"Dear me! how very strict he is!" exclaimed Miss Stevens.
"I wonder," she thought to herself, "if he would expect to domineer over his wife in that style?"
Elsie was slowly turning over the leaves of the book, enjoying the pictures very much, studying them intently, but resolutely refraining from even glancing over the printed pages. But at length she closed it, and, looking out of the window, said, with a slight sigh, "Oh! I wish papa would come; but I'm afraid he won't for a long while, and I do so want to read these stories."
"Suppose you let me read one to you," suggested Miss Stevens; "that would not be your reading it, you know."
Elsie looked shocked at the proposal. "Oh! no, ma'am, thank you, I know you mean to be kind; but I could not do it; it would be so very wrong; quite the same, I am sure, as if I read it with my own eyes," she answered hurriedly; and then, fearing to be tempted further, she excused herself and went in search of her young companions.
She found them in the drawing-room.
"Wasn't it too provoking, Elsie, that those people didn't send home my bracelet last night?" exclaimed Caroline Howard. "I have just been telling Lucy about it. I think that it was such a shame for them to disappoint me, for I wanted to have it on the tree."
"I am sorry you were disappointed, Carry, but perhaps it will come to-day," Elsie answered in a sympathizing tone. And then she showed the new book, which she still held in her hand.
They spent some time in examining it, talking about and admiring the pictures, and then went out for a walk.
"Has papa come in yet, mammy?" was Elsie's first question on returning.