u again you will cease to think those gloomy
thoughts about dying. Now I have something else to add before I leave
you."

Noel had now taken a very firm hold of Daisy's little hand. She had
been trembling a good deal, but she had certainly grown calmer.
Perhaps the knowledge that she really did possess some money to give
to Primrose was comforting her. Noel felt a sense of distress at
disturbing even for her eventual good the child's present calm. It
must be done, however, and he thought a moment how he could most
gently deal with her.

"I'm going to tell you a story, Daisy," he said--"a very sad story,
and, alas, a true one. There lives a little girl, I will not tell her
name, although I know it, who has been unfortunate enough to get into
the power of a very bad man. The man is very, very bad, but I will
not mention his name here, although I know it also. The man came to
the little girl and talked to her, and no doubt he threatened her, and
at last he made her promise him something--what, I cannot say. From
the moment this little girl made this promise she became thin and
white, and anxious and unhappy. She struggled against the terrible
promise which seemed to bind her with fetters of iron, but she could
never get away from it, and the man appeared like a terrible ogre to
her, and she longed for a Prince to come and deliver her from him. The
wicked man having terrified this poor little girl, did his best to use
his influence over her to his own ends. At one time she lived in the
house with him, but although she struggled against it her friends
induced her to go elsewhere. Even in the new palace, however, she was
not safe from the terrible ogre; he followed her, and, it is to be
feared, although nothing is absolutely known, that he used cruel
threats to induce her to give him some money which was not hers to
give. The poor little weak girl was afraid to consult any one on
account of her promise. It was quite natural she should think it right
to keep her promise, although it was very sad. She was so completely
under the power of the wicked man, or the ogre, as we will call him,
that she gave him her sister's money--the money that was to support
them all for some months, and then in her great despair she ran
away." Here Noel paused--Daisy's eyes were fixed on him. Her face was
white as death.

"You see, dear, it is a painful story," he said, "but it is not quite
finished yet. The poor little girl ran away, but she n