he, Violet, and the little girls, having exchanged kindly
good-nights with the servants, went on up the broad stairway, the
captain, according to promise, carrying Grace in his arms.

Only a hasty survey of the upper rooms was taken that night, for all
began to feel the need of rest and sleep. Apartments connected with each
other and the nursery were selected for occupation, and soon all were
resting peacefully in their beds.

CHAPTER XVII.

The Sabbath morning dawned bright and clear. Lulu rose with the sun and,
before he was an hour high, was down on the veranda, gazing with delight
upon the lovely landscape spread out at her feet.

So absorbed in its beauties was she that she failed to hear an
approaching footstep, and was aware of her father's presence only when
he laid a hand gently on her head and, bending down, imprinted a kiss on
her lips.

"An early bird as usual, my darling!" he said.

"Yes, sir, like my father, my dear, dear father," she returned, twining
her arms around his neck and holding him fast for a moment.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, releasing himself and taking her hand in
his.

"Oh, yes, indeed, papa! Did not you?"

"I did; I think we all did," he answered. "God has been very good to us.
And what a lovely, lovely Sunday morning it is!"

"We can all go to church, can't we, papa?" she asked.

"I think so," he said. "And now you would like to walk down across the
lawn, to the water's edge, with me?"

"Oh, yes, indeed, papa," she cried delightedly. "It was just what I was
wanting to do."

"It might be well for you to have a bit of something to eat first," he
said. "Ah, here is just the thing!" as a servant approached with a
waiter on which were some oranges prepared for eating in the way Grandma
Elsie had enjoyed them in her young days.

"Thank you, Aunt Sally," the captain said, helping Lulu and himself;
"you could have brought us nothing more tempting and delicious. Will you
please carry some up to my wife?"

"Ise done it already, sah," replied the woman, smiling all over her
face, and dropping a courtesy; "yes, sah; an' she say dey's mighty nice,
jes like she hab when she's heah in dis place yeahs ago."

"Papa," remarked Lulu, as they presently crossed the lawn together, "I'm
so glad to be here again, and with you. It was a delightful place the
other time, I thought, but, oh, it seems twice as pleasant now, because
my dear father is with us!" and she lifted her eyes