“Dear Lu, don’t tell it if it hurts you so.  I’m sure if you were not a good girl you wouldn’t feel so very sorry and ashamed,” Evelyn interrupted, putting both arms round her friend and kissing her with warmth of affection.

“No, indeed, I’m not!” said Lulu; “and I’ll tell it, if only to punish myself for my badness.  Papa has never punished me for it, though I really did wish he would and asked him to over and over again.”

“That seems very odd,” Eva said, half smiling.  “Most people are only too glad to escape punishment.”

“Maybe I’m different from most folks,” said Lulu, “but I always want to beat myself when I’ve been so hateful, and so if papa punishes me I always feel a good deal happier after it’s over.

“But I must finish my story.  Papa asked, ’Lulu, did you hear me bid you come to me?’ and I answered, ‘Yes, sir’; then muttered, ’but I’ll not come a step till I get ready.’”

Evelyn seemed lost in astonishment.  “Oh Lu! did you really say that? could you venture to speak so to your father—­a man whom everybody respects so highly, and who is so dear and kind to you?”

“I did,” acknowledged Lulu, her head hanging still lower and her cheek flushing more hotly.  “You see when I lived with Aunt Beulah I got into the way of being very saucy to her, and I suppose that’s how I came to speak so to papa.  Oh don’t you think I ought to be dreadfully ashamed, and that papa should have punished me very severely?”

“I suppose he is the best judge of that,” Eva answered, doubtfully.  “But what did he do?  Surely he didn’t pass it over as of no consequence?  I think he couldn’t feel it right to allow his own child to refuse obedience to his commands.”

“No; of course not.  The minute I’d said the words I could have bitten my tongue off for it.  I hoped papa hadn’t heard, but he had, and he rose from his chair and came toward me (very quietly; not at all as if he was in a passion), and I jumped up, saying ‘I will, papa; I’m coming.’”

“Then he said in a tone as if he were grieved and astonished that his own little girl could talk so to him—­’Tardy obedience following upon a most insolent refusal to obey,’ and took my hand and led me to the side of his chair.

“Then he sat down and talked to Max a little, and sent him up to his room, and after Max had gone he talked to me.

“He said he must punish me, but he would try a new way, and for four days I shouldn’t be his child at all—­at least not be treated like it, but just as if I were only a little girl visitor; he wouldn’t give me any orders, or advice, or direction, or instruction; and I mustn’t take any liberty with him that I wouldn’t feel free to take with a stranger gentleman.

“He said I must understand that he did not intend to subject me to any harsh treatment, but would be as polite and attentive to my wants as if I were a guest in the house.”

“O Lu, did you like it? was it nice?”