tative legislation, were intensely
amusing to Mr. Randolph; he said it was going back to a primitive
condition of society, to talk them over with her; though there I think
he was mistaken. If Daisy had read those pages of history to herself,
she would have passed over some of these matters at least with little
heed; she would not have gone to anybody with questions. But Mr.
Randolph reading to her, it was an easy thing to ask the meaning of a
word as they passed; and that word would draw on a whole little bit of
talk. In this intercourse Mr. Randolph was exceedingly gentle,
deliberate, and kind. Daisy had nothing to fear, not even that she might
weary him; so those were hours of real enjoyment to both parties.

Preston not very seldom came and made himself agreeable; playing an
occasional game of chess, and more often regaling Daisy with a history
of his expeditions. Other visitors Daisy had from Melbourne, now and
then; but her best friend for real service, after her father and
Juanita, was Dr. Sandford. He took great care of his little patient's
comfort and happiness; which was a pretty thing in him, seeing that he
was a young man, busy with a very good country practice, and furthermore
busy with the demands made upon him as an admired pet of society. For
that was Dr. Sandford, and he knew it perfectly well. Nevertheless his
kind care of Daisy never abated.

It was of course partly his professional zeal and care that were called
for; but it could not have been those that made him keep up his lectures
to Daisy on the wonderful things she found for him, day by day. In
professional care those lectures certainly began; but Daisy was getting
well now; had nothing more to trouble her, and shewed an invariably
happy as well as wise little face. Yet Dr. Sandford used to sit down and
tell her of the things she asked about, with a sort of amused
patience--if it was no more; at any rate he was never impatient. He
talked to Daisy of the stars, which, with the moon, were very naturally
the next subjects of investigation after the sun.

At last Daisy got him upon the subject of trilobites. It was not
difficult. Dr. Sandford was far more easy to move than Preston--in this
matter at least. He only smiled, and slid into the story very simply;
the story that Daisy was so eager to hear. And it did not seem less
worth hearing than she had expected, nor less wonderful, nor less
interesting. Daisy thought about it a great deal, while Jua