And if he would forgive me, and kiss me, and call me his dear little
daughter. Oh! will he _ever_ call me _that?_ Or if I, might
only stand beside him and lay my head on his shoulder, and
he would put his arm around me, it would make me _so_ happy."
An exclamation from Enna caused Elsie to turn her head, and
suddenly springing to her feet, she exclaimed in an eager, excited
way, "Papa, there is a carriage coming up the avenue--it must be
visitors; please, _please_, papa, let me go to my room."
"Why?" he asked coolly, looking up from his book, "why do you wish
to go?"
"Because I don't want to see them, papa," she said, hanging her
head and blushing deeply; "I don't want them to see me."
"You are not usually afraid of visitors," he replied in the same
cool tone.
"But they will see that my hand is tied up, and they will ask what
is the matter. O papa! do, _please_ do let me go quickly,
before they get here," she pleaded in an agony of shame and haste.
"No," said he, "I shall not let you go, if it were only to punish
you for getting off the seat where I bade you stay, without
permission.
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