128 THE COUSINS.

your word in future, as I have done hitherto;
but, in confessing and repenting your departure
from truth, you restore yourself to my perfect
confidence. And yet, my dear child, while I
assure you of my forgiveness, and of what, I hope,
is yet more important to you, the forgiveness of
our heavenly Father, if with real sorrow for your
faults you earnestly ask for it, I would by no
means lessen your sense of those faults. I would
not have you think it a light thing to disobey
your mother, to fling away your own health, and
almost your life, and to tell an untruth.”

Mr. Lovett paused, and Lucy said, ‘Oh, papa,
I know I was very wicked.”

“But now, my dear child, that all these faults
have been forgiven you, and that our kind Father
has given you back the life of which you were so
careless, I am sure your gratitude to Him, and
your affection for your parents, will make you
desire to avoid such evil in future, will it not ?”

“Yes, papa.”

“Then, Lucy, we must look for its cause : those
faults had all one cause; they sprang from one

root, and only by destroying that can you be sure