glance. And so clear
and sure the speech of her childish eye was, that the doctor though
believing nothing of it would not breathe a question of that which she
believed.

"O that is it!" he said. "Well, Daisy, this is the beginning; but though
I came in upon the middle of the subject I do not understand it yet. Why
did not the rose tree get to its destination?"

"Because--I remembered, just when I had got to the bottom of the hill,
that mamma would not let me."

Daisy's tone of voice told more than she knew of her subdued state of
disappointment.

"Mrs. Randolph had forbidden you to go to Molly's cottage?"

"No sir; but she had forbidden me to speak to anybody without having her
leave. I had forgotten it till just that minute."

"Ask her leave, and then go. What is the difficulty in that, Daisy?"

"She will not give me leave, Dr. Sandford. Mamma does not like me
to----do such things."

"Do you care much about it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Present your request to Mrs. Randolph to-morrow, Daisy--that is my
advice to you."

"It would be no use, Dr. Sandford."

"Perhaps not; but I advise you to take my advice; and lay the rose bush
by the heels till to-morrow afternoon."

"By the heels, sir?"

"Yes. Logan will tell you what that means."

Daisy looked with such a gaze of steadfast inquiry up in the doctor's
face, that he had hard work to command his countenance. She could not
make out anything from his face, except that somehow she got a little
encouragement from it; and then they whirled in at the gate of Melbourne
and in another minute were at home. Daisy went off to see after her
rose-bush, find Logan, and have it laid by the heels. The doctor marched
in through the hall, into the library, and then catching sight of Mr.
Randolph on the piazza, he went out there. Mr. Randolph was enjoying the
September sunlight, and seemed to be doing nothing else.

"Good afternoon!" said the doctor.

"How do you do?" said Mr. Randolph. "Can you possibly have business on
hand, doctor, in this weather?"

"Very good weather for business," said the doctor.

"Too good. It is enough to look and breathe."

All Mr. Randolph was doing, apparently. He was lounging on a settee,
with a satisfied expression of countenance. The doctor put himself in a
great cane chair and followed the direction of his host's eyes, to the
opposite river and mountains; over which there was a glory of light and
atmosphere. Came back to Mr. Randolph's face