s so hot," said Mr. Randolph. "Set open that sash door a
little more, Daisy. Now come here. What is it?"

"Shall I wait till another time, papa?"

"No."

He had passed an arm round her, and she stood as before with one hand
resting on his shoulder.

"Papa--it was about--what last night you said I might talk to you
about."

"I remember. Go on, Daisy."

"Papa," said the child, a little in doubt how to go on--"I want to do
what is right."

"There is generally little difficulty in doing that, Daisy."

Daisy thought otherwise!

"Papa, I think mamma does not like me to do what I think is right," she
said very low and humbly.

"Your mother is the best judge, Daisy. What are you talking about?"

"_That_, papa--that you said I might talk to you about."

"What is it? Let us understand one another clearly."

"About--It was only that I liked to pray and give thanks a minute at
meal times." Daisy spoke very softly and as if she would fain not have
spoken.

"That is a mere indifferent ceremony, Daisy, which some people perform.
It is not binding on you, certainly, if your mother has any objection to
your doing it."

"But, papa,"--Daisy began eagerly and then checked herself, and went on
slowly--"you would not like it if you were to give me anything, and I
should not thank you?"

"Cases are not parallel, Daisy."

She wondered in her simplicity why they were not; but her questions had
already ventured pretty far; she did not dare count too much upon her
father's gentleness. She stood looking at him with unsatisfied eyes.

"In one sense we receive everything we have from the bounty of Heaven."

"Yes, papa."

"If your wish were carried out, we should be covering our faces all the
time--if that formality is needed in giving thanks."

Daisy had thoughts, but she was afraid to utter them. She looked at Mr.
Randolph with the same unsatisfied eyes.

"Do you see, Daisy?"

"No, papa."

"Don't you!" said Mr. Randolph smiling. "Difficulties still unsolved?
Can you state them, Daisy?"

"Papa, you said I might shew you in the Bible things--do you remember?"

"Things? What things?"

"Papa, if I wanted to do things that I thought were right--you promised
that if _you_ thought they were in the Bible, I might do as it said."

"Humph!"--said Mr. Randolph, with a very doubtful sort of a grunt,
between displeasure at his own word, and annoyance at the trouble it
might bring upon him. Nevertheless, he remembered the pr