"But Preston," said Daisy, looking earnestly at his handsome pleasant face which she liked very much,--"don't you know what the Bible says?" "No." It says, "The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all." "Well," said Preston, "that don't mean that he made them all alike." "Then if they are not made alike, what is the difference?" "Good gracious!" said Preston; "do you often ask such questions, Daisy? I hope you are not going to turn out a Mrs. Child, or a philanthropist, or anything of that sort?" "I am not going to be a Mrs. Anybody," said Daisy; "but why don't you answer me?" "Where did you get hold of those words?" "What words?" "Those words that you quoted to me about rich and poor." "I was reading them this morning." "In what?" "Why, in the Bible of course," said Daisy, with a little check upon her manner. "This morning! Before we started! How came you to be reading the Bible so early in the morning?" "I like to read it." "Well, I'd take proper times for reading it," said Preston. "Who set you to reading it at five o'clock in the morning?" "Nobody. O Preston, it was a great deal after five o'clock. What are proper times for reading it?" "Are you going to cut that lemon pie?--or shall I? Daisy, I thought you were hungry. What is the use of jelly, if you don't eat it? You'll never catch fish at that rate. Fishers must eat." "But Preston, what do you mean by proper times for reading the Bible?" "Daisy, eat some lemon pie. It's capital. It melts in your mouth. Joanna Underwood is an excellent woman!" "But Preston, what do you mean?" "I don't mean you shall be religious Daisy, if I can help it." "What do you mean by being religious?" "I declare!" said Preston, laughing at her grave little face, "I believe you've begun already. I am come in good time. I won't let you be anything but just what you ought to be, Daisy. Come--eat some jelly, or some pie, or something." "But tell me then, Preston!" Daisy persisted. "It is something ridiculous,--and you would not wish to be ridiculous." "I do not think I have ever seen ridiculous religious people," said Daisy steadily; "and they couldn't be ridiculous _because_ they were religious." "Couldn't they?" said Preston. "Look out well, Daisy--I shall watch you. But they won't like it much down at Melbourne House, Daisy. If I were you, I would stop before you begin." Daisy was silent. One thing was clear, she and Preston were at issue; and the value she set upon his favour was very high. She would not risk it by contending. Another thing was as clear, that Preston's last words were truth. Among her opposers Daisy must reckon her father and mother, if she laid herself open at all to the charge of being "religious." And what opposition that would be, Daisy did not let herself think. She shrunk from it. The lunch was finished, and she set her attention to pack the remainder of the things back into the basket. Suddenly she stopped.