But for the few days between his coming among them and the wedding there was little opportunity for becoming intimately acquainted, so greatly interested and occupied with the preparations for it were they, and, indeed, all the family connection.  He furtively watched them, however, while Captain Raymond, calling to mind a talk he had had with Donald at West Point, some years before, in regard to his eldest daughter, did the same by him whenever the two were together in his presence.  He noted with pleasure that Lucilla evidently cared for Captain Keith only as a relative and friend of the family, never thinking of him as a lover or admirer of herself, or likely to become one.

“She is still satisfied with her father’s affection,” was his pleasing thought.  “She evidently cares little or nothing for other men, and I may hope to keep her altogether my own for years to come; though there are some half dozen or more young fellows who, as I plainly perceive, are looking upon her with longing eyes.”

That fact was evident to Violet, also, and she jestingly referred to it at one time when, for a few moments, they were alone together.

“My dear,” she said, “be watchful if you would not be robbed of Lu, perhaps of Gracie, also; for the dear girls are entirely too charming for you to hope to escape an effort from somebody to take them from you.”

“I agree with you in that idea, but am not alarmed,” he said with a look of quiet confidence, “believing that my daughters still love their father better than any other man, and are satisfied that he seeks their best good in refusing to consider them as yet old enough to leave his care and protection for that of anyone else.”

“I am sure you are right,” returned Violet, “and very glad I am to think I shall not lose their sweet companionship for years, if ever.  I feel, though, that it would be very selfish in me to want them to miss entirely the great happiness I have found in wedded life,” she added with a look of ardent affection into his eyes.  “But I fear there are not many husbands equal to mine.”

“I hope there are,” he said with a smile that was very loving and tender, “and I am sure it could not fail to be the case if there were many wives as worthy of love and entire devotion as is mine.”

“Thank you,” she said with a pleased smile.  “I cannot tell you how often I rejoice in the thought of my husband’s blindness to my many faults.”

“If there is any such blindness, my dear, I am quite sure it is mutual,” he returned with a look of amusement, adding, “and we will try to keep it up; won’t we?”

“Yes, indeed,” was her laughing rejoinder, “and I hope Rosie and her Will may be led to follow our good example in that respect.”

“As I do,” he rejoined; “and, knowing them both as I do know them, I think there is every prospect of it.”

This talk was upon a side veranda where they sat watching their two little ones at play together in the grounds.