ll, she went quickly upstairs into what had been
Miss Rose's bedroom. From there she knew she could get a better view.

Yes, there they all were--streaming out of the great porch. She could
now see the bride and bridegroom, arm-in-arm, walking down the path.
They were walking more slowly than most newly married couples walked
after a wedding. As a rule, wedding parties hurried rather quickly
across the open space leading from the porch to the gate.

She lost sight of them while they were getting into the motor which had
been lent to them for the occasion, but she did catch a glimpse of Mrs.
Otway's flushed face as the car sped along to the left, towards the gate
house.

The path round the green was gradually filling up with people, for the
congregation had been far larger than anyone had thought it would be.
News in such a place as Witanbury spreads quickly, and though the number
of invited guests had been very, very few, the number of uninvited
sympathisers and interested spectators had been many.

Suddenly Anna caught sight of her young lady and of Mr. Jervis Blake. As
she did so the tears welled up into her eyes, and rolled down her
cheeks. She could never get used to the sight of this young bridegroom
with his crutch, and that though he managed it very cleverly, and would
soon--so Rose had declared--be able to do with only a stick.

Anna hoped that the two would come in and see her for a minute, but
instead they joined Mr. and Mrs. Robey, and were now walking round the
other side of the Close.

Anna went downstairs again. In a moment, Mr. Hayley, whom she had never
liked, and who she felt sure did not like her, would be coming in to
have his luncheon, with another gentleman from London.

Yes, there was the ring. She went to the front door and opened it with
an unsmiling face. The two young men walked through into the hall. It
would have been very easy for James Hayley to have said a kind word to
the old German woman he had known so long, but it did not occur to him
to do so; had anyone suggested it, he would certainly have done it.

"We've plenty of time," she heard him say to the other gentleman. "Your
train doesn't go till two o'clock. As for me, I'm very hungry! I made a
very early start, you know!" and he led his guest into the dining-room,
calling out as he did so: "It's all right, Anna! We can wait on
ourselves."

Anna went back into her kitchen. She reminded herself that Mr. Hayley
was one of those