ly been gone ten minutes before there was a knock
at Anna's door:

"Mrs Winn would like to speak to you, miss. I told her you were not
well, but she says she will only keep you a few minutes."

Anna did not know much of Mrs Winn, and thought, as she went
down-stairs, that she had most likely some message for Mrs Forrest to
leave with her. Would she say anything about the picnic, or the people
who were going to it?

Mrs Winn had taken up a determined position on a stiff, straight-backed
chair in the middle of the room. There was severity in her glance as
she replied to Anna's greeting, and remarked that she was sorry to miss
Mrs Forrest.

"Aunt Sarah's only just started to drive into Dornton," said Anna; "I
wonder you did not meet her."

"I came by the fields," replied Mrs Winn shortly. "You were not well
enough to go out, I hear?"

"I had a headache," said Anna, with her pretty blush; "aunt thought I
had better stay at home."

"You don't look much the worse for it," said Mrs Winn, without removing
her unblinking gaze. "Girls in my young days didn't have headaches, or
if they did, they put up with them, and did their duty in spite of them.
Things are turned topsy-turvy now, and it's the old who give way to the
young."

Surprised at this tone of reproof, for which she was quite unprepared,
Anna's usually ready speech deserted her. She said nothing, and hoped
that Mrs Winn would soon go away. But that was evidently not her
intention just yet: she had come prepared to say what was on her mind,
and she would sit there until it was said.

"But, perhaps," she continued, "it's just as well you didn't go out, for
I've been wanting an opportunity to speak to you for some days."

"To me?" said Anna, faintly.

"I never shrink from my duty," went on Mrs Winn, "whether it's
unpleasant or not, and I don't like to see other people doing so. Now,
you're only a child, and when you neglect to do what's right, you ought
to be told of it."

Anna gazed in open-eyed alarm at her visitor. What could be coming?

"I don't suppose you know, and, therefore, I think it my duty to tell
you, that your grandfather, old Mr Goodwin, was extremely disappointed
the other day when you failed to keep your promise. I hear that he
waited for you until quite late."

"Aunt Sarah wished me to go out with the Palmers," said Anna.
"Grandfather said he didn't mind at all--"

"I knew your mother well," proceeded Mrs Winn, rolling on her