She ran to open it and receive the fatherly caress that always accompanied his morning greeting to each one of his children.
"Grace is not up yet?" he said inquiringly, as he took possession of an easy-chair.
"Yes, papa, but not dressed yet; so that I shall have you to myself for a while," returned Lu in a cheery tone and seating herself on an ottoman at his knee.
"A great privilege that," he said with a smile, passing a hand caressingly over her hair as he spoke. "It is storming hard, so that you and I must do without our usual early exercise about the grounds."
"Yes, sir; and I am sorry to miss it, though a chat with my father here and now is not so bad an exchange."
"I think we usually have that along with the walk," he said, smiling down into the eyes that were gazing so lovingly up into his.
"Yes, sir, so we do; and you always manage to make the shut-in days very enjoyable."
"It is what I wish to do. Lessons can go on as usual with you and Grace as well as with the younger ones, and after that we can have reading, music, and quiet games."
"And Grace and I have some pretty fancy work to do for Christmas time."
"Ah, yes! and I presume you will both be glad to have a little—or a good deal—of extra money with which to purchase gifts or materials for making them."