“Yes,” he said, “I am much interested in the appearance you two little ladies are to make at the party.”
So he was taken directly to Elsie’s dressing-room, where the dresses were exhibited to his admiring eyes.
Mr. Travilla stayed until very nearly Elsie’s bed-time, and Mildred and the others lingered a little after he was gone, so that the little girl began to fear she would miss the usual private bit of chat with her father; and she was particularly anxious for it to-night, for her tender little heart was still sore at thought of his words, “I am not pleased with you.”
But at last she was left alone with him, even Rose having disappeared from the room in response to a call from the nursery.
The instant the door closed on the last of them, Mr. Dinsmore turned to his child with outstretched hand and a kind, fatherly smile, saying, “Come, daughter dear! we have not many minutes left before it will be time for you to go to bed.”
“Papa, O papa!” she said, hastening to him and hiding her face on his breast, “are you quite, quite pleased with me now?”
“Yes, darling, your fault is entirely forgiven, and now let it be forgotten. I think it will not be repeated, and I am glad to be able to say it is a rare thing for my little girl to be guilty of the slightest act of disobedience. You haven’t told me about your afternoon’s walk. Was it pleasant?”
“Oh, very nice!” she replied, lifting her head to wipe away her tears, and give him a grateful, loving look. “Mr. Travilla was with us and told us such nice stories. He is almost as entertaining and instructive in conversation as you yourself, papa.”
“Almost!” he said, laughing. “Well, I can swallow the flattery, because of the large admixture of filial love in it.”
“Is it flattery when we are perfectly sincere, papa?” she asked.