"My word, Middleton!" said Charles, coming to meet me. "I thought I had seen the last of you when I left you reclining on George in the drift. I do believe you have got yourself into this state of fever-heat purely to be of use to us two; and I treated you very cavalierly, I am sure. Let by-gones be by-gones, and let us shake hands while you are in this melting mood." I could not speak, but we shook hands cordially; and I hurried off to get my ticket. "You can only book to Tarborough!" he called after me, "where we change, and catch the London express." The station-master gave me my ticket, and then approached Charles, and touched his cap. "Might any of you gentlemen be going to London, sir?" he inquired. "All three of us." "I don't think you will get on, sir. The news came down this morning that the evening express from Tarborough last night was thrown off the rails by a drift, and got knocked about, and I don't expect the line is clear yet. There will be no trains running till later in the day, I am afraid." "The night express?" said Ralph, suddenly. "Do you mean the 9 train, which you can catch by the 8.2 from here?" "Yes, sir." "She was in it!" said Ralph, in a hoarse voice, as the man walked away. "How late the train is!" said Charles; "quarter of an hour already. I say, Jervis," calling after him, "any particulars about the accident? Serious?" "Oh dear no, sir, not to my knowledge. Never heard of anything but that the train had been upset, and had stopped the traffic." "Not many people travelling in such weather, at any rate. I dare say there was not a creature who went from here by the last train last night?" "Only two, sir. One of the young gentlemen from the rectory, and a young lady, who was very near late, poor thing, and all wet with snow. Ah, there she is, at last!" as the train came in sight; and he went through the ceremony of ringing the bell, although we were the only travellers on the platform. It was only an hour's run to Tarborough, where we were to join the main line. "What are we to do now?" said Charles, as the chimneys of Tarborough hove in sight, and the train slackened. "Ten to one we shall not be able to get on to London!" "Nor she either," said Ralph. "I shall see her! I shall see her here!" There was an air of excitement about the whole station as we drew up before the platform. Groups of railway officials were clustered together, talking eagerly; the bar-maids were all looking out of the refreshment-room door; policemen were stationed here and there; and outside the iron gates of the station a little crowd of people were waiting in the trodden yellow snow, peering through the bars.