"You would enjoy it, my love?" he said inquiringly.

"Very much--in company with my husband and the children," she returned;
"yet I would not wish to influence you to decide against your
convictions in regard to what is right and wise."

"We will go," he said, smiling fondly upon her, "I can not bear to have
you miss the pleasure; nor the children either for that matter, though I
am a little afraid I might justly be deemed weakly indulgent in
according them a holiday again so soon: it is against my principles to
allow lessons to be set aside for other than very weighty reasons; it is
a matter of so great importance that they be trained to put duties
first, giving pleasure a secondary place."

"But they are so good and industrious," said Violet, "and the sleighing
is not likely to last long. It seldom does with us."

"And they have been so closely confined to the house of late, by the
inclemency of the weather," he added. "Yes: they shall go; for it will
do them a great deal of good physically, I think, and health is, after
all, of more consequence for them than rapid advancement in their
studies."

"I should think so indeed," said Violet. "Now the next question is where
shall we go?"

"That is a question for my wife to settle," returned the captain
gallantly. "I shall be most happy to accompany her wherever she decides
that she wishes to be taken."