmy mind; and if anybody asks about me, you can tell them so," and withthat she ran away round the house and seated herself on the backveranda, where she had been when Professor Manton made his call upon thecaptain.
Presently she heard the ladies and young girls come down the stairs, herfather and Mr. Dinsmore come out from the library and assist the olderones into the carriage, the younger to mount their ponies; then herfather's voice asking, "Where is Lulu?" and the servant's reply, "MissLu, she tole me, sah, to tell you she doan want fo' to ride dis heahmornin', sah"; then her father's surprised, "She did, Solon? Why, thatis a sudden change on her part. I thought she was quite delighted at theprospect of going.
"Violet, my dear, I find I have so many letters calling for reply th
ismorning, that I, too, must remain at home."
Some exclamations of surprise and regret from the others followed; thenthe sound of hoofs and wheels told that the party had set out on theirlittle excursion, and the captain's step was heard in the hall as hereturned to the library.
But a thought seemed to strike him as he reached its door, and hepaused, 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 notgo with the others?"
"Because I preferred to stay at home with my dear father; and I hope heisn'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 myside; except that I feel sorry on your own account that you should missthe pleasant, healthful trip along with the others," he said, bestowingupon her a fond caress.
"But how did you know that I was going to stay at home?" he asked, as heled 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 neckand gazing into his eyes with her own full of ardent filial love. "I sawthat 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 mehelp him as I did the other day.' So now as I have stayed, won't you beso 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 tome."
"But you needn't be sorry, papa, because I'm ever so glad. I was almostafraid you might be displeased with me for taking the liberty of stayingat 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 withwarmth of affection.
"I am so much displeased, that as a punishment you will have to writeseveral letters on your machine at my dictation," he replied, withplayful look and tone. "We will set to work at once," he added, puttingher off his knee, taking the cover from her typewriter, and placing achair before it for her to sit upon, then laying a pile of paper andenvelopes within easy reach of her hand.
"Ah, papa, I don't care how often you punish me in this way!" sheexclaimed, with a merry laugh, as she took her seat.
"Tut! tut! don't talk as if my punishment were nothing," he replied, inpretended displeasure. "You may get more of this kind some of these daysthan you will like."
"Not while it's a help to my dear father," she returned, smiling up athim.
"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 hereyes.
"Yes, indeed, sir! O papa, I just long to be a real help and comfort andblessing 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 saidwith emotion. "Truly, I think no man ever had a more lovable child, or amore grateful and appreciative one."
Those words sent a thrill of exquisite delight to Lulu's heart. "Dearpapa, you are so kind to tell me that!" she said. "Oh, I do want alwaysto be all that to you!"
"And it is certainly my ardent desire to be the best of fathers to mydear eldest daughter, and all my children," he responded.
"But now let us set to work upon this correspondence."
For the next hour and more they were very busy; then, every letterhaving been replied to, the captain went out to a distant part of theplantation to see how work was progressing there, taking Lulu along.
Their way led them through the orange orchard, and both father anddaughter found it a delightful walk.
They reached the house again just in time to receive the others on theirreturn from their little excursion, and presently after, all sat down todinner.
On leaving the table the little girls repaired to the veranda.
"I'm decidedly offended with you, Lu," said Rosie, in jesting tone.
"What for?" asked Lulu.
"For forsaking us as you did this morning; and now the least reparationyou can make is to confess why you did so. Do you not agree with me,Eva?"
"Yes," replied Evelyn, "I think she ought to do so, as the only amendsshe can make. So, Miss Raymond, let us hear your excuse at once--if youhave any."
"Well, then, I suppose I must," said Lulu. "Please understand that Iwould have enjoyed going with you very much indeed, but I saw that papahad a good many letters to answer and I wanted to help him a great dealmore than I did to take a ride.
"He lets me write some on the typewriter--those, you see, that don'trequire a very particular answer--and he says it shortens his work verymuch. And," she added with a sigh, "I have given my dear father so muchtrouble in past days by my bad temper and wilfulness, that I feel I cannever do enough to make up to him for it."
"Dear Lu, I just love you for feeling and acting so," said Evelynsoftly, giving Lulu's hand an affectionate squeeze as she spoke; "and Iam sure your father must."
"Yes, he does love me dearly, and you can't think how happy that makesme," returned Lulu, glad tears shining in her eyes.
"I don't know about that, but I think we can," said Rosie, a slighttremble in her voice; for she had not forgotten altogether the dearfather who had fondled and caressed her in her babyhood, but had so longsince passed away to the better land.
But just at that moment Violet drew near with a light, quick step.
"The boat is at the landing, little girls," she said, "and we olderfolks want to be off. Please put on your hats, coats too,--or carry somekind of wrap,--for the captain says it may be quite cool on the waterbefore we return."
"A summons we're delighted to receive," returned Rosie, springing to herfeet and hurrying toward the hall door, the others following, all ofthem in gay good humor.
No one was missing from that boating excursion, and on their return, alittle before tea time, all spoke of having had a most enjoyableafternoon.