“Papa! what is this for?”

“For your poor woman, if you like.  You can send it to her by Sam.”

“O thank you, papa!  But papa, she won’t take it so—­she will not take the least thing without working to pay for it.”

“How do you know?”

“She told me so, papa.”

“Who told you so?”

“The poor woman—­Mrs. Harbonner.”

“Where did you see her?”

“I saw her at her house, papa.”

“Why did you go to her house?”

“To take her the ham, sir.”

“And she told you she wouldn’t have anything without doing work for it—­eh?”

“Yes, papa—­she wouldn’t even take the ham any other way.”

“What work did you engage her to do, Daisy?”

“I thought Joanna could find her some, papa.”

“Well, let Joanna manage it.  You must not go there again, nor into any strange house, Daisy, without my leave.  Now go and get ready for dinner, and your part of your birthday.”

Daisy went very soberly.  To see Mrs. Harbonner and her daughter again, and to do them all sorts of good, had been a dream of hers, ever since the morning.  Now this was shut off.  She was very sorry.  How were the rich to do good to the poor, if they never come together?  A question which Daisy thought about while she was dressing.  Then she doubted how her feast had gone; and she had been obliged to tell of Ransom.  Altogether, Daisy felt that doing good was a somewhat difficult matter, and she let June dress her in very sober silence.  Daisy was elegantly dressed for her birthday and the dinner.  Her robe was a fine beautifully embroidered muslin, looped with rose ribands on the shoulder and tied with a broad rose-coloured sash round the waist.  There was very little rose in Daisy’s cheeks, however; and June stood and looked at her when she had done, with mingled satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

“You’ve tired yourself to-day, Miss Daisy, with making that party for the men!” she said.

“Have you done?  Now June, will you go away, please, and leave me my room for a few minutes?”

“Yes, Miss Daisy—­but it’s most time for you to go down.”

June went, and Daisy locked her doors, and dropped on her knees by her little bed.  How was she to know what was right to do? and still more, how was she to do it wisely and faithfully?  Little Daisy went to her stronghold, and asked for help; and that she might know what her talents were.

“Miss Daisy,” said the voice of June at the door, “you are wanted in the library.”

Down went Daisy in a hurry.  There was her father; and there also, to her great surprise, were Nora and Mr. Dinwiddie!

“I have brought Nora to make her peace with you, Daisy,” said Mr. Dinwiddie.  “I found her in great trouble because, she said, you were offended with her.  Will you love her again?”

Daisy put her arms round Nora, who looked a little ashamed, and gave her a very peaceful and reassuring kiss.  The gentlemen both smiled at her action.  It was too graceful to need the aid of words.