“Anything more, my child?” returned the captain, with his pleasant smile.

“I think it likely that may do for one evening, sir,” she replied; “unless my father wants to take me somewhere else.”

“I think we will then come back through the Court of Honor and go to our beds,” he said; “that is, should we make the visits proposed, which will depend at least somewhat upon the wishes of others.  Violet, my dear, how does that programme suit you?”

“I really do not know of any way of spending the evening that I should enjoy more,” answered Violet.  “Indeed Lu and I were talking together of our desire to see those sights, not longer ago than yesterday.  And you, mother, would like it, would you not?” she asked, turning to Grandma Elsie.

“Very much!” was the reply.  “The tired little ones will be left in their bed of course?”

“Yes, indeed! they will be ready for that as soon as they have had their supper,” Violet replied, with a loving look into each weary little face.  “Come, dears, we will go to our state-room, wash hands and faces, and smooth your hair, and by that time supper will be on the table.”

Every one of the company approved of Lucilla’s plan for the spending of the evening, and before the sun had quite set they were again in the Court of Honor.  They were in season to secure seats from which they could get a good view of the lighting up.

They found there were thousands of people who seemed as anxious as themselves to witness the sudden change from deepening twilight to the grand illumination that made fairyland of the Court of Honor.  But they were there for some minutes, sitting silently in the growing darkness, finding the buildings taking on a new beauty by the dim, uncertain light, and feeling it pleasant just to rest, listen to the subdued hum of the thousands of voices of the multitude thronging about the white railing guarding the fountains, the doorways, the stone steps leading down to the water, and every place where a human creature could find room to sit down and rest while waiting for a sight of the expected lighting up.

There seemed no ill-humor among the great throng, no loud, angry talk, but a subdued buzz like many telephone messages coming over the wire at the same time.

Our friends sat where they could see both the Administration Dome and the Golden Statue at the other end of the lagoon.  They had sat in silence there for some minutes, the darkness deepening, when suddenly there was a blare of music, the fountains threw up a few thin columns of spray, the front of a dark building was instantly illumined with a thousand jewel-like lights, then another and another blazed out in the same manner till all were alight with tiny jets of flame; three rows, the first or highest following the cornices all round the court:  these were of a golden hue; while some distance lower down was a second silver-colored row, then the last, ranged just under the parapet of the lagoon, were golden like the first.  The mingled light of all three shone on the dark waters of the lagoon, the gondolas skimming silently to and fro, and the electric launches gliding swiftly onward.