e saw her smile ineffably to her father. He
heard the guard cry, "Take your seats; take your seats," and knew that
she was about to be torn from him perhaps for ever. He felt that it was
a last look, because, how could he hope in a populous city to meet with
her again? Perhaps she did not even belong to that part of the country
at all, and was only passing through. He did not even know her name!
What _was_ he to do? He resolved to travel with her, but it instantly
occurred to him that he had no ticket. He made a stride or two in the
direction of the ticket office, but paused, remembering that he knew not
her destination, and that therefore he could not demand a ticket for any
place in particular.

Doors began to slam, and John Marrot's iron horse let off a little
impatient steam. Just then the "late passenger" arrived. There is
always a late passenger at every train. On this occasion the late
passenger was a short-sighted elderly gentleman in a brown top-coat and
spectacles. He was accompanied by a friend, who assisted him to push
through the crowd of people who had come to see their friends away, or
were loitering about for pastime. The late passenger carried a bundle
of wraps; the boots of his hotel followed with his portmanteau.

"All right sir; plenty of time," observed Sam Natly, coming up and
receiving the portmanteau from boots. "Which class, sir?"

"Eh--oh--third; no, stay, second," cried the short-sighted gentleman,
endeavouring vainly to open his purse to pay boots. "Here, hold my
wraps, Fred."

His friend Fred chanced at that moment to have been thrust aside by a
fat female in frantic haste and Edwin Gurwood, occupying the exact spot
he had vacated, had the bundle thrust into his hand. He retained it
mechanically, in utter abstraction of mind. The bell rang, and the
magnificent guard, whose very whiskers curled with an air of calm
serenity, said, "Now then, take your seats; make haste." Edwin grew
desperate. Emma smiled bewitchingly to a doting female friend who had
nodded and smiled bewitchingly to Emma for the last five minutes, under
the impression that the train was just going to start, and who earnestly
wished that it _would_ start, and save her from the necessity of nodding
or smiling any longer.

"Am I to lose sight of her for ever?" muttered Gurwood between his
teeth.

The magnificent guard sounded his whistle and held up his hand. Edwin
sprang forward, pulled open the carriag