“May Elsie eat some too, papa?” she asked coaxingly, as she got down from his knee to obey his order.
“Yes; a little to-night, and some more to-morrow.”
Grace had dived into another pocket. “Oh! is this for me, papa?” she asked, drawing out a small paper parcel.
“Open it and see,” was his smiling rejoinder.
With eager fingers she untied the string and opened the paper.
“Three lovely silver fruit-knives!” she exclaimed. “Names on ’em, too. Lu, this is yours, for it has your name on it; and this is mine, and the other Maxie’s,” handing them to the owners as she spoke. “Thank you, papa, oh, thank you very much, for mine!” holding up her face for a kiss.
Bestowing it very heartily, “You are all very welcome, my darlings,” he said, for Max and Lulu were saying thank you too.
And now they hastened to display their purchases of the afternoon and present some little gifts to Grace and Elsie.
These were received with thanks and many expressions of pleasure, and Lulu was in the midst of an animated account of her shopping experiences when her father, glancing at his watch, reminded her that she would have barely time to make herself neat for the tea-table if she repaired to her room at once.
“Max and I, too, must pay some attention to our toilets,” he added, giving the babe to its nurse, who had just appeared upon the scene.