“It shall be just as you wish, my dear; I feel that I am doing you no wrong in gratifying you. You shall be like a young daughter to me, and I—I promise I will be no burden to you, notwithstanding that I am old and feeble,” Mr. Rosevelt answered, with a sad smile.
“A burden!” Star repeated, with quivering lips. “Oh, please do not imagine such a thing! It is you who are to take care of me and shield me until I graduate, for without you to help me bear the responsibility, I should not dare to take such a step.”
Mr. Rosevelt smiled again.
“You try to make the obligation appear all your own; but I share it, nevertheless; and I think you and I will be far happier away from the unpleasant influences which have surrounded us during the past year. I am quite anticipating the change, I assure you. Now you must go to rest. You look more like a ghost than a star just now; and my heart has been deeply pained to-night for the suffering that you have had to endure; but I believe it will yet be made up to you in some way,” he concluded, with grave thoughtfulness.
He sat regarding her earnestly for a few moments. Then he said, while his eyes were fixed questioningly on her face:
“This is a different kind of a storm, child, from the one which you and I passed through at sea. Your faith was strong then; you were not afraid to die; how is it now? Do you believe your God rules this kind of a storm also?”
There was a skeptical smile on the old man’s lips, and a bitterness in his tone as he asked this, which filled the young girl’s heart with remorse.
She looked up at him with a startled glance, while her pained face almost instantly relaxed into an expression of trustfulness and peace.
“Uncle Jacob,” she said, with a solemn sweetness which impressed him deeply, “you could not have said anything for which I should thank you more—you have recalled me to myself. I should not have forgotten for a moment that God rules everywhere and over everything. Yes, I believe He knows best, even though I cannot understand why I must suffer this bitter trial.”
The old man sighed deeply, and his face was very grave.