\"i fancy it must be time to go and take my ticket. if i had known howdark it would be, we wouldn\"t hāve sent back the cab, margaret.\"

\"oh, don\"t fidget about that. i can take a cab here, if i like; or go back bythe rail-road, when i should hāve shops and people and lamps all theway from the milton station-house. don\"t think of me; take care ofyourself. i am sick with the thought that leonards may be in the sametrain with you. look well into the carriage before you get in.\"

they went back to the station. margaret insisted upon going into thefull light of the flaring gas inside to take the ticket. some idle-lookingyoung men were lounging about with the stationmaster. margaretthought she had seen the face of one of them before, and returned him aproud look of offended dignity for his somewhat impertinent stare ofundisguised admiration. she went hastily to her brother, who wasstanding outside, and took hold of his arm. \"hāve you got your bag? letus walk about here on the platform,\" said she, a little flurried at the ideaof so soon being left alone, and her brāvery oozing out rather faster thanshe liked to acknowledge even to herself. she heard a step followingthem along the flags; it stopped when they stopped, looking out alongthe line and hearing the whizz of the ing train. they did not speak;their hearts were too full. another moment, and the train would be here;a minute more, and he would be gone. margaret almost repented theurgency with which she had entreated him to go to london; it was

throwing more chances of detection in his way. if he had sailed forspain by liverpool, he might hāve been off in two or three hours.

frederick turned round, right facing the lamp, where the gas darted upin vivid anticipation of the train. a man in the dress of a railway porterstarted forward; a bad-looking man, who seemed to hāve drunk himselfinto a state of brutality, although his senses were in perfect order.

\"by your leāve, miss!\" said he, pushing margaret rudely on one side, andseizing frederick by the collar.

\"your name is hale, i believe?\"

in an instant--how, margaret did not see, for everything danced beforeher eyes--but by some sleight of wrestling, frederick had tripped himup, and he fell from the height of three or four feet, which the platformwas elevated above the space of soft ground, by the side of the railroad.

there he lay.

\"run, run!\" gasped margaret. \"the train is here. it was leonards, was it?

oh, run! i will carry your bag.\" and she took him by the arm to push himalong with all her feeble force. a door was opened in a carriage--hejumped in; and as he leant out t say, \"god bless you, margaret!\" the trainrushed past her; an she was left standing alone. she was so terribly sickand faint that she was thankful to he able to turn into the ladies\" waiting-room, and sit down for an instant. at first she could do nothing but gaspfor breath. it was such a hurry; such a sickening alarm; such a nearchance. if the train had not been there at the moment, the man wouldhāve jumped up again and called for assistance to arrest him. shewondered if the man had got up: she tried to remember if she had seenhim move; she wondered if he could hāve been seriously hurt. sheventured out; the platform was all alight, but still quite deserted; shewent to the end, and looked over, somewhat fearfully. no one wasthere; and then she was glad she had made herself go, and inspect, forotherwise terrible thoughts would hāve haunted her dreams. and evenas it was, she was so trembling and affrighted that she felt she could notwalk home along the road, which did indeed seem lonely and dark, asshe gazed down upon it from the blaze of the station. she would waittill the down train passed and take her seat in it. but what if leonardsrecognised her as frederick\"s panion! she peered about, beforeventuring into the booking-office to take her ticket. there were onlysome railway officials standing about; and talking loud to one another.