A rose which falleth from the hand, which fadeth in the breast,
Until in grieving for the worst, we learn what is the best.
Mrs Browning.
Everything went on quite smoothly until the day fixed for the picnic
came. Aunt Sarah gave no hint of any objection; the weather was
gloriously hot and fine; Anna's new white dress was very pretty--there
was nothing wanting to her long-desired enjoyment.
She stood amongst the nodding roses in the porch, waiting for the
Palmers to call for her in their carriage, on the way to Alderbury.
Aunt Sarah was, perhaps, to drive over and join the party later. Anna
had dismissed all troublesome thoughts. She felt sure she was going to
be very happy, and that nothing unlucky would happen to spoil her
pleasure. She was in gay spirits, as she fastened a bunch of the little
cluster-roses in her dress. Isabel had once told her that she looked
very pretty in white, and she was glad to feel that she suited the
beauty of the bright summer day.
"Anna!" said Mrs Forrest's voice from the hall within.
Anna turned. The hall looked dark and shadowy after the sunshine, but
it was easy to see that there was vexation on her aunt's face as she
studied the letter in her hand.
"I have just had a note from Dr Hunt," she said. "Mr Goodwin, your
grandfather, is not very well."
"What is the matter?" asked Anna.
She left the porch and went up to her aunt's side.
"Why, I can't quite make out. Dr Hunt talks of fever, but says there
is nothing infectious. Brought on by over-exertion in the heat, he
thinks. He says you may safely go to see him--"
There was a pause. Mrs Forrest and Anna looked at each other: each
waited for the other to speak. Must I give up the picnic after all?
thought Anna.
"I don't gather that it's anything serious," said Mrs Forrest at
length. "I think the best plan will be for me to go over to Dornton,
after you've started, and see Dr Hunt. Then, if there's really no
danger of infection, you can go there early to-morrow," She looked
inquiringly at Anna, as though half-expecting her to make some other
suggestion. The sound of wheels on the gravel, and the tramp of horses,
told that the Palmers were approaching: the wagonette, full of gay young
people, drove up to the porch.
"Are you ready, Anna?" called out Isabel's voice.
"Will that satisfy you?" said Mrs Forrest; "you must decide now."
"We're late, Anna," said Isabel again, "why don't you come?"
Anna hesitated. She looked out at the bright sunshine, where her
companions called her to gaiety and pleasure, and then at the letter in
her aunt's hand.
"Here's your cloak, Miss Anna," said the maid waiting at the door.
In another moment, it seemed almost without any will of her own, she was
squeezed into the carriage amongst her laughing companions, had waved a
farewell to Mrs Forrest standing smiling in the porch, and was whirled
away to the picnic.
The hours of the sunny day, filled with delight for Anna amongst the
pleasant woods of Alderbury, did not pass so quickly at Number 4 Back
Row. The Professor was ill. He had had a slight feverish attack to
begin with, which passed off, and seemed of no importance, but it had
left him in a state of nervous weakness and prostration, at which Dr
Hunt looked grave. Mr Goodwin must have been over-exerting himself for
some time past, he declared, and this breakdown was the result. It
would probably be some time before he could do any work. Perfect rest,
and freedom from all care and agitation, were the only remedies.
"Don't let him know, Delia," he said to his daughter as he left the
house, "that he's likely to be laid up long. Keep him as quiet and
cheerful as possible. I'll send a line to Mrs Forrest, and let her
know that his grandchild may be with him as much as she likes."
Delia prepared to spend the rest of the day with her old friend, and
having persuaded him to lie down on the hard little couch, and made him
as comfortable as she could with pillows, she sat down in the window
with her sewing. From here she could watch the little gate, and prevent
any one from entering too suddenly. Of course Anna would come soon.
The Professor was very quiet, but she thought he turned his eyes towards
the door now and then, as though looking for some one. Was it Anna? At
last she was thankful to see him fall into a doze which lasted some
while, and she was just thinking for the hundredth time that Anna _must_
come now, when she was startled by his voice:
"Prissy," it said, quite clearly.
Delia went up to the sofa. Mr Goodwin gazed at her for a moment
without recognition.
"You've had a nice sleep, Professor," she said, smiling, "and now you
are going to have some tea with me."
But in spite of his sleep, the Professor's face looked anxious, and he
hardly tasted the tea which Delia prepared. As she took his cup, he
said wistfully:
"Did Dr Hunt write to Mrs Forrest?"
Delia nodded.
"Did--did Anna happen to come while I was asleep?" was his next
question.
"She's not been yet," said Delia, "but they may not have had the letter
till late. She will come soon."
"I should like to see her," said the Professor.
Why did not Anna come? As the weary hours went by, and the sun got
lower and lower, he became very restless, looked first at his watch and
then at the door, and no longer tried to conceal how much he wanted to
see his grandchild. Delia tried in vain to divert his mind by reading
his favourite books, but it was evident that he was not listening to
her. He was listening for the click of the gate, and the footsteps
outside. Every subject in which she tried to interest him came back to
the same thing, Anna, and Anna's doings. Delia could not help one throb
of jealous pain, as she recognised how powerless she was to take her
place, a place she seemed to value so little. But it was only for one
moment; the next she put all thought of herself aside. Anna belonged to
the dearest memories of the Professor's life. She had a place in his
heart which would always be kept for her, whatever she had done or left
undone. To bring peace and comfort into his face again, Delia would
have been willing at that moment to give up her own place in his
affections entirely. If only Anna would come!
"I suppose it's too late to expect her now, my dear, isn't it?" said the
patient voice again.
Delia could not bear it any longer.
"I think," she said, as cheerfully as she could, "if you don't mind
being alone a little while, I'll just run over to Waverley. Mrs
Cooper's here, if you want anything, you know."
"Will you really?" said the Professor, with hope in his voice.
"There's perhaps been some mistake about that letter," said Delia.
"You'd like to see Anna to-night, wouldn't you?"
"Well, I _should_," said Mr Goodwin. "It's very absurd, I know, but I
had such a strange dream just now about her and Prissy, and I can't get
it out of my head. I suppose being not quite up to the mark makes one
unreasonable, but I really don't think I could sleep without seeing her.
It's very good of you to go, my dear."
"I'll be back in no time, and bring her with me," said Delia.
She spoke with confidence, but half-way across the fields she stopped
her rapid pace, checked by a sudden thought--the picnic!
In her anxiety she had forgotten it. Anna might have started before Dr
Hunt's note got to Waverley. Even then, though, she said to herself,
she must be home by now. So she ran on again, and half an hour later
she was on her way back over the darkening fields--without Anna. She
had gone to the picnic, and she knew the Professor was ill! Once Delia
would have felt angry; now there was only room in her heart for one
thought: "He will be disappointed, and he will not sleep to-night."
The church clock struck nine as she entered the High Street in Dornton,
and the same sound fell faintly on Anna's ears on her way back from
Alderbury. The picnic had been over long ago, but, shortly after the
party started to return, one of the horses lost a shoe; the carriage in
which Anna was had to proceed at a slow walk for the rest of the
distance, and it would be very late before she could reach Waverley.
No accident, however, could damp her spirits, or those of her
companions. It was all turned into amusement and fun. The whole day
had been more delightful than any Anna had known. It was over now, that
delightful day, and she gave a little sigh of regret to think that she
was at the end of it instead of at the beginning. The one shadow which
had fallen across the brightness of it, had been cast by the substantial
figure of Mrs Winn, whom she had seen in the distance now and then.
Once she had noticed her in earnest conversation with Mrs Palmer, and
thought that they had both looked in her direction, but it had been easy
to avoid contact with her amongst so many people. It had not spoiled
her enjoyment then; but now, her excitement a little cooled down,
unpleasant thoughts began to make themselves heard.
Here was the Rectory at last! Anna burst into the drawing-room, her
fair hair falling in confusion over her shoulders, a large bundle of
foxgloves in her arms, her cheeks bright with the cool night breeze.
"Oh, aunt!" she exclaimed, "we've had such a lovely, lovely day. Why
didn't you come?"
"You're very late, my dear Anna," said Mrs Forrest, gravely. "I
expected you more than an hour ago."
Anna explained the reason of her delay.
"Alderbury is the most perfect place," she repeated. "Why didn't you
come?"
"It's very unlucky that you should be late," said Mrs Forrest. "Delia
has been over asking for you."