hours with Molly Skelton.  Preston sighed with impatience.  And then in the very act of dressing and practising for the pictures, Daisy was provokingly cool and disengaged.  She did her part very well, but seemed just as much interested in other people’s parts and as much pleased with other people’s adornment.  Queen Esther in particular was Daisy’s care, since she had given up the character; and without putting herself forward she had once or twice made a suggestion to Mrs. Sandford, of something that she either thought would please Nora or that she felt called for by her own tastes; and in each case Mrs. Sandford declared the suggestion had been an improvement.

But with a pleasure much greater and keener, Daisy had seen the pot containing the ‘Jewess’ geranium taken up out of the ground, and set, with all the glory of its purple-red blossoms, in Molly’s poor little room.  There it stood, on a deal table, a spot of beauty and refinement, all alone to witness for the existence of such things on the earth.  And heeded by Molly as well as by Daisy.  Daisy knew that.  And all the pleasure of all the tableaux put together could give nothing to Daisy equal to her joy when Molly first began to read.  That day, when letters began really to be put together into words to Molly’s comprehension, Daisy came home a proud child.  Or rather, for pride is a bad word, she came home with a heart swelling with hope and exultation; hope and exultation that looked forward confidently to the glory to be revealed.

CHAPTER XVII.

The great day came, and the evening of the day; and June dressed Daisy for the party.  This was a simple dressing, however, of a white cambrick frock; no finery, seeing that Daisy was to put on and off various things in the course of the evening.  But Daisy felt a little afraid of herself.  The perfected arrangements and preparations of the last few days had, she feared, got into her head a little; and when June had done and was sent away, Daisy kneeled down by her bedside and prayed a good while that God would help her not to please herself and keep her from caring about dress and appearance and people’s flatteries.  And then she got up and looked very wistfully at some words of the Lord Jesus which Juanita had shewed her first and which she found marked by Mr. Dinwiddie’s pencil.  “The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”

Daisy was beginning to learn, that to please God, is not always to seek one’s own gratification or that of the world.  She looked steadily at the words of that Friend in heaven whom she loved and wished to obey; and then it seemed to Daisy that she cared nothing at all about anything but pleasing him.

“Miss Daisy—­” said June,—­“Miss Nora is come.”

Away went Daisy, with a bound, to the dressing-room; and carried Nora off, as soon as she was unwrapped from her mufflings, to see the preparations in the library.