"Please take as much of it as you think right," she said--"It was very
kind of you to let me ride with you."
The man stared, whistled, and thought. Feeling in the depth of a
capacious pocket he drew out a handful of silver and counted it over
carefully.
"'Ere y'are!" he said, handing it all over with the exception of one
half-crown--"Ye'll want all yer change in Lunnon an' more. I'm takin'
two bob an' sixpence--if ye thinks it too much, say so!"
"Oh no, no!" and Innocent looked distressed--"Perhaps it's too
little--I hope you are not wronging yourself?"
The waggoner laughed, kindly enough.
"Don't ye mind ME!" he said--"I'M all right! If I 'adn't two kids at
'ome I'd charge ye nothin'--but I'm goin' to get 'em a toy they wants,
an' I'll take the 'arf-crown for the luck of it. Good-day t'ye! Hope
you'll find an easy place!"
She smiled and thanked him,--then entered the station and, finding the
ticket-office just open, paid a third-class fare to London. A sudden
thrill of nervousness came over her. She spoke to the booking-clerk,
peering wistfully at him through his little ticket-aperture.
"I have never been in a train before!" she said, in a small, anxious
voice.
The clerk smiled, and yawned expansively. He was a young man who
considered himself a "gentleman," and among his own particular set
passed for being a wit.
"Really!" he drawled--"Quite a new experience for you! A little country
mouse, is it?"
Innocent drew back, offended.
"I don't know what you mean," she said, coldly--and moved away.
The young clerk fingered his embryo moustache dubiously--conscious of a
blunder in manners. This girl was a lady--not a mere country wench to
joke with. He felt rather uncomfortable--and presently leaving his
office, went out on the platform where she was walking up and down, and
slightly lifted his cap.
"I beg your pardon!" he said, his face reddening a little--"If you are
travelling alone you would like to get into a carriage with other
people, wouldn't you?"
"Oh yes!" she answered, eagerly--"If you would be so kind--"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account