"Sam, I want a glass of water; where can I get it?"
"Guess at Mrs. Benoit's, Miss Daisy. There's a fine spring of cold water."
"Who is Mrs. Benoit?"
"It's Juanita—Miss Daisy has heard of Mrs. St. Leonard's Juanita. Mr.
St. Leonard built a house for her,—just the other side o' them trees."
Daisy knew who Juanita was. She had been brought from the West Indies by the mother of one of the gentlemen who lived in the neighbourhood; and upon the death of her mistress had been established in a little house of her own. Daisy judged that she would be quite safe in going there for water.
"If I turn into that road, can I go home round that way, Sam?"
"You can, Miss Daisy; but it's a ways longer."
"I like that," said Daisy.
She turned up the road that led behind the trees, and presently saw Juanita's cottage. A little grey stone house, low-roofed, standing at the very edge of a piece of woodland, and some little distance back from the road. Daisy saw the old woman sitting on her doorstep. A grassy slope stretched down from the house to the road. The sun shone up against the grey cottage.
"You take care of Loupe, Sam, and I'll go in," said Daisy. A plan which probably disappointed Sam, but Daisy did not know that. She went through a little wicket and up the path.