ng
it; as Maud does too. She likes it well."

"And you prefer it to Viamede?"

"Only because it is my own," he answered with a smile. "One could not
find a lovelier place than Viamede."

"But you lost the housekeeping of your cousin Virginia by making the
change," Harold observed with a humorous look.

"Hardly!" laughed Dick; "she was that but in name. And the change to
Isa's housekeeping and companionship must be rather agreeable to her,
I should think."

"She seems to me much the more agreeable of the two," said Harold.

"Yes; Isa is a lovely woman. And Virginia has her good qualities,
too."

As Torriswood was but little farther from the bayou than Viamede, it
was presently decided by the young people that they would return by
boat, and upon starting they found it so pleasant that they took a
much longer sail, reaching their destination barely in time for
dinner.

"Does Sidney's evident happiness in the near approach of her marriage
make my little girl unhappy and discontented with her father's
decision in regard to hers?" asked Captain Raymond, when Lucilla came
to him for the usual bit of good-night chat.

"Oh, no, papa; no indeed!" she exclaimed with a low, happy laugh.
"Have you forgotten, or don't you know yet, how dearly that same
little girl loves to be with you?"

"Really, I believe she does," he said, caressing her with tenderness,
"and though it is undeniably partly for his own--her father's--sake,
that he insists upon delay, it is still more for yours--believing as
he does that you are yet much too young for the cares and duties of
married life. I want you to have a good play-day before going into
them," he added, with another caress.

"You dear, kind father!" she said in response. "I could wish to be
always a child if so I might be always with you."

"Well, daughter, we may hope for many years together in this world and
a blessed eternity together in heaven."

"Yes, papa, there is great happiness in that thought. Oh, I am glad
and thankful that God gave me a Christian father."

"And I that I have every reason to believe that my dear eldest
daughter has learned to know and love him. To belong to Christ is
better than to have the wealth of the world. Riches take to themselves
wings and fly away; but he has said, 'I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee.'"

"Such a sweet, precious promise, father!"

"Yes; it may well relieve us from care and anxiety about the future;
especially as tak