indeed, if Aunt Sarah
doesn't mind."

"I'll walk back with you as far as this afterwards," said Delia. "You
would see your grandfather. You've never heard him play the organ yet."

"I don't _suppose_ aunt would mind," said Anna, hesitatingly, her fair
face flushing a little.

"Well," said Delia, "you can run back and ask her. I'll wait for you
here. You will just have time."

The bells of Saint Mary's church began to sound as she spoke.

"Only you must go at once," she added, "or we shall be too late."

Still Anna hesitated. She hated the idea of asking Aunt Sarah, and
seeing her mouth stiffen into that hard line which was so disagreeable;
but it was almost as bad to face Delia, standing there, bolt upright,
with her dark eyes fixed so unflinchingly upon her.

"I know," she said, appealingly, "that Aunt Sarah _has_ arranged for me
to go to Dornton next week."

"Oh," said Delia, coldly.

"And," pursued Anna, turning away from her companion and stooping to
pick a flower, "she does like me, you know, to go to the service at
Waverley with her. She says uncle prefers it."

Delia's glance rested for a moment in silence on the bending figure,
with the pale yellow hair outspread on the shoulders gleaming in the
sunshine; then she said in rather a hard voice:

"The fact is, I suppose, you don't _want_ to go. If so, you had better
have said so at first."

Anna rose quickly, and faced her friend:

"It's unkind, Delia," she exclaimed, "to say that. I _do_ want to go.
You know I like to be with you--and I should like to go to Dornton
church much better than Waverley."

"Then why don't you ask Mrs Forrest?" said Delia, calmly. "She can't
mind your going if I walk back with you. It's worth the trouble, if you
want to see your grandfather."

Anna cast down her eyes and fidgeted with the flowers in her belt.

"You don't understand," she began, rather nervously, "how difficult it
is to ask Aunt Sarah some things--"

"But this is quite a right, reasonable thing," interrupted Delia;
"there's nothing wrong in wishing to see your grandfather sometimes. Of
course, if you never ask Mrs Forrest, she thinks you don't care about
it."

"I do ask," said Anna. "I have often asked; but, you know I told you,
Delia, Aunt Sarah never likes me to go to Dornton."

"Then you mean to give it up, I suppose," said Delia, coldly.

"If I'm staying with Aunt Sarah, I suppose I ought to do as she wishes,"
said Anna; "but, of