“As he may well be, for she is a treasure worth guarding,” he said, returning her look of love.  “Rosie, when does the captain propose beginning his labors as tutor?”

“Next Monday morning, grandpa; so we want to crowd all the fun and diversion we can into to-day and to-morrow.”

“Ah, we must select a schoolroom and furnish it with whatever may be necessary!” exclaimed Violet.

“Yes,” her mother said; “the room used for that purpose when you were a very little girl will answer nicely.  Its desks were sent to the attic when no longer needed.  You might order them brought down to-day, the room swept and dusted, and whatever else done that is necessary or desirable, so that it will be quite ready for occupation on Monday.”

“Thank you, mamma; I will have it attended to at once,” Violet replied, and hastened away, Rosie running after her with a “Come girls, let us go and see the room and find out whether it has a closet for the captain to shut us up in when we misbehave.”

“I don’t believe he’ll use it if it has,” laughed Lulu, rather enjoying Rosie’s fun, “for he has never punished any of us—­his own children—­in that way.”

“Still there is no knowing but he may take a new departure, now, when he’s going to have so distinguished a pupil as myself,” pursued Rosie, dancing down the hall with the others close in her rear.

They followed Violet to the room Grandma Elsie had spoken of, and found it large and airy, with windows down to the floor,—­opening out upon the veranda on that side of the house,—­the walls prettily papered and adorned with good pictures, handsomely framed; the floor covered with fine matting, furniture handsome, a pretty clock and vases on the mantel.  On one side of that was a door to which Rosie flew and, throwing it wide open, brought to view a large closet.

“There!” she exclaimed, “didn’t I tell you, girls and Walter?” for he was in the company by that time, “here’s the place of incarceration for those who shall dare to disobey Captain Raymond.  I for one shall certainly try to behave my prettiest, for I wouldn’t like to be shut up in the dark.”

“Well, it appears to me that you are more likely to come to it than any of the rest of us,” observed Walter quietly, as he turned on his heel and walked away.

“Did you ever hear the like?” cried Rosie, opening her eyes very wide in pretended astonishment.

“What’s all this?” asked a familiar voice at the door, and turning at the sound they saw Captain Raymond standing there, looking very grave and slightly reproving, but with a perceptible twinkle of fun in his eyes.

“We were just looking at the closet you are going to use for the incarceration of the naughty ones, for this is to be your schoolroom, you see, sir,” returned Rosie demurely.

“And you expect to enjoy a sojourn there?” he queried, coming forward and himself taking a survey of the interior.  “It strikes me it would suit better as a receptacle for school-books and the like.”