broad,
sandy face, that he lost heart, and beat an abrupt retreat off to the
right, where there were a number of doorways, near which other people
had ventured to put down baggage on the floor.

Here, somewhat screened from observation, he stood for a long time,
watching at odd moments the ceaselessly varying phases of the strange
scene about him, but always keeping an eye on the train he had himself
arrived in. It was slow and dispiriting work. A dozen times his heart
failed him, and he said to himself mournfully that he had had his
journey for nothing. Then some new figure would appear, alighting from
the steps of a sleeper, and hope revived in his breast.

At last, when over half an hour of expectancy had been marked off by the
big clock overhead, his suspense came to an end. He saw Father Forbes'
erect and substantial form, standing on the car platform nearest of
all, balancing himself with his white hands on the rails, waiting for
something. Then after a little he came down, followed by a black porter,
whose arms were burdened by numerous bags and parcels. The two stood
a minute or so more in hesitation at the side of the steps. Then Celia
descended, and the three advanced.

The importance of not being discovered was uppermost in Theron's mind,
now that he saw them actually coming toward him. He had avoided this the
previous evening, in the Octavius depot, with some skill, he flattered
himself. It gave him a pleasurable sense of being a man of affairs,
almost a detective, to be confronted by the necessity now of baffling
observation once again. He was still rather without plans for keeping
them in view, once they left the station. He had supposed that he would
be able to hear what hotel they directed their driver to take them to,
and, failing that, he had fostered a notion, based upon a story he had
read when a boy, of throwing himself into another carriage, and bidding
his driver to pursue them in hot haste, and on his life not fail to
track them down. These devices seemed somewhat empty, now that the
urgent moment was at hand; and as he drew back behind some other
loiterers, out of view, he sharply racked his wits for some way of
coping with this most pressing problem.

It turned out, however, that there was no difficulty at all. Father
Forbes and Celia seemed to have no use for the hackmen, but moved
straight forward toward the street, through the doorway next to that
in which Theron cowered. He stole round