Everybody must have seen how badly she had been behaving, but the thought of that was not half so galling to her pride as the danger of suspicion being aroused that punishment had been meted out to her on account of it.
Max watched her curiously, and took an opportunity, on their return to the house, to say privately to her, "I'm glad you've turned over a new leaf, Lu, and begun to behave decently to papa; I've wondered over and over again in the last few days that he didn't take you in hand in a way to convince you that he wasn't to be trifled with.

It's my opinion that if you'd been a boy you'd have got a trouncing long before this." "Indeed!" she cried, with an angry toss of her head; "I'm glad I'm not a boy if I couldn't be one without using such vulgar words." "Oh, that isn't such a very bad word," returned Max, laughing; "but I can tell you, from sad experience, that the _thing_ is bad enough sometimes; I'd be quaking in my shoes if I thought papa had any reason to consider me deserving of one." "I don't see what you mean by talking so to me," exclaimed Lulu, passionately; "but I think you are a Pharisee--making yourself out so much better than I am!" The call to supper interrupted them just there, and perhaps saved them from a down-right quarrel.
Lulu had no appetite for the meal, and it seemed to her that the others would never have done eating; then that they lingered unusually long about the house before starting for their accustomed evening rendezvous--the beach; for she was on thorns all the time.
At last some one made a move, and catching a look from her father which she alone saw or understood, she slipped unobserved into her bedroom and waited there with a fast beating heart.
She heard him say to Violet, "Don't wait for me, my love; I have a little matter to attend to here, and will follow you in the course of half an hour." "Anything I can help you with ?" Violet asked.
"Oh, no, thank you," he said, "I need no assistance." "A business letter to write, I presume," she returned laughingly.

"Well, don't make it too long, for I grudge every moment of your time." With that she followed the others, and all was quiet except for the captain's measured tread, for he was slowly pacing the room to and fro.
Impatient, impetuous Lulu did not know how to endure the suspense; she seemed to herself like a criminal awaiting execution.

Softly she opened the door and stepped out in front of her father, stopping him in his walk.
"Papa," she said, with pale, trembling lips, looking beseechingly up into his face, "whatever you are going to do to me, won't you please do it at once and let me have it over ?" He took her hand and, sitting down, drew her to his side, putting his arm around her.
"My little daughter," he said very gravely, but not unkindly, "my responsibility in regard to your training weighs very heavily on my mind; it is plain to me that you will make either a very good and useful woman, or one who will be a curse to herself and others; for you are too energetic and impulsive, too full of strong feeling to be lukewarm and indifferent in anything.
"You are forming your character now for time and for eternity, and I must do whatever lies in my power to help you to form it aright; for good and not for evil.

You inherit a sinful nature from me, and have very strong passions which must be conquered or they will prove your ruin.