“Certainly,” he said, looking down at her very kindly, as he took her hand, and held it in a warm, affectionate clasp.  “Child, you have not lost your father’s love.  You are very dear to me, in spite of all your naughtiness.”

He slackened his pace, for he saw she was finding it difficult to keep up with him; and his attention was again attracted to the heat of her hand.

“You are not well, perhaps not able to walk?” he said inquiringly, and in tenderly solicitous accents.

“It is pleasant to be out in the air, papa,” she answered; “but it tires me a good deal more than usual.”

“We will not go far, then,” he said; “and, if your strength gives out before we get back to the house, I will carry you.”

They were in the road now, some distance beyond the avenue-gates; and at this moment a number of horsemen came in sight, approaching from the direction opposite to that they were taking.

Perceiving them, Lulu uttered a sharp cry of terror, and shrank behind her father, though still clinging to his hand.

“What is it, daughter?” he asked in surprise:  “what do you fear?”

“O papa, papa!” she sobbed, “are they coming to take me and put me in prison?  Oh, don’t let them have me!”

“Don’t be frightened,” he said soothingly.  “Don’t you see it is only some men who have been out hunting, and are going home with their game?”

“Oh! is that all?” she gasped, the color coming back to her face, which had grown deadly pale.  “I thought it was the sheriff coming to put me in jail for hurting the baby.  Will they do it, papa?  Oh! you won’t let them, will you?” she cried entreatingly.

“I could not protect you from the law,” he said, in a moved tone; “but I think there is no danger that it will interfere.  You did not hurt your sister intentionally, and she is still living.  You are very young too; and, doubtless, everybody will think your punishment should be left to me, your father.”

She was trembling like a leaf.

He turned aside to a fallen tree, sat down on it, and took her in his arms.  She dropped her head on his shoulder, panting like a hunted thing.

“These two days have been too much for you,” he said pityingly.  “And that fear has tormented you all the time?”

“Yes, papa:  oh, I thought I might have to be hung if baby died, and—­it was—­so—­dreadful—­to think I’d killed her—­even if they didn’t do any thing to me for it,” she sobbed.

“Yes; very, very dreadful; perhaps more so to me—­the father of you both—­than to any one else,” he groaned.

“Papa, I’m heart-broken about it,” she sobbed “Oh, if I only could undo it!”

He was silent for a moment; then he said, “I know you are suffering very much from remorse; this is a bitter lesson to you; let it be a lasting one.  I can relieve you of the fear of punishment from the law of the land; there is no danger of that now:  but, if you do not lay this lesson to heart, there may come a time when that danger will be real; for there is no knowing what awful deed such an ungovernable temper as yours may lead you to commit.