et me look him up a
liddle bit--eh?"

He did not catch her answer.

"You promise me that--eh? Mrs. Linnevitch and me, we want to do what is
right and best. We don't want our liddle Daisy to make no mistakes."

He had no answer but the sounds that go with tears. He knew by this that
his mockings and insinuations had been forgiven.

"Good-night, liddle girl," he said. "Sleep tight." His own voice broke.
"I be your popper--eh?" he said.

To Barstow's surprise and disappointment, when he named a time for her
first lesson in dancing Daisy refused to go.

"Mrs. Linnevitch thinks I better not be going out nights, Mr. Barstow,"
she said. "But thank you ever so much, all the same."

"Well," said Barstow, "I'm disappointed. But that's nothing, if you're
not."

Daisy blushed. "But I am," she said.

"Then," said he, "never mind what _they_ say. Come on!"

Daisy shook her head. "I promised."

"Look here, Miss Obloski, what's wrong? Let's be honest, whatever else
we are. Is it because they _know_ something against me, because they
_think_ they do, or because they _know_ that they don't?"

"It's that," said Daisy. "Mr. Linnevitch don't want me to be going out
with any one he don't know about."

Barstow was obviously relieved. "Thank you," he said. "That's all square
now. It isn't Mrs. Linnevitch; it's the boss. It isn't going out in
general; it's going out with me!"

Then he surprised her. "The boss is absolutely right," he said. "I'm for
him, and, Miss Obloski, I won't ask you to trust me until I've proved to
Linnevitch that I'm a proper guardian----"

"It's only Mr. Linnevitch," said Daisy, smiling very sweetly. "It's not
me. _I_ trust you." Her eyes were like two serene stars.

Barstow leaned closer and spoke lower. "Miss Obloski," he said,
"Daisy"--and he lingered on the name--"there's only one thing you could
say that I'd rather hear."

Daisy wanted to ask what that was. But there was no natural coquetry in
the girl. She did not dare.

She did not see him again for three whole days; but she fed upon his
last words to her until she was ready, and even eager, to say that other
thing which alone he would rather hear than that she trusted him.

Between breakfast and dinner on the fourth day a tremendous great man,
thick in the chest and stomach, wearing a frock coat and a glossy silk
hat, entered the restaurant. The man's face, a miracle of close shaving,
had the same descending look of heaviness as his body