e is near here, I know."

"Then perhaps little master and you had better walk on, and send for the
luggage afterwards?" suggested the man, never doubting from Floss's
manner that the children were accustomed to the place, and knew their
way.

"Yes, I suppose so," said Floss uncertainly.

"Or shall I fetch you a fly from the _Blue Boar_?" said the man. "The
station flies has all drove off."

"No, thank you; I don't think I have enough money for that," said Floss,
feeling in her pocket for her purse, which she knew contained only her
father's parting gift of half-a-crown, a sixpence with a hole in, and
three pennies of Carrots'! "Your auntie says she will get you
_everything_ you want, so I need not give you any money with you," their
mother had said. Floss had no idea what a fly from the _Blue Boar_ would
cost, but it _sounded_ very grand, and she hardly dared to risk it.

"Well, I daresay you'll be safest to walk," said the porter, rather
afraid of getting himself into a scrape if he fetched the children a fly
without proper authority, and feeling uncertain, from their very plain
and rather "countrified" appearance, if their friends belonged to the
fly patronising class or not. "I'll keep the luggage safe till it's
sent for--no fear," and with a friendly nod he marched off with their
possessions.

Holding Carrots by the hand, Floss made her way out of the station. For
about a quarter of a mile the road ran straight before them and they
trudged along contentedly enough. But after awhile they came to a point
where two roads met, one leading to the little watering-place (for the
station was some way from the town), the other out into the country. And
for the first time it struck Floss that she did not know the way. She
looked about her in perplexity.

"It cannot be far," she said; "mamma always said auntie lived _near_
Whitefriars. But I wish I knew which way to go."

Carrots had no suggestion to offer. To make matters worse, it began to
rain--a cold, sleety, late October rain; the children had no umbrella,
and were already tired and hungry. I think it was much to their credit
that they did not lose heart altogether.

Just as Floss was making up her mind to take the turn leading in the
distance to terraces of houses and gardens and other signs of
civilisation, there came, jogging along the road on a cart-horse, a
farmer's boy. Joyful sight! Floss plucked up heart.

"Can you tell me, please," she called out, "wh