"I am glad you like them," he said with a smile, as she turned toward him with a look of surprise and delight. "The old ones were looking considerably the worse for the wear, and the good parts I knew would be acceptable and useful in another place." "Oh, yes, I am sure of that," she said in reply, as she hastened to the door of her own little bedroom and threw it open. "Oh, this looks as neat, sweet, and pretty as possible!" she exclaimed joyously. "Can't Gracie and I occupy it to-night, papa? Won't you let us?" "Probably; if matters are so arranged that your mamma and I, with the younger ones, can be here also. Now," consulting his watch, "we will take a hasty look at the other staterooms and then hurry back to the cottage on the crag; lest we keep Evelyn's breakfast waiting." "I am so glad the yacht is here, papa," Lucilla said as they walked up the winding path that led to Crag Cottage. "I felt last night as if it were an imposition for so many of us to crowd into Evelyn's small house--even though we were there by her own invitation; and yet I was afraid she might feel hurt if we should go off very speedily to some house of entertainment." "Yes," returned her father; "but it will be all right now, I think. If I had known you were so troubled about the matter, I should have told you I was expecting the _Dolphin_." "But you didn't because you wanted to give me and all the rest a pleasant surprise?" she said questioningly, and with a loving look up into his eyes. "Yes, that was it. You are as good at guessing as a Yankee." "But I am a Yankee, am I not?" she laughed. "Yes; you certainly belong to the universal Yankee nation; as did your ancestors for several generations. Both mine and your mother's were here long before the Revolution." "A fact which I think is something to rejoice over," she said in joyous tones. "Therefore something to be thankful for," he said in a tone between assertion and inquiry. "Oh, yes, sir; yes, indeed! I am very glad and thankful that you are my father and I am your child." "And I that you are my own dearly loved daughter," he said in response. "Ah," as a turn in the walk brought the house into full view, "I see we are no longer the only ones up and about"--for nearly all the guests were now gathered upon the porch or wandering to and fro under the trees or among the flower beds near at hand. "Oh, yonder come papa and Lu!" shouted Ned at the same moment, starting on a run toward them, quickly followed by his cousins, the Leland boys. "Good-morning, papa and Lu," "Good-morning, uncle and Lu," cried the three as they drew near. Eric adding: "Have you been down by the river? and is there a walk along down by the waters edge?" "In some places," his uncle answered, "but you can go down and see for yourselves after breakfast." "Oh, yes; I presume we can get permission; especially if papa or you will go with us, Uncle Levis."