Leger's care and went back to London? or if he carried them off
with him perhaps? To London again! And then afresh came the former
question, what was there in her power, that might draw her father to
take deeper and truer views of life and duty than he was taking now? A
question that greatly bothered Dolly; for there was dimly looming up in
the distance an answer that she did not like. To attack her father in
private on the subject of religion, was a step that Dolly thought very
hopeless; he simply would not hear her. But there was another thing she
could do--could she do it? Persuade her father and mother to consent to
have family prayer? Dolly's heart beat and her breath came quick as she
passed through the little garden, sweet with roses and oleander and
orange blossoms. How sweet the flowers were! how heavenly fair the sky
over her head! So it ought to be in people's hearts, thought Dolly;--so
in mine. And if it were, I should not be afraid of anything that was
right to do. And this _is_ right to do.

Dolly avoided the saloon where the rest of the family were, and betook
herself to her own room; to consider and to pray over her difficulties,
and also to get rid of a few tears and bring her face into its usual
cheerful order. When at last she went down, she found her mother alone,
but her father almost immediately joined them. The windows were open
towards the sea, the warm, delicious air stole in caressingly, the
scent of roses and orange blossoms and carnations filled the house and
seemed to fill the world; moonlight trembled on the leaves of the
fig-tree, and sent lines of silver light into the room. The lamp was
lowered and Mrs. Copley sat doing nothing, in a position of satisfied
enjoyment by the window.

As Dolly came in by one door, Mr. Copley entered by another, and flung
himself down on a chair; his action speaking neither enjoyment nor
satisfaction.

"Well!" said he. "How much longer do you think you can stand this sort
of thing?"

"What sort of thing, father?"

"Do you sit in the dark usually?"

"Come here, father," said Dolly, "come to the window and see the
moonshine on the sea. Do you call that dark?"

"Your father never cared for moonshine, Dolly," said Mrs. Copley.

"No, that's true," said Mr. Copley with a short laugh. "Haven't you got
almost enough of it?"

"Of moonshine, father?"

"Yes--on the bay of Sorrento. It's a lazy place."

"You have not been very lazy since you have been here