“Oh, papa!” she exclaimed in half reproachful tones, “how can you be troubled with any such idea as that? don’t you know that I love you ten thousand times better than anybody else in the whole wide world?  I just love to belong to you, and I always shall,” she added, laying her head on his breast and gazing with ardent affection up into his eyes.  “Besides, I am only a little girl yet, as you’ve told me over and over again, and must not think about beaux and lovers for at least five or six years to come; and I’m sure I don’t want to think of them at all so long as I have my own dear father to love and care for me.”

“That is right,” he said, holding her close; “I think I can say with truth that I love my dear daughter much too well ever to intentionally stand in the way of her happiness, but I feel sure that the best place for her, for the next six or eight years at least, will be in her father’s house, trusting in his love and care.”

“I haven’t a doubt of it, father,” she said, lifting loving, laughing eyes to his, “and really I don’t believe Chester or anybody else cares half so much about me as you do, or wants to get me away from you.  I like right well to laugh and talk with him and the others just as I do with the girls, but I’m, oh, so glad I belong to you, and will for years to come, if not always.  Yes, I do hope it will be always, while we both live.  And Gracie feels just the same.  We had a little talk about it not very long ago, and agreed that we could not bear to think the time would ever come when we would have to leave our dear father, and the sweet home he has made for us, to live with anybody else in the loveliest that could be imagined.”

“That pleases me well,” he said, his eyes shining; “Gracie is no less dear to me than you are, and so frail that I should be far from willing to resign the care of her to another.  But now, dear child, it is high time you were resting in your bed; so give me another good-night kiss and go at once.”

“I will, papa, and are not you going too? for I am sure you must be needing rest as well as I.”

“Presently,” he replied, glancing toward the pier.  “I have been waiting to see the last of our party on board, and here they come.”

Lucilla went to her bed a very happy girl, her heart full of love to her father and singing for joy in the thought of his love for her.  She had a long dreamless sleep, but woke at her usual early hour and, when morning duties had been attended to, went noiselessly up to the deck where, as she had expected, the captain had preceded her by a moment or more.  She ran to him to claim the usual morning caress.

“You look bright and well, dear child,” he said, holding her close for a moment, then a little further off to gaze searchingly into the smiling, happy face.

“As I feel, father,” she said, laying her head against his breast.  “I went to sleep last night thinking of all you had been saying to me and feeling so glad of your dear love and that you want to keep me all your own for ever so long.”  Then she added, with an arch look up into his face, “Don’t you think, papa, it will be best for you to have me under eye all the time wherever we go?”