What sums do _you_ want to do ?" "But I want to know how." "Why ?" "Why Preston, you know I _ought_ to know how.

It might be very useful, and I ought to know." "I hope it will never be of any use to you," said Preston; "but you can learn the multiplication table if you like." "Then will you shew it to me ?" "Yes; but what has put you in such a fever of study, little Daisy?
It excites me, this hot weather." "Then won't you come in and shew me the multiplication table now, Preston ?" In came Preston laughing, and found an arithmetic for Daisy; and Daisy, not laughing, but with a steady seriousness, sat down on the verandah in the last beams of the setting sun to learn that "twice two is four." The same sort of sweet seriousness hung about all her movements this week.

To those who knew what it meant, there was something extremely touching in the gentle gravity with which she did everything, and the grace of tenderness which she had for everybody.

Daisy was going through great trouble.

Not only the trouble of what was past, but the ordeal of what was to come.