by his side if he will let me. Oh ! let me be your 
child,  let me be your daughter." 

She covered her face with her hands, and sank down on her 
knees before him, bowed, and weeping. At length she looked 
up ; though his pale face seemed slightly moved, his look was 
stern and unrelenting still. But a faith, such as she had never 
known before, was in Nathalie's . She believed and 
hoped, both fervently and far too deeply to be so easily dis- 
mayed. She took his unresisting hands, she joined them on 
her head, she laid her head upon his knee, she said again :  

" Let me be your child." 

' My child ! my child, indeed !" he exclaimed in a broken 
tone. 

She raised her glance, smiling rapturously through her 
tears ; he stooped and lifted her up ; his arms were around 
jier, and held her fast; he gathered her to his  ; he kissed 
her many a time. She felt that he trembled ; that tears not all 
her own were on her cheek ; that the cold, stern man was melt- 
ed ; that pure wordnetdesire had triumphed ; that faith had won. And 
as she twined her arms around his neck, and laid her he