"But do you never feel as if you would like to have a life companion, such as Maud was given to-day ?" "A husband, do you mean?
No, indeed! for then I should be obliged to leave my dear father--the best man in the world, the dearest, kindest, most loving father to me." "He is all that, I am sure," said Keith; "but, perhaps, some day you may find that you can love another even better than you love him." She shook her head dissentingly.
"I can hardly believe it possible.

It seems to me that it would just break my heart to have to leave my father or to be separated from him in any way." Keith sighed drearily.

"Miss Raymond," he said, "I love you, I love you devotedly, and if--if you have not given your affection to another, perhaps in time you may find it possible to return my love.

Will you not let me hope for that ?" "Oh, don't!" she said, half rising to leave him, her face scarlet with blushes.

"I don't know anything about love,--that kind of love,--and my father has forbidden me to listen to such things and----" "But he would let you this time, for he gave me permission to speak to you and--and tell you of my love." "That is very strange; I don't understand it," she said, sinking back into her chair with a look of perplexity and distress on her face.
"Ah," brightening a little, "I think papa 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.