"O no, papa! I am going to fish too." "I'll have all you catch, Daisy,--for my own eating!" He bent his head down as he spoke, to kiss the little fisherwoman; but Daisy, answering some unusual tenderness of face or manner, sprung up and threw her arms round his neck, and only released him after a very close pressure. "She is in a fair way to be cured of her morbid seriousness"--Mr. Randolph thought as he saw the cavalcade set forth; and well pleased he went in to breakfast. Daisy and Preston had breakfasted already, before the family; and now were off to the hills just as other people were stirring sugar into cups of coffee. Preston led the way on a fine bay of his uncle's; taking good gallops now and then to ease his own and his horse's spirits, and returning to go quietly for a space by the side of the pony-chaise. Loupe never went into anything more exciting than his waddling trot; though Daisy made him keep that up briskly. "What a thing it is, to have such short legs!" said Preston, watching the movements of the pony. "_You_ go over the road without seeing it," said Daisy. "I don't want to see it. What I want to see is Hillsdale." "So do I; but I want to see _everything_." Preston smiled, he could not help it, at the very happy and busy little face and spirit down in the pony chaise. "What do you see, Daisy, that you have not seen a hundred times before?" "That makes no difference," said Daisy. "I have seen _you_ a hundred times before." Preston laughed, set spurs to his horse, and went off for another gallop. Daisy enjoyed her morning's drive. The light was clear and the air was fresh; Preston gallopping before and Sana jogging on behind; everything was fine! Then it was quite true that she liked to see everything; those grey eyes of hers were extremely busy. All the work going on in the fields had interest for her, and all the passers-by on the road. A strange interest, often, for Daisy was very apt to be wondering whether any of them knew and loved the name she loved best; wondering who among all those rough-looking, unknown people, might be her fellow-servants. And with that a thought which, if Mr. Randolph had known it, would have checked his self-congratulations. He had not guessed what made the clasp of Daisy's arms round his neck so close that morning. Till they passed through Crum Elbow everything had been, as Preston said, seen a hundred times before. A little way beyond that everything became new. Mrs. Randolph's carriage never came that road. The country grew more rough and broken, and the hills in their woody dress shewed more and more near. "Do you see that break in the woods?" said Preston, pointing with his whip; "that is where the brook comes out,--that is where we are going." "What time is it, Preston?" "Time?--it is half past nine. What about it?" "I'm hungry--that's all. I wanted to know what time it was." "Hungry! O what a fisher you will make, Daisy! Can't stand fasting for two hours and a half."