ight, winsome look up into his
face. "It is so sweet to belong to you, and to have you belong to me.
And then our darling children are such treasures."

"Yes; our two dear babies."

"Ah, yes; but I meant to include the others also; for I surely may claim
now that even Lulu loves me, not as a mother exactly, but as a dear
older sister."

"Yes, I am certain of it, dearest," he said in tones expressing
heart-felt happiness; "she shows it in many ways, and however many and
serious her faults may be, hypocrisy and deceit are not among them."

"No, indeed! I never knew anyone more perfectly free from those
faults--so perfectly open and candid. I am sure that if her life were in
peril she would not be deceitful or untrue in order to save it."

"Thank you, my love," he said with emotion. "I share that belief, and it
has been a great consolation to me when sorely distressed by her very
serious faults."

"But she is overcoming those under her father's wise and affectionate
training."

"I think she is," he said; "she is certainly struggling hard against
them, though the training you speak of, has, I fear, been far from
faultless."

"Ah, you have not so much confidence in her father's wisdom as I have,"
returned Violet, with a smile and a look up into his face which
expressed a world of loving appreciation.

The conversation then turned upon other themes not unsuited to the
sacredness of the day; they seated themselves and sang a hymn or two
together, then Violet went below and sought her berth, to be followed an
hour later by her husband.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE next morning the _Dolphin's_ passengers, on awaking, found her
speeding on her homeward way. No one regretted it, for all were full of
joy at the thought of seeing home again, delightful as had been their
sojourn at lovely Viamede and on the vessel.

It was still early in the day when they reached their wharf, but
carriages from Ion, Fairview, and Woodburn were in waiting, conveyances
for the luggage also, and in a very short time they had left the city
behind, and were whirling rapidly over the familiar road toward the
loved homes they had left some months before--a happy company, the
younger ones full of mirth and gayety.

The grounds belonging to each estate were looking their loveliest, and
the returning travelers were greeted with the warmest of welcomes. Zoe
and Edward had reached Ion some days in advance of the others, and seen
to it that ever