CHAPTER XVI.
"Are we going to stop at any of these South American countries, papa?"asked Elsie the next day, standing by her father's side on the deck.
"I hardly think so," he replied. "It is rather too nearly time to gohome."
"Oh, papa, I'd like ever so much to see our other home,Viamede--grandma lets me call it one of my homes--if there is time, andit isn't too far away."
"Well, daughter," her father said, with a smile, "I think thereis time, and the place not too far away--the 'Dolphin' being agood-natured yacht that never complains of her long journeys."
"Oh, papa, are we really going there?" cried the little girl, fairlydancing with delight. "I'll be so glad to see the Keith cousins at thecottage, and those at Magnolia Hall, and the others at Torriswood. AndI'll show Tiny to them, and they'll be sure to be pleased to see him,"she added, hugging her pet, which, as usual, she had in her arms.
"Probably they will," said her father. "Do you think of giving him toany one of them?"
"Give my little pet Tiny away? Why, papa! no indeed! I couldn't thinkof such a thing!" she cried, hugging her pet still closer. "I'm fondof him, papa, and I'm pretty sure he's fond of me; he seems to want tosnuggle up close to me all the time."
"Yes; I think he is fond of you and won't want to leave you, except fora little while now and then to run up and down the trees and round thegrounds. That will be his play; and when he gets hungry he will go backto you for something to eat."
Ned, with his pet in his arms, had joined them just in time to hear hisfather's last sentence.
"Are you talking about Elsie's Tiny, papa?" he asked.
"Yes, my son, and what I said will apply to your Tee-tee just as well.I think if my children are good and kind to the little fellows theywill not want to run away."
"I have been good to him so far," said Ned, patting and stroking hispet as he spoke, "and I mean to keep on. Papa, where are we going now?Elsie and I were talking about it a while ago, and we wondered if wewere now on the way home."
"Would you like to be?" asked his father.
"Yes, papa; or to go somewhere else first; just as pleases you."
"What would you say as to visiting Viamede?"
"Oh, papa, that I'd like it ever so much!"
"Well, your grandma has given us all an invitation to go there, and weare very likely to accept it. It will make us a little later in gettinghome than I had intended, but it will be so great a pleasure that Ithink we will all feel paid."
"Yes, indeed!" cried Ned, dancing up and down in delight, "I think it'sjust splendid that we can go there. I don't know any lovelier or moredelightful place to go to; do you, papa?"
"And I'm as glad as you are, Ned," said Elsie. "Let's go and thankgrandma. Yonder she is in her usual seat under the awning."
"Yes," said their father, "you owe her thanks, and it would be well togive them at once," and they hastened to do his bidding.
Grandma Elsie was seated with the other ladies of their party in thatpleasant spot under the awning, where there were plenty of comfortableseats, and they were protected from sun and shower. The gentlemen werethere, too. Some were reading and some--the younger ones--chatting andlaughing merrily among themselves. Into this group the children camerushing, full of excitement and glee.
"Oh grandma," they cried, talking both at once, "we're so glad we'regoing to Viamede, so much obliged to you for inviting us, because it'ssuch a dear, beautiful place and seems to be one of our homes."
"Yes, you must consider it so, my dears; because it is mine, and Iconsider my dear grandchildren as mine, too," was grandma's smiling,affectionate rejoinder.
"As I do, mamma," said Violet, "and I am sure no children ever had abetter, kinder grandmother."
"No, indeed," said Elsie. "And I think Tiny and Tee-tee will enjoybeing at Viamede, too, and climbing up the beautiful trees. Papa saysthey will, but will be glad to come back to us when they get hungry;because we feed them with such things as they like to eat."
"It will be a long journey before we get to Viamede, won't it, mamma?"asked Ned.
"Yes; a good many miles up this coast of South America, then throughthe Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico to New Orleans, then throughTeche Bayou to Viamede. I think it will be a long, pleasant journey.Don't you?"
"Yes, mamma, it is very pleasant to be on our yacht with you and papaand grandma and so many other kind friends."
Just then the Captain joined them.
"How long will it take us to get to Viamede, papa?" asked Ned.
"About as long as it would to cross the ocean from our country toEurope. And should storms compel us to seek refuge for a time in someharbor, it will, of course, take longer."
"Will we go back to Trinidad?"
"Hardly, I think; though we will probably pass in sight of the island."
"And we are on the coast of Brazil now?"
"Yes; and will be for a week or more."
"We are trying life in the 'Dolphin' for a good while this winter,"said Violet.
"You are not wearying of it, I hope, my dear?" asked the Captain,giving her a rather anxious and troubled look.
"Oh, no, not at all!" she replied, giving him an affectionate smile,"this winter trip has been a real enjoyment to me thus far."
"As it has to all of us, I think," said her mother; and all withinhearing joined in with their expressions of pleasure in all they hadexperienced on the sea or on the land since sailing away from theirhomes in the "Dolphin."
"I am half afraid that you gentlemen will find your homes but dullplaces when you get back to them," remarked Lucilla, in a tone offeigned melancholy, sighing deeply as she spoke.
"Well, for business reasons I shall be glad to get back to my office,"said Chester. "So it will not be altogether a trying thing to return,even if my home is to be but dull and wearisome."
"I don't believe it will be," laughed Grace. "Lu is never half so hardand disagreeable as she pretends. She has always been the nicest ofsisters to me, and I have an idea that she is quite as good a wife."
"So have I," said Chester. "I know I wouldn't swap wives with any man."
"Nor I husbands with any woman," laughed Lucilla. "I took this man forbetter or for worse, but there's no worse about it."
A merry laugh from little Elsie turned all eyes upon her. Tiny wascurled up on her shoulder, his hazel eyes fixed inquiringly upon herface and one of his fingers gently laid upon her lips.
"I think your Tiny is wanting to learn to talk," her father said. "Heseems to be trying to see how you do it."
"Oh, do you think he can learn, papa?" she asked, in eager tones. "Idon't see why monkeys shouldn't talk as well as parrots."
"I do not, either, my child; I only know that they do not."
At that instant Tiny lifted his head and turned his eyes upon theCaptain, and some words seemed to come rapidly and in rather anindignant tone from his lips. "I can talk and I will when I want to. Mylittle mistress is very kind and good to me, and I'm growing very fondof her."
Everybody laughed and Elsie said, "I wish it were really his talk. ButI know it was Cousin Ronald who spoke."
"Ah, little cousin, how much fun you miss by knowing too much," laughedMr. Lilburn.
Then Ned's Tee-tee seemed to speak. "You needn't make a fuss over mybrother. I can talk quite as well as he can."
"Why, so you can!" exclaimed Ned, stroking and patting him. "And I'mglad to have you talk just as much as you will."
"Thank you, little master; you're very good to me," was the reply.
"Now, Tiny, it is your turn," said Elsie to her pet. "I hope you thinkyou are having a good time here on this yacht?"
"Yes, indeed I do," was the reply. "But where are we going?"
"To Viamede; a beautiful place in Louisiana. And you shall run aboutover the velvety, flower-spangled lawn, and climb the trees, if youwant to, and pick some oranges and bananas for yourself, and have eversuch a good time."
"That's nice! Shall my brother
Tee-tee have a good time with me, too?"
"Yes, if you both promise not to run away and leave us."
"We'd be very foolish tee-tees if we did."
"So I think," laughed Elsie, affectionately stroking and patting Tiny.
"Come, Tee-tee; it's your turn to talk a little," said Ned, patting andstroking his pet.
"Am I going to that good place Tiny's mistress tells about, where theyhave fine trees to climb and oranges and bananas and other good thingsto eat?" Tee-tee seemed to ask.
"Yes," replied Ned, "if you keep on being a good little fellow youshall go there and have a good time playing about and feasting on thefruits, nuts and other nice things."
"Then I mean to be good--as good as I know how."
"Cousin Ronald, you do make them talk very nicely," remarked Elsie,with satisfaction, adding, "But I do wish they could do it themselves."
"I presume they would be glad if they could," said Lucilla. "Yourswatches the movements of your lips, as if he wanted very much toimitate them with his."
"And I believe he does," said Elsie. "It makes me feel more thankfulfor the gift of speech than I ever did before."
"Then it has a good effect," said her father.
"So they are useful little creatures, after all," said Grace, "though Ihad thought them only playthings."
"I think Tiny is the very best plaything that ever I had," said Elsie,again stroking and patting the little fellow. "Cousin Ronald, won't youplease make him talk a little more?"
"Why do you want me to talk so much, little mistress?" Tiny seemed toask.
"Oh, because I like to hear you and you really mean what you seem tosay. Do you like to be with us on this nice big yacht?"
"Pretty well, though I'd rather be among the big trees in the woodswhere I was born."
"I think that must be because you are not quite civilized," laughedElsie.
"I'd rather be in those woods, too," Tee-tee seemed to say. "Let's runaway to the woods, Tiny, when we get a chance."
"Ho, ho!" cried Ned, "if that's the way you talk you shan't have achance."
"Now, Ned, you surely wouldn't be so cruel as to keep him if he wantsto go back to his native woods," said Lucilla. "How would you like tobe carried off to a strange place, away from papa and mamma?"
"But I ain't a monkey," said Ned. "And I don't believe he cares abouthis father and mother as I do about mine. Do you care very much aboutthem, Tee-tee?"
"Not so very much; and I think they've been caught or killed."
The words seemed to come from Tee-tee's lips and Ned exclaimed,triumphantly: "There; he doesn't care a bit."
"But it wasn't he that answered; it was Cousin Ronald."
"Well, maybe Cousin Ronald knows how he feels. Don't you, CousinRonald?"
"Ah, I must acknowledge that it is all guess-work, sonny boy," laughedthe old gentleman.
"Well," said Ned, reflectively, "I've heard there are some folks whoare good at guessing, and I believe you are one of them, Cousin Ronald."
"But I'm not a Yankee, you know, and I've heard that they are the folkswho are good at guessing," laughed Cousin Ronald.
"But I don't believe they do all the guessing; I think other folks mustdo some of it," said Ned.
"Quite likely," said Cousin Ronald; "most folks like to engage in thatbusiness once in awhile."
"Tee-tee," said Ned, "I wish you and Tiny would talk a little more."
"What about little master?" seemed to come in quick response fromTiny's lips.
"Oh, anything you please. All I want is the fun of hearing you talk,"said Ned.
"It wouldn't be polite for us to do all the talking," he seemed torespond; and Ned returned, "You needn't mind about the politeness ofit. We folks all want to hear you talk, whatever you may say."
"But I don't want to talk unless I have something to say," was Tiny'sanswer.
"That's right, Tiny; you seem to be a sensible fellow," laughed Lucilla.
"Papa, are monkeys mischievous?" asked Elsie.
"They have that reputation, and certainly some have shown themselvesso; therefore, you would better not put temptation in the way of Tinyor Tee-tee."
"And better not trust them too far," said Violet. "I'd be sorry to haveany of your clothes torn up while we are so far from home."
"Oh mamma, do you think they would do that?" cried Elsie.
"I don't know; but I have heard of monkeys meddling with theirmistress's clothes, and perhaps Tiny doesn't know how much too largeeven yours would be for her--no for him."
"Well, mamma, I'll try to keep things out of his way, and I hopehe'll realize that a girl's garments are not suitable for a boymonkey," laughed Elsie. "Do you hear that? and will you remember?" sheasked, giving him a little shake and tap which he seemed to take veryunconcernedly.
"And I'll try to keep my clothes out of Tee-tee's way; for I shouldn'tlike to make trouble for you, mamma, or to wear either holey or patchedclothes," said Ned.
"No," said his father; "so we will hope the little fellows will behonest enough to refrain from meddling with your clothes; at least tillwe get home."
"And I think you will find these pretty little fellows honest, andnot meddlesome," said Mr. Dinsmore. "I have read that they are mostengaging little creatures, and from what I have seen of these, Ithink that is true; they seem to behave with gentle intelligencequite superior to that of any other monkey I ever saw; to haveamiable tempers, too, and there is an innocent expression in theircountenances, which is very pleasing. I do not think they have asyet had anything to frighten them here, but I have read that whenalarmed, sudden tears fill their clear hazel eyes, and they make littleimploring, shrinking gestures that excite the sympathy of those to whomthey are appealing for protection."
"Yes, grandpa, I think they do look good, enough better and pleasanterthan any other monkey that ever I saw," said Ned.
"Yes," said his father, "it is certainly the most engaging specimen ofthe monkey family that ever I came across."
"Children," said Violet, "the call to dinner will come in about fiveminutes. So put away your pets for the present and make yourselves neatfor the table."