126 THE COUSINS.

“‘ Yes, my dear child, very ill.”

‘Did not you think I was going to die, papa?”

“Yes, Lucy, we feared so more than once.”

A shudder passed over the form of the little
girl as she said, “Oh, papa, it would have been
very terrible if I had died then /”

Her father kissed her tenderly, and then said,
“Tt would have been very sad to us, Lucy; but
why would it have been more terrible to you
then than at any other time ”

“Because, papa, I made myself ill; so it
would have been like killing myself, and all for
such a silly thing. Oh, papa, I have been very
wicked. I hardly know how to tell you how
wicked I have been !’’

“Have you told your heayenly Father, Lucy,
and asked him to forgive you ?”

«Yes, papa, I have tried to tell Him, but I want
you to tell Him too.” This was said in a whisper.

“Well, now, my love, let me hear what weighs
so heavily on your conscience. What did you
mean by saying that, if you had died in your late
illness, you would have killed yourself?’

Lucy gave her father a very plain account of