Anna rose quickly, and faced her friend:
“It’s unkind, Delia,” she exclaimed, “to say that. I do want to go. You know I like to be with you—and I should like to go to Dornton church much better than Waverley.”
“Then why don’t you ask Mrs Forrest?” said Delia, calmly. “She can’t mind your going if I walk back with you. It’s worth the trouble, if you want to see your grandfather.”
Anna cast down her eyes and fidgeted with the flowers in her belt.
“You don’t understand,” she began, rather nervously, “how difficult it is to ask Aunt Sarah some things—”
“But this is quite a right, reasonable thing,” interrupted Delia; “there’s nothing wrong in wishing to see your grandfather sometimes. Of course, if you never ask Mrs Forrest, she thinks you don’t care about it.”
“I do ask,” said Anna. “I have often asked; but, you know I told you, Delia, Aunt Sarah never likes me to go to Dornton.”
“Then you mean to give it up, I suppose,” said Delia, coldly.
“If I’m staying with Aunt Sarah, I suppose I ought to do as she wishes,” said Anna; “but, of course, I shan’t give it up entirely. She doesn’t wish me to do that.”
Delia stood for a moment in silence, her eyes fixed on Anna’s pretty, downcast face. The sound of the church bells came softly to them over the fields from Dornton, and “Well,” she said, with a little sigh, “I mustn’t stay, or I shall be late, and I promised to meet the Professor after church. He half expects to see you with me. What shall I say to him?”