her fall and be crushed to death; but somebody jerked her back
within the window just in time to save her. Weren't you terribly
frightened, dear?" she asked, addressing Lulu.

"Of course I was," Lulu answered in an ungracious tone; then rose and
sauntered away along the beach. "What did she tell it for, hateful
thing!" she muttered to herself; "now papa knows it, and what will he
say and do to me?"

She had not ventured to look at him; if she had she would have seen his
face grow suddenly pale, then assume an expression of mingled sternness
and pain.

He presently rose and followed her, though she did not know it till he
had reached her side and she felt him take her hand in his. He sat
down, making her sit by his side.

"Is this true that I hear of you, Lulu?" he asked.

"Yes, papa," she answered in a low, unwilling tone, hanging her head as
she spoke, for she dared not look him in the face.

"I did not think one of my children would be so disobedient," he said,
in pained accents.

"Papa, you never said I shouldn't go to Sankaty Lighthouse," she
muttered.

"I never gave you leave to go, and I have told you positively, more than
once, that you must not go to any distance from the house without
express permission. Also I am sure you could not help understanding,
from what was said when I took you to the lighthouse, that I would be
very far from willing that you should go up into the tower, and
especially outside, unless I were with you to take care of you. Besides,
what were my orders to you just as I was leaving the house that
morning?"

"You told me to change my dress immediately and to stay at home."

"Did you obey the first order?"

Lulu was silent for a moment; then as her father was evidently waiting
for an answer, she muttered, "I changed my dress after a while."

"That was not obeying; I told you to do it immediately," he said in a
tone of severity, "What did you do in the mean time?"

"I don't want to tell you," she muttered.

"You must; and you are not to say you don't want to do what I bid you.
What were you doing?"

"Walking round the town."

"Breaking two of your father's commands at once. What next? give me a
full account of the manner in which you spent the day."

"I came in soon and changed my dress; then went to the beach till the
bathing hour; then Betty and I went in together; then we had our dinner
at the hotel and came back to the beach for a little while; then we went
to Sank