She looked full in his face as she made this reply; and he, quite satisfied, said he was ready, and it was time to go to church.
Alice heaved a sigh of relief. She had got over the interview much better than she expected; and so wholly was her conscience seared by a long course of deceit that she felt scarcely a pang when she thought of the ready falsehood by which she had obtained the coveted articles.
But the end was not yet. Day after day of the vacation glided away. The evening before she was to leave for school, her father returned home rather earlier than was his wont, and sending a servant to his daughter's room, desired her to join him in the parlor. He did this in order that he might be alone with her; for on several occasions his aunt had been present when he reproved his child, and had always taken her part, or suggested such ready excuses for her conduct, that his advice was entirely counteracted.
Alice came running down the stairs, humming a refrain from a favorite song. Her cheeks were tinged with the softest rose color, and the silken tresses lay lovingly upon them, while a pretty smile dimpled her small mouth.
As she entered the room, fully expecting to see a caller, her father stood and gazed at her; but no pleasure kindled his eye or heightened the color on his cheek. He was thinking how much to be preferred were the plainest features accompanied by true nobleness of heart! How mean, how degraded she appeared to him then, as he recalled his business with her!
"Papa," she said, softly, "did you send for me?"
"Yes, I did," was the brief reply.
They stood for a moment gazing at each other, and then, with a burst of feeling, he exclaimed,—
"Oh, my child! Will you never learn to trust your father?"
"I don't know what you mean," she answered, her cheek crimsoning.