"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 Capt. 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?"

"Capt. 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, Capt. Drummond?"

"In a variety of ways."