"But you lost the housekeeping of your cousin Virginia by making the change," Harold observed with a humorous look.
"Hardly!" laughed Dick; "she was that but in name. And the change to
Isa's housekeeping and companionship must be rather agreeable to her,
I should think."
"She seems to me much the more agreeable of the two," said Harold.
"Yes; Isa is a lovely woman. And Virginia has her good qualities, too."
As Torriswood was but little farther from the bayou than Viamede, it was presently decided by the young people that they would return by boat, and upon starting they found it so pleasant that they took a much longer sail, reaching their destination barely in time for dinner.
"Does Sidney's evident happiness in the near approach of her marriage make my little girl unhappy and discontented with her father's decision in regard to hers?" asked Captain Raymond, when Lucilla came to him for the usual bit of good-night chat.
"Oh, no, papa; no indeed!" she exclaimed with a low, happy laugh. "Have you forgotten, or don't you know yet, how dearly that same little girl loves to be with you?"
"Really, I believe she does," he said, caressing her with tenderness, "and though it is undeniably partly for his own—her father's—sake, that he insists upon delay, it is still more for yours—believing as he does that you are yet much too young for the cares and duties of married life. I want you to have a good play-day before going into them," he added, with another caress.
"You dear, kind father!" she said in response. "I could wish to be always a child if so I might be always with you."
"Well, daughter, we may hope for many years together in this world and a blessed eternity together in heaven."