“Why you should feel proud and happy, Gracie,” said Zoe, drawing near.  “We are going to have that tableau now in which you are to be a little flower girl.  So come, won’t you? and let me help you dress.”

Tableaux filled up the rest of the morning.

After dinner Harold and Herbert gave an exhibition of tricks of legerdemain, which even the older people found interesting and amusing.  The little ones were particularly delighted with a marvellous shower of candy that ended the performance.

Some of Cousin Ronald’s stories of the heroes of Scottish history and song made the evening pass delightfully.

But at an early hour the whole company, led by Grandpa Dinsmore, united in a short service of prayer, praise, and the reading of the scriptures, and at its close the guests bade good-bye and scattered to their homes.

“Well,” said Max, following the rest of the family into the parlor, after they had seen the last guest depart, “I never had a pleasanter New Year’s day.”

“Nor I either,” said Lulu; “and we had such a delightful time last year too, that I really don’t know which I enjoyed the most.”

“And we have good times all the time since we have a home of our own with our dear father in it,” remarked Grace, taking his hand and carrying it to her lips, while her sweet azure eyes looked up lovingly into his face.

An emphatic endorsement of that sentiment from both Max and Lulu.  Then the captain, smiling tenderly upon them, said, “I dearly love to give you pleasure, my darlings, my heart’s desire is for my children’s happiness in this world and the next; but life can not be all play; so lessons must be taken up again to-morrow morning, and I hope to find you all in an industrious and tractable mood.”

“I should hope so indeed, papa,” returned Max; “if we are not both obedient and industrious we will deserve to be called an ungrateful set.”

CHAPTER XIV.

The weather the next day was so mild and pleasant that Max and Lulu asked and obtained permission to take a ride of several miles on their ponies.

They went alone, their father and Violet having driven out in the family carriage, taking the three younger children with them.

On their return Max and his sister approached the house from a rear entrance to the grounds, passing through the bit of woods belonging to the estate, the garden and shrubbery, and across the lawn.

In traversing the wood they came upon a man leaning idly against a tree, in a lounging attitude, with his hands in his pockets, a half consumed cigar in his mouth.

He was a stranger to the children, and from, his shabby, soiled clothing, unkempt locks, and unshaven face, it was evident he belonged to the order of tramps.

He stood directly in the path the children were pursuing, just where it made a sudden turn, and Lulu’s pony had almost trodden upon his foot before they were aware of his vicinity.