Thus it was in the most amiable of moods that Anna appeared upon the
lawn, where she was warmly welcomed by Lucy, who, seizing both her
hands, led her away to see the arrangements, chatting gayly all the
time, and casting rapid glances up the lane, as if in quest of some
one.
"I'm so glad you've come. I've thought of you so much. Do you know it
seems to me there must be some bond of sympathy between us, or I
should not like you so well at once? I drove by the rectory early this
morning--the dearest little place, with such a lovely garden. Arthur
was working in it, and I made him give me some roses. See, I have one
in my curls. Then, when he brought them to the carriage, I kept him
there while I asked numberless questions about you, and heard from him
just how good you are, and how you help him in the Sunday-school and
everywhere, visiting the poor, picking up ragged children and doing
things I never thought of doing; but I am not going to be so useless
any longer, and the next time you visit some of the very miserablest I
want you to take me with you. Do you ever meet Arthur there? Oh, here
he comes," and with a bound, Lucy darted away from Anna toward the
spot where the rector stood receiving Mrs. and Miss Hetherton's
greeting.
As Lucy had said, she had driven by the rectory, with no earthly
object but the hope of seeing the rector, and had hurt him cruelly
with her questionings of Anna, and annoyed him a little with her
anxious inquiries as to the cause of his pallid face and sunken eyes;
but she was so bewitchingly pretty, and so thoroughly kind withal,
that he could not be annoyed long, and he felt better for having seen
her bright, coquettish face, and listened to her childish prattle. It
was a great trial for him to attend the picnic that afternoon, but he
met it bravely, and schooled himself to appear as if there were no
such things in the world as aching hearts and cruel disappointments.
His face was very pale, but his recent headache would account for
that, and he acted his part successfully, shivering a little, it is
true, when Anna expressed her sorrow that he should suffer so often
from these attacks, and suggested that he take a short vacation and go
with them to Saratoga.
"I should so much like to have you," she said, and her clear, honest
eyes looked him straight in the face, as she asked why he could not.