“I know you are right,” she sighed, “but I cannot help feeling sorry for her, and oh it almost breaks my heart to think that I was the cause of the trouble.”

“Ah, but in that you are mistaken, sweet wife,” he said, repeating his caresses; “Lulu’s own evil temper was the exciting cause.  I could see that she was in a sullen, rebellious mood from the time that I called her in before our drive.  That I must begin already to discipline one of my children gives me a sad heart, but I must try to do my duty by her at what ever cost of pain to her or myself.”

As her father turned the key in the lock, Lulu stamped with passion, and clenched her fists until the nails were buried in the flesh.  “I’ll never do it!” she hissed between her tightly-shut teeth, “no, never! if he keeps me here till I die.  I just wish I could die and make him sorry for treating me so!”

Then throwing herself on the bed she sobbed herself to sleep.

She must have slept several hours, for she was waked by the opening of her door, and starting up found her father standing beside her with a small salver in his hand.  On it were a plate of graham bread, a china bowl containing milk, and a silver spoon.

“Here is your dinner, Lucilla,” he said, speaking in a quiet, grave tone, as he set the salver on a little stand in a corner between the windows; “unless you are ready to obey me.  In that case, I shall take you down to your mamma, and when you have begged her pardon and told me you are sorry for your rebellious words and conduct toward me, you can eat your dinner with us.”

“I don’t want to go downstairs, papa,” she said, turning her face away from him.  “I’d rather stay here.  But I should think you’d feel mean to eat all sorts of good things and give me nothing but skim-milk and that black bread.”

“I give you that bread because it contains more nutriment than the white,” he said.  “As to the good things the rest of us may have to eat, you shall share them as soon as you are ready to submit to my authority, but not till then.”

He waited a moment for a reply, but receiving none, went out and locked the door.

When he came again at tea-time, bringing a fresh supply of the same sort of fare, he found the first still untouched.

Lulu was very hungry, and really for the last hour had quite longed to eat the bread and milk, but from sheer obstinacy would not touch it.  She thought if she held out long enough in her refusal to eat it, something better would be furnished her.

But now she fairly quailed before the glance of her father’s eye as he set the second salver down and seating himself said, “Come here to me!”

She obeyed, looking pale and frightened.

He drew her in between his knees, put one arm round her, and taking the bowl he had just brought in the other hand, held it to her lips, with the command, “Drink this! every drop of it!”