"I think Dr. Sandford
takes rather too much on himself."
"Did he take _you_?" said Mr. Randolph.
"Yes, sir,--when there was no occasion."
"Why Ransom," said Daisy, "there was no one else to carry my chair but
Preston and you."
"Did Preston feel aggrieved?" asked his uncle.
"Certainly not, sir," replied the boy. "It was a pleasure."
"It was not Ransom's business," said Mrs. Randolph.
"I suppose it was not the doctor's business either," said Mr.
Randolph--"though he made it so afterwards."
"O, I dare say it was a pleasure to him, too," said Mrs. Gary. "Really,
the doctor did not take care of anybody yesterday, that I saw, except
Daisy. I thought he admired Frederica Fish--I had heard so--but there
was nothing of it. Daisy was quite queen of the day."
Mr. Randolph smiled. Ransom seemed to consider himself insulted. "I
suppose that was the reason," he said, "that she called me worse than a
dog, because I took a meringue from the dinner-spread."
"Did you do that, Daisy?" asked her mother.
"No, mamma," said Daisy low. Her nice had flushed with astonishment and
sorrow.
"You did," said Ransom. "You said just that."
"O no, Ransom you forget."
"What _did_ you say, Daisy?" asked her mother.
"Mamma, I did not say _that_. I said something--I did not mean it for
anything like that."
"Tell me exactly what you did say--and no more delay."
"Wait till after breakfast," said Mr. Randolph. "I wish to be present at
the investigation of this subject, Felicia--but I would rather take it
by itself than with my coffee.
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