take lessons of that brute of a man. Oh, I do
wish he had been here! How much it would have saved me! If my father is
strict and stern sometimes, he's ever so much better and kinder than
Grandpa Dinsmore. Yes, yes, indeed, he's such a dear father! I wouldn't
exchange him for any other, if I could."

Presently she suddenly ceased her jumping and dancing, and stood in an
intently listening attitude.

"Yes, he's going--that horrid professor! I'm so glad! I don't believe
he'll ever trouble this house again, while papa is in it any way," she
said half aloud.

Then running to meet her father as he returned from seeing the professor
to the door, she threw her arms round him, exclaiming in a voice
quivering with delight. "Oh, you dear, dear papa, I'm so glad, so glad
to know that you wouldn't have made me go back to that horrid music
teacher! I felt sure at the time that you wouldn't, if you were here."

He heard her with a look of astonishment not unmixed with sternness.

"O papa, please don't be angry with me!" she pleaded, tears starting to
her eyes; "I didn't mean to listen, but I happened to be at the library
door (I was going back to see if you were done writing that letter and I
might be with you again) when you told Professor Manton that you
wouldn't have sent me back to Signor Foresti, nor even to his school. It
made me so glad, papa, but I didn't stop to hear any more, but ran away
to the veranda again; because I knew it wouldn't be right for me to
listen to what wasn't intended for me to hear."

He took her hand, led her into the library again, drew her to a seat
upon his knee, and softly smoothing back the hair from her forehead,
said in kind, fatherly tones, "I am not displeased with you, daughter.
I understand that it was quite accidental, and I am sure my little girl
is entirely above the meanness of intentionally listening to what is
evidently not meant for her ear. And in fact, now that I think of it,
I am not sorry that you know I did not, and do not now, approve of the
treatment you received at that time. Yet that was the first time I had
ever mentioned it to any one, and I should be sorry to have your Grandpa
Dinsmore know, or suspect, how entirely I disapproved of what he thought
best to do at the time. Can, and will, my little daughter promise to
keep the secret? never mentioning it to any one but me?"

"Yes, indeed, papa," she returned, looking up brightly into his face.
"Oh, it's nice to be trust