Vi put her arms about his neck.  “The dearest, kindest grandpa and guardian that ever anybody had!” she said, giving him a kiss of ardent affection.  “Well, if you, sir, and mamma are both on the captain’s side, I suppose it won’t do for me to reject him.  But you say my note isn’t a rejection, so will you please give it to him?  And if he isn’t satisfied to take it for no and let me alone on the subject, he may wait a year or two and see if—­if he still feels toward me as he does now, and perhaps—­only perhaps—­if he hasn’t changed his mind and asks again——­”

“You may say yes?” Mr. Dinsmore asked as she broke off in confusion.

“Oh, grandpa, say what you think best! only don’t make it too easy for him,” she said, with an arch smile, but blushing deeply.

“I think,” said Mr. Dinsmore, “I shall only give him your note without any additions of my own, and leave him to carry on further negotiations, or not, as he sees fit.”

Capt.  Raymond did not take Vi’s answer as a decided rejection, and within twenty-four hours had won from her an acknowledgment that she was not indifferent to him, and persuaded her to promise him her hand at some far-off future day.  All seemed well contented with the arrangement, and the week that followed was a very delightful one to the lovers.

In the mean time his Christmas gifts to his children had been received by them with great joy.  Especially did Max and Lulu rejoice over the opportunity now afforded them to open their hearts to their father and tell him all their grievances.

He had written to both Mr. Fox and Mrs. Scrimp directing his gifts to be delivered into the children’s own hands without any examination, and never to be taken from them.  Also that they be allowed to spend their Christmas together.

So Max was permitted to go to Mrs. Scrimp’s to spend the day with his sisters, and was well pleased to do so when he learned that that lady would not be at home, having accepted an invitation to take her Christmas dinner elsewhere.

Ann, who was left at home to look after the children, gave them an excellent dinner, and Max, having found some money in his desk, came provided with candies.

They compared presents, and spent some time over the books their father had sent, then Max and Lulu decided that it would be best to write now to their father, thanking him for his gifts and telling him all they had so long wanted him to know.

Lulu compressed what she had to say into a few lines—­her love, thanks, longing to see papa, Gracie’s feebleness, and her own belief that it was all because she did not get enough to eat; an acknowledgment that she was saucy to “Aunt Beulah,” and sometimes helped herself to food, but excusing it on the plea that otherwise she too would be half starved; and that poor Max was often beaten and abused by Mr. Fox for just nothing at all.

Max’s letter was much longer, as he went more into detail, and was not finished for several days.  When it was he inclosed it and Lulu’s, which she had given into his charge, in one of the envelopes that he had found in his desk ready stamped and directed, and mailed it to his father.