"I could not blame you if now you thought her utterly irreclaimable." "No, oh, no!" she answered earnestly.

"I have great hopes of her, with her father at hand to help her in the struggle with her temper; for I am sure she does struggle against it; and I must acknowledge, that, for months past, she has been as good and lovable a child as one could desire.

I don't know a more lovable one than she is when her temper does not get the better of her; and, as Gracie says, whenever it does, 'she gets sorry very soon.'" "My darling," he said, pressing the hand he held, "you are most kind to be so ready to see what is commendable in my wayward child.

I cannot reasonably expect even you to look at her with her father's partial eyes.

And dearly as I certainly do love her, I have been exceedingly angry with her to-day; so angry, that, for a time, I dared not trust myself to go near her, I, who ought to have unlimited patience with her, knowing, as I do, that she inherits her temper from me." "I don't know how to believe that, my dear, good husband," Violet said, gazing up into his face with fond, admiring eyes; "for I have never seen any evidence of it.