s!"

"I have a portrait of my mother," said Anna, "a miniature, painted just
after her marriage. It's very pretty indeed."

"It should be, if it's a good likeness," said Mrs Hunt. "There's never
been such a pretty girl in Dornton since your mother went away. I
should like to see that portrait. When you come over again, which I
hope will be soon, you must bring it with you, and then we will have
some more talk about your dear mother."

Anna readily promised, and as she walked up the High Street by Delia's
side, her mind was full of all that she had heard that afternoon. It
had interested and pleased her very much, but somehow it was difficult
to connect Mr Goodwin and his dusty, little house with the picture
formed in her mind of her beautiful mother. If only she were alive now!

"I suppose you were a baby when my mother married," she said, suddenly
turning to her companion.

"I was two years old," replied Delia, smiling, "but though I can't
remember your mother, I can remember your grandfather when I was quite a
little girl. He was always so good to me. Long before he began to
teach me to play, I used to toddle by his side to church, and wait there
while he practised on the organ. I think it was that which made me
first love music."

"It seems so odd," said Anna, hesitatingly, "that I should be his
grandchild, and yet that he should be almost a stranger to me; while
you--"

"But," put in Delia, quickly, for she thought that Anna was naturally
feeling jealous, "you won't be strangers long now; you will come over
often, and soon you will feel as though you'd known him always. To tell
you the truth," she added, lightly, "I felt dreadfully jealous of you
when I first heard you were coming."

Jealous! How strange that sounded to Anna; she glanced quickly at her
companion, and saw that she was evidently in earnest.

"I don't know, I'm sure, about coming to Dornton often," she said,
"because, you see, Aunt Sarah is so tremendously busy, and she likes to
do certain things on certain days; but, of course, I shall come as often
as I can. I do hope," she added, earnestly, "I shall be able to see you
sometimes, and that you will often come over to Waverley."

Delia was silent.

"You see," continued Anna, "I like being at Waverley very much, and
they're very kind indeed; but it _is_ a little lonely, and if you don't
mind, I should be _so_ glad to have you for a friend."

She turned to her companion with a