ut there must have been some mistake about it, for the new guard never
came near them, and when, at the last stoppage before Whitefriars,
another man threw the door open and demanded "tickets," Floss felt too
startled by his rough manner to ask him what they were longing to know,
how far they still had to go. But he took away the tickets. "So we can't
have very far to go," said Floss. "Papa said they would take away the
tickets a little before we got to Whitefriars."

"Will auntie be at the station?" said Carrots.

"Yes, I'm sure she will," said Floss. "Auntie and Sybil too, perhaps.
Carrots, I do believe we're there; the train's stopping."

And in another minute they found themselves in a nice clean-looking
station with several people standing about on the platform, evidently
waiting for the train.

The children looked out eagerly. There were two or three ladies, one
little girl, and a few other people--but no auntie, no Sybil!

"P'raps this isn't the place," said Carrots.

"Please, is this Whitefriars?" inquired Floss of a porter who just then
threw open the door.

"Whitefriars, yes miss. Any luggage?"

"Oh yes," said Floss anxiously, "a great deal It's in one of the luggage
carriages, and it's marked with our name."

The man smiled. "Will you come with me, missie, and show me which it is,
and I'll get it all right for you."

"Oh, thank you," said Floss, gathering together their cloaks and
baskets, and preparing to descend.

"What a _kind_ man," whispered Carrots; and when the porter lifted him
out of the carriage he took hold of his hand and ran along beside him as
fast as his little legs could keep up.

Floss felt quite bewildered at first, when she saw the heaps and heaps
of luggage lying on the platform, all labelled "Whitefriars." It seemed
to her that everybody must have been travelling to Whitefriars to-day!
But by degrees it was claimed and melted away, and the kind porter, to
whom she had already pointed out their "great deal"--one portmanteau,
one bag, and a small tin hat-box--soon picked it up and stood waiting
for further orders.

"Where am I to take it to, please miss?" he said. "Is there no one here
to meet you?"

"I don't think so, I don't know what to do," said Floss, looking sadly
troubled again. In the excitement of finding the luggage she had
forgotten this new difficulty, but now it returned in full force.

"Have you far to go?" said the man.

"Oh no," said Floss, "auntie's hous