Of course I couldn’t run all the way to Corby; I had to go slower pretty soon. I kept running little bits now and then, but it seemed a dreadfully long way. I was so afraid that some one Mrs. Charlton knew would see me and perhaps send me back, but though the people I met looked at me in rather a surprised way, they didn’t speak. I hid behind the hedge, too, until they’d passed, when I heard them coming in time. It was getting quite dark for the last part of the way, and the lamps were all lit at Corby. I couldn’t remember the turning to the station, but I asked a little boy. They speak so funnily up there that I didn’t understand what he said, but he pointed out the way all right. There was only one porter person at the station, and I was rather glad of that. He seemed rather stupid, but when I’d asked him two or three times, he said there was a train to King’s Cross at 8.52. That was very lucky, because it was already a quarter past eight. The porter asked me if I had got any luggage, but I said, “No, you are to fetch that to-morrow.” I didn’t think until afterwards that I hadn’t told him the address. When the train came it was very full, because there had been an excursion or something. I found one compartment that wasn’t quite so full, and I got in. A gentleman said, “Come on, there’s room for a little ’un,” and another said, “The more the merrier.” They certainly were very merry, for they were singing songs the whole time, and fighting, but all in fun. I didn’t know grown-up people played like that. There was a very fat lady sitting opposite me, and she began to talk. She said suddenly in rather a strict way, “Where’s your Ma, my dear?” and I said, “At home.” After a minute or two she started again. She said, “Ain’t your Ma well?” I said, “Yes, it’s Humph who is ill.” Then she asked me some more about him, and I told her. I thought she’d stopped, and I quite jumped when she said very crossly, “I suppose your Pa won’t leave ’is smoke. Puff an’ pull the whole day long, that’s the way with all these men. Pigs, I calls ’em!” I didn’t exactly understand. I said, “Father doesn’t smoke the whole day, but he is very fond of it. He likes to have his pipe if he can.” I found out afterwards that she thought I meant that Father was in a smoking compartment of the same train; I’m sure I don’t know why. I’d got so sleepy, though, that I didn’t seem to be able to explain anything or think properly at all. There was a funny little thin man sitting next to the fat lady, who looked as if he’d got there by mistake. He was like a white rabbit with a cold in its head. Suddenly the fat lady said, “Jeremiah, change places this minute with the young lady,” and he jumped up in quite a frightened way. Then she said to me much more nicely, “You come an’ set ’ere, my dear, then you’ll be able to lean up aginst me an’ rest yourself more comfortable like.”