“Yes, papa,” she replied, looking up from her book for an instant, and then returning to it again as he left the room.

She had not the least intention of disobeying, but soon forgot everything else in the interest of her story.

The stranger detained Mr. Dinsmore much longer than he had expected, and the short winter day was drawing rapidly to a close when he returned to his study, to find Elsie—­much to his surprise and displeasure—­precisely where he had left her.

She was not aware of his entrance until he was close beside her; then, looking up with a start, she colored violently.

He gently took the book from her hand and laid it away, then, lifting her from the chair, led her across the room, where he seated himself upon the sofa, and drawing her in between his knees, regarded her with a look of grave, sad displeasure.

“Has my little daughter any idea how long it is since her father bade her put up her book?” he asked in a gently reproving tone.

Elsie hung her head in silence, and a tear rolled quickly down her burning cheek.

“It grieves me very much,” he said, “to find that my little girl can be so disobedient! it almost makes me fear that she does not love me very much.”

“Oh, papa, don’t! oh, don’t say that!  I can’t bear to hear it!” she cried, bursting into an agony of tears and sobs, and hiding her face on his breast.  “I do love you very much, papa, and I can’t bear to think I’ve grieved you,” she sobbed.  “I know I am very naughty, and deserve to be punished—­but I didn’t mean to disobey, only the book was so interesting I didn’t know at all how the time went.”

He sighed, but said nothing; only drew her closer to him, pulling his arm around her, and stroking her hair in a gentle, caressing way.

There was no sound for some moments but Elsie’s sobs.

Then she asked in a half whisper, “Are you going to punish me, papa?”

“I shall take the book from you for a few days; I hope that will be punishment enough to make you pay better attention to my commands in future,” he said very gravely.

“Dear papa how kind you are!  I am sure I deserve a great deal worse punishment than that,” she exclaimed, raising her head and looking up gratefully and lovingly into his face, “but I am very, very sorry for my disobedience; will you please forgive me?”

“I will, daughter,” and he bent down and kissed her lips.

“Now go,” he said, “and get your cloak and hood.  I think we will still have time for a little stroll through the grounds before dark.”

Elsie had very little to say during their walk, but moved silently along by her father’s side, with her hand clasped in his; and he, too, seemed unusually abstracted.

It was quite dusk when they entered the house again, and when the little girl returned to the study, after Chloe had taken off her wrappings, she found her father seated in an easy-chair, drawn up on one side of a bright wood fire that was blazing and crackling on the hearth.