He called his little daughter to him, and giving her a chair by his side, spent the rest of _his_ time in cracking nuts and preparing a banana for her; doing it carelessly, not as if she needed but as if it pleased him to give her his attention.
After dinner Daisy sought Preston, who was out on the lawn, as he said, to cool himself; in the brightness of the setting sun to be sure, but also in a sweet light air which was stirring.
"Phew! it's hot.

And you, Daisy, don't look as if the sun and you had been on the same side of the earth to-day.

What do you want now ?" "I want a good talk with you, Preston." "I was going to say 'fire up,'" said Preston, "but no, don't do anything of that sort! If there is any sort of talking that has a chilly effect, I wish you'd use it." "I have read of such talk, but I don't think I know how to do it," said Daisy.

"I read the other day of somebody's being 'frozen with a look.'" Preston went off into a fit of laughter and rolled himself over on the grass, declaring that it was a splendid idea; then he sat up and asked Daisy again what she wanted?
Daisy cast a glance of her eye to see that nobody was too near.
"Preston, you know you were going to teach me." "O, ay!--about the Spartans." "I want to learn everything," said Daisy.

"I don't know much." Preston looked at the pale, delicate child, whose doubtful health he knew had kept her parents from letting her "know much"; and it was no wonder that when he spoke again, he used a look and manner that were caressing, and even tender.
"What do you want to know, Daisy ?" "I want to know everything," whispered Daisy; "but I don't know what to begin at." "No!" said Preston,--"'everything' seems as big as the world, and as hard to get hold of." "I want to know geography," said Daisy.
"Yes.