“Papa,” she said humbly, “have you quite forgiven my crossness to-night when you refused to let me go ashore?  I am very, very sorry for it, but I am perfectly satisfied now with your decision; I was, the next minute, and oh, I do love you dearly, dearly, though I can hardly expect you to believe it when—­when I’m so ready to be rebellious,” she added, hiding her face on his breast, for he had taken her into his arms the moment she began to speak.

“Yet I do believe it, my own darling,” he replied in tender tones, smoothing her hair caressingly as he spoke.  “I fully believe that you love me devotedly, though for a moment you indulged in the old rebellious spirit that used to cause so much pain to both you and me.  However, this is almost the first time I have seen any show of it for two or three years.  In all that time you have been as willingly and cheerfully obedient as anyone could ask or expect a daughter to be.”

“Oh, thank you, my dear father, for saying that!” she responded, lifting to his, eyes beaming with happiness, “and I do intend that it shall be my very last failure to be as promptly and cheerfully obedient as possible, for I know you never deny me anything, unless you see that it is for my good, and I have never known you to make a mistake about that.  Do you want Grace and me to go to bed as soon as you and the others are gone?”

“I think it would be well for you to do so, but if you both prefer it you may stay on deck for another half hour.”

“Then I will get ready for bed at once, papa, for I want to do exactly as you think best, and I know Gracie does also.”

“Yes, I know she does; and, by the way, I must carry her down before I go; she is so weary, poor child,” he said, hurrying up to the deck.

Lucilla waited only to see the others off, then joined her sister in their state-room.

“You poor dear, you are so tired!” she exclaimed, noticing Grace’s weary expression and heavy eyes.  “You must let me help you with your preparations for bed.”

“Thank you, Lu,” returned Grace; “you are such a dear sister—­always so kind and helpful to me; but I am sorry that for my sake you should lose the pleasure of going to the Court of Honor with the others to-night.”

“O Gracie, you know we always find out in the end that papa’s way is the best for us both, and he refused my request for my own sake as well as yours.”

“Yes; he is the very kindest and best of fathers,” said Grace; “he never refuses any one of his children anything he can give them when he thinks it good for them.”

“But now I must stop talking and go to sleep as quickly as possible, as he bade me when he brought me down here.”

Both she and Lucilla were asleep in a few minutes and awoke the next morning feeling greatly refreshed and rested.

“Shall we visit the Turkish village to-day?” asked Violet at the breakfast table.

“I say aye to that,” said Walter.  “I want to see it and make some purchases there.  I’ve heard that there is a street there with booths along on the side and a bazaar where one can buy various kinds of Turkish goods.  I want to get some if only for curiosities.”