Aunt Charity, who had improved most encouragingly under her new rest cure, was carried downstairs by Captain Eric and Lis in time to sit in a big armchair at the table, between the Governor and Dr. Spencer, where she talked, ate, and smiled like her former hale and hearty self. Altogether the dinner was a decided success. Mrs. Folger and Milly had fairly outdone themselves in the excellence and variety of the dishes they had prepared, and both Sun Li and Dr. Wu (which was the little Chinese physician’s name, they learned) seemed highly appreciative of their introduction to Western cookery. Sun Li, in fact, so far surpassed his former attempts at an appetite that both Captain Eric and the little doctor were openly delighted and triumphant. It was not until the long, bountiful meal was nearly over that Erica’s father leaned back in his chair, and—with an inquiring glance at the Governor, who responded with a nod of approval—broached abruptly a most astounding and breath-taking plan. “Before consenting to take this voyage in the _Sea Gull_,” Captain Eric began, smiling about the circle of intent faces, “His Excellency stipulated the present call at Nantucket and the delivery of a certain invitation to a number of people present. We have planned, on leaving here, to continue south and visit several of the southern coast cities, as well as the West Indian islands. In spite of the time of the year, and the greater heat in those latitudes, Sun Li is anxious to make the trip—and we can usually count on ocean breezes to keep us comfortable as long as we’re at sea. It’s only the ports that will be hot, and I guess we can bear that.” He stopped and looked teasingly from face to face fixed on him with such eager attention. “Well, the upshot of a long preamble,” he went on then, “is that in the Governor’s name I am instructed to invite my sister, Miss Charity Folger (who will find a sea trip the final step in her rest cure, I feel sure); my sister-in-law, Mrs. Callie Folger; these two new nieces of mine, Miss Milly Thorne and little Barbee; my nephew, Lister Folger; and last but perhaps not least, my spoiled tomboy daughter, His Excellency’s ‘Little Sea Girl’—to join us on the southern cruise. We expect to be gone about two months in all, and will return to Nantucket to drop our guests before sailing for China. How many are going to accept, I wonder?” A regular babel of voices answered him, in which the excited exclamations of the younger members of the party predominated. Mrs. Callie Folger demurred a little about being able to leave her home, and Miss Charity’s half-hearted protests that perhaps she was not strong enough yet, were cut decisively short by Dr. Spencer’s declaration that the trip was exactly what he would have ordered for her in the first place if he had supposed it at all possible.