curtains, so that she did not even know what he
looked like. The organist must certainly be an important person in a
church. Anna did not see how the service could get on without him.
What a pity that her grandfather did not play the organ in her Uncle
John's church, instead of at Dornton!

She made a great many resolves as she sat there, with her mother's
portrait in her hand: she would be very fond of her grandfather, and, of
course, he would be very fond of her; and as he lived all alone, there
would be a great many things she could do to make him happier. She
pictured herself becoming very soon his chief comforter and companion,
and began to wonder how he had done without her so long.

Lost in these thoughts, she hardly noticed that the train had begun to
slacken its pace; presently, it stopped at a large station. The old
lady roused herself, tied her bonnet strings, and evidently prepared for
a move.

"You're going farther, my dear," she said kindly. "Dornton is the next
station but one. You won't mind being alone a little while?"

She nodded and smiled from the platform. Anna handed out her numerous
parcels and baskets: the train moved on, and she was now quite alone.
She might really begin to look out for Dornton, which must be quite
near. It seemed a long time coming, however, and she had made a good
many false starts, grasping her rugs and umbrella, before there was an
unmistakable shout of "Dornton!" She got out and looked up and down the
platform, but it was easy to see that Mrs Forrest was not there. Two
porters, a newspaper boy, and one or two farmers, were moving about in
the small station, but no one in the least like Aunt Sarah. Anna stood
irresolute. She had been so certain that Aunt Sarah would be there,
that she had not even wondered what she should do in any other case.
Mrs Forrest had promised to come herself, and Anna could not remember
that she had ever failed to carry out her arrangements at exactly the
time named.

"If it had been father, now," she said to herself in her perplexity, "he
would perhaps have forgotten, but Aunt Sarah--"

"Any luggage, miss?" asked the red-faced young porter.

"Oh yes, please," said Anna; "and I expected some one to meet me--a
lady."

She looked anxiously at him.

"Do 'ee want to go into the town?" he asked, as Anna pointed out her
trunks. "There's a omnibus outside."

"No; I want to go to Waverley Vicarage," said Anna, feeling very
desert