"I hope not," he replied hastily. I heard him approach; he bent over me, for I felt his breath on my face, but I kept my eyes closed, and never moved. Cornelius turned away, and whispering to his sister that there never had been a deeper slumber, he begged of her to leave him. She yielded, and I heard him securing himself against further intrusion by locking the door, before he returned to his interrupted task. It was well for me that I had so long been accustomed to sitting, or I could not have borne the hour that followed. Even as it was, I felt as if Cornelius would never have done. At length he came up to me, took my hand, and called me. I opened my eyes, and saw him standing by the couch, and smiling down at me. "Why," he said gaily, "you are as bad as the sleeping beauty." I did not reply, but rose--he little guessed with how much pleasure. He showed me the sketch he had been taking of me, and asked what I thought of it. I could not answer; I felt so giddy and faint. "You are still half asleep," he observed, impatiently, "or you would see at once I have not done anything half so good this long time." He held it out at arm's length, looked at it admiringly, then laid it by, and went downstairs. I followed, but kept somewhat in the rear. I feared both the keen eyes and the direct questions of Kate. Her first indignant words, as we sat down to dinner, were-- "I am astonished, Cornelius, at your cruelty; the poor child is pale with fasting." "Indeed, Kate, I had to waken her." "Nonsense!" "Yes, it is peculiar," he quietly replied; "I hope it is not a bad symptom." "A symptom indeed, as if I could believe in it! Why, she has been imposing on you; look at her--guilty little thing!" Cornelius laid down his knife and fork to give me an astonished look. "Deceitful girl!" exclaimed Kate, quite sharply; "how dare you do such a thing--to go and impose on Cornelius!--for shame!" She lectured me on the text with some severity. Cornelius never said to me one word of blame or approbation. "I hope," gravely observed his sister, when the meal was over, "you will not let that pass, Cornelius. She must not be encouraged in deceit." "Certainly not; and I have already devised a punishment. Come here, Daisy." I rose and obeyed. "Do you know," he said, as I stood before him, "that you have been guilty of a very impertinent action--imposed upon me, as Kate says?" "Don't be too strict, Cornelius," put in Kate, "she meant well." "I have nothing to do with that: it was an impertinence; consequently, instead of the week's holiday I meant to give her, she shall resume her studies this very evening, and, lest you should prove too lenient, Kate, I shall take care to examine her myself." I looked at him eagerly; he was smiling. I understood what the punishment meant, and drawing nearer, I stooped to embrace him.