Part 21 (1/2)
”Can't you say as much for him, Daisy?” said my mother.
”As far as looks go -” I answered slowly, surveying him. He was excessively handsome, and his mother's own boy in grace of person and manner. I could see that in the first moment.
”As far as looks go” - my mother repeated. ”_That_ is like Daisy. Is it the very same Daisy?”
I looked up at her, and they looked at me. Oddly enough, we were all silent. Had I changed so much?
”Mamma, there is the difference between ten and seventeen,” I said. ”I don't think there is much other.”
”And between formed and unformed,” said my brother Ransom; for my father and mother were still silent, and I could hardly bear to meet their eyes.
”What is formed, and what is unformed?” I asked, trying to make it a light question.
”My opinion is not unformed,” said Ransom, - ”and your destiny is - formed.”
”Papa,” said I, ”Ransom is very quick in deciding upon my destiny.” But with that look into each other's eyes, Ransom's words were forgotten; my father clasped me in a fresh fond embrace and my head went down upon his shoulder again. And we were all still. Words are nothing at such times. I think one rather speaks light words, if any; thoughts are too deep to come out. At last my mother remarked that our toilettes were among the unformed things, and suggested that we should go to our rooms for a little while before dinner. I got up from papa's knee and followed mamma; and pa.s.sing Ransom with a smile, he suddenly clasped me in his arms and kissed me.
”I am proud of you, Daisy,” he whispered.
Arrived in mamma's room, her tenderness came out after her own fas.h.i.+on. She examined me; her hands touched me caressingly; she helped me to dress, although her maid was at hand.
”You did not tell me you had such beautiful hair,” she said, when I had unbound it to put it in order.
”Mamma!” I laughed. ”Why should I?”
”And there are a great many other things you have not told me,” she went on. I had to control myself to prevent a start, though her words meant nothing.
”Of course, mamma,” I answered.
”Yes; you could hardly have been expected to give me a catalogue raisonne of your advantages. Do you know them yourself, Daisy?”
”Mamma, - I suppose I know some of them.”
”Do you know, for instance, that your skin is exquisite, in colour and texture?”
”Mrs. Sandford used to tell me so,” I said.
My mother drew the tips of her fingers over my cheek.
”And now, at my saying that, comes a little rose hue here, as delicate as the inside of a sh.e.l.l. But you have lost all the look of delicate condition, Daisy; this is the colour of perfect health.”
”Dr. Sandford has taken care of me, mamma.”
”Your father trusted a great deal to Dr. Sandford. Do you think his trust was well placed?”
”n.o.body could have taken more care of me, mamma. Dr. Sandford has been very good.”
”He always was your favourite,” she remarked.
”Well, mamma, he deserved all I have given him.”