hair and stood on the floor
looking at her father, as gentle as a young sparrow. He came and wheeled
her chair round and sat down upon it.

"What is the matter, Daisy?"

"Mamma was displeased with me." The child dropped her eyes.

"What about?"

"Papa"--said Daisy slowly, trying for words and perhaps also for
self-command--"mamma was displeased with me because--I--"

"What?"

"Papa--because I did what she did not like at dinner."

"At dinner? what was that?"

The child lifted her eyes now to her father's face, a little wistfully.

"Papa--don't you know?--I was only praying a minute."

Mr. Randolph stretched out his arm, drew Daisy up to him, placed her on
his knee, and looked down into her face.

"Did you have no supper down stairs?"

"No, sir."

"Do you like bread and milk better than other things?"

"No, papa."

"I met June with a great tray of supper things, and she said you would
not eat them. Why was that?"

"Papa," said Daisy, "I thought mamma did not mean me to have those
things to-night."

"She did not forbid you?"

"No, papa."

Mr. Randolph's arm was round Daisy; now he wrapped both arms about her,
bringing her up close to his breast, and putting down his lips to her
face, he kissed her over and over, with a great tenderness.

"Have you had a pleasant day?"

"Papa, I have had a great many pleasant things," said Daisy eagerly. Her
voice had changed and a glad tone had come into it.

"Dr. Sandford took proper care of you?"

"Papa, he is _very_ good!" said Daisy strongly.

"I rather think he thinks you are."

"He is nice, papa."

"Nice--" said Mr. Randolph. "He is pretty well. But now, Daisy, what do
you think of going to bed and to sleep?"

"Yes, papa."

"And to-morrow, if you have got into any difficulty, you may come to me
and talk about it."

Daisy returned a very earnest caress to her father's good night kiss,
and afterwards had no difficulty in doing as he had said. And so ended
the day on Silver Lake.

CHAPTER VII.

Daisy reflected the next morning as to what was her right course with
respect to the action that had troubled her mother so much. Ought she to
do it? In the abstract it was right to do it; but ought _she_ in these
circumstances? And how much of a Christian's ordinary duty might she be
required to forego? and where must the stand be made? Daisy did not
know; she had rather the mind of a soldier, and was much inclined to
obey her orders, as such,