Without giving me another look, he turned to his easel. I sat down in the attitude of the young girl reading; but, though every now and then I stole up a look from the open book on mv lap, I never could catch his eye. I felt this keenly; for if there was a thing which Cornelius had of late done more than another, it was to look into my face; and, oh! how kindly he ever looked! At length, I could bear it no longer. I rose, and went up to where he stood painting. He never even glanced around. The calm expostulation with which I had thought to address him, faded from my memory. With involuntary emotion, I sank down at his feet, and, seizing his hand, I exclaimed, with something like passion:-- "Blame me! but look at me, Cornelius; say what you will, but look at me." "Are you mad?" he cried reddening indignantly and forcibly raising me from the ground. "What do you, what can you mean by kneeling to me? Oh, Daisy!" he added with keen reproach, "I would rather you had struck me than you had done that." I stood by him silent and ashamed. "To kneel to me!" he resumed, as if he could not get over it. "For man to kneel to woman may be folly, but at least it is the voluntary submission of strength; but for woman to kneel to man--what is it--save the painful submission of weakness. If you have any regard for me, if you care for me, never do that again." I promised I would not, then added: "Have you forgiven me, Cornelius?" "What have I to forgive?" "You know--I do not." He looked around as I still stood by him in the attitude of an unforgiven child, and he sighed. "You wish for an explanation," he said in a troubled tone, "so do I, and yet I dread it." "Cornelius, I will do all I can not to annoy you. Question me and I will answer you in all the sincerity of my heart. If I have done wrong, it is by mistake, and indeed William too. We are both very young and ignorant, Cornelius?" "Both! What is that young man to you that his name cannot be severed from yours?" "He is my friend, Cornelius." "Why did you never mention his name since my return?" "It must have been because I was so much more absorbed in thinking of what concerned you, than of what concerned myself. I could not otherwise have failed mentioning the name of William, the only companion and friend I have had during your absence." "The only one, Daisy?" "Yes, Cornelius." "I suppose you were a good deal together?" "Yes, a great deal." "Here or at Miss Murray's?" "Neither at one nor at the other," I answered smiling. "We seldom went to Miss Murray's, and as Kate did not like William, nor he her, he never came here. I met him on the sands." "How did you spend your time?" "We played together." "Played!" "Yes, you know we were both quite young then; but as we grew older we left off playing." "And what did you do then?" he asked uneasily. "We walked on the beach, climbed up the cliffs, ran down again, sat when we felt tired and talked." "Of what?"