“I think it’s the very best thing, Mamma Vi,” returned Lulu.

“Well, to go back to the original topic of discourse, Levis—­or at least to the question whether you are willing to undertake the tuition of my young sister and brother,” Violet went on.  “I feel certain they would give you no trouble in governing them; also that your talent for teaching is such that they could not fail to greatly improve under your tuition.”

“But might not your grandpa feel that I was interfering with him?” queried the captain.

“Oh, no, indeed!  Grandpa feels that he is growing old, and has done enough of that kind of work.  And you would be glad to please mamma?”

“Most certainly; I could refuse her nothing—­the poor, dear woman!”

“Then we may consider it settled?  Oh, thank you, my dear.”

“Well, yes; I suppose so.  Are you willing to share your teacher with Rosie and Walter, daughter mine?” he asked, softly stroking Lulu’s hair.

“My teacher, but not my father, you dear papa,” returned Lulu, patting his cheek, then holding up her face for a kiss, which he gave heartily and repeated more than once.

“What do you think, Mamma Vi, of your husband having an amanuensis?” he continued, affectionately squeezing Lulu’s hand, which he had taken in his.  “My correspondence was disposed of to-day with most unusual and unexpected ease.  I would read a letter, tell my amanuensis the reply I wished to make, and she would write it off on the typewriter while I examined the next epistle, asking few directions and making scarcely any mistakes.”

“Lulu did it?” Violet exclaimed in surprise “Why, Lu, I am both astonished and delighted!”

“Thank you, Mamma Vi; and I am very glad that I can help my dear, kind father, who does so much for me,” Lulu answered, putting her arm round his neck, and laying her cheek to his.  “Oh, I couldn’t possibly do half enough for him! but I hope I may be of a great deal of use to him some of these days.”

“You are that already, dear child,” he said; “so useful and so dear that your father would not know how to do without you.”

“How good in you to say that, dear papa; but I am sure it would be ten times worse for me to be without you,” she returned.  “Oh, I’m glad I’m not a boy, to have to go away from you.”

“I am glad too,” he responded; “glad that my children are neither all boys nor all girls.  It is quite delightful, I think, to have some of each.”

“Yes, sir; and I think it’s delightful to have both brothers and sisters when they are of as good a sort as mine are, though I’ve seen some I’d be sorry to have.”

“As I have seen some children that I should be sorry, I think, to call my own.  Yet if they were mine I would probably love them dearly, and perhaps not see their faults; or rather love them in spite of their naughtiness.”

“Just as you do me, papa,” she said, a little sadly.  “Haven’t you always loved me, though I’ve sometimes been very, very naughty indeed?”