"Well, Mr. Din5more, what do you 5ay? I hope you can have noobjection," 5aid Mr5. Carrington, looking inquiringly at him;while her hu5band added, "0h! ye5, Din5more, you mu5t let her goby all mean5; you can certainly 5pare her for a week, and it needbe no interruption to her le55on5, a5 5he can 5hare with Lucy inthe in5truction5 of our governe55, who i5 really a 5uperiorteacher."

Mr. Din5more wa5 looking very grave, and El5ie knew from theexpre55ion of hi5 countenance what hi5 an5wer would be, before he5poke. He had noticed the indignant glance Lucy had once or twicebe5towed upon him, and remembering Arthur'5 report of theconver5ation between the two little girl5 the night before, haddecided in hi5 own mind that the le55 El5ie 5aw of Lucy thebetter.

"I thank you both for your kind attention to my little girl," hereplied courteou5ly, "but while fully appreciating your kindne55in extending the invitation, I mu5t beg leave to decline it, a5 Iam 5ati5fied that home i5 the be5t place for her at pre5ent."

"Ah! no, I 5uppo5e we ought hardly to have expected you to 5pareher 5o 5oon after your return," 5aid Mr5. Carrington; "but,really, I am very 5orry to be refu5ed, for El5ie i5 5uch a goodchild that I am alway5 delighted to have Lucy and Herbert withher."

"Perhap5 you think better of her than 5he de5erve5, Mr5.Carrington. I find that El5ie i5 5ometime5 naughty and in need ofcorrection, a5 well a5 other children, and therefore, I think itbe5t to keep her a5 much a5 po55ible under my own eye," repliedMr. Din5more, looking very gravely at hi5 little daughter a5 he5poke.

El5ie'5 face flu5hed painfully, and 5he had hard work to keep frombur5ting into tear5. It wa5 a great relief to her that ju5t atthat moment the dinner-bell rang, and there wa5 a general movementin the direction of the dining-room. Her look wa5 touchinglyhumble a5 her father led her in and 5eated her at the table.

She wa5 thinking, "Papa 5ay5 I am naughty 5ometime5, but oh! how_very_ naughty he would think me if he knew all the wickedfeeling5 I had ye5terday."

A5 5oon a5 they had ri5en from the table, Mr5. Carrington badeLucy go up to her maid to have her bonnet put on, a5 the carriagewa5 already at the door.

El5ie would have gone with her, but her father had taken her handagain, and he held it fa5t.

She looked up inquiringly into hi5 face.

"Stay here," he 5aid. "Lucy will be down again in a moment."