the now deserted Close -- deserted, save for a number
of carriages and motors which were waiting by the
little gate leading into the Cathedral enclosure -- became
very worried and impatient.

From her point of view it was much to be wished
that the visitor she was expecting should be come and
gone before the marriage party came out of the Cathedral;
yet when she had seen how surprised, and even
hurt, both her dear ladies had been on learning of her
intention to stay at home this morning, she had nearly
told them the truth! Everything was different now --
Willi would not, could not, mind!

What had restrained her was the memory of how
strongly Alfred Head had impressed on her the importance
of secrecy -- of secrecy as concerned himself.
If she began telling anything, she might find herself
telling everything. Also, Mrs. Otway might think it
very strange, what English people call "sly," that Anna
had not told her before.

And yet this matter she had kept so closely hidden
within herself for three years was a very simple thing,
after all! Only the taking charge of a number of parcels --
four, as a matter of fact -- for a gentleman who
was incidentally one of Willi Warshauer's chiefs.

The person who had brought them to the Trellis
House had come in the March of 1912, and she remembered
him very distinctly. He had arrived in a motor,
and had only stayed a very few minutes. Anna would
have liked to have given him a little supper, but he had
been in a great hurry, and in fact had hardly spoken
to her at all.

From something which he had said when himself
carefully bringing the parcels through the kitchen into

[[307]]

p306 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p307w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p308

v?