"Now," she said, "you may take me."
The Captain always had a good respect for Daisy; but he
certainly felt now as if he had the dignity of twenty-five
years in his arms. He raised her as gently as possible from
the ground; he knew the changed position of the foot gave her
new pain, for a flush rose to Daisy's brow, but she said not
one word either of suffering or expostulation. Her friend
stepped with her as gently as he could over the rough way;
Daisy supported herself partly by an arm round his neck, and
was utterly mute, till they were passing the place of
luncheon; then she broke out, —
"Oh! the trilobite!"
"Never mind the trilobite."
"But are you going to lose it, Captain Drummond?"
"Not if you want it. I'll come back for it another day — if I
break my furlough."
"I could hold it in my other hand — if I had it."
The Captain thought the bottle of claret might chance to be
the most wanted thing; nevertheless he stopped, stooped, and
picked up the fossil. Daisy grasped it; and they went on their
way down the mountain. It was a very trying way to both of
them. The Captain was painfully anxious to step easily, which
among rocks and bushes he could not always do, especially with
a weight in his arms; and Daisy's foot hanging down, gave her
dreadful pain because of the increased rush of blood into it.
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