“Will you take us to her, papa?” asked Lulu.
“Willingly,” he said, rising and taking a hand of each.
The breakfast bell rang just at that moment, and as they stepped into the hall they met Violet coming from her room in answer to it.
Very sweetly she received the thanks of the little girls, and congratulated Lulu, saying, truly, that it had been a great pleasure to her to paint for them the lovely face of their mother.
CHAPTER XVII.
After breakfast came family worship; it was the regular order of things at Woodburn. Then the captain smilingly bade his little girls go to their rooms and dress for company.
“Oh yes!” cried Lulu, dancing away to do his bidding. “Eva is coming, Gracie. Papa told me so.”
At that Gracie laughed, and exchanged a knowing glance with her father and Violet.
But Lulu, hurrying on ahead, did not see it. She turned round at the door, saying, “O papa, I forgot to ask what you want me to wear?”
“Ah! Suppose we go with them, Mamma Vi, and help them in the selection of dresses and ornaments,” he said.