She heard her sentence with dismay, but resolved to endure it rather than
submit.
"I'm not ready to break my word yet, Grandpa Dinsmore," she said with a
lofty air; "and perhaps Oakdale won't be a worse prison than those the
martyrs went to for conscience' sake."
"Lulu," he said sternly, "do not deceive yourself with the idea that you
are suffering for conscience' sake; a wicked promise--a promise to break
one of God's commands--is better broken than kept; the sin was in making
it."
"I don't know any commandment that says I must take lessons of Signor
Foresti, or obey somebody who is no relation to me," returned Lulu, half
trembling at her own temerity as she spoke.
"You are an extremely impertinent little girl," said Mr. Dinsmore, "and
not altogether honest in pretending such ignorance; you know that you are
commanded to obey your father, that he has directed you to be obedient to
me in his absence, and that I have ordered you to take lessons of Signor
Foresti."
He paused a moment, then went on: "If tomorrow you do as you are ordered
you will be at once restored to favor, and all the privileges you
formerly enjoyed in this house; otherwise you will not return from
Oakdale with the others in the afternoon.
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