ust have slept several hours, for she was waked by the opening of her
door, and starting up found her father standing beside her with a small
salver in his hand. On it were a plate of graham bread, a china bowl
containing milk, and a silver spoon.

"Here is your dinner, Lucilla," he said, speaking in a quiet, grave tone,
as he set the salver on a little stand in a corner between the windows;
"unless you are ready to obey me. In that case, I shall take you down to
your mamma, and when you have begged her pardon and told me you are sorry
for your rebellious words and conduct toward me, you can eat your dinner
with us."

"I don't want to go downstairs, papa," she said, turning her face away
from him. "I'd rather stay here. But I should think you'd feel mean to eat
all sorts of good things and give me nothing but skim-milk and that black
bread."

"I give you that bread because it contains more nutriment than the white,"
he said. "As to the good things the rest of us may have to eat, you shall
share them as soon as you are ready to submit to my authority, but not
till then."

He waited a moment for a reply, but receiving none, went out and locked
the door.

When he came again at tea-time, bringing a fresh supply of the same sort
of fare, he found the first still untouched.

Lulu was very hungry, and really for the last hour had quite longed to eat
the bread and milk, but from sheer obstinacy would not touch it. She
thought if she held out long enough in her refusal to eat it, something
better would be furnished her.

But now she fairly quailed before the glance of her father's eye as he set
the second salver down and seating himself said, "Come here to me!"

She obeyed, looking pale and frightened.

He drew her in between his knees, put one arm round her, and taking the
bowl he had just brought in the other hand, held it to her lips, with the
command, "Drink this! every drop of it!"

When that was done, he commanded, "Now break this bread into that other
bowl of milk, take your spoon and eat it."

Now thoroughly frightened, she did not dare disobey.

He sat and watched her till the meal was finished, she feeling that his
stern eye was upon her, but never once venturing to look at him.

"Have you anything to say to me, Lucilla?" he asked as he rose to go.

"No, sir," she answered, with her eyes upon the carpet.

"My child, you are grieving me very much," he said, took up the salver and
went out.

Lulu did