"To study what?"

I held up my book.

"It agrees with you," said the doctor.

"What?" said I, laughing.

"Daisy!" said Dr. Sandford--"I left a quiet bud of a flower a few days
ago--a little demure bit of a schoolgirl, learning geology; and I
have got a young princess here, a full rose, prickles and all, I don't
doubt. What has Mrs. Sandford done with you?"

"I do not know," said I, thinking I had better be demure again. "She
took me to the hop."

"The hop?--how did you like that?"

"I liked it very much."

"You did? You liked it? I did not know that you would go, with your
peculiar notions."

"I went," I said; "I did not know what it was. How could I help liking
it? But I am not going again."

"Why not, if you like it?"

"I am not going again," I repeated. "Shall we have a walk to the hills
to-day, Dr. Sandford?"

"Grant!" said his sister-in-law's voice, "don't you mean the child
shall have any breakfast? What made you so late, Daisy? Come in, and
talk afterwards. Grant is uneasy if he can't see at least your shadow
all the while."

We went in to breakfast, and I took a delightful walk with Dr.
Sandford afterward, back in the ravines of the hills; but I had got an
odd little impression of two things. First, that he, like Preston, was
glad to have me give up going to the hops. I was sure of it from his
air and tone of voice, and it puzzled me; for he could not possibly
have Preston's dislike of Northerners, nor be unwilling that I should
know them. The other thing was, that he would not like my seeing Mr.
Thorold. I don't know how I knew it, but I knew it. I thought--it was
very odd--but I thought he was _jealous_; or rather, I felt he would
be if he had any knowledge of our friendship for each other. So I
resolved he should have no such knowledge.

Our life went on now as it had done at our first coming. Every day Dr.
Sandford and I went to the woods and hills, on a regular naturalist's
expedition; and nothing is so pleasant as such expeditions. At home, we
were busy with microscopic examinations, preparations, and studies;
delightful studies, and beautiful lessons, in which the doctor was the
finest of instructors, as I have said, and I was at least the happiest of
scholars. Mrs. Sandford fumed a little, and Mr. Sandford laughed; but
that did no harm. Everybody went to the hops, except the doctor and me;
and every morning and evening, at guardmounting and parade, I was on the
ground behind the guar