little critter yourself. Ain't you afraid?"

"Not at all," said Daisy. "The pony won't do any harm."

"He looks skeery," said Mrs. Harbonner. "I wouldn't trust him. What a
tremenjious thick mane he's got! Well, I s'pect you have everything you
want, don't you?"

"Of such things--" said Daisy.

"That's what I meant. Gracious! I s'pose every one of us has
wishes--whether they are in the air or on the earth. Wishes is the
butter to most folks' bread. Here, child."

She took the bundle from Hephzibah, unrolled it, and examined its
contents with a satisfied face.

"What did _you_ come along with this for?" she said suddenly to Daisy.
"Why didn't you send it?"

"I wanted to come and see you," said Daisy pleasantly.

"What ails you? You ain't so well as when you was here before," said
Mrs. Harbonner, looking at her narrowly.

"I am well," said Daisy.

"You ain't fur from bein' something else then. I suppose you're dyin'
with learning--while my Hephzibah can't get schooling enough to read her
own name. That's the way the world's made up!"

"Isn't there a school at Crum Elbow?" said Daisy.

"Isn't there! And isn't there a bench for the rags? No, my Hephzibah
don't go to shew none."

Mrs. Harbonner was so sharp and queer, though not unkindly towards
herself, that Daisy was at a loss how to go on; and moreover, a big
thought began to turn about in her head.

"Poverty ain't no shame, but it's an inconvenience," said Mrs.
Harbonner. "Hephzibah may stay to home and be stupid, when she's as much
right to be smart as anybody. That's what I look at; it ain't having a
little to eat now and then."

"Melbourne is too far off for her to get there, isn't it?" said Daisy.

"What should she go there for?"

"If she could get there," said Daisy, "and would like it,--I would teach
her."

"_You_ would?" said Mrs. Harbonner. "What would you learn her?"

"I would teach her to read," said Daisy, colouring a little; "and
anything else I could."

"La, she can read," said Mrs. Harbonner, "but she don't know nothing,
for all that. Readin' don't tell a person much, without he has books. I
wonder how long it would hold out, if you begun? 'Taint no use to begin
a thing and then not go on."

"But could she get to Melbourne?" said Daisy.

"I don't know. Maybe she can. Who'd she see at your house?"

"Nobody, but the man at the lodge, or his mother."

"Who's that?"

"He's the man that lives in the lodge, to open the gate."

"O