"When you get a quiet man angry, Daisy, he is the very worst
man to deal with that you ever saw."
"But the people of the North are all accustomed to peaceful
employments?"
Mr. Thorold laughed, looking down at me with infinite
amusement and tenderness mixed.
"I see what your training has been," he said. "What will you
do when you have one of those quiet people for your husband?"
"Quiet!" said I. "When your eyes are showering sparks of fire
all over me!"
"Daisy," he said, "those rose leaves in your cheeks are the
very prettiest bits of colour I ever saw in my life."
"But we are wandering from the subject," I said.
"No, we are not," he said decidedly. "You are my one subject
at all times."
"Not when you are training soldiers?" I said half laughing.
But he gave me a look which silenced me. And it nearly took
away all the courage I had, for everything I wanted to say to
him and had found it so difficult to say.
"Christian," I began again after an interval, "were the troops
that were sent over into Virginia just now, sent, do you
suppose, to meet Beauregard?"
"I suppose so."
"You are not going?" - I asked, because the question was
torturing me.
He looked down at me again, a steady, fixed, inquiring look,
that grew very full of affection before he answered, "I hope so, Daisy."
"You are not ordered!"
"No; not yet."
"But if you were to go, would you not know it by this time?"
"Not certainly. Some troops will be left here of course, to
guard Washington."
I walked with my heart in my mouth. I knew, what he did not
say, that orders might be issued suddenly and as suddenly
obeyed; with no beforehand warning or after delay. How could I
speak anything of what had been in my mind to be said? Yet the
very circumstances which made it more difficult made it also
imperative, to speak them. I fought myself, while Mr. Thorold
sometimes watched me and constantly took care of me, with a
thoughtful care in little things which was eloquent.
"Christian" - I began, feeling my voice changed.
"That is to tell me we must turn homeward?" he said gayly.
"No; I want to speak to you. But we must turn homeward too."
"To speak to me? In that voice? Look at me, Daisy. - No, I
won't hear it now, and not here. We must have something
better. Daisy, go and ride with me to- morrow evening!"
"Oh, I cannot."
"Yes, Daisy. I ask it of you. Dr. Sandford is in bed. He
cannot go along. Then you can tell me all that is on your mind
about Northern soldiers."