down promise like that, so I thought it was all right.

'We shan't be long,' I said, and off we set, Anne and I, thinking we had
managed beautifully.

It was very nice and peaceful outside; Anne is really very jolly when
you get her alone and she isn't thinking of some book or other she's
reading, and we quite enjoyed the little walk. The church was open as
usual, but there was no sound of music yet, only there was a light up in
the organ loft, which I was sure showed the lady was coming, though Anne
thought it was perhaps only a reflection of the evening light through
the window. But I knew by this time that it was always pretty dark up by
the organ, except perhaps in the very middle of the day in very bright
weather.

We didn't stay in the porch like I'd done at first. I had found a nice
little corner just inside, where we could hear beautifully, and yet slip
out in a moment, _in case_ any one came and found fault. And there we
sat quite happily, and in a minute or two we heard a hum beginning and
then some notes, and then the playing started properly. It was
beautiful. Anne squeezed my hand, and I felt quite proud of having
found it out--like a showman, you know. But 'wait till you hear her
singing,' I whispered.

She was still only playing, _luckily_, when, what _do_ you think
happened? The big door behind us was slowly pushed openly, and in
walked, as cool as twenty cucumbers, two small figures, giving us--no
that was only Serry--a condescending little nod and smile as they
slipped into a seat almost alongside ours.

CHAPTER XII

MISS CROSS-AT-FIRST'S FUR CAPE

I couldn't help it, even though it was in church, I felt so boiling. I
jumped up and caught hold of Serry's arm and pulled her out into the
porch. Poor Maud came too of herself, and when we got outside into the
light, I saw that she looked pale and frightened. Then Anne appeared,
quite puzzled and dazed, for she'd been all up in the music and had
almost forgotten where she was, or if she was anywhere, as she does
sometimes.

_I_ was all there though. I closed the door so that our voices couldn't
possibly be heard from the inside, and then I faced round upon Serry.

'What's the meaning of this?' I said. 'The very moment nurse's back is
turned you begin disobeying her?'

Serena's eyes sparkled. She has very funny eyes. Sometimes, when she's
very mischievous, they look really green, though sometimes they're very
pretty.

'Then you shouldn