The earliest minute that she knew Joanna could attend to her, found Daisy in the housekeeper’s room.  Joanna was a tall, rather hard-featured woman, with skill and capacity in every line of her face however, and almost in every fold of her gown.  She heard with a good deal of astonishment the project unfolded to her, and to Daisy’s great delight gave it her unqualified approbation.

“It’s a first-rate plan,” said Joanna.  “Now I like that.  The men won’t forget it.  Where are you going to have the table set, Miss Daisy?”

“I don’t know yet, Joanna.  In some pretty, shady place, under the trees.”

“Out of doors, eh!” said Joanna.  “Well, I suppose that’ll be as good a way as any.  Now what are you going to have, Miss Daisy? what do you want of me?”

“Mamma and papa said I was to arrange it with you.”

Joanna sat down and folded her arms to consider the matter.

“How many will there be?”

“I counted,” said Daisy.  “There will be about seventeen, with their wives, you know.”

“Seventeen, wives and all?” said Joanna.  “You’ll have to get the carpenter or Mr. Stilton to make you a table.”

“Yes, that’s easy,” said Daisy; “but Joanna, what shall we have on it?  There will want to be a good deal, for seventeen people; and I want it handsome, you know.”

“Of course,” said Joanna, looking as if she were casting up the Multiplication Table—­“it’ll have to be that, whatever else it is.  Miss Daisy, suppose you let me manage it—­and I’ll see and have it all right.  If you will give orders about the strawberries, and have the table made.”

“I shall dress the table with flowers, Joanna.”

“Yes—­well—­” said Joanna,—­“I don’t know anything about flowers; but I’ll have the cake ready, and everything else.”

“And tea and coffee, Joanna?”

“Why I never thought of that!—­yes, to be sure, they’ll want something to drink—­who will pour it out, Miss Daisy?”

“I don’t know.  Won’t you, Joanna?”

“Well—­I don’t know—­” said the housekeeper, as if she were afraid of being taken on too fast by her little counsellor—­“I don’t know as there’s anything to hinder, as it’s your birthday, Miss Daisy.”

Away went Daisy delighted, having secured just what she wanted.  The rest was easy.  And Daisy certainly thought it was as promising an entertainment as she could have devised.  It gave her a good deal of business.  The table, and the place for the table, had to be settled with Mr. Stilton, and the invitations given, and many particulars settled; but to settle them was extremely pleasant, and Daisy found that every face of those concerned in the invitations wore a most golden glow of satisfaction when the thing was understood.  Daisy was very happy.  She hoped, besides the pleasantness of the matter, it would surely incline the hearts of her father’s workpeople to think kindly of him.