“Ah, grandpa’s little cricket, what is it? what has disturbed you so?” asked a well-known voice, in tones that spoke more pleasure than alarm, and Vi, as she hurried through the hall, half blinded by the tears in her eyes, felt herself closely clasped by two strong arms that held her fast.

“Oh, grandpa!  I—­I wish he hadn’t!” she stammered, dropping her face upon his breast and bursting into tears.

“Who, my pet? who has dared to ill use you?” he asked, caressing her.

Vi lifted her head and looked up at him in surprise, for certainly his tone was rather amused than angry or stern.  Then at a sudden remembrance of the captain’s assertion that he had sought and obtained her grandfather’s permission to offer her his hand, “Oh, grandpa, why did you let him?” she said, again hiding her blushing face on his breast; “you know I could never, never leave mamma! dear, dear mamma!”

“I am glad to hear it!” he returned with satisfaction, repeating his caresses, “for I don’t know what either she or I could do without you.  And that was your answer to Capt.  Raymond?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Very well, go and tell mamma about it—­she will be as glad as I am to hear that we are not to lose our darling little Vi—­while I see what I can say to comfort the captain.”

He released her as he spoke, and she flew to do his bidding.

Rosie and Walter were still with their mother in her boudoir, but as Violet came in with her flushed, agitated face, they were gently bidden to run away for a little while.

As the door closed on them, Violet dropped on her knees by her mother’s chair and laid her head in her lap, hiding her face.

“My dear child! my dear, precious little daughter!” Elsie said, softly smoothing the golden tresses.

“Mamma, you know?”

“Yes, dearest.”

“O mamma, I can’t leave you! how could I?”

“Dear child! it would be a sore trial to have to part with you; and I cannot be sorry that you are not ready or willing to go.  You are one of the very great blessings and comforts of your mother’s life!”

“Dearest mother, thank you!  They are very sweet words to hear from your lips,” Violet said, lifting her face to look up into her mother’s with a beautiful smile.

“And so you have said your suitor nay?” Elsie asked, with playful look and tone.

“I hardly know what I said, mamma, except that I was too young and foolish and couldn’t leave you!”

“You do not care for him at all?”

“I—­I don’t know, mamma!” and the sweet, innocent face was suffused with blushes; “I had never thought of his fancying me—­hardly more than a child—­while he—­mamma, is he not very noble and good and wise? and so brave and unselfish!—­you know how he risked his life to save a poor old negress; and how much he has suffered in consequence, and how patiently he has borne it all!”

“And how handsome he is?”