This one came, did her work, and went away again in silence; but all the time she was in the room, Lulu felt that she was casting glances of disgust and disfavor at her. She could not breathe freely till the girl had left the room.
She thought surely the dinner-hour would bring her father; but it did not: her wants were again supplied by a servant.
CHAPTER XIV.
"The dread of evil is the worst of ill."
On leaving the breakfast-room, Violet hastened back to the nursery; but the captain, calling Max and Grace into her boudoir, said, as he took the little girl on his knee, and motioned Max to sit by his side,—
"I have some news for you, my children: can you guess what it is?"
"Something good, I hope, papa," said Max: "you look as if it was."
"I am very much pleased with my share of it," the captain said, smiling; "and I shall know presently, I presume, what you two think of yours. What would you like it to be, Gracie?"
"That my papa was never, never going away any more," she answered promptly, lifting loving eyes to his face.
"There couldn't be better news than that," remarked Max; "but," with a profound sigh, "of course it can't be that."