“I should like it very much!”

“Do you not ride easily?”

“Not quite,” said Daisy.  “It throws me about a good deal.”

“Ah!  Did it do so when Logan and Sam carried you?”

“I did not feel it then,” said Daisy unwillingly.

“Your porters are unskilled.”

The doctor took his station by Ransom’s hand, remarking that he would see that he did his work well.  And he was as good as his word.  He kept a constant eye on the management of the chair:  and when Ransom neglected his duty, gave him a word of admonition or advice, so keen and contemptuous in its rebuke, though slight and dry, that even Ransom’s thickness of apprehension felt it, and sheered off from meeting it.  The last part of the distance Daisy was thoroughly well cared for, and in silence; for the doctor’s presence had put a stop to all bantering between the boys.  In furious silence on Ransom’s part this last portion of the way was accomplished.

At the lake at last!  And in Daisy’s breast at least, everything but pleasure was now forgotten.  A very beautiful sheet of water, not very small either, with broken shores, lay girdled, round with the unbroken forest.  Close to the edge of the lake the great trees rose up and flung their arms over; the stems and trunks and branches were given back again in the smooth mirror below.  Where the path came out upon the lake, a spread of greensward extended under the trees for a considerable space; and this was spotted and variegated now with the scattered members of the pleasure party.  Blue and pink and white and green, the various light muslins contrasted with the grey or the white dresses of the gentlemen; while parasols were thrown about, and here and there a red shawl lay upon the ground, for somebody’s reclining carpet.  To add to all this, which made already a very pretty picture under the canopy of the great trees, a boat lay moored at a little point further on; baskets and hampers congregated with great promise in another quarter under guard of James and one or two of his helpers; and upon it all the sunlight just peeped through the trees, making sunny flecks upon the ground.  Nobody wanted more of it, to tell the truth; everybody’s immediate business upon reaching the place had been to throw himself down and get cool.  Daisy and Dr. Sandford were the two signal exceptions.

Nora and Ella came running up, and there was a storm of questions.  “O
Daisy, isn’t it beautiful!” “How came you to be so long getting here?”
“Did you have a nice ride?” “O Daisy, what are we going to do, you and
Ella, and I?  Everybody else is going to do something.”

“What are they going to do?” said Daisy.

“O I don’t know! everything.  Mr. Randolph is going out in the boat to fish, and all the ladies are going with him—­Mrs. Sandford and Mrs. Stanfield and your mother; only Mrs. Fish isn’t going; but Mr. Sandford is.  And Eloise, your cousin, is going to see about having the dinner ready; and Theresa Stanfield is in that too; I think they have got the most fun; but nobody is doing anything yet.  It’s too hot.  Are you hot, Daisy?”