CHAPTER III.
The tea-hour drew near and the young folks came trooping in and joined their elders on the veranda. All had presently found seats and were chatting gayly with their elders or among themselves. Marian alone, occupying a chair close by Mr. Lilburn’s side, was a silent though interested listener, until Captain Raymond, turning to her, asked in his pleasant tones how she liked Ion.
“O sir!” she exclaimed with enthusiasm, “it is lovely! lovely! but not any more beautiful than Woodburn.”
“Ah! I am glad you like Woodburn also, because I want it to be one of your homes, and its school-room one of the places where you may get such an education as I know you want. Do you think you could content yourself with me for a tutor?”
“O sir! how kind you are to me!” she exclaimed with tears of joy in her eyes. “If you will accept me as a pupil I shall strive most earnestly to do credit to your teaching. But ah! I fear you will find me but a dull scholar, and teaching me much too heavy a tax upon your time and patience.”
“Never fear,” he returned pleasantly. “I incline to the opinion that I shall enjoy having one or more pupils. I think it will add interest to my work and take scarcely more of my time.”
While this little conversation was being carried on, Cousin Ronald had caught a very wishful, entreating look from Walter, to which he had nodded a smiling assent, and now the loud warble of a bird, seemingly right in their midst, caught every eye and ear and all eyes turned toward the spot from which the sound seemed to come.
“Why, where is the birdie? I don’t see it,” exclaimed little Elsie as the sounds suddenly ceased.
“I ’spect it flewed away,” cried little Ned, sending quick glances from side to side and overhead.