oubled thoughts--"If a man love me,
he will keep my words."

CHAPTER XIV.

In spite of the burden that lay on Daisy's heart, she and Capt. Drummond
had a good time the next morning over the Saxon Heptarchy. They went
down to the shore for it, at Daisy's desire, where they would be
undisturbed; and the morning was hardly long enough. The Captain had
provided himself with a shallow tray filled with modelling clay; which
he had got from an artist friend living a few miles further up the
river. On this the plan of England was nicely marked out, and by the
help of one or two maps which he cut up for the occasion, the Captain
divided off the seven kingdoms greatly to Daisy's satisfaction and
enlightenment. Then, how they went on with the history! introduced
Christianity, enthroned Egbert, and defeated the Danes under Alfred.
They read from, the book, and fought it all out on the clay plan, as
they went along. At Alfred they stopped a good while, to consider the
state of the world in the little island of Britain at that time. The
good king's care for his people, his love for study and encouragement of
learning; his writing fables for the people; his wax candles to mark
time; his building with brick and stone; his founding the English navy,
and victories with the same; no less than his valour and endurance in
every time of trial; all these things Capt. Drummond whose father had
been an Englishman, duly enlarged upon, and Daisy heard them with greedy
ears. Truth to tell, the Captain had read up a little for the occasion,
being a good deal moved with sympathy for his little friend, who he saw
was going through a time of some trial. Nothing was to be seen of that
just now, indeed, other than the peculiarly soft and grave expression
which Daisy's face had worn all this week; and which kept reminding the
Captain to be sorry for her.

They got through with Alfred at last--by the way, the Captain had
effaced the dividing lines of the seven kingdoms and brought all to one
in Egbert's time--and now they went on with Alfred's successors. A place
was found on the sand for Denmark and Norway to shew themselves; and
Sweyn and Canute came over; and there was no bating to the interest with
which the game of human life went on. In short, Daisy and the Captain
having tucked themselves away in a nook of the beach and the tenth and
eleventh centuries, were lost to all the rest of the world and to the
present time; till a servant at las