"You and me have need to study some new things," Miss Cardigan said, soberly.
"Yes ma'am," I said. But then - "What, Miss Cardigan?"
"There's our duty" - she said, with a pause at that part of her sentence; - "and then, how to do it. Yes, Daisy, you need not look at me, nor call the bloom up into your cheeks, that Christian says are such an odd colour. Don't you think you have duties, lassie? and more to-day than a fortnight syne?"
"But - Miss Cardigan," I answered, - "yes, I have duties; but - I thought I knew them."
"It will do no harm to look at them, Daisy. It is good to see all round our duties, and it's hard too. Are you in a hurry to go back to school?"
Miss Cardigan pushed her work-baskets and table away, and drew her chair up beside mine, before the fire; and made it blaze, and sat and looked into the blaze, till I wondered what was coming.
"I suppose this is all a fixed thing between Christian and you," she began at last.
I hardly knew what she meant. I said, that I could not unfix it.
"And he will not, no fear! So it is fixed, as we may say; fixed as two hearts can make it. But it's very sudden, Daisy; and you are a young thing, my dear."
"I know it is sudden," I said, meekly. "It is sudden to me. But he will not like me less for my being so young."
"Troth, he's no right, being young himself, we may say. You are safe for his liking, my bonnie Daisy. But - your father and mother, my dear?"
This was very disagreeable to me. I had thought over these things, and made up my mind; but to outline on canvass, as it were, and put in full depth of shadow, all the images of opposition real and possible that might rise in my way - which I knew might rise, - I liked not to do it. Still Miss Cardigan had reason; and when she repeated, "You will tell them at once?" I answered,
"When, then, will you tell them?" she said shortly.
"I think I will not tell them at all. I will wait, till -"
"I do not know. It may be - a great while. Why should I tell them before, Miss Cardigan?"
"For many reasons, as they seem to my mind, Daisy; and I thought, as they would seem to yours. 'Honour thy father and thy mother.' Daisy, would it be honouring them, to let them not know?"
There were so many things, of which Miss Cardigan was ignorant! How could I answer her? I sat silent, pondering the difficulty; and she was silent on her side, waiting for me to think over it. It was never her way to be in a hurry; not to leave her work half done neither, as I knew.