How dare the little rebel defy my orders? I shall have her
removed to the belfry-room; a night or two there will humble her
pride, I dare say," fumed the madame, pacing up and down the room. "I
have brought worse tempers than hers into subjection; still I never
dreamed the little minx would dare openly defy _me_ in that manner. I
shall keep her in the belfry-room, under lock and key, until she asks
my pardon on her bended knees; and what is more, I shall wrest the
secret from her--the secret she has defied me to discover."

* * * * *

On sped Daisy, as swift as the wind, crushing the fatal letter in her
bosom, until she stood at the very edge of the broad, glittering
Chesapeake. The rosy-gold rays of the rising sun lighted up the waves
with a thousand arrowy sparkles like a vast sea of glittering, waving
gold. Daisy looked over her shoulder, noting the dark forms hurrying
to and fro.

"They are searching for me," she said, "but I will never go back to
them--never!"

She saw a man's form hurrying toward her. At that moment she beheld,
moored in the shadow of a clump of alders at her very feet, a small
boat rocking to and fro with the tide. Daisy had a little boat of her
own at home; she knew how to use the oars.

"They will never think of looking for me out on the water," she cried,
triumphantly, and quickly untying it, she sprung into the little
skiff, and seizing the oars, with a vigorous stroke the little shell
shot rapidly out into the shimmering water, Daisy never once pausing
in her mad, impetuous flight until the dim line of the shore was
almost indistinguishable from the blue arching dome of the horizon.
"There," she cried, flushed and excited, leaning on the oars; "no one
could possibly think of searching for me out here."

Her cheeks were flushed and her blue eyes danced like stars, while the
freshening breeze blew her bright shining hair to and fro.

Many a passing fisherman cast admiring glances at the charming little
fairy, so sweet and so daring, out all alone on the smiling,
treacherous, dancing waves so far away from the shore. But if Daisy
saw them, she never heeded them.

"I shall stay here until it is quite dark," she said to herself; "they
will have ceased to look for me by that time. I can reach the shore
quite unobserved, and watch for Sara to get my hat and sacque; and
then"--a rosy flush stole up to the rings of her golden hair as she
thought wh