"Oh yes, I understand."

Myrrha yawned.

"Would you like to lie down and sleep
a little?" asked Daisy. "I don't think
your own room can be quite ready; but
won't you go to mine?"

"Presently, Aunt Daisy. Aunt Daisy,
do you think he meant it about the rides?"

"Mr. Stewart generally means what he
says."

"But is he a person who can spare the
time?"

"I suppose he thinks he can."

"Then," with sudden animation," I
must rout out my habit and see into the
state of it. I haven't worn it very lately.
I'm afraid it will be in. an awful tumble;
my things were so horribly ill-packed. . . .
Aunt Daisy, what a charming place you
have here! It's a very small house,
certainly; but then everything is so pretty.
I made Mr. Stewart take me all over the
garden, the orchard, and the meadow. Do
you know, Aunt Daisy, I like Mr. Stewart
uncommonly, though he is so queer-looking.
Couldn't he afford to dress a little
better? I hope he will when he takes me
for those rides. All his clothes look so
rough. It's a pity he shouldn't dress a
little better, for he seems almost a gentleman."

"Mr. Stewart is quite a gentleman."

"Oh, of course, in one sense,"
suppressing a yawn; "but I meant
conventionally speaking. Do you think he likes
me, Aunt Daisy? I generally know directly
whether people like me or not; but he
puzzled me a little: once or twice I fancied
he was laughing at me. Do you think he
admired me?"

"I fancy, Myrrha, you are tolerably well
aware that you're a pretty creature whom
all men admire. As to liking—I don't
suppose Mr. Stewart likes or dislikes you
yet. He's not quick in his likes and
dislikes."

"Most men do admire me, certainly; but
not quite all. Shall you like me, Aunt
Daisy? If so, I might stop with you always
—at least, I mean till I marry—that would
be awfully jolly. Do you know, Aunt Daisy,
I'm not quite sure I will marry. It must
be, in so many ways, an awful bore. If I
could keep always young and pretty, I'm
sure I never would; but when one gets
old"—she was now leaning forward, elbows
on knees, and quite in earnest—"when one
gets to be neglected, and called an 'old
maid,' and all that; well, I suppose, that
is not pleasant, Aunt Daisy, and that then
one begins to wish for the dignity and
position of a married woman. So, on the
whole, I suppose I had better marry, by-
and-bye; don't you think so, Aunt Daisy?"

"It is generally considered (marriage, I
mean) the more desirable estate!"

"But there's no hurry, is there, Aunt
Daisy? I don't mean to marry very
young; I mean to enjoy myself while I am
young—amuse myself. One of the chief
reasons why I came away from home was
to escape from my lovers (I got into the
same sort of mess in London, but I could
not help it). I'm the youngest, you know,
of the girls at home, and the only pretty
one, and it really isn't fair to Jean and
Julia that I, who don't mean to marry for
a long time to come, should have all the
men at my feet, while they, poor girls, who
do want to marry—who are in a dreadful
hurry to marry are—neglected. They're
ever so much older than I am, you know;
there were half a dozen or more, boys,
between. It's very hard for them, and
trying to their tempers, and makes their poor
noses get red. I'm always so sorry for
people who are ugly, Aunt Daisy; so I
thought it only kind to start on my travels,
and try to find a home. I made mamma
come out strong on my toilettes; I thought
that only fair; I've got some that will quite
charm you. That old woman in London
had the impudence to tell me my dress
was quite unsuitable to my position! I
don't want to marry a Frenchman, or an
American, Aunt Daisy, and the English
one meets abroad are such a scrubby set.
I tell you what I should like of all things,
an English country gentleman with a house
in town. I'd be the queen of a county, set
the fashions, and all that. And I'd be good
to the poor and—have you a headache,
Aunt Daisy? Ah, you are not used to
such a rattle; but I shall do you a world
of good. I'm a little dull and tired to-day,
but when I'm rested and in good spirits, I
shall keep you amused. You'll laugh more
in ten days of my being with you than
you've done for the last ten years of your
life. You have such a sad, grave look, Aunt
Daisy, you seem quite to have forgotten
that you're not old yet; and you seem to
wish other people to forget it, or you
wouldn't dress and do your hair in such
old-fashioned style! What nice hair you
have, Aunt Daisy. I wish you'd let me
dress it as I do mine. ' Mr. Stewart says
mine is a happy mixture of the fashionable
and the picturesque! You'd be surprised
at the lot of compliments I got out of him.