"Oh, my darling! What can I say? You pierce my heart with your questions," he replied in a tone of pain. "Thank God, I have you with me still, my little jewel. You must never run into such danger again, Beryl. Promise me that you will take all care in future."
"Yes, I will be very careful," said Beryl, who had already given the promise several times. "And oh, papa, I am very glad I was saved! I should be sorry to go away, and leave you all alone. You would miss your Beryl, wouldn't you?"
"Ah, indeed! More than you know," said Mr. Hollys fervently.
The memory of that talk in the churchyard haunted his mind for some time after his return to London, making him look anxiously for the letters which came to tell him of his child's welfare.
Two days later, he left home. An hour before he went away, he had a serious conversation with Beryl, in which he told her of the governess who was coming almost immediately, and urged her to be a good and industrious girl, and try, by the utmost diligence, to gain knowledge and make amends for the precious time which had been wasted.
Beryl listened to his words with a long face. The prospect before her seemed a disagreeable conclusion to the holiday-making of the last few weeks. She had some difficulty in keeping back her tears; but she managed to do so, for she felt it would be babyish to cry over such an absolute necessity as education. Mr. Hollys thought she took the news well, and he told her she was a good child, and would be sure to get on nicely with her governess.
When she had seen her father drive away from the house, Beryl went upstairs, looking very grave, to impart to Coral the startling intelligence of the change which was about to take place in their lives.
"Oh, Coral, I have something so dreadful to tell you!" she cried, bursting into the nursery, where Coral, still treated as an invalid, was resting in Lucy's rocking-chair.
Coral looked up in alarm, for Beryl's face was so serious, and her tone so tragic, that the child knew not what to expect.
"Oh, Beryl! What is it? Please tell me quickly!" she exclaimed, as Beryl tried to heighten the effect of her words by an impressive pause.