a dull
boy,' and I think girl nature does not differ in that respect."

"Oh, you dear papa! none of your children are ever allowed to have all
work and no play," she exclaimed, giving him a look of ardent affection.
"You take a great deal of trouble to give us pleasure; you always have."

"Yes, indeed," said Grace; "it seems to be papa's greatest delight to
give pleasure to his wife and children. Don't you think so, mamma?"

"Indeed I do," returned Violet heartily. "I have never known a more
generous or unselfish person than my husband and your father."

"And what shall I say?" queried the captain. "That when I am the person
under discussion no greater flatterers can be found than my wife and
older daughters?"

"Oh! we will excuse you from saying anything on the subject, sir,"
laughed Violet.

"Now, what kind of a time did you all have staying at home without me?"
asked Lucilla. "I hope you have missed me a little."

"Of course we did," replied Grace.

"Your father missed both his daughter and his amanuensis," said the
captain.

"Oh! there were letters to be answered?" she exclaimed. "Please let me
do it now, papa?"

"No, dear child, I answered them myself; and if I had not I should not
let you work to-night, after all the fatigue of the day."

"You are so kindly careful of me and all of us, papa," she said with a
grateful, loving look into his eyes. "I am somewhat tired, but not too
much so to use the typewriter, if you wanted any work done on it. It is
such a pleasure to be of even a little service to my dear father."

"And such a pleasure to your father to be served by so dear and loving a
daughter," he returned; "one so valuable to me that I cannot consent to
have her broken down with too much of either work or pleasure. You must
go to bed presently and try to take a good night's rest after the
exertions of the day."

"I am ready to go whenever my father bids me," she said in a cheerful
tone; "and I want to begin my night's sleep early enough to be ready for
my usual stroll with him about the grounds before breakfast."

"Yes; I should be sorry to have to take that without the pleasant
company of my early bird of a daughter," he said. "I should miss her
sadly."

Lucilla's eyes shone. "Thank you, papa! it is very nice in you to say
that," she said, "and I dearly love those early walks with you."

CHAPTER XI.

In less than a week after the Crolys had signified their intention of
accepting