"
For Daisy had thrown on the ground a soft shawl for a carpet,
and took her place upon it beside Captain Drummond, who looked
at her in a pleased kind of way.
"Are you quite at leisure, Captain Drummond?"
"Gentlemen always are — when ladies' affairs are to be
attended to."
"Are they?" said Daisy.
"They ought to be!"
"But I am not a lady."
"What do you call yourself?"
"I don't know," said Daisy, gravely. "I suppose I am a little
piece of one."
"Is that it?" said Captain Drummond, laughing. "Well, I will
give you as large a piece of my leisure as you can make use of
— without regard to proportions. What is on hand, Daisy?"
"Captain Drummond," said Daisy, with a very serious face, —
"do soldiers have a very hard time?"
"Not always. Not when they are lying out under the trees at
Melbourne, for example."
"But I mean, when they are acting like soldiers?"
He was ready with a laughing answer again, but seeing how
earnest Daisy's face was, he controlled himself; and leaning
on his elbow, with just a little smile of amusement on his
face, he answered her.
"Well, Daisy — sometimes they do."
"How, Captain Drummond?"
"In a variety of ways."
"Will you please tell me about it?"
He looked up at her.
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