'Well,' Daisy admitted, 'I think you give way to him rather, Aunt Sophy, I really do. I know that at home we never let Fop have anything between his meals. Jack says that unless a small dog is kept on very simple diet he'll soon get fat, and getting fat,' added Daisy portentously, 'means having fits sooner or later.' 'Oh, my _dear_!' exclaimed her aunt, now seriously alarmed. 'What do you think I ought to do about it?' 'I know what I would do if he was _my_ dog,' said Daisy, with great decision--'diet him, and take no notice when he begs at table; I would. I'd begin this very afternoon.' '_After_ tea, Daisy?' stipulated Miss Millikin. 'No,' was the inflexible answer, '_at_ tea. It's all for his own good.' 'Yes, dear, I'm sure you're right--but he has such pretty ways--I'm so afraid I shall forget.' 'I'll remind you, Aunt Sophy. He shan't take advantage of you while _I'm_ here.' 'You're just a tiny bit hard on him, Daisy, aren't you?' 'Hard on Don!' cried Daisy, catching him up and holding him out at arm's length. 'Don, I'm _not_ hard on you, am I? I love you, only I see your faults, and you know it. You're full of deceitfulness' (here she kissed him between the eyes and set him down). 'Aunt Sophy, you would never have found out his trick about the milk if it hadn't been for me--_would_ you now?' 'Perhaps not, my love,' agreed Miss Millikin mildly. The trick in question was a certain ingenious device of Don's for obtaining a double allowance of afternoon tea--a refreshment for which he had acquired a strong taste. The tea had once been too hot and burnt his tongue, and, as he howled with the pain, milk had been added. Ever since that occasion he had been in the habit of lapping up all but a spoonful or two of the tea in his saucer, and _then_ uttering a pathetic little yelp; whereupon innocent Miss Millikin would as regularly fill up the saucer with milk again. But, unfortunately for Don, his mistress had invited her niece Daisy to spend part of her summer holidays at her pretty cottage in the Lake District, and Daisy's sharper eyes had detected this little stratagem about the milk on the very first evening! Daisy was fourteen, and I fancy I have noticed that when a girl is about this age, she not unfrequently has a tendency to be rather a severe disciplinarian when others than herself are concerned. At all events Daisy had very decided notions on the proper method of bringing up dogs, and children too; only there did not happen to be any children at Applethwaite Cottage to try experiments upon; and she was quite sure that Aunt Sophy allowed herself to be shamefully imposed upon by Don.