At nine, she began to feel uneasy.

At ten, she put on her hood and went down the road, almost to the corner, to meet her--looking forward intensely all the way, hoping at every turn to see her expected visitor advancing along the path.

She went on thus until she came in sight of the corner, without seeing or hearing any thing of Mary Bell; and then she was compelled to return home alone, disappointed and sad.

She waited dinner from twelve until one, but no Mary Bell appeared.

Mary Erskine then concluded that something had happened to detain her expected visitor at home, and that she might be disappointed of the visit altogether.