"You walk with other people, don't you?"

"I am not afraid of the other people."

"Are you afraid of me?" said he smiling; and then growing
grave, "We may have only a few times, Daisy; let us make the
most of them."

How could I start anything after that. I was mute; and Mr.
Thorold began upon a new theme.

"Daisy, how long have you been in Washington?"

"Christian, I _could_ not let you know. I was always hoping to
see you somewhere."

"Sounds as if you felt guilty," he said. "Confess, Daisy; you
look as if you were afraid I would be angry. I will not be
very hard with you."

I was afraid; and he was angry, when I told him. His face
flushed and his eye changed, and turned away from me.

"Christian," I said, "I was very unwilling that Dr. Sandford
should know anything about it; that was my reason. If I had
written to you, you know you would have come straight to where
I was; and the risk was too great."

"What risk?" he said. "I might have been ordered away from