“But you know I didn’t mean you, papa.”

“But I am the gentleman I spoke of a little while ago, as the one in whose care I intended to put you.”

“Papa,” she said, with a bewildered look, “I don’t understand.”

Then he told her; and she was, as Max had foreseen, almost wild with delight.

“Oh!” she cried, “how nice, nice it will be to have a home of our very own, and our father with us all the time!  Papa, I think I sha’n’t sleep a wink to-night, I’m so glad.”

“I trust it will not have that effect,” he said, “I hesitated a little about telling you to-night, lest it might interfere with your rest; but you seemed so unhappy about your future prospects, that I felt I must relieve you of the fear of being sent away among strangers.”

“You are so very good and kind to me, papa,” she returned gratefully.  “Where is our dear home to be?”

“I don’t know, yet,” he said.  “I have not had time to look about in search of house or land; but I hope to be able to buy or build a house somewhere in this region, as near Ion as a pleasant location can be found.”

“I hope you’ll find a house ready built, papa,” she said.  “I shouldn’t know how to wait for one to be built.”

“Not if, by waiting, we should, in the end, have a much nicer, pleasanter one?”

She considered a moment.  “Couldn’t we rent a house to live in while we get our own built?”

“I think that plan might answer quite well,” he said with a smile.  “I had no idea you were such a business woman.  Probably that is what we will do, for I am as anxious to get to housekeeping as even you can be.”

“But, papa,” she exclaimed, with a look as if struck by a sudden and not very pleasant thought, “may I—­will you be vexed if I ask you something?”

“Suppose you find out by asking?”

“I—­I hope you won’t think it’s impertinence, papa, I don’t mean it for that,” she said with hesitation, hanging her head, and blushing; “but—­but—­I hope it isn’t mamma Vi’s money we’re to live on?”

He put his hand under her chin, and lifted her face, so that he could look down into her eyes; and she drew a long breath of relief as she perceived that he was smiling at her.

“No,” he said.  “You come honestly by your pride of independence.  I would no more live on mamma Vi’s money than you would.”

“Oh, I’m so glad!  But—­then, how can you do without your pay, papa?”

“Because my heavenly Father has prospered me, and given me money enough of my own (or, rather, lent it to me; for all we have belongs to him, and is only lent to us for a time) to provide all that is necessary for my family, and educate my children.

“Now we have had a long talk, which has, I trust, made my dear little girl much happier; and it is time for you to go to your bed for the night.”

“I don’t like to have you leave me,” she said, clinging about his neck; “but you were very kind to stay so long.  Won’t you come soon in the morning?”