"From West Point?" said Mr. Thorold, his eyes making a
brilliant commentary on my words; - "Did he carry you away
from West Point for any such reason? Is he afraid of me?"
"He would be afraid of anybody," I said in some confusion, for
Mr. Thorold's eyes were dancing with mischief and pleasure; -
"I do not know - of course I do not know what he was afraid
of; but I know how it would be."
Mr. Thorold's answer was to take my hand and softly draw it
through his own arm. I did not like it; I was fearful of being
seen to walk so; yet the assuming of me was done in a manner
that I could not resist nor contravene. I knew how Christian's
eyes fell upon me; I dared not meet them.
"Is the doctor jealous of you, Daisy?" he whispered laughing.
I did not find an answer immediately.
"Does he dare?" Mr. Thorold said in a different tone.
"No, no. Christian, how imperious you are!"
"Yes," he said; "I will be so where you are concerned. What do
you mean, Daisy? or what does he mean?"
"He is my guardian, you know," I said; "and he has sharp eyes;
and he is careful of me."
"Very careful?" said Mr. Thorold, laughing and pressing my
arm. "Daisy, I am your guardian while you are in Washington. I
wish I had a right to say that you shall have nothing more to
do with Dr. Sandford. But for the present I must mind my
duty."
"And I mine," - I added, with my heart beating. Now it seemed
a good opening for some of the things I had to say; yet my
heart beat and I was silent.
"Yours, Daisy?" he said very tenderly. "What is yours? What
present pressure of conscience is giving you something hard to
do? I know it will be done! What work is this little soldier
on?"
I could not tell him. I could not. My answer diverged.
"What are you on, Christian?"
"The same thing. Rather preparing for work - preparing others.
I am at that all day."
"And do you expect there will be real work, as you call it?
Will it come to that?"
"Looks like it. What do you think of Fairfax Court-house? -
and Great Bethel? - and Falling Waters, and so on?"
"That was bad, at Great Bethel," I said.
"Mismanagement -" said Mr. Thorold calmly.
"And at Vienna."
"No, the troops behaved well. They behaved well, Daisy. I am
content with that."
"Do you think - don't be angry, Christian! - do you think the
people of the North generally will make as fiery fighting men
as the people of the South, who are used to fighting, and
commanding, and the practice of arms?"