“You may wear your cream-colored cashmere with the cherry trimmings; Gracie, hers with the blue,” he replied.

“That’s just what I wanted you to say, papa!  I like those dresses,” remarked Lulu with satisfaction.

“That is well:  and Gracie, of course, is pleased; for she never objects to any thing papa or mamma wishes her to do,” he said, with a loving glance down into the little girl’s face.

“’Course not, papa; ’cause I know you and mamma always know best,” she said, her blue eyes smiling up into his.

“And I mean to try to be like her in that, papa,” Lulu said with unwonted humility.

“I hope so:  I have no fault to find with your behavior of late,” he returned kindly.

They passed into the house, and in the hall met Christine and Alma.

“Ah! you have come, my good girls?” the captain said to them with a pleased look.  “Jane,” to the girl who had admitted them, “show them to their rooms.”

Christine had come to assume her duties as housekeeper at Woodburn; Alma was to make her home there while still continuing to sew for the families at Ion and Fairview—­an arrangement which suited the sisters admirably.

“Thanks, sir:  it ees one grand place you haf here,” said Christine.  “We shall be very pleased to haf so nice a home.”

“I hope it will prove a happy one to you both,” he returned kindly.  Then, as they followed Jane to the rear of the mansion,—­

“Now, children,” he said, “make haste with your dressing.”

“Yes, sir,” they replied, hurrying up the broad stairway with willing feet.

At its head they met Agnes, their mamma’s maid.

“I’se to help yo’ dress, Miss Lu and Miss Gracie,” she said.  “Miss Wi’let tole me so, and I’se laid out yo’ things on yo’ beds.”

“What things?  What dress for me?” asked Lulu sharply.

“De cream-colored cashmere, what Miss Wi’let corrected me to.”

Lulu laughed.  “Directed, you mean, Agnes.  You may tie my sash when I’m ready.  I can do all the rest myself,” she said, passing on into her bedroom, while Grace skipped gayly into hers.

“Mamma’s very good to send you, Agnes,” she said; “and you may please dress me as fast as you can, ’cause papa told us to make haste.”

Grace was a favorite with Agnes as with all the servants at Ion.

“Ya’as, I’ll dress yo’ up fine, Miss Gracie, and make yo’ look putty as a pink,” she said, beginning her task.

“Lots ob folks comin’ to-night, honey, and grand doin’s gwine on in de kitchen and de dinin’-room.  Dere’s a long table sot out in de bigges’ dinin’-room, and heaps and heaps ob splendiferous china dishes, wid fruits and flowahs painted onto ’em, and silverware bright as de sun, and glass dishes dat sparkle like Miss Elsie’s di’mon’s; and in de kitchen dey’s cookin’ turkeys and chickens, and wild game ob warious kinds, and oysters in warious styles; ’sides all de pastry and cakes and fruits and ices, and—­oh, I cayn’t begin to tell yo’ all de good things the captain has perwided! dere wasn’t never nuffin’ grander at Ion or Wiamede or de Oaks, or any ob de grand places belongin’ to our fam’lies.”