do?" exclaimed Nora. "Are you going to teach a
class yourself?"

Daisy did not answer, while she was writing down with a pencil what Nora
had said and making her repeat it for that purpose. When she had done
she looked a little dubiously off towards the woods, while Nora was
surprised and disappointed into silence.

"I think perhaps I ought to tell you----" was Daisy's slow conclusion.
"I want to know what this means, that I may do it, Nora."

"_Do_ it?"

"Yes," said Daisy turning her quiet eyes full upon her companion--"I
want to try to please God. I love the Lord Jesus."

Nora was very much confounded, and looked at Daisy as if a gap in the
ground had suddenly separated them.

"So," Daisy went on, "as I have talents to use, I want to know what they
are, for fear I shouldn't use them all. I don't understand it yet, but I
will think about it. Now we will go on about the party if you like."

"But Daisy----" said Nora.

"What?"

"Are you in earnest?"

"Certainly I am in earnest," said Daisy gravely. "What makes you ask me?
Don't you think your brother is in earnest?"

"Marmaduke! oh yes,--but--you never told me of it before."

"I didn't know it till yesterday," said Daisy simply, "that I loved the
Lord Jesus; but I know I do now, and I am very glad; and I am going to
be his servant."

Her little face was very sweet and quiet as she looked at her little
neighbour and said these words; but Nora was utterly confounded, and so
nearly dismayed that she was silent; and it was not till several
invitations in Daisy's usual manner had urged her, that she was able to
get upon the subject of the party again and to discuss it with any
spirit. The discussion then did not come to any determination. Daisy was
at least lukewarm in her fancy for that mode of spending her birthday;
and separate plans of pic-nics and expeditions of pleasure were taken up
and handled, sure to be thrown aside by Nora for the greater promise and
splendour of the home entertainment. They broke up at last without
deciding upon anything, except that Nora should come again to talk about
it, and should at all events have and give her share in whatever the
plan for the day might be.

Perhaps Daisy watched her opportunity, perhaps it came; but at all
events she seized the first chance that she saw to speak with her father
in private. He was sauntering out the next morning after breakfast.
Daisy joined him, and they strolled along through the grounds