“In my husband’s partial eyes,” she returned, looking up at him with a bright, sweet smile.

“In Lulu’s, too, judging from what I heard her say just now,” he said, turning his eyes upon his daughter again.  “Ah, how you have improved her appearance!”

“Yes, papa, only see these lovely things she—­Mamma Vi has given me!” cried Lulu, displaying her ornaments.

“A most generous gift,” he said, examining the jewelry.  “These coral ornaments are costly, Lulu, and you must be careful of them.  Mamma Vi!  Is that the name you have chosen for yourself, my love?” he asked, again turning to his bride.

“Yes, if you approve, Levis?”

“I like it!” he returned emphatically.

“And the other ladies,” remarked Lulu, “say I am to call them Grandma Rose and Grandma Elsie.  And the gentleman told me and Max to call him grandpa.”

“May I come in?” asked Max at the door, which stood wide open.

“Yes,” his father and Violet both answered.

“Oh!” he cried, gazing at Violet in undisguised admiration, “how lovely, how splendid you look!  What shall I call you?—­you said, you know, and of course anybody can see it, that you’re not old enough to be my mother.”

“No,” she said, with a look of amusement and pleasure, “so you may use the name Lulu and Gracie will call me—­Mamma Vi.”

“Miss Wilet,” said Agnes, appearing at the door, “dey says dey’s waitin’ suppah fo’ you and de captain.”

“Ah, then we must not linger here!  Lulu dear, let Agnes tie this ribbon on your hair.  She can do it more tastefully than I. Max, I see you are dressed for the evening.”

“Yes, Mamma Vi, your brother Herbert showed me my room—­a very nice one in the story over this—­and had my trunk carried up.  Am I all right?”

“You’ll do very well,” his father said laughingly, but with a gleam of fatherly pride in his eye.  “Give your arm to your sister and we will go down—­if you are ready, little wife.”

The last words were spoken in a fond whisper, close to Violet’s ear, as he drew her hand within his arm, and were answered by a bright, sweet smile as she lifted her azure eyes to his.

The two cottages stood but a few feet apart, with no fence or wall of separation between, and were connected by a covered way; so that it was very much as if they were but one house.

The room in which the feast was spread was tastefully decorated with evergreens, flags and flowers; the table too was adorned with lovely bouquets and beautifully painted china and sparkled with silver and cut glass.

The Dinsmores, Travillas, and Raymonds gathered about it as one family, a bright, happy party.  Edward was there with his Zoe, looking extremely pretty in bridal attire, each apparently as devoted as ever to the other.

Max and Lulu behaved themselves admirably, the latter feeling quite subdued by the presence of her father and so many elegantly dressed and distinguished-looking people.