“Poor Professor Lancaster!” she said to her husband.  “We to have such a great pleasure, and he shut up in close rooms!  And Olive far away!”

“Are you sure about Olive?” asked Mr. Easterfield.  “She has never said positively that she is going.  I most earnestly hope that she will not back out because Lancaster can not go.  If she stays her uncle will stay.”

“And for that very reason she will go,” said Mrs. Easterfield.  “And I think Professor Lancaster will urge her to go.  He is unselfish enough, I am sure, to wish her to have this great pleasure.  And, talking of Olive, one thing is certain, Tom, we must be back early in the spring.  There will be a great deal to do before the wedding.  And, O Tom, I will tell you—­but you must not tell any one, for I am keeping it for a surprise—­I am going to give them a fine wedding.  They will be married in church, of course, but the reception will be at our house.  You will like that, I know.”

“Will there be good eating?”

“Plenty of it.”

“Then I shall like it.”

All this was very well, but, nevertheless, this talk made the enthusiastic lady a little uneasy.  It was true Olive had never said in words conclusively whether she would go or not.  But she was extremely anxious that her father should go, and she implicitly followed Mrs. Easterfield’s directions in making preparations for him, and was just as earnest in making her own; and her friend was certainly justified in thinking all this was a tacit consent.

As for the two captains, they were so delighted at this heavenly prospect that they gave up talking about Dick and Olive, and read guide-books to each other, and studied maps, and sea-charts until their brains were nearly addled.  They were a source of great amusement to the young people when Dick came for his frequent short visits.

It was evident to all interested that Professor Lancaster approved of the expedition, for he entered heartily into all the talk about the various places to be visited, and all that was to be done on the vessel; and he did not bore them with any lamentations in regard to the coming separation between him and Olive.  And, of course, every one respected his feelings, and said nothing to him about it.

The weeks went by; all the preparations were made; and at last the time came when the company were to assemble at the toll-gate and Broadstone before the final plunge into the unknown.  Olive wished to have them all to dinner on the first day of this short visit.

“Our house is a little one,” she said to Mrs. Easterfield, “but we can make it big enough.  You know nautical people understand how to do that.  What a jolly company we shall have!  You know Dick will be there.”

“Yes, poor Dick!” sighed Mrs. Easterfield, when Olive had left.