r."

"But I want both locked."

"I do not. This door remains open, Daisy. I must come in here when I
please. Now make haste and get ready."

I had no time for anything but to obey. I went downstairs, I think,
like a machine; my body obeying certain laws, while my mind and spirit
were scarcely present. I suppose I behaved myself as usual; save that
I would have nothing to do with Preston, nor would I receive anything
whatever at the table from his hand. This, however, was known only to
him and me. I said nothing; not the less every word that others said
fastened itself in my memory. I was like a person dreaming.

"You have just tired yourself with mounting that wild thing, Daisy,"
said my Aunt Gary.

"Wild!" said Preston. "About as wild as a tame sloth."

"I always heard that was very wild indeed," said Miss Pinshon. "The
sloth cannot be tamed, can it?"

"Being stupid already, I suppose not," said Preston.

"Daisy looks pale at any rate," said my aunt.

"A little overdone," said Miss Pinshon. "She wants regular exercise;
but irregular exercise is very trying to any but a strong person. I
think Daisy will be stronger in a few weeks."

"What sort of exercise do you think will be good for her, ma'am?"
Preston said, with an expression out of all keeping with his words, it
was so fierce.

"I shall try different sorts," my governess answered, composedly.
"Exercise of patience is a very good thing, Master Gary. I think
gymnastics will be useful for Daisy too. I shall try them."

"That is what I have often said to my sister," said Aunt Gary. "I have
no doubt that sort of training would establish Daisy's strength more
than anything in the world. She just wants that to develop her and
bring out the muscles."

Preston almost groaned; pushed his chair from the table, and I knew
sat watching me. I would give him no opportunity, for _my_ opportunity
I could not have then. I kept quiet till the ladies moved; I moved
with them; and sat all the evening abstracted in my own meditations,
without paying Preston any attention; feeling indeed very old and
grey, as no doubt I looked. When I was ordered to bed Miss Pinshon
desired I would hold no conversation with anybody. Whereupon Preston
took my candle and boldly marched out of the room with me. When we
were upstairs he tried to make me disobey my orders. He declared I
was turning to stone already; he said a great many hard words against
my governess; threatened he would wri