“I don’t know what he meant; and I don’t know whether I want to try it either.  Yes, papa and mamma are both coming back.”

Violet had soon tired of the sport, and beside feared her baby was wanting her.  She went on up to the nursery while the captain entered the parlor where his little girls were waiting for his coming.

“Waiting patiently, my darlings?” he said, with an affectionate smile.  “I know it is rather hard sometimes for little folks to wait.  But you may bundle up now, and I will take you out to enjoy the sport with the rest.  It will be a nice walk for you, Gracie, and when you get there you will have a pleasant time I think.”

“How papa?”

“My little girl will see when she gets there,” he said.  “Ah, here is Agnes with your hood and coat.  Now, while she puts them on you, I will see if Lulu’s skates are quite right.”

They proved to be a good fit and in few minutes the captain was on his way to the lakelet with a little girl clinging to each hand.

A pretty boat house stood at the water’s edge—­on the hither side, under the trees, and now close beside it, on the ice, the children spied a small, light sleigh well supplied with robes of wolf and bear skins.

“There, Gracie, how would you like to ride in that?” asked her father.

“It looks nice, but—­how can it go?” she asked dubiously.  “I don’t see any horses papa.”

“No, but you will find that it can move without.”

Harold had seen them approaching, and now came gliding very rapidly towards them, on his skates.

“Ah Gracie, are you ready for your ride?” he asked, “Rosie Lacey and one or two of the other little ones are going to share it with you.  Captain will you lift her in while I summon them?”

“Here we are, Cousin Harold,” called a childish voice, and Rose Lacey came running up almost out of breath with haste and excitement, two other little girl cousins following at her heels; “here we are.  Can you take us now?”

“Yes,” he said, “I was just about to call you.”

In another minute the four were in the sleigh with the robes well tucked around them.  Then, Harold, taking hold of the back of the vehicle, gave it a vigorous shove away from the shore, and keeping a tight grip on it, propelled it quite rapidly around the lake.

It required a good deal of exertion, but Herbert and others came to his assistance and the sleigh made the circuit many times, its young occupants laughing, chatting and singing right merrily:  the gayest of the gay.

Meanwhile the others enjoyed the skating, perhaps quite as much.  The older ladies and the two old gentlemen seemed to have renewed their youth, and kept up the sport a good deal longer than they had intended in the beginning; while the younger ones, and especially the children, were full of mirth and jollity, challenging each other to trials of speed and skill, laughing good-naturedly at little mishaps, and exchanging jests and good humored banter.