s!" began Vi in a tone of entreaty; but a look and a gentle "Hush,
love!" silenced her.

"Now, Lucilla," he said, resuming his stern tone of command, "ask your
mamma's pardon for your impertinence, and tell her you will never be
guilty of the like again."

"I won't!" exclaimed Lulu passionately.

At that, her father, with a look of utter astonishment at her presumption,
took her by the hand and led her into the house, upstairs and to her own
room.

"My daughter," he said, "I must be obeyed. I could not have believed you
would be so naughty and disobedient so soon after my return to you, for I
thought you loved me."

He paused for a reply, and Lulu burst out with passionate vehemence, "You
don't love me, papa! I knew you wouldn't when you got a new wife. I knew
she'd steal all your love away from your own children!"

In that moment of fierce, ungovernable anger all Vi's sweet kindness was
forgotten and old prejudices returned in full force.

The captain was too much shocked and astonished to speak for a moment. He
had not dreamed that his child possessed so terrible a temper.

"You were never more mistaken, Lulu," he said at length in a moved tone;
"I never loved my children better than I love them now. Are you not sorry
for your rebellious reply to me a moment since? will you not tell me so,
and do at once what I have bidden you?"

"No; I'll never ask her pardon!"

"You will stay in this room in solitary confinement until you do, though
it should be all summer," he said firmly, went out, locked the door on the
outside, and put the key into his pocket.

Zoe and Rosie had hastened away the moment the captain appeared upon the
scene in the veranda, and as he led Lulu into the house Violet burst into
tears.

"O mamma!" she sobbed, "what shall I do? I wish I had not said a word
about the ornaments, but just let her wear them! I never meant to make
trouble between my husband and his children! I never should have done so
intentionally."

"My dear child, you have no cause to blame yourself," Elsie said
soothingly.

"No, not a bit of it, Mamma Vi," cried Max, coming to her side. "I love Lu
dearly, but I know she has a very bad temper, and I think it's for her own
good that papa has found it out already, so that he can take means to help
her conquer it. Dear me! I should never dare to say 'I won't' to him. Nor
I shouldn't want to, because he's such a good father to us, and I love him
dearly."

"Dear Max," Viol