“I hope not.  No more than is necessary.”

“It hurts to have anybody touch it, papa.”

“He must touch it, Daisy.  Can’t you bear it bravely?”

“Wait, papa!”—­

And again the child clasped her two hands over her face and was still.  Mr. Randolph had no idea what for, though he humoured her and waited.  The Captain knew, for he had seen more of Daisy that day, and he looked very grave indeed.  The black woman knew, for as Daisy’s hands fell from her face, she uttered a deep, soft “Amen!” which no one understood but one little heart.

“Papa—­I am ready.  He may look now.”

Juanita removed the covering from the foot, and the doctor stepped forward.  Daisy’s eyes rested on him, and she saw gratefully a remarkably fine and pleasant countenance.  Mrs. Randolph’s eyes rested on the foot, and she uttered an exclamation.  It was the first word she had uttered.  Everybody else was still, while the doctor passed his hands over and round the distressed ankle and foot, but tenderly, and in a way that gave Daisy very little pain.  Then he stepped back and beckoned Juanita to a consultation.  Juanita disappeared, and Dr. Sandford came up to Mr. Randolph and spoke in a low tone.  Then Mr. Randolph turned again to Daisy.

“What is it, papa?” asked the child.

“Daisy, to make your foot well, Dr. Sandford will be obliged to do something that will hurt you a little—­will you try and bear it?  He will not be long about it.”

“What is the matter with my foot, papa?”

“Something that the doctor can set right in a few minutes—­if you will try and bear a little pain.”

A little pain!  And Daisy was suffering so much all the while!  Again her lip trembled.

“Must he touch me, papa?”

“He must touch you.”

Daisy’s hands were clasped to her face again for a minute; after that she lay quite still and quiet.  Mr. Randolph kept his post, hardly taking his eye off her; Mrs. Randolph sat down where she had stood; behind the head of Daisy’s couch, where her little daughter could not see her; and all the party indulged in silence.  At length the doctor was ready and came to the foot, attended by Juanita; and Mr. Randolph took one of Daisy’s hands in his own.  With the other the child covered her eyes, and so lay, perfectly still, while the doctor set the ankle bone which had been broken.  As the foot also itself had been very much hurt, the handling of necessity gave a great deal of pain, more than the mere setting of the broken bone would have caused.  Mr. Randolph could feel every now and then the convulsive closing of Daisy’s hand upon his; other than that she gave no sign of what she was suffering.  One sign of what another person was feeling, was given as Dr. Sandford bound up the foot and finished his work.  It was given in Juanita’s deep breathed “Thank the Lord!” The doctor glanced up at her with a slight smile of curiosity.  Capt.  Drummond would have said “Amen,” if the word had not been so unaccustomed to his mouth.