"Papa, it would have broken my heart, and Mamma Vi's, and Max's and
Gracie's too, if anything dreadful had happened to you."
"And what about papa's heart if he should lose his dear little daughter
Lulu, or anything dreadful should happen to her?"
"I didn't have time to think about that, papa. I know you love me very much, and would be sorry to lose me—naughty as I often am—but you have other children, and I have only one father; so of course it would be a great deal worse for me to lose you, and all the rest to lose you too."
"The worst thing that could befall us," said Violet; "but Lulu, dear, we all love you and would feel it a terrible thing to have you killed or badly injured in any way."
"Indeed we would!" exclaimed Max, with a slight tremble in his voice.
"Oh I couldn't ever, ever bear it!" sobbed Gracie, throwing an arm round her sister's neck.
"Well," said the captain cheerfully, hugging both at once, "we have escaped all the evils we have been talking of; our heavenly Father has taken care of us and has not suffered us to even lose our worldly goods, much less our lives; and we may well trust Him for the future and not fear what man can do unto us."
"Yes," said Violet, "we know that He has all power in heaven and earth and will never suffer any real evil to befall one of His people.
"'He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; he, that keepth thee will not slumber.'
"Levis, did you know those men?"