Daisy held the ends of silk he put in her fingers; but while he worked, she thought. Might it not be possible that a good knowledge of geography might have something to do with the use or the improvement of her _talents_? And if a knowledge of geography, why not also a knowledge of history, and of arithmetic,--and of everything! There could not be a reasonable doubt of it. What would Preston be,--what would Mr. Dinwiddie or Capt. Drummond be,--if they knew nothing? And by the same reasoning, what would Daisy Randolph be? What could she do with her talents, if she let them lie rusty with ignorance? Now this was a very serious thought to Daisy, because she did not like study. She liked knowledge right well, if she could get it without trouble, and if it was entertaining knowledge; but she did not think geography at all entertaining, nor arithmetic. Yet--Daisy forgot all about Preston's artificial flies, and her face grew into a depth of sobriety. "Preston--" she began slowly,--"is it hard?" "Not just that," said Preston, busy in finishing a piece of work,--"it is a little ticklish to stroke this into order--but it isn't hard, if you have the right materials, and know how." "O no--I don't mean flies--I mean geography." "Geography!" said Preston. "O you are at the Crimea yet, are you? I'll shew it to you, Daisy, when we go in." "Preston, is the use of geography only to know where places are?" "Well, that's pretty convenient," said Preston. "Daisy, just look for that bunch of grey silk--I had it here a minute ago." "But Preston, tell me what _is_ the use of it?" "Why, my dear little Daisy--thank you!--you'd be all abroad without it." "All abroad!" exclaimed Daisy. "It comes to about that, I reckon. You wouldn't understand anything. How can you? Suppose I shew you my pictures of the North American Indians--they'll be as good as Chinese to you, if you don't know geography." Daisy was silent, feeling puzzled. "And," said Preston, binding his fly, "when you talk of the Crimea you will not know whether the English came from the east or the west, nor whether the Russians are not living under the equator and eating ripe oranges." "Don't they eat oranges?" said Daisy seriously. But that question set Preston off into a burst of laughter, for which he atoned as soon as it was over by a very gentle kiss to his little cousin. "Never mind, Daisy," he said; "I think you are better without geography. You aren't just like everybody else--that's a fact." "Daisy," said Capt. Drummond, coming upon the scene, "do you allow such things?" "It is Preston's manner of asking my pardon, Capt. Drummond," Daisy answered, looking a little troubled, but in her slow, womanly way. The Captain could not help laughing in his turn. "What offence has he been guilty of?--tell me, and I will make him ask pardon in another manner. But Daisy, do you reckon such a liberty no offence?" "Not if I am willing he should take it," said Daisy. The Captain seemed much amused.