“Don’t they eat oranges?” said Daisy seriously.  But that question set Preston off into a burst of laughter, for which he atoned as soon as it was over by a very gentle kiss to his little cousin.

“Never mind, Daisy,” he said; “I think you are better without geography.  You aren’t just like everybody else—­that’s a fact.”

“Daisy,” said Capt.  Drummond, coming upon the scene, “do you allow such things?”

“It is Preston’s manner of asking my pardon, Capt.  Drummond,” Daisy answered, looking a little troubled, but in her slow, womanly way.  The Captain could not help laughing in his turn.

“What offence has he been guilty of?—­tell me, and I will make him ask pardon in another manner.  But Daisy, do you reckon such a liberty no offence?”

“Not if I am willing he should take it,” said Daisy.  The Captain seemed much amused.

“My dear little lady!” he said, “it is good for me you are not half a score of years wiser.  What were you talking about the Crimea?—­I heard the word as I came up.”

“I asked Preston to shew it to me on the map—­or he said he would.”

“Come with me and I’ll do it.  You shouldn’t ask anybody but me about the Crimea.”

So getting hold affectionately of Daisy’s hand, he and she went off to the house.  No one was in the library.  The Captain opened a large map of Russia; Daisy got up in a chair, with her elbows on the great library table, and leaned over it, while the Captain drew up another chair and pointed out the Crimea and Sebastopol, and shewed the course by which the English ships had come, for Daisy took care to ask that.  Then, finding so earnest a listener, he went on to describe to her the situation of other places on the Peninsula, and the character of the country, and the severities of the climate in the region of the great struggle.  Daisy listened, with her eyes varying between Capt.  Drummond’s face and the map.  The Black Sea became known to Daisy thence and forever.

“I never thought geography was so interesting!” she remarked with a sigh, as the Captain paused.  He smiled.

“Now Daisy, you have something to tell me,” he said.

“What?” said Daisy, looking up suddenly.

“Why you wanted to know about soldiers—­don’t you remember your promise?”

The child’s face all changed; her busy, eager, animated look, became on the instant thoughtful and still.  Yet changed, as the Captain saw with some curiosity, not to lesser but to greater intentness.

“Well, Daisy?”

“Capt.  Drummond, if I tell you, I do not wish it talked about.”

“Certainly not!” he said suppressing a smile, and watched her while she got down from her chair and looked about among the bookshelves.

“Will you please put this on the table for me?” she said—­“I can’t lift it.”