“No, indeed!” exclaimed Rosie. “But Harold, can you take us to the others? I am sure it would be pleasanter for us all to be together.”
“I cannot promise certainly,” he replied, “but if we walk about the Court of Honor we will come across each other finally, no doubt, as they will presently discover the Dolphin and look about here for you.”
“Yes,” returned his mother, “they will surely know that we could not persuade ourselves to go farther to-night than this bewitchingly beautiful Court of Honor.”
Even as she spoke all were moving toward the elevator nearest them, and in a few moments they were again strolling along the shores of the lagoon, gazing with delighted eyes upon the fairylike scene—imposing buildings, playing fountains, the waters of the lagoon dancing in the moonbeams, and the pretty crafts gliding over them filled with excursionists whose merry voices and laughter mingled pleasantly with the music of the bands.
“Oh, this is just delightful, delightful!” exclaimed Lulu. “Father, dear, I hope you will let us stay a long, long while.”
“I have not thought of fixing the time for departure yet,” returned the captain, “and if our friends intend to go home in the Dolphin, as they came, there will be a number of voices entitled to a vote on the question. My wife for one,” glancing down fondly upon the beautiful, graceful lady on his arm.
“Thank you, my dear,” returned Violet. “I certainly feel no desire to start for home yet, dear and lovely as I esteem it.”
“Oh, here they are!” cried a familiar voice at that instant, and the two sets of relatives had found each other. Glad greetings and kind enquiries were exchanged. Then they broke up into little groups and sauntered on through the beautiful scene till it was time to seek their resting places for the night, when, after making some arrangements for the sight-seeing of the next day, they bade good-night and hied them to their several places of temporary abode.
CHAPTER III.
“On, we have a lovely view from here!” remarked Lulu as they reached the Dolphin’s deck. “I’m not at all sleepy, papa; can’t I sit here for a while?”
Grace was saying, “Good-night, papa.”
He returned it with a fatherly caress, then answered Lulu’s query.
“No, daughter; it is long past your usual hour for retiring, and as I want you to feel fresh and bright for to-morrow’s pleasure, you, too, may bid me good-night and go at once to your berth.”
“Oh, yes, sir, that will be the best, I know,” she said, rising promptly from the seat she had taken, and with a loving look up into his face—for he was close at her side now. “What a happy thing it is for me that I have such a kind, wise father to take care of me!”
“A father whose strong desire it certainly is to make you and all his children as happy as possible,” he said, laying a hand on her head and looking fondly down into her eyes. “Good-night, daughter, and don’t hesitate to call me if anything should go wrong with you or Grace.”