"I do not," said Preston slowly. "As I said, it is too hot. I consider the whole thing a bore."
"You shall not be bored for me," I said. "I refuse to dance with you. I hope I shall not see you there at all."
"Come down and take a little walk with me."
"You may speak," I said. I did not want to hear him, for there were no indications of anything agreeable in Preston's manner.
"You used to know her," said Mrs. Sandford; "that is all."
"Will you come and walk with me?" said Preston, almost angrily.
"I do not think it would be pleasant," I said.
"Come and walk up and down the piazza, anyhow. You can do that."
I could, and did not refuse. He chose the sunny western side, because no one was there. However, the sun's rays were obscured under a thick haze and had been all day.
"Whom were you with?" Preston enquired, as soon as we were out of earshot.
"Of course I mean yesterday! I saw you cross in to the camp. With whom were you going there?"
"Why did you not come to speak to me?" I said.
"I was on guard. You crossed my path not ten feet off."
"Then you must know whom I was with, Preston," I said, looking at him.
"_You_ don't know that is the thing. It was that fellow Thorold."
"How came you to be on guard again so soon? You were on guard just a day or two before."
"That is all right enough. It is about military things, that you do not understand. It is all right enough, except these confounded Yankees. And Thorold is another."
"Who is _one?_" I said, laughing. "You say he is _another_."
"Daisy," said Preston, stopping short, "you ought to be with your mother. There is nobody to take care of you here. How came you to know that Thorold?"
"He was introduced to me. What is the matter with him?"
"You ought not to be going about with him. He is a regular Yankee, I tell you."
"What does that mean?" I said. "You speak it as if you meant something very objectionable.
"I do. They are a cowardly set of tailors. They have no idea what a gentleman means, not one of them, unless they have caught the idea from a Southerner. I don't want you to have anything to do with them, Daisy. You must not dance with them, and you must not be seen with this Thorold. Promise me you will not."
"I can't help Dr. Sandford. He is your guardian. You must not go again with Thorold!"