A Widow's Tale, and Other StoriesOliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
General
A Widow's Tale, and Other Stories
Oliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
Fiction; Short stories
She did not know what to think at first. The sound of the train plunging
along through the darkness, through the unknown country, filled her mind
as if some one was talking to her. And she was fluttered by the
strangeness of the incident and disturbed by alarms. There was a fearful
joy in thus being alone, in having a few hours, perhaps a whole long
tranquil night, to herself: whatever came of it, that was always so much
gained. But then she seemed to see him in the morning coming in upon her
heated and angry. She had always felt that the moment would come when he
would be angry, and more terrible to confront than any governess, or
even principal of a ladies' college. He would come in furious, accusing
her of being the cause of the accident, of doing something to set the
train in motion; or else he would come in fatigued and dusty, claiming
her services as if she were his valet--a thing which had, more or less,
happened already, and against which Janey's pride and her sense of what
was fit had risen in arms. She thought of this for a little time with
trouble, and of the difficulties she would have in arriving, and where
she would go to, and what she would say. It was an absurd story to tell,
not to his advantage, "I lost my husband at Montbard." How could she say
it? The hotel people would think she was a deceiver. Perhaps they would
not take her in. And how would he know where to find her when he
arrived? He would feel that he had lost her, as much as she had lost
him.
Just as this idea rose in her mind, like a new thing full of strange
suggestions, the train began to shorten speed again, and presently
stopped once more. She felt it to do so with a pang of horror. No doubt
he had climbed up somewhere, at the end or upon the engine, and was now
to be restored to his legitimate place, to fall upon her either in
fondness or in rage, delighted to get back to her, or angry with her for
leaving him behind: she did not know which would be the worst. Her heart
began to beat with fright and anticipation. But to her great relief it
was only the guard who came to the door. He wanted to know if madame was
the lady whose husband had been left behind; and to offer a hundred
apologies and explanations. One of those fools at Montbard had
proclaimed twenty minutes' pause when there were but five. If he had but
heard he would have put it right, but he was at the other end of the
train. But madame must not be too much distressed; a few hours would put
it all right.
"Then there is another train?" said Janey, her poor little head buzzing
between excitement and relief.
"Not for some hours," said the guard. "Madame will understand that there
is not more than one _rapide_ in the middle of the night; but in the
morning quite early there is the train omnibus. Oh, very early, at five
o'clock. Before madame is ready for her dinner monsieur will be at her
side."
"Not till evening, then?" said Janey, with again a sudden acceleration
of the movement of her heart.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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