ys. Gran was at Brighton, I
think, but he was coming back now mums would be there. There was a
postscript to the letter--it was to Anne,--in which mums said she might
perhaps want nurse to come up to London for a few hours to see about
clothes or something. 'If I do,' she wrote, 'do you think I can trust
you and Jack to take care of the two little ones? I am sure Mrs. Parsley
would be most kind, but of course I do not want to give her more trouble
than we can help.'

'Oh,' said Serena, when Anne had read all that aloud--I wished she had
stopped before the postscript--'that would be fun. We'd lead old Jack a
dance wouldn't we, Maud? As for Anne, we'd find her a new book, and then
she wouldn't trouble us.'

Maud looked at her with scorn, but would not condescend to speak. I do
believe from that moment Serry settled to play some kind of trick if we
_were_ left alone. But when I said to Anne that I hoped to goodness we
shouldn't be left in charge of Serry, she only said it would be all
right; Serry made herself out worse than she was, and so on. Anne _is_
so easygoing.

Now I must tell you why I liked strolling down to the church in the
evenings. It only began the week before Hebe and mums were to come. I
happened to have gone to the village rather late with a letter, and,
coming back, I noticed that there was some light in the church, even
though it wasn't the time for any service. And, standing still for a
moment, suddenly I heard the organ begin. Some one was playing it. The
door was a little open, and I went inside the porch and found I could
hear quite well. It was beautiful, far nicer than on Sundays, and after
a while I heard singing too. Such lovely singing--it was a woman's
voice--and she sang some of the things I liked best, and I stayed there
listening as long as I dared. The next evening I couldn't come, but the
one after that I did, and she was there again, and I listened ever so
long. After that I came whenever I could; sometimes she was there and
sometimes not,--it was rather fun wondering if she would be. I told Anne
about it, and she said she'd like awfully to come with me one evening,
but we didn't know how to manage it, for we really couldn't tell Serry.
She'd have teased so to come too, and she'd have spoilt it all with her
fidgeting, and if we'd told nurse and asked her to let us go without the
little ones, Serry would have made some sort of a fuss I'm sure. So I
just kept on going whenever I could,