fted Daisy on his
knee kindly. "Daisy, I never saw you uncivil before."

"Papa, I am very sorry--" said the child.

"Can you explain it?"

"Papa, I would have been civil if I could; but I had nothing to say."

"That is the very place where a person of good manners shews himself
different from a person who has no manners at all. Good manners finds
something to say."

"But, papa, there was nothing _true_."

"The doll gave you no pleasure?"

"No, papa," said Daisy low.

"And you felt no obligation for the thoughtfulness and kindness of your
aunt in getting for you so elegant a present?"

Daisy hesitated and flushed.

"Daisy, answer," said her father gravely.

"No, papa,"--Daisy said low as before.

"Why not?"

"Papa," said Daisy with a good deal of difficulty and hesitation--"that
is all passed--I do not want to say anything more about it."

"About what?"

"About--papa, I do not think mamma would like to have me talk about it."

"Go on, Daisy.--About what?"

"All that trouble we had, papa."

"What I want to know is, why you did not feel grateful for your aunt's
kindness just now, which she had been at some pains to shew you."

"Papa," said Daisy wistfully,--"it was not kindness--it was pay; and I
did not want pay."

"Pay? For what?"

"For my Egyptian spoon, papa."

"I do not understand what you are talking of, Daisy."

"No, papa," said Daisy; so simply shewing her wish that he should not as
well as her knowledge that he did not, that Mr. Randolph could not
forbear smiling.

"But I mean to understand it," he said.

"It was my old Egyptian spoon, papa; the doll was meant to be pay for
that."

A little explanation was necessary in order to bring to Mr. Randolph's
mind the facts Daisy referred to, the spoon itself and the time and
occasion when it was bestowed on her.

"Did you give your Egyptian spoon to your aunt Gary?"

"I said she might have it, papa."

"Unwillingly?"

"No, papa--willingly."

"In exchange for this doll?"

"O no, papa--not in exchange for anything. I did not want any exchange."

"If I remember, Daisy," said Mr. Randolph, "your aunt Gary desired to
have that spoon the very day it was given to you; and I thought you did
not wish she should have it?"

"No, papa--so I didn't."

"Your mind changed afterward?"

"I do not think my mind changed," said Daisy slowly--"but I was willing
she should have it."

"Daisy, this whole affair is a mystery to me yet. In this c