aise
always arrived on the occasions of his visits to Oakfield. And so she
saw the chaise and the horses, and a black box on the top, but it was
too dark for even her inquisitive black eyes to get a peep at the
travellers. And in the twilight of the October evening the two young
aunts were awaiting the nephew who was to be henceforward such a great
part of their lives. Angel stood in the cottage porch under a tangle
of twining creepers, looking gravely out into the shadows. It seemed
to her as if, out of that darkness, something strange and great were
coming to her--new duties, new cares and thoughts, which would change
her from a quiet, obedient little girl into a wise, thoughtful woman.
And, with very little confidence in her own power or wisdom, she was
trying to be brave and making up her mind to do her best. Betty's
clear voice on the stairs roused her from her grave thoughts.

'No, not meat to-night, Penny, it's too late; it isn't good for
children to have heavy suppers; only the bread-and-milk, please, and
do, do take care not to burn the milk, because I know quite well how
horrid it was when they burnt it at school.'

'Bless your heart, Miss Betty dear,' was the answer, 'one'd think I
never made a basin of bread-and-milk in my life instead of feeding you
as a baby and Miss Angel before you.'

But if Betty heard the remark she did not wait to answer it, for she
was in the porch by her sister's side before Penelope had finished.

'Angel, can you hear wheels? I fancy I do; I think they'll be here in
a minute, don't you? I hope I shall remember all the things I wanted
to say. Aren't you excited, Angel? Only I suppose maiden aunts
oughtn't ever to be very excited. Let's try to be calm. I don't feel
very calm, do you?'

'Not very,' Angel said. Her colour was coming and going, and the arm
that she put round Betty trembled, but she stood quite still. Old
Penelope came to the door behind them and asked almost as anxiously as
Betty if they heard anything, and said something a little doubtfully
about it being a damp evening for standing there in the porch, but she
did not call them to come in, only stood there and strained eyes and
ears in the dim light. After all Angelica heard the wheels first and
gave a start as they broke the silence, and there was time after that
for Betty to rush indoors and poke up the fire before the chaise
stopped at the garden gate. And then it was Betty who reached the gate