She preferred to live in rooms which, by
comparison, were like dungeons; for the owners had never put Love into
them, and had never thought of Self-Denial in connection with them.
There, Daisy-flower, I have done. It seems a pity that the little girl
should have been so selfish, does it not?"
"But how does the story end, Mr. Arthur? You have really only just
begun."
"I only know the beginning, Daisy," said Noel, as he rose to leave. "I
have not an idea whether that Palace Beautiful will ever receive its
visitors, whether that kind lady will ever be made happy, or whether
that little girl will ever cease to be selfish."
A few moments afterwards Noel went away, and poor Daisy turned her
face to the wall and wept.
Of course, the very obvious moral had hit her hard, poor little maid!
Oh! if she could really only confide in Arthur--he was so nice and
strong, and he looked so contemptuously at Mr. Dove that day when he
was carrying Daisy across the road to Miss Egerton's.
"I don't believe he would be afraid of Mr. Dove," she whispered
softly, under her breath. "Oh dear! why am I so terribly frightened?
Why does he make my heart beat? and why do I shake so when I see him?
Well, I'll never tell about his bringing me up the sticky
sweetmeats--of course I'll not tell.
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