She stopped her work to look at me.
"I am going Saturday. My guardian has sent for me. It is very
strange, Miss Cardigan; but I must go; and I thought I would
like to know in what part of the city Christian is."
"Will you write to let him know? You will, of course. Write
just as usual, child; the letter will reach him."
"Why should I, Miss Cardigan? what use? He cannot come to see
me."
"Why not?"
"I would not dare. My guardian watches me well; and he would
not like my seeing Mr. Thorold of all people."
"Why not? Ah, child! there is a rose leaf in each of your
cheeks this minute. That tells the story. Then, Daisy, you had
better not go to Washington. Christian will not bear that very
well; and it will be hard for you too. My dear, it will be
hard."
"Yes, ma'am - and hard not to go. I shall go, Miss Cardigan."
"And mayn't I tell him you are there?"
"No, ma'am. If I can, I will let him know somehow."
But a sense of the difficulties, dangers, doubts and
uncertainties, thronging my way, therewith pressed heavily
upon me; and I sat in silence and weariness, while Miss
Cardigan put up her work and ordered tea, and finally went off
to her greenhouse. Presently she came back with a rose in her
hand and held it under my face. It was a full dewy sweet
damask rose, rich and fragrant and lovely as such a rose can
be. I took it and looked at it.
"Do ye mind," my old friend said, "how the flowers spoke to
you and brought you messages, when Daisy was a child yet and
first came to see me?"
"I know - I remember," I said.
"Does that no tell you something?"
"What does it tell me?" I said, scarce able to command my
words, under the power of association, or memory, which was
laying its message on my heart, though it was a flower that
bore the message. Inanimate things do that sometimes - I
think, often, - when the ear of the soul is open to hear them;
and flowers in especial are the Lord's messengers and speak
what He gives them. I knew this one spoke to me.
"Listen, and see," Miss Cardigan said.
I looked, and as I looked, these words came up in my mind "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?"