Have I not told you that a virtuous girl never runs away ?" "You did not make papa unhappy, and, being his wife, love other men ?" "No, my daughter." "Mamma," said the child, after a long pause, "can you give me your right hand, and swear you did not ?" Louise hesitated a moment; a cold shiver ran through her, she felt as if she was about to perjure herself; but as she looked into the beautiful face of her child, whose eyes were fixed on her with a strange expression, she overcame her unwillingness.
"Here is my hand--I swear that all your father told you is false!" Camilla laughed gleefully.

"Oh, mamma, I have caught you: you always want me to tell the truth, and never give my right hand when a thing is not true, and now you have done it yourself." "What have I done!" said the mother, trembling.
"You gave me your right hand, and swore that all papa told me was false; and I say it is true, and you have sworn falsely." "Why do you believe that, Camilla ?" she asked.
"I don't believe it, I know it," said the child, with a sly smile, "When papa spoke to you, for the last time, and told you good-by forever, he told you the same he had told me.

Oh! I was there and heard all; you did not see me slip into the room and hide behind the fire-place.

Papa told you that you had been the cause of all his unhappiness and shame; that from the day you had run off with the gardener and he, at the king's command, went after you, and married you--from that day, he had been a lost man, and when he said that, you cried, but did not tell him, as you told me, that it was not true." Louise did not answer.

This last taunt had crushed her heart, and silenced her.