only I should like to have these children close at
hand--a door of communication between their room, or rooms, and ours, if
that can be easily managed. We must be near the babies of course."

"Yes, indeed! Near every one of our four," returned Violet brightly; "I
could not be easy otherwise, any more than their father.

"But suppose I take you over the house, if you are not too tired.
To-morrow, you remember, is Sunday, and I could hardly wait till Monday,
to say nothing of the curiosity that must of course be consuming you."

"Of course," returned the captain laughingly, as he rose and gave her
his arm; "it will give me great pleasure to accompany you, if you are
not too weary for such exertion."

"Not a bit," she said; "the trip on the boat was more restful than
fatiguing; at least so far as concerned myself. May not Lulu and Gracie
come too?"

"If they wish; though I fear Gracie is too tired," he said, with an
inquiring glance at her. "If you would like to go, pet, papa will carry
you up the stairs."

"Oh, then, I would like to, papa; I'm not so very tired," she answered
eagerly.

"Then of course Lulu is not?" he said with a smiling glance at his
eldest daughter.

"No, indeed, papa; and I'd dearly love to go along," she answered,
taking Gracie's hand and with her tripping along in the rear, as he and
Violet passed on into the wide hall.

They first inspected the rooms on the lower floor, lingering longest in
the drawing-room, where the many beautiful paintings and pieces of
statuary were very attractive.

"We cannot give them half enough time to-night," remarked Violet, "but
fortunately have good reason to hope for many opportunities for future
inspection."

"Yes," the captain said, glancing at Grace, then at his watch. "Shall we
not call in the servants and have prayers before going upstairs? It is
not far from the usual time, and I see Gracie is growing weary."

Violet gave a ready assent and led the way to the family parlor where
her grandfather had been wont to hold that service.

The servants were summoned and came in looking well pleased. The captain
made the service short out of consideration for Gracie's weariness,
though, indeed, he never thought it well to lengthen it so much as to
risk making it a weariness to either children or servants.

A few directions in regard to securing doors and windows for the night
and as to what should be done for the comfort of the family in the
morning, then