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54 monses were very unusual; but nevertheless her father's manner towards her was always so full of love that even in her fear she felt a comfort in being with him.

'My darling,' he said, 'I want to ask you one or two questions—about our guest here who has hurt himself,—Mr. Graham.'

'Yes, papa.' And now she knew that she was trembling with nervous dread.

'You need not think that I am in the least angry with you, or that I suspect you of having done or said, or even thought anything that is wrong. I feel quite confident that I have no cause to do so.'

'Oh, thank you, papa.'

'But I want to know whether Mr. Graham has ever spoken to you—as a lover.'

'Never, papa.'

'Because under the circumstances of his present stay here, his doing so would, I think, have been ungenerous.'

'He never has, papa, in any way—not a single word.'

'And you have no reason to regard him in that light.'

'No, papa.' But in the speaking of these last two words there was a slight hesitation,—the least possible shade of doubt conveyed, which made itself immediately intelligible to the practised ear of the judge.

'Tell me all, my darling;—everything that there is in your heart, so that we may help each other if that may be possible.'

'He has never said anything to me, papa.'

'Because your mamma thinks that you are more anxious about him than you would be about an ordinary visitor.'

'Does she?'

'Has any one else spoken to you about Mr. Graham?'

'Augustus did, papa; and Isabella, some time ago.'

'Then I suppose they thought the same.'

'Yes; I suppose they did.'

'And now, dear, is there anything else you would like to say to me about it?'

'No, papa, I don't think there is.'

'But remember this always;—that my only wishes respecting you, and your mother's wishes also, are to see you happy and good.'

'I am very happy, papa.'

'And very good also to the best of my belief.' And then he kissed her, and they went back again into the large drawing-room.

Many of my readers, and especially those who are old and wise,—if I chance to have any such—will be inclined to think that the judge behaved foolishly in thus cross-questioning his daughter on a matter, which, if it were expedient that it should die away, would die away the more easily the less it were talked about. But the judge was an odd man in many of the theories of his life.