In this anticipation, however, she was disappointed; he was not among
the group who stood in the hall, eager to greet the travellers, and
no tidings had been heard of him. After talking over the chances of
his arriving in the course of the evening, Sir Edward went with Mr.
Woodbourne to see the new church, and the ladies were conducted to
their apartments; Mrs. Woodbourne making apologies to Anne for
lodging her with Elizabeth, and Anne laughingly declaring that she
enjoyed Elizabeth's company much more than solitary grandeur. The
two cousins were followed by the whole tribe of children, flaxen-
haired and blue-eyed little sprites, the younger of whom capered
round Anne in high glee, though with a little shyness, sometimes
looking upon her as a stranger, sometimes recollecting former
frolics, till Elizabeth declared that it was time to dress; and
Dorothea, the eldest, a quiet and considerate little maiden of seven
years old, carried off Winifred and Edward to their own domains in
the nursery.
Elizabeth's room had been set to rights for the accommodation of the
visitor, so that it suited most people's ideas of comfort better just
then, than in its usual state.
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