“Yes, sir, because I have found out from experience that he is far wiser than I, and always seeks my best interests.”

“That is certainly what he wishes to do, daughter; for the welfare of all his dear children lies very near his heart.”

“Yes, papa; you love us all, I know,” little Elsie said with a bright, glad look up into his face.

“Of course papa does,” said Neddie; “if he didn’t he wouldn’t give us money to spend, and ever so many other nice things; or take us to the city for such a good time as we have had to-day.”

“Yes, our dear papa is very good to us all,” said Grace.  “We have had a delightful drive, a fine time in the city, and now here we are at our own lovely home again,” she added as the carriage turned in at the great gates.

“It is nearing tea time, daughters, and you had better go at once to your rooms and make yourselves neat for the evening,” the captain said as he helped Lucilla and Grace to alight.

“Yes, sir,” they answered and hastened up the broad stairway, following Violet and the two little ones.

“Dere’s a gemman in de parlour a-waitin’ for to see you, cap’in,” said a servant, coming leisurely in from the back veranda.

“Ah! has he been here long?”

“’Bout ten minutes, I reckon, sah.”

The captain hastened into the parlour and found Chester Dinsmore there.  Cordial greetings were exchanged, and Chester received a warm invitation to stay to tea, which, however, he declined, saying that he had a little professional work on hand which must be done that evening if he was to take to-morrow for a holiday.  “I came over, captain,” he added, “to thank you for allowing me the privilege of taking your daughter, Miss Lucilla, to the picnic to-morrow, and to ask if—­if you would not be so very kind as to remove your prohibition of—­of love-making on my part, and——­”

“No, Chester,” the captain said in kindly but grave accents, as the young man halted in his speech, “you surely forget that my objection was on account of my daughter’s youth, and that she is only a few months older now than she was then.  I do not want her to begin to think of lovers for several years yet, and am objecting to your suit for that reason only.  I show no greater favour in this matter to anyone else.  And you may feel that I am showing confidence in you in permitting her to go to to-morrow’s picnic in your care.”

“Yes, sir; thank you, sir.  I shall not abuse your confidence, and, though I find it hard not to be permitted to speak and use my best efforts to win the prize I so covet, it is some consolation that you treat other suitors in the same way.”

“Perhaps, too, that my daughter is equally indifferent to them all,” the captain remarked with a smile.  “And by the way, my young friend, don’t you suppose it may be a trifle hard for Lucilla’s father to resign the first place in her heart to someone else?”