watching how the game will go."

Daisy looked at the picture in silence of astonishment. It seemed to her
impossible that anybody could play at such a subject as that.

"Whom will you have for the fiend, Preston?" the lady went on.

"I will do it myself, ma'am, I think."

Daisy's "Oh no, Preston!"--brought down such a shower of laughter on all
sides, that she retreated into herself a little further than ever. They
pursued the subject for a while, discussing the parts and the making of
the angel's wings; deciding that Daisy would do excellently well for the
angel and would look the part remarkably.

"She has a good deal that sort of expression in ordinary times," said
Mrs. Sandford--"without the sadness; and that she can assume, I day
say."

"I would rather not do it--" Daisy was heard to say very gently but very
soberly. There was another laugh.

"Do what, Daisy? assume a look of sadness?" said Preston.

"I would rather not be the angel."

"Nobody else could do it so well," said Mrs. Sandford. "You are the very
one to do it. It will be admirable."

"_I_ should like to be the angel--" murmured Nora, low enough to have no
one's attention but Daisy's. The rest were agreeing that the picture
would be excellent and had just the right performers assigned to it.
Daisy was puzzled. It seemed to her that Nora had a general desire for
everything.

"Ella will be one of the princes in the tower," Preston went on. "Nora
will be Red Riding-Hood."

"I won't be Red Riding Hood--" said Nora.

"Why not? Hoity, toity!"

"It isn't pretty. And it has no pretty dress."

"Why, it is beautiful," said Mrs. Sandford; "and the dress is to be made
with an exquisite red cashmere cardinal of Mrs. Randolph's. You will
make the best Red Riding-Hood here. Though Daisy would be more like the
lamb the wolf was after,"--continued the lady appealing to the manager;
"and you might change. Who is to be queen Esther? Nora would do that
well--with her black eyes and hair--she is more of a Jewess than any
other of them."

"Esther is fainting," said Preston. "Daisy's paleness will suit that
best. Nora could not look faint."

"Yes, I could," said that damsel promptly.

"You shall blow the cakes that Alfred has let burn," said Preston.
"Capital! Look here, Nora. You shall be that girl taking up the burnt
cakes and blowing to cool them; and you may look as fierce as you like.
You will get great applause if you do that part well. Eloise is goi