"It comes to about that, I reckon. You wouldn't understand anything. How can you? Suppose I show you my pictures of the North American Indians they'll be as good as Chinese to you, if you don't know geography."
Daisy was silent, feeling puzzled.
"And," said Preston, binding his fly, "when you talk of the Crimea, you will not know whether the English came from the east or the west, nor whether the Russians are not living under the equator and eating ripe oranges."
"Don't they eat oranges?" said Daisy, seriously. But that question set Preston off into a burst of laughter, for which he atoned as soon as it was over by a very gentle kiss to his little cousin.
"Never mind, Daisy," he said; "I think you are better without geography. You aren't just like everybody else that's a fact."
"Daisy," said Captain Drummond, coming upon the scene, "do you allow such things?"
"It is Preston's manner of asking my pardon, Captain Drummond," Daisy answered, looking a little troubled, but in her slow, womanly way. The Captain could not help laughing in his turn.
"What offence has he been guilty of? tell me, and I will make him ask pardon in another manner. But, Daisy, do you reckon such a liberty no offence?"
"Not if I am willing he should take it," said Daisy.
The Captain seemed much amused. "My dear little lady!" he said, "it is good for me you are not half a score of years wiser. What were you talking about the Crimea? I heard the word as I came up."