“Don’t cry, dear Lu,” she said, “your father is left to you, and he is brave and patient, and will bear his pain well, while it will be such sweet work to wait on him and nurse him.”
“Yes, indeed it will,” said Lulu, wiping her eyes. “Oh, if I could only bear the pain for him!”
“He wouldn’t let you if you could,” said Eva.
“No, not he,” said Zoe; “he’s quite too fond of his children not to prefer suffering himself, rather than to let them suffer.”
“That is quite true, I know,” assented Lulu. Then with a sigh, “We were all so happy this morning, before—before papa’s accident; so glad over the new baby; I hardly wanted to come away—though I had looked forward so to this visit and expected such a pleasant time and so much fun—and I tried to get papa to say he needed me at home to keep him from being lonely, with Mamma Vi sick, but he wouldn’t; he didn’t want either Gracie or me to be disappointed.”
“But can’t you come anyhow?” asked Rosie, hospitably; “there are plenty of people there to nurse and wait on your papa.”
“O Rosie, I couldn’t bear to be away from him when he is suffering! And I’m ’most sure he’d rather have me to wait on him than any body else (I don’t mean Mamma Vi, of course); but than Christine, or Alma, or any of the servants. I thank you, all the same, though, for your kindness in asking me.”
“You needn’t,” Rosie returned; “it’s almost pure selfishness; for I expected to enjoy your company very much.”
At that Lulu’s face lighted up with pleasure for the moment; it was so nice, she thought, that at last Rosie had become really fond of her.
Max wasted no time in doing his errand, and was back again at Ion sooner than any one expected to see him; but Lulu and Grace were ready and eager to go home.