she almost wished
that the Professor might not be there.

Dornton church was perched upon a little hill, so that, though it was in
the town, it stood high above it, and its tall, grey spire made a
landmark for miles round. The churchyard, carefully planted with
flowers, and kept in good order, sloped sharply down to old gabled
houses on one side, and on the other to open meadows, across which the
tower of Waverley church could be just seen amongst the trees. On this
side a wooden bench, shadowed by a great ash, had been let into the low
wall, and it was to this that Delia and the Professor were in the habit
of repairing after the Wednesday evening services.

Mr Goodwin's music had always power to soothe Delia, and to raise her
thoughts above her daily troubles; but to-night, as she sat listening to
him in the empty church, she felt even more than usual as if a mighty
and comforting voice were speaking to her. As long as the resounding
notes of the organ continued, she forgot the little bustle of Dornton,
and her anger against Anna, and even when the Professor had finished and
joined her in the porch, the calming influence remained.

"Can you stay a little this evening?" he asked, as they walked through
the churchyard together; "if you can spare time I should like a talk.
It's about Anna," he continued, when they were seated under the
flickering shadow of the ash tree; "I didn't see her the other evening,
after all--"

"So I heard," said Delia.

"No--I didn't see her," repeated Mr Goodwin, poking the ground
reflectively with his stick. "She went to some cricket match with her
friends; she's to come to me another time. It's very kind of Mrs
Palmer to give her so much pleasure. I suppose Anna enjoys it very
much? I hear of her going about with them a good deal."

"I think she does," said Delia.

"It's always such a comfort to me," he continued, his kind eyes beaming
upon his companion from beneath the brim of his wide-awake, "to think
that you are her friend. I don't see much of her. I told you I should
not be able to, when she first came, but the next best thing is to know
that you do."

Delia was silent. She did not meet his glance, but pressed her lips
together and frowned a little.

"Anna wants a friend," pursued the Professor, thoughtfully. "Little as
I see of her, I can tell that. She has the sort of nature which depends
greatly on influence--every one does, I suppose, but some of us can
stan