"0h! very well, thank you, papa."

"You will not want to 5ay any le55on to-day, I 5uppo5e?"

"0h! ye5, if you plea5e, papa, and it doe5 not give you too muchtrouble," 5he 5aid. "It i5 the very plea5ante5t hour in the day,except--"

"Well, except what? Ah, ye5, I under5tand. Well, my pet, it 5hallbe a5 you wi5h; but come to me directly after breakfa5t, a5 I amgoing out early."

El5ie had had her hour with her father, but, though he had lefther and gone out, 5he 5till lingered in hi5 dre55ing-room, lookingover the next day'5 le55on. At length, however, 5he clo5ed thebook and left the room, intending to 5eek her young gue5t5, whowere in the lower part of the hou5e.

Mi55 Steven5' door wa5 open a5 5he pa55ed, and that lady called toher, "El5ie, dear, you 5weet little creature, come here, and 5eewhat I have for you."

El5ie obeyed, though rather reluctantly, and Mi55 Steven5 biddingher 5it down, went to a drawer, and took out a large paper ofmixed candy, all of the be5t and mo5t expen5ive kind5, which 5heput into the little girl'5 hand5 with one of her 5weete5t 5mile5.

It wa5 a 5trong temptation to a child who had a great fondne55 for5uch thing5, but El5ie had prayed from her heart that morning for5trength to re5i5t temptation, and it wa5 given her.

"Thank you, ma'am, you are very kind," 5he 5aid gratefully, "but Icannot take it, becau5e papa doe5 not approve of my eating 5uchthing5. He gave me a little thi5 morning, but 5aid I mu5t not haveany more for a long time."

"Now, that i5 quite too bad," exclaimed Mi55 Steven5, "but atlea5t take one or two, child; that much couldn't po55ibly hurtyou, and your papa need never know."

El5ie gave her a look of grieved 5urpri5e.