iss Randolph!"

"Daisy!" echoed Miss Cardigan. "My dear--do you two know each other?
Where did you come from?"

I think I did not answer. I am sure Thorold did not. He was caring for
me, placing his chair nearer his aunt, and putting me into it, before
he let go the hand he had taken. Then, drawing up another chair on the
other side of me, he sat down, looking at me (I thought afterwards, I
only felt at the moment), as if I had been some precious wonder; the
Koh-i-noor diamond, or anything of that sort.

"Where did you come from?" was his first question.

"I have been in the house a little while," I said. "I thought at first
Miss Cardigan had somebody with her on business, so I would not come
in."

"It is quite true, Daisy," said Miss Cardigan; "it is somebody on
business."

"Nothing private about it, though," said Thorold, smiling at me. "But
where in the world did you and Aunt Catherine come together?"

"And what call have ye to search into it?" said Miss Cardigan's
good-humoured voice. "I know a great many bodies, callant, that you
know not."

"I know this one, though," said Thorold. "Miss Randolph--won't you
speak? for Aunt Catherine is in no mood to tell me--have you two known
each other long?"

"It seems long," I said. "It is not very long."

"Since last summer?"

"Certainly!"

"If that's the date of _your_ acquaintanceship," said Miss Cardigan,
"we're auld friends to that. Is all well, Daisy?"

"All quite well, ma'am. I came to do a bit of study I wanted in your
books, and to have a nice time with you, besides."

"And here is this fellow in the way. But we cannot turn him out,
Daisy; he is going fast enough; on what errand, do you think, is he
bent?"

_I_ had not thought about it till that minute. Something, some thread
of the serious, in Miss Cardigan's voice, made me look suddenly at
Thorold. He had turned his eyes from me and had bent them upon the
fire, all merriment gone out of his face, too. It was thoroughly
grave.

"What are you going to do, Mr. Thorold?" I asked.

"Do you remember a talk we had down on Flirtation Walk one day last
summer, when you asked me about possible political movements at the
South, and I asked you what you would do?"

"Yes," I said, my heart sinking.

"The time has come," he said, facing round upon me.

"And you--?"

"I shall be on my way to Washington in a few days. Men are wanted
now--all the men that have any knowledge to be useful. I may not be
ve