These last words were in her mind again next morning, as she arrived at Number 4 Back Row, and stood waiting to be let in. The little house looked very sad and silent, as though it knew its master was ill. Presently the door opened a very little way, and the long, mournful face of Mrs Cooper appeared. When she saw who it was she put her finger on her lip, and then said in a loud, hoarse whisper, "I'll call Miss Delia." Anna was left outside. She felt frightened. Why did Mrs Cooper look so grave? Perhaps grandfather was very ill after all! It seemed ages before the door opened again, and when it did, it was Delia who stood there. She did not look at all angry, but her face was very sad. "He has had a very bad night," she whispered, "but now he is sleeping. He must not be disturbed. You had better come later." That was all. The door was gently shut again, and Anna stood outside. As she turned away, her eyes filled with tears. Yesterday her grandfather had wanted her, and she had not gone--to-day the door was shut. He must be very ill, she felt sure, whatever Aunt Sarah might say. His kind, gentle face came before her, as she made her way along-- always kind, never with any reproach in it. How could she have gone to the picnic, and left him to ask for her in vain? As she reached the place where the pony-cart waited for her, Isabel Palmer came out of a shop. She looked at her with a sort of cold surprise. "Oh, Anna," she said, "how is Mr Goodwin? We only heard yesterday he was ill. I was going to his house to ask after him." "Dr Hunt says there is no cause for anxiety," said Anna, repeating the sentence she had so often heard from Aunt Sarah. "It was Mrs Winn who told mother he was ill," continued Isabel, observing Anna's downcast face curiously, "and--she said another thing which surprised us all very much. Why didn't you tell us long ago that Mr Goodwin is your grandfather?" Anna was silent. "We can't understand it at all," continued Isabel. "Mother says it might have caused great unpleasantness. She's quite vexed." She waited a moment with her eyes fixed on Anna, and then said, with a little toss of her head: "Well--good-bye. I suppose we shan't meet again before we go to Scotland. Mother has written to tell Mrs Forrest that we're not going on with lessons." They parted with a careless shake of the hands, and Anna was driven away in the pony-cart. Her friendship with Isabel, her pleasant visits to Pynes, were over now. She was humbled and disgraced before every one, and Delia would know it too. It would have been a wounding thought once, but now there was no room in her heart for any feeling but dread of what might happen to Mr Goodwin. "Oh, Aunt Sarah," she cried, when she reached Waverley, and found her aunt in the garden, "I'm sure my grandfather is worse--I'm sure he's very ill. I did not see him."