Could he have forgotten why she was there?
"Yes, it is pleasant," he replied, and then his eye dropped in a thoughtful way.
"I think, sometimes, that your attractive New York friends have made you neglectful of your lonely old father.

You don't come to see him as often as you did a year ago." Mr.Delancy said this with simple earnestness.
"They shall not keep me from you any more, dear father," replied Irene, meeting his humor, yet heart-appalled at the same time with this evidence that his mind was wandering from the truth.
"I don't think them safe friends," added Mr.Delancy, with seriousness.
"Perhaps not," replied Irene.
"Ah! I'm glad to hear you say so.

Now, you have one true, safe friend.

I wish you loved her better than you do." "What is her name ?" "Rose Carman," said Mr.Delancy, with a slight hesitation of manner, as if he feared repulsion on the part of his daughter.
"I love Rose, dearly; she is the best of girls; and I know her to be a true friend," replied Irene.
"Spoken like my own daughter!" said the old man with a brightening countenance.

"You must not neglect her any more.