t and seated
herself at his feet; he drew her to his knee, smoothing her tresses
gently and affectionately.

"So you would not desert me, darling?" he said, with a glad smile.

"No, indeed, dear papa," answered she, nestling closer to him.

"Will you always love me as you do now, Zuleika?" asked the father,
looking down into the liquid depths of her eyes.

"Oh! papa, what a question, what a singular question!" said the girl,
springing to her feet, throwing her arms around his neck, and kissing
him again and again.

"But love of another kind and for another will come along after awhile,"
said the Deputy sadly, "and then you will forget your father."

Zuleika blushed and hung her head in maidenly modesty; then she
exclaimed:

"No, no, papa; never will I forget you whatever may happen!"

"Ah! my darling, you know not what you are saying; it is only natural
for a woman to cast her father aside and cleave unto her husband."

"But, papa, I have not even a lover yet, and, besides, I am not a woman;
I am merely a little girl and your own, true, loving daughter."

"Yes, yes, but you must remember that last year, young as you were
then, you attracted marked attention from several youthful Romans of the
best families in the Eternal City, and that one of them, the Viscount
Giovanni Massetti, went so far as to ask me for your hand."

At the mention of Massetti's name the blush upon Zuleika's cheek
deepened. She trembled slightly, but said nothing; her heart fluttered
painfully, but the pain was not altogether disagreeable. The young
Viscount was evidently not unpleasing to her.

M. Dantes resumed, looking at her fixedly the while:

"My daughter, as you were then attending the convent school I felt it my
duty to deny Giovanni Massetti's solicitation, nay, his ardent,
impetuous prayer, but I did not deprive him of all hope; I gave him
permission to urge his suit with you personally after a year from that
time had elapsed. Did I do right?"

Zuleika maintained silence, but blushed and trembled more than ever,
while her heart fluttered so that she placed her hand upon her breast to
still it.

"Come, come, my daughter, answer me," said the Deputy, kindly, "did I do
right? Tell me what your little heart says."

"I do not know, oh! I do not know!" cried Zuleika, bursting into tears.

"There, there now," said her father, soothingly; "I did not mean either
to frighten or wound you. If the Viscount is displeasing to you I w