At that her face flushed painfully, and her lip quivered. "Please, papa, don't be angry," she said in tremulous tones. "I tried to stop as soon as you sent me word that I must. I didn't shed any more tears till after I got into bed; but then I was so, so hungry for my good-night kiss that they would come in spite of all I could do."
"Don't be afraid," he said; "I have forgiven all your offences, and this is the seal," kissing her fondly several times.
"Dear papa, thank you. Oh, how dearly I do love you! how sweet your caresses are to me!" she exclaimed. Then after a moment's silence, "Are mamma and Horace quite well, papa?" she asked.
"Yes; both would have been in to see you if their plans had met my approval. Horace was much concerned when I explained to him that because his sister was so very naughty as to try to take him away from me when I was punishing him for being stubborn and disobedient, she had to be punished too; and for that reason he could not see her."
"I am very much ashamed of having set him so bad an example, papa," she said with a sob, and blushing deeply.
"It was to neutralize that example, not to mortify you, that I deemed it necessary to tell him. Now, my love, my darling, it is high time you were in bed and asleep," he added, repeating his caresses; then setting her on her feet again, he led her back to her bed, laid her in it, and with a fatherly blessing and a kiss on lip and cheek and forehead, left her to her slumbers.
At first she seemed too full of joy and thankfulness to close an eye; yet ere she was aware of it the happy waking thoughts had merged themselves in blissful dreams.
