lly w'en they
stops right opposite the winder an' blows off steam, or whistles like
mad for five minutes at a time. I sometimes think that Bob is right,
an' that's w'y baby have took to yellin' an' mischief with such a 'igh
'and. They do say that a man is knowd by the company he keeps, and I'm
sure it's no wonder that baby should screech an' smash as he do,
considerin' the example set 'im day an' night by them ingines."

Here another yell from baby gave, as it were, assent to these opinions.

"But, as I was sayin'," continued Mrs Marrot, "the Flyin' Dutchman is
the name that my 'usband's train goes by, 'cause it is the fastest train
in the kingdom--so they say. It goes at the rate of over sixty miles an
hour, an' ain't just quite the train for people as is narvish--though my
'usband do say it ain't more dangerous than other trains--not s'much so,
indeed, wich I believe myself, for there ain't nothink 'appened to my
John all the eight years he have drove it."

"Is sixty miles an hour _very_ much faster than the rate of ordinary
trains?" asked Emma.

"W'y, yes, Miss. Or'nary trains they run between twenty and forty miles
an hour, though sometimes in goin' down inclines they git up to fifty;
but my 'usband _averages_ sixty miles an hour, an' on some parts o' the
line 'e gits up the speed to sixty-five an' siventy. For my own part
I'm quite hignorant of these things. To my mind all the ingines seem to
go bangin' an' rushin' an' yellin' about pretty much in the same furious
way; but I've often 'eard my 'usband explain it all, an' _he_ knows all
about it Miss, just as if it wor A, B, C."

Having discussed such matters a little longer, and entered with genuine
sympathy into the physical and mental condition of baby, Netta finally
arranged that her old nurse should go by the Flying Dutchman, seeing
that she would be unable to distinguish the difference of speed between
one train and another, while her mind would be at rest, if she knew
herself to be under the care of a man, in whom she could trust.

"Well, Miss, I dessay it won't much matter," said Mrs Marrot,
endeavouring to soothe the baby, in whom the button or the blacking
appeared to be creating dire havoc; "but of course my 'usband can't
attend to 'er 'isself, not bein' allowed to attend to nothink but 'is
ingine. But he'll put 'er in charge of the guard, who is a very
'andsome man, and uncommon polite to ladies. Stay, I'll speak to Willum
Garvie about it no