Felicia," Preston went on, speaking
rather low, "that she ought to have a string of red stones round her
head instead of white ones."

Mrs. Randolph smiled.

"She was quite right," said Mrs. Sandford. "It was a matter of colour,
and she was quite right. She was dressed for Queen Esther, and I made
her look at herself to take the effect; and she suggested, very
modestly, that stones of some colour would do better than diamonds round
her head. So I substituted some very magnificent rubies of yours, Mrs.
Randolph; quite to Daisy's justification."

"Doesn't she make a magnificent little 'Fortitude,' though!" said
Eloise.

"The angel will be the best," said Mrs. Sandford. "She looks so
naturally troubled. But we have got a good band of workers. Theresa
Stanfield is very clever."

"It will do Daisy a world of good," said Mrs. Gary.

CHAPTER XVI.

All this while Daisy's days were divided. Silks and jewels and pictures
and practising, in one part; in the other part, the old cripple Molly
Skelton, and her basket of bread and fruit, and her reading in the
Bible. For Daisy attended as regularly to the one as to the other set of
interests, and more frequently; for the practising party met only three
times a week, but Daisy went to Molly every day.

Molly was not sick now. Daisy's good offices in the material line were
confined to supplying her with nice bread and butter and fruit and milk,
with many varieties beside. But in that day or two of rheumatic pains,
when Molly had been waited upon by the dainty little handmaiden who came
in spotless frocks and trim little black shoes to make her fire and
prepare her tea, Daisy's tenderness and care had completely won Molly's
heart. She was a real angel in that poor house; no vision of one. Molly
welcomed her so, looked at her so, and would perhaps have obeyed her as
readily. But Daisy offered no words that required obedience, except
those she read out of the Book; and Molly listened to them as if it had
been the voice of an angel. She was learning to read herself; really
learning: making advances every day that shewed diligent interest; and
the interest was fed by those words she daily listened to out of the
same book. Daisy had got a large-print Testament for her at Crum Elbow;
and a new life had begun for the cripple. The rose-bush and the
geranium flourished brilliantly, for the frosts had not come yet; and
they were a good setting forth of how things were going in t