a knew there was no danger that
I would be willing to leave him for anybody else."

"Yes; I suppose that was it," sighed Keith, and, at that moment, there
came an interruption, very welcome to Lucilla, in the form of little Ned
looking for papa. And the next moment papa himself, to find Captain
Keith and hand him a letter; a servant having just brought the afternoon
mail. Then Lucilla slipped away to her own room, where she stayed until
summoned to the dining room by the tea bell.

CHAPTER XIX.

It was a pleasant surprise to Lucilla to find Grandma Elsie and Walter
there, and to learn that they had come to stay several days. So it was
easy to avoid being left alone with Captain Keith, and there was no more
private talk between them. When the carriage drove up to take him to his
train she was on the veranda with the others, and he shook hands with
her in her turn, saying, "Good-bye, Miss Lu. I shall hope to hear from
your father that you are well and happy."

"Thank you; good-bye, and I wish you a safe journey," she said in reply,
but without lifting her eyes to his face.

Just as she was ready for bed her father came to her room to bid her
good-night as he so often did.

Taking her in his arms and looking searchingly into her eyes, "Is there
anything wrong with you--anything troubling you, daughter?" he asked
tenderly.

"Yes, papa," she said, colouring and dropping her eyes. "Oh, why did you
let Captain Keith talk to me of--of love, when you have so often told me
I was much too young to even think of such things?"

"Well, dear child," he said, "I knew it would be risking little or
nothing, as I was certain I had too large a place in your heart to leave
any room for him, but it seemed the only way to thoroughly convince him
of that was to let him try to push himself in there. And he did try?"

"Yes, papa; and when I told him you had forbidden me to listen to such
things, he said you had given him leave to speak about it to me; and
that surprised me more than his speaking. You didn't want me to say yes,
father?"

"No, daughter; no, indeed! I should not have let him speak if I had not
been very sure that my dear child loved me too well to leave me for him
or anybody else."

"Oh, I am so glad!" she exclaimed with a sigh of relief and laying her
head down on his breast, "though I couldn't believe that my dear father
wanted to be rid of me, or felt willing that I should love anybody else
better than I lo