“That I’m very proud of my handsome papa,” she answered, ending a hasty survey of his whole person, with a look of love and delight up into his face, as he stood gazing fondly down upon her.
“Love makes my little girl blind to any imperfection in her father,” he said, taking her in his arms for a moment’s petting and fondling ere he bade her good-night. “Now, go to sleep,” as he laid her down and tucked the covers carefully about her.
The next afternoon, Mr. Dinsmore and the two ladies, feeling the need of rest and sleep—for they had returned very late from the party—each indulged in a nap.
Elsie, who was not sleepy, thought the house had never before seemed so quiet and lonely; she missed Annis more than she had on any previous day. She would have gone out for a walk, but a steady rain forced her to remain within doors.
She wandered slowly, aimlessly, and with noiseless footsteps from room to room. At length entering her father’s study she seated herself in the chair he had occupied not long before, beside his writing-desk.
A book, a copy of “Oliver Twist,” lay open upon the desk, and as her eye fell on the printed page, she read at a glance enough to arouse within her an absorbing interest in its contents; and never stopping to look at the title or to consider whether or no it was such a work as she would be permitted to examine, she read on, hastily, eagerly, to the bottom of the page; turned it quickly, and perused the next and the next; so intensely interested as to be utterly oblivious of everything but the story, until a slight sound causing her to look up, she found her father standing close at her side, regarding her with a countenance of mingled astonishment and grieved, stern displeasure.
Instantly her eyes fell beneath his gaze, while her face crimsoned with shame and embarrassment.
He gently took the book from her and pointing to a large easy-chair on the farther side of the room, said, “Sit there till I have time to attend to you.”
His tone was very grave and sad, and she heard him sigh deeply as she hastily and silently obeyed.
He paced the floor for some minutes, then seated himself at the desk, and for the next half hour the room seemed painfully still; the slight scratching of his pen and an occasional half-stifled sob from Elsie, the only sound save the ceaseless patter of the rain outside.