ms round him and hid her face on his shoulder.

'Father dearest,' she whispered, doing her best to hide any sign of
tears in her voice, 'don't be vexed or disappointed, but I _can't_ see
it that way. It seems presumptuous for me to argue with you, but don't
you see?--the first duty seems so clear, to do what we _can_. Surely
there can be no doubt at all about that? And who knows--_something_ may
happen to make the rest of what is prescribed for you possible. And even
if not, and if the three months in London only do a little good, at
least we should all feel we had tried everything. Father dearest, if we
_didn't_ do it, do you think mother and Bessie and I--and the boys when
they hear of it, and even the two little ones--do you think we should
ever again feel one moment's peace of mind? Every time you looked paler
or feebler, every time we saw you give the least little wince of
pain--why, I think we should go out of our minds. It would be
unendurable.'

Captain Harper stroked her fair soft hair fondly.

'But, dear, suppose it doesn't do any good, or much? Suppose'--and his
voice grew very low and tender--'suppose all this increased suffering
and weakness is only the beginning of the end--and sometimes I cannot
help thinking it would be best so--my darling, it would _have_ to be
endured.'

Camilla raised her tear-stained face and looked at her father bravely.

'I know,' she said quietly. 'It may be. Mother and I don't deceive
ourselves, though it is no use dwelling upon terrible possibilities. But
even then, don't you see the difference? We should feel that we had done
our best, and--and that more was not God's will.'

'Yes,' said her father, 'I see how you mean. I suppose I should feel the
same if it were about your mother or one of you.'

'And father,' Camilla went on more cheerfully, 'don't worry about the
girls leaving school; it won't do them lasting harm. They have got a
good start, and they are still very young. Some time or other they may
have another opportunity, as I had. And Margaret is such a delicate
little creature. Father, I wouldn't have said it if they had been going
to stay at Thetford, but I have had my misgivings about her being fit
to be so far away. I fear she is very homesick sometimes.'

'Do you really think so?' said Captain Harper with a start. 'Poor little
soul! If I thought so--ah dear, my home was not much, but still while my
mother lived it _was_ home, and oh how I remember what I su