aid for some
time past, and, with the sound of them still in her ears, Anna felt more
alarmed than pleased, as she saw that it really was her old friend. Had
she, too, come to point out her duty?

With the mothers' meeting on her mind, Mrs Forrest descended quickly
from the pony-cart, and passed Anna in the porch without looking at her.

"Is your headache better?" she said, as she went straight into the
drawing-room, where tea was ready. "I overtook Delia on her way to see
you, and brought her on with me. You must take care of yourselves, for
I must start almost immediately. Please pour me out a cup of tea at
once."

When Mrs Forrest had drunk her tea, and set forth at a leisurely pace
for the schoolroom, provided with work-basket and book, the two girls
were alone together. There was a pause of embarrassment, which Delia
was the first to break.

"I was coming over," she said, "to ask if you would care to go and get
water-lilies down at the river this evening. You said you would like
some rushes too."

Her voice sounded kind, almost as it used to long ago, although there
was a sort of shyness in her manner. Anna was greatly relieved. Surely
Delia would not have begun like this if she intended to reprove her.

"Mrs Forrest said you might go, if your head was better," continued
Delia.

Anna replied eagerly that her headache was nearly gone, a walk would do
it good, she should like it immensely; and a few minutes later the girls
started on their expedition. It was one which had been planned in the
first days of their acquaintance, when Anna had thought no pleasure
could compare to a ramble in the country with Delia. Fresh from the
rattle and noise of London, its stony pavements, and the stiff
brilliancy of the flowers in the parks, it had been a sort of rapture to
her to wander freely over the fields and through the woods. Aunt
Sarah's garden was beautiful, but this was better still. All the
flowers found here might be gathered, and Delia knew exactly where they
all grew in their different seasons, and the best way of getting to
them. Anna had begun, under her guidance, to make a collection of
wild-flowers, but though started with great energy, it had not gone far.
It had ceased, together with the walks, shortly after her acquaintance
with the Palmers had filled her mind with other things. Yet those
rambles with Delia had never been forgotten. Anna thought of them
often, and knew in her heart that s