"A large box and a small one, and two carpet-bags. 'Miss Hereford, passenger to Nettleby,' is written on them. Can you please to tell me whether it is far to Mr. Edwin Barley's?" "I don't know any Mr. Edwin Barley. Jem," added he, to one of the porters, "see after her. I'm going to hand out her things." "Where do you want to go, Miss?" the porter asked. "To Mr. Edwin Barley's. They told me I must get out at the Nettleby station, and ask to be sent on, unless a carriage met me here." "You must mean Mr. Edwin Barley of Hallam." "Yes, that's it. Is it far?" "Well, Hallam's five miles off, and the house is a mile on this side of it. There's no rail, Miss; you must go by the omnibus." "But you are sure that Mrs. Edwin Barley has not come to meet me?" I asked, feeling a sort of chill. Not any one had come, and the porter put me into the omnibus with some more passengers. What a long drive it seemed! And the hedges and trees looked very dreary, for the shades of evening were gathering. At the foot of a hill the omnibus pulled up, and a man who had sat by the driver came round. "Ain't there somebody inside for Mr. Edwin Barley's?" "Yes; I am." I got out, and the luggage was put upon the ground. "Two shillings, Miss," said the man. "Two shillings!" I repeated, in great alarm. "Why, did you expect to come for one—and inside too! It's uncommon cheap, is this omnibus." "Oh, it is not that. But I have not any money." "Not got any money!" "They did not give me any. They gave the guard my fare to Nettleby. Mr. Sterling said I should be sure to be met." The man went up to the driver. "I say, Bill, this child says she's got no money." The driver turned round and looked at me. "We can call to-morrow for it; I daresay it's all right. Do you belong to the Barleys, Miss?" "Mrs. Edwin Barley is my aunt. I am come on a visit to her." "Oh, it's all right. Get up, Joe." "But please," said I, stopping the man, in an agony of fear—for I could see no house or sign of one, save a small, round, low building that might contain one room—"which is Mr. Edwin Barley's? Am I to stay in the road with the boxes?" The man laughed, said he had supposed I knew, and began shouting out, "Here; missis!" two or three times. "You see that big green gate, Miss?" he added to me. "Well, that leads up to Mr. Barley's, and that's his lodge." A woman came out of the lodge; in answer to the shouts, and opened the gate. The man explained, put the trunks inside the gate, and the omnibus drove on. "I beg pardon that I can't go up to the house with you, Miss, but it's not far, and you can't miss it," said she. "I have got my baby sick in its cradle, and dare not leave it alone. You are little Miss Hereford?" "Yes." "It's odd they never sent to meet you at Nettleby, if they knew you were coming! But they have visitors at the house, and perhaps young madam forgot it. Straight on, Miss, and you'll soon come to the hall-door; go up the steps, and give a good pull at the bell."