"Yet I am quite sure we both feel deeply for them, and are personally grieved for the injury to our darling little niece." "Yes, indeed! the pretty pet that she is!" returned Zoe, wiping her eyes.
Gracie was on the veranda looking for her father, and, catching sight of him in the avenue, ran to meet him.
"How is baby now?
Can you tell me ?" he asked, taking her hand, and stooping to give her a kiss.
"Just the same, I suppose, papa," she said.

"Oh, it's very hard to see it suffer so! isn't it, papa ?" He nodded a silent assent.
"Papa," she asked, lifting her tearful eyes to his face with a pleading look, "have you seen Lulu yet ?" "No." "O papa! do go now! It must be so hard for her to wait so long to see you, when you've just come home." "I doubt if she wants to see me," he said, with some sternness of look and tone.
"O dear papa! don't punish her very hard.

She didn't hurt the baby on purpose." "I shall try to do what is best for her, my little girl, though I very much doubt if that is exemption from punishment," he said with an involuntary sigh.

"But if she is in haste to see me," he added, "there is nothing, so far as I am aware, to prevent her from coming to me." "But she's afraid, papa, because she has been so very, very naughty." "In that case, is it not kinder for me to keep away from her ?" "O papa! you know she always wants things--bad things--over." "The bad thing she has brought upon the poor baby will not be over very soon," he said sternly.

"I must go now to it and your mamma." He did so; and sharing Violet's deep grief and anxiety, and perceiving that his very presence was a comfort and support to her, he remained at her side for hours.
Hours, that to Lulu seemed like weeks or months.