said.

"Then why come here, Daisy? Pardon me, may I ask?"

"I have other things to get, Dr. Sandford," I said low.

"But Daisy!" said the doctor, rousing up, "I have performed my part
ill. You are not restricted--your father has not restricted you. I am
your banker for whatever sums you may need--for whatever purposes."

"Yes," I said, "I know. Oh no, I know papa has not restricted you; but
I think I ought not to spend any more. It is my own affair."

"And not mine. Pardon me, Daisy; I submit."

"Please, Dr. Sandford, don't speak so!" I said. "I don't mean that. I
mean, it is my own affair and not papa's."

"Certainly, I have no more to say," said the doctor, smiling.

"I will tell you all about it," I said; and then I desired the shopman
to cut off the dress I had fixed upon; and we went upstairs to look
for cloaks, I feeling hot and confused and half perplexed. I had never
worn such a dress as this plaid I had bought in my life. It was nice
and good, and pretty too; but it did not match the quality or the
elegance of the things my mother always had got for me. _She_ would
not have liked it nor let me wear it; I knew that; but then--whence
came the wealth that flowed over in such exquisite forms upon her and
upon me? Were not its original and proper channels bare? And whence
were they to be, even in any measure, refilled, if all the supply
must, as usual, be led off in other directions? I mused as I went up
the stairs, feeling perplexed, nevertheless, at the strangeness of the
work I was doing, and with something in my heart giving a pull at my
judgment towards the side of what was undoubtedly "pleasant to the
eyes." So I followed Dr. Sandford up the stairs and into the
wilderness of the cloak department, where all manner of elegancies, in
silk, and velvet, and cloth, were displayed in orderly confusion. It
was a wilderness to me, in the mood of my thoughts. Was I going to
repeat here the process just gone through downstairs?

The doctor seated me, asked what I wanted to see, and gave the order.
And forthwith my eyes were regaled with a variety of temptations. A
nice little black silk pelisse was hung on the stand opposite me; it
was nice; a good gloss was upon the silk, the article was in the
neatest style, and trimmed with great simplicity. I would have been
well satisfied to wear that. By its side was displayed another of
velvet; then yet another of very fine dark cloth; perfect in material
and make, fault