re is she?"

"I told you, I don't know."

"Did she go with the fishing party?"

"No sir; she was here when we came," Alexander Fish spoke up.

"Yes, I remember she was here," said Preston. "I remember seeing her.
She cannot be far off. It's hot enough to keep people from straying
far."

The doctor, being not absolutely satisfied with this reasoning, and
having nothing better to do, occupied himself with a search after the
missing Daisy. It lasted some time, and he was beginning to be not quite
easy in his mind; when, being a sportsman, his eye detected something at
a distance which was not moss nor stone. In two minutes the doctor came
up with it. It was Daisy, fast asleep on her moss bed behind the rock.
Her head lay on her arm which was curled up under it; and profound
slumber had left the little pale face as serene as usual. The doctor was
warm by this time. He sat down on the moss beside her; and putting his
arm under Daisy's shoulders lifted her up, by way of waking her,
speaking to her at the same moment. But to his amusement, Daisy no
sooner got her eyes well open than she shook herself free of him, and
sat as demure as possible opposite to him on the moss.

"Dr. Sandford!--I believe--I got asleep," she said in a bewildered kind
of way.

"How did you get _here_, Daisy?"

"I came here, sir."

"What for did you come here?"

Daisy looked troubled; glanced at the doctors face, and then rested her
head on her hand.

"Who has been vexing you now?" said he at haphazard.

"I am not vexed," said Daisy in the gentlest of all possible tones.

"Tired?"

"I think I am tired."

"Honour bright, Daisy!--has not some one been vexing you?"

"I ought not to have been vexed," said Daisy slowly.

"I will wager that you are wrong there, and that you ought to have been
vexed. Who was it, Daisy?"

"Never mind, please, Dr. Sandford! It is no matter at all now."

She put her little hand confidingly in the doctor's as she spoke and
looked very earnest. He could not resist her.

"I wish I had come sooner," he said. "I shall be suspicious of
everybody, Daisy. Come--you and I must go to dinner, or there will be a
hue and cry after us."

Indeed by this time the whole party were gathered, and in impatient
expectation that the dinner would make up to them in some degree for the
various disappointments of the morning. All were gathered and had
arranged themselves conveniently upon the grass, around the feast which
was