Tell her what I should like! be indebted to her for a pleasure! no, not even his authority could make me do that. Cornelius insisted, I remained obstinate; he became angry, I did not yield; I was getting hardened; all I would say was that I preferred nothing; and so far as her gifts were concerned this was true, they all seemed equally hateful.
"Disobedient, obstinate girl!" began Cornelius, in great wrath.
"Daisy shall not be scolded on my account," interrupted Miriam, laying her beautiful fingers on his lips, "and she shall have her present too; we must subdue her by kindness," she added in a whisper that reached me.
Cornelius looked at her with mingled love and admiration, and then at me with sorrowful reproach.
I had my present, too, the very next morning; it came in with Miss Russell's kind love: a beautiful green silk frock, that made me look as yellow as saffron. It exasperated me to try it on, but Cornelius, who admired it greatly, insisted that I should do so. I was obliged to comply. I just looked at the glass and saw that the benevolent intention of the donor was fulfilled.
"How kind of Miriam!" said Cornelius, as I stood before him. "It is very pretty. Kate, is it not?"
"An odd colour for Daisy," she replied, drily.
"Saint Patrick's Day was last week," he answered, smiling.
"And Daisy's dress is green in honour of Saint Patrick, of course," rather ironically said Kate; "well, it is a great deal too 'fine for everyday wear, so just come up-stairs and take it off, child."
"Oh, Kate!" I began, as soon as we were alone.