petted for awhile, then I looked up at him and said, smiling-- "As if I minded it, Cornelius! As if I did not know that though I should grow ever so plain, you would still like me! As if I could think it would make any difference to you!" He muttered, "Oh! of course not!" I continued-- "Kate says you are handsome, and I dare say you are; but if you had lost one eye, or had a great ugly scar across your face, or were disfigured in some dreadful way, it would make no difference to me, Cornelius." He smiled, without replying: I resumed-- "Therefore, Cornelius, that does not trouble me much, but something else which Kate said does trouble me." I paused, and looked at him; he seemed a little disturbed. "What are you talking of, child?" he said; "what do you mean?" "Kate said I was fonder of you than ever, Cornelius; it is true, very true, I love you more as I grow up, because I know your goodness better; but then something which you might conclude from that, Cornelius, is not true." I looked up at him very earnestly. "Child!" he said, astonished; "what are you talking and thinking of?" "I am thinking, Cornelius, of a thing I have thought of for a year and more. I often wanted to tell you, but I never dared; I should like to tell you now, Cornelius, only I don't know how." Cornelius looked perplexed. "I would gladly help you," he observed, "if I only knew what it was about." I could not help reddening. "Suppose," he said hastily, "you write it to me when I am in Italy--eh, Daisy?" "I would rather say it than write it, Cornelius." "Then say it, child." "Well, then, Cornelius," I replied, a little desperately, "I will never be jealous of you again--there!" "There!" he echoed, smiling, "is that the mighty secret?" "Yes, Cornelius, that is it," I replied, with a beating heart. "My good little girl," he said kindly, "I am glad you have such good resolves; but I must set you right. You talk of not being jealous any more, as you would talk of taking off a dress and never putting it on again." "And should I, Cornelius, if it were old and worn out?" "But is this one worn out?" "I hope so. I think so." "I hope so too." But I could see he did not think it. I was anxious to convince him, and resumed-- "Cornelius, do you remember how insolent I was when papa lived?--how rude I showed myself to you when you came to see him?--how over-bearing to the servants?" "You were a spoiled child, certainly; but you have got over that." "I think I have, Cornelius. When I came here, I was rude to Deborah, who was good enough to bear with it for a long time; but one day Kate heard me, and she told me she thought it very mean and ungenerous to be rude to servants. She said she would not enjoin on me to apologize to Deborah; but she hoped that, for my own sake, I would do so. The next day I went down into the kitchen, and asked Deborah to forgive me."