ou wish
that?"

"I have not considered it. What do you suppose Daisy will do to harm
herself, at this place Dr. Sandford speaks of?"

"Some absurdity, that just cherishes the temper she is in."

"Quite as likely"--to wear it out, Mr. Randolph was going to say; but
some remembrance of Daisy came up and stopped him.

"Good evening!" said the doctor, rising to his feet.

"Are you going, Dr. Sandford?"

"Yes."

"Then you recommend that we let Daisy go to this place, and alone?"

"In my capacity of physician I should _order_ it," said the doctor with
a smile; "only, I do not like to give orders and have them dishonoured."

Off he went.

"Felicia," said Mr. Randolph, "I believe he is right."

"I am sure he knows nothing about it," said the lady.

"Do you? Daisy is very delicate."

"She will never die of want of resolution."

"Felicia, I mean to enquire into Daisy's wishes and purposes about this
matter; and if I find them unobjectionable, I shall give her leave to go
on with it."

"You do not know what you are about, Mr. Randolph."

"I shall find out, then," said the gentleman. "I would rather she would
be a _religieuse_ than a shadow."

CHAPTER XI.

Daisy pondered over the doctor's counsel. It was friendly; but she
hardly thought well advised. He did not know her father and mother so
well as she did. Yet she went to find out Logan that afternoon on her
return from the drive, and saw the rose-bush laid by the heels; with
perhaps just a shadow of hope in her heart that her friend the doctor
might mean to put in a plea for her somewhere. The hope faded when she
got back to the house, and the doctor was gone, and Mrs. Randolph's
handsome face looked its usual calm impassiveness. What use to ask her
such a thing as leave to go to the cripple's cottage? No use at all,
Daisy knew. The request alone would probably move displeasure. Every
look at her mother's face settled this conviction more and more deeply
in Daisy's mind; and she ended by giving up the subject. There was no
hope. She could do nothing for any poor person, she was sure, under her
mother's permission, beyond carrying soup and jelly in her pony chaise
and maybe going in to give it. And that was not much; and there were
very few poor people around Melbourne that wanted just that sort of
attention.

So Daisy gave up her scheme. Nevertheless next morning it gave her a
twinge of heart to see her rose-bush laid by the heels, exactly like he