said softly.

"Bad, isn't it?"

"Rather."

"I have to make this fellow go slowly, you see, or he would shake you
too much. Could you bear to go faster?"

"I'll try."

The Captain tried cautiously. But his question, and possibly Daisy's
answer, were stimulated by the view of the western horizon, over which
clouds were gathering thick and fast. Could they get home in time? that
was the doubt in both minds.

"Capt. Drummond," said Daisy presently, "I can't bear this shaking."

"Must I go slower?"

"If you please."

"Daisy, do you see how the sky bodes yonder? What do you suppose we
shall do if those clouds come up?"

"I don't know," she answered. But she said it with such a quiet tone of
voice, that the Captain wondered anew. He had hoped that her fears might
induce her to bear the pain.

"Daisy, do you think it will come up a storm?"

"I think it will."

"How soon? you know the signs better than I do. How soon will it be
here?"

"It will come soon, I think."

Yet there was no anxiety in Daisy's voice. It was perfectly calm, though
feeble. The Captain held his peace, looked at the clouds, and drove on;
but not as fast as he would have liked. He knew it was a ride of great
suffering to his little charge, for she became exceedingly pale; still
she said nothing, except her soft replies to his questions. The western
clouds rolled up in great volumes of black and grey, rolling and
gathering and spreading at a magnificent rate. The sun was presently hid
behind the fringe of this curtain of blackness; by and by the mountains
were hid beneath a further fringe of rain; a very thick fringe. Between,
the masses of vapour in the sky seemed charging for a tremendous
outburst. It had not come yet when the slow going little wagon passed
through Crum Elbow; but by this time the Captain had seen distant darts
of lightning, and even heard the far-off warning growl of the thunder. A
new idea started up in the Captain's mind; his frisky horse might not
like lightning.

"Daisy," said he, "my poor little Daisy--we cannot get to Melbourne--we
must stop and wait a little somewhere. Is there any house you like
better than another? I had best turn back to the village."

"No, don't,--stop!" cried Daisy, "don't go back, Capt. Drummond; there
is a place nearer. Turn up that road--right round there. It is very
near."

The Captain obeyed, but pulled in the reins presently as he heard a
nearer growl of the coming thunder. "Daisy