"I wish it may have been," was all the captain said.
Then he fell into a revery so deep that he scarcely caught a word of a brisk conversation, in regard to some of the points of interest on the island, carried on between Mr. Dinsmore and the hackman.
Lulu was having an uncomfortable day. When she met the family at the breakfast-table Grandma Rose seemed to regard her with cold displeasure; "Mamma Vi" spoke gently and kindly; hoping she felt no injury from last night's exposure, but looked wretchedly ill; and in answer to her mother's inquiries admitted that she had been kept awake most of the night by a violent headache, to which Rosie added, in an indignant tone, and with an angry glance at Lulu:
"Brought on by anxiety in regard to a certain young miss who is always misbehaving and causing a world of trouble to her best friends."
"Rose, Rose," Elsie said, reprovingly; "let me hear no more such remarks, or I shall send you from the table."
Lulu had appeared in their midst, feeling humble and contrite, and had been conscience-smitten at sight of her mamma's pale face; but the sneer on Betty's face, the cold, averted looks of Edward and Zoe, and then Rosie's taunt roused her quick temper to almost a white heat.
She rose, and pushing back her chair with some noise, turned to leave the table at which she had but just seated herself.
"What is it, Lulu?" asked Grandma Elsie, in a tone of gentle kindliness.
"Sit still, my child, and ask for what you want."
"Thank you, ma'am," said Lulu. "I do not want anything but to go away.
I'd rather do without my breakfast than stay here to be insulted."
"Sit down, my child," repeated Elsie, as gently and kindly as before; "Rosie will make no more unkind remarks; and we will all try to treat you as we would wish to be treated were we in your place."