Lulu was silenced for the time; but after tea, going into the library, and finding her father sitting there alone, she went up to him, and in her most coaxing tones said, "O papa! won"t you _please_ let me go? I"ll be"--
"Lulu," he interrupted sternly, "go immediately to your room and your bed."
"Papa, it isn"t my bedtime for two hours yet," she said, in a half pleading tone, "and I want to read this new "Companion" that has just come."
"Don"t let me have to repeat my order," was the stern rejoinder; and she obeyed, trembling and in haste.
She felt sorely disappointed, angry, and rebellious; but, as her father had said, a few moments" reflection showed her the reason of his refusal to allow her to accept the invitation to the Oaks: and, as she glanced round her rooms at the many pretty things his indulgent kindness had supplied, her anger changed to penitence and love.
"Of course, papa was right," she sighed to herself, as she moved about, getting ready for bed; "and it wasn"t because he doesn"t love to see me happy; and I wish, oh, _how_ I wish, I"d been good about it!"
She was not at all drowsy; and it seemed a long, long time that she had been lying there awake, when at last she heard her father"s step in the hall: then he opened the door, and came in.
He had a lighted lamp in his hand. He set it on the mantel, and drew near the bed.
"You are awake, I see," he said.
"Yes, papa; and I"m sorry I was naughty."
"You understand why I sent you to bed? and why I refused to grant your request?"
"Yes, sir; you can"t trust me to pay that visit, because of my bad temper; and you sent me to bed for disobeying you, by asking again, after you had told me to say no more about it."
"Yes: you must learn to be more obedient, less wilful. Did you obey me about going immediately to bed?" he asked, drawing up a chair, and seating himself close beside her.
"Yes, papa,--just as quickly as I could get ready."
"I hope you did not neglect to kneel down and ask forgiveness of G.o.d?"
he said inquiringly, in a gentle, tender tone, bending over her, and smoothing her hair as he spoke. "You do not need to be told, that, when you are rebellious and disobedient to your earthly father, you are so toward your heavenly Father also; because he bids you "honor thy father and thy mother.""
"Yes, papa, I know; I did ask him; and won"t you forgive me too?"
"Yes," he said, giving her a kiss. "I am sorry to have to deprive you of the pleasure of accepting that invitation, but I cannot yet trust you anywhere away from me; and it was to spare your feelings that I did not state my reason before your mamma and brother and sister."
"Oh! I"m sorry I was naughty about it, papa," he said, again putting her hand into his.
He held it in a kindly pressure, while he went on talking to her.
"I intend you shall go to Ion to the Christmas-eve party, and the dinner-party the next day, as I shall be there too."
"Thank you, dear papa: I"d like to go ever so much, but I don"t deserve to," she said humbly, "or to have any Christmas gifts. If I were you, and had such a bad child, I wouldn"t give her a single thing."
"I hope she is going to be a better girl, in future," he said, kissing her good-night.
It was a joyful surprise to Lulu when, at the breakfast-table the next morning, her father said, "Children, your mamma and I are going to drive into the city, and will take you all along: and, as I suppose you would like to do some Christmas shopping, I shall advance your next week"s allowance,--perhaps furnish something over," he added, with a kindly smile.
All three young faces had grown very bright, and there was a chorus of thanks.
"We expect to start in a few minutes after prayers," the captain went on, "and so there will be no school to-day."
"We like school, papa," said Grace. "I never liked it half so well before."
"Nor I." "Nor I," cried the other two.
"But you are glad of a holiday once in a while, nevertheless?" their father said, with a pleased look.
"Oh, yes, indeed, papa! "specially when it is to go somewhere with you,"
replied Grace; and again the others gave a hearty a.s.sent.
When family worship was over, the captain handed a little roll of bank-notes to each, saying, "Now run away, and get yourselves ready for your ride. Put on your warmest clothing, for the wind is sharp."
They flurried out into the hall; then Lulu hesitated, turned about, and ran back.
"Papa," she said, rushing up to him, where he sat beside a table, with some papers before him, and throwing her arm round his neck, "dear papa!
you are just too good and kind to me! Oh, I don"t mean to be disobedient, wilful, or pa.s.sionate ever again!"
"I am rejoiced to hear you say that, my dear little daughter," he replied, putting his arm round her, hugging her close, and kissing her tenderly; "and I do not think I shall ever regret any thing I have done for you or either of the others. It is, to me, the greatest pleasure in life to do whatever I can to make my children happy."
"I am so, _so_ sorry I was naughty and disobedient last night," she murmured, laying her cheek to his.
"Dear child," he said, "it is fully and freely forgiven. Now run up to your room and dress."
Grace called to Lulu as she came up the stairs, "O Lu! come in here a minute, into my room. Look, look, on the bed! see how many papa has given me,--ten nice new one dollars."
Lulu counted them as they lay spread out in a row.
"Yes, ten," she said. "O Gracie! isn"t it nice? isn"t papa kind?"
""Course he is; kindest man ever was made," said Grace. "Now see how many you have."
Lulu hastily spread out her roll, and counted the bills. "Nine ones, and one two," she announced.
"Just as many as mine," said Grace; "and I"ve got this besides," holding up a bright new silver half-dollar. "So mine"s the most this time, isn"t it?"
"No, because one of my bills counts two: that makes mine fifty cents the most. Papa has given us each ten dollars besides our regular allowance."
CHAPTER XXIII.
"At Christmas play, and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year."
--TUSSER.
The morning of the twenty-fourth found Grace almost too ill, with a heavy cold, to be out of bed; and it was quite evident that she would not be able to go to the Christmas-eve party at Ion, or the dinner on Christmas Day.
The captain was just finishing his morning toilet when Lulu knocked at his dressing-room door. She had come with the news of Grace"s illness, and he followed her at once to the bedside of the sick child.