"Yes ma'am," I said. But then - "What, Miss Cardigan?"
"There's our duty" - she said, with a pause at that part of
her sentence; - "and then, how to do it. Yes, Daisy, you need
not look at me, nor call the bloom up into your cheeks, that
Christian says are such an odd colour. Don't you think you
have duties, lassie? and more to-day than a fortnight syne?"
"But - Miss Cardigan," I answered, - "yes, I have duties; but
- I thought I knew them."
"It will do no harm to look at them, Daisy. It is good to see
all round our duties, and it's hard too. Are you in a hurry to
go back to school?"
"No, ma'am - I can have the evening."
Miss Cardigan pushed her work-baskets and table away, and drew
her chair up beside mine, before the fire; and made it blaze,
and sat and looked into the blaze, till I wondered what was
coming.
"I suppose this is all a fixed thing between Christian and
you," she began at last.
I hardly knew what she meant. I said, that I could not unfix
it.
"And he will not, no fear! So it is fixed, as we may say;
fixed as two hearts can make it. But it's very sudden, Daisy;
and you are a young thing, my dear."
"I know it is sudden," I said, meekly. "It is sudden to me.
But he will not like me less for my being so young."
Miss Cardigan laughed a short laugh.
"Troth, he's no right, being young himself, we may say. You
are safe for his liking, my bonnie Daisy. But - your father
and mother, my dear?"
"Yes, Miss Cardigan."
"What will their word be?"
"I do not know, ma'am."
"You will tell them, Daisy?"
This was very disagreeable to me. I had thought over these
things, and made up my mind; but to outline on canvass, as it
were, and put in full depth of shadow, all the images of
opposition real and possible that might rise in my way - which
I knew might rise, - I liked not to do it. Still Miss Cardigan
had reason; and when she repeated, "You will tell them at
once?" I answered, "No, Miss Cardigan; I think not."
"When, then, will you tell them?" she said shortly.
"I think I will not tell them at all. I will wait, till -"