“And you don’t like them, then?” “O yes, I do; that is to say, some of them--some of them are excellent fellows and I like them very much; but don’t let us talk of them now, let us enjoy the present; Easter will come in time, and then I shall be home again. You won’t forget me, Leila? will you promise me that?” “To be sure I will not, but it is needless to promise; do you think I could forget the only brother I have in the world? You know I have already told you, that now I do not think you too tall to be my brother; so you may grow as tall as ever you choose, and you will still always be my brother.” When Leila was alone with her papa that evening, she immediately recurred to what had taken place during the ride. “Papa,” she said, “I must have frightened you very much.” “You did, indeed, my love; I was extremely alarmed. You were not aware of what the fatal consequences might have been, and very rash indeed to urge on Selim as you did.” “Yes, and you will be more sorry, papa, when I tell you why--it was what you call the foot of pride--it entered into me, papa, and I did it all on purpose--yes, I whipped Selim on, that I might show off before Charles, and that he might admire my riding, and say how well I kept my seat: once I heard him say, that Selina kept her seat so well, and I wished him so much to say the same of me; you did not know this, papa?” “Yes, my love, I was aware of your motive, and you may therefore suppose what my feelings must have been, when I thought my child’s life might fall a sacrifice to her vanity and love of admiration.” “My life, papa?” “Yes, my dear Leila, you might not be aware of all the risk you ran, but it was God’s goodness alone that saved you; for you braved the danger, and it was great.” “O papa, how wrong I have been, and God might have punished me--He might even have taken my life, and He did not; yet He saw into my heart, and knew how vain and foolish I was--how can He love me, how can He forgive me?”