men well able to
understand and pronounce upon the knotty problem, the subject did not
possess interest enough to turn my mind from the details I had just been
hearing. The name of Miss Herbert on the trunks showed me now who was
the young lady I had met, and I reproached myself bitterly with having
separated from her, and thus forfeited the occasion of befriending her
on her journey. We were to sup somewhere about eleven, and I resolved
that I would do my utmost to discover her, if in the train; and I occupied
myself now with imagining numerous pretexts for presuming to offer my
services on her behalf. She will readily comprehend the disinterested
character of my attentions. She will see that I come in no spirit of
levity, but moved by a true sympathy and the respectful sentiment of one
touched by her sorrows. I can fancy her coy diffidence giving way before
the deferential homage of my manner; and in this I really believe I
have some tact. I was not sorry to pursue this theme undisturbed by
the presence of my fellow-travellers, who had now got out at a station,
leaving me all alone to meditate and devise imaginary conversations with
Miss Herbert. I rehearsed to myself the words by which to address
her, my bow, my gesture, my faint smile, a blending of melancholy with
kindliness, my whole air a union of the deference of the stranger with
something almost fraternal. These pleasant musings were now rudely
routed by the return of my fellow-travellers, who came hurrying back to
their places at the banging summons of a great bell.

"Everything cold, as usual. It is a perfect disgrace how the public are
treated on this line!" cried one.

"I never think of anything but a biscuit and a glass of ale, and they
charged me elevenpence halfpenny for that."

"The directors ought to look to this. I saw those ham-sandwiches when I
came down here last Tuesday week."

"And though the time-table gives us fifteen minutes, I can swear, for I
laid my watch on the table, that we only got nine and a half."

"Well, I supped heartily off that spiced round."

"Supped, supped I Did you say you had supped here, sir?" asked I, in
anxiety.

"Yes, sir; that last station was Trentham. They give us nothing more now
till we reach town."

I lay back with a faint sigh, and, from that moment, took no note of
time till the guard cried "London!"

CHAPTER X. THE PERILS OF MY JOURNEY TO OSTEND.

"Young lady in deep mourning, sir,--crape shaw