"What a colour you have, to be sure! Sorry you don’t feel up to luncheon," she said cheerfully. "It’s all use. When you’ve knocked about as much as I have you’ll get more experiences. I’m up to all travelling dodges." Isla had no doubt of it. She opened out another paper and let her eyes fall languidly on it, praying fervidly for the quick passage of the next twenty minutes. At another time she would have most thoroughly enjoyed such a travelling-companion and would undoubtedly have elicited her whole family history. But now her whole desire and aim was to stem the avalanche. "Queer--wasn’t it?--that we should meet like this," pursued her wholly unconscious tormentor. "I took to you that day when I met you on the road far more than to that other one you was with when you came back. She’s a haughty piece, if you like. They told me at the hotel at Strathyre that it’s expected she’ll maybe be Lady of Achree some day, but we don’t think!" "Nobody pays any attention to the gossip of the Glen," said Isla, the desperate look stealing to her face again. "Well, you may take it from me that that won’t come orf," said Mrs. Bisley with cheerful emphasis, at the same time picking up a paper and beginning a languid inspection of the pictures it contained. For about ten minutes there was a blessed silence, and then the restaurant attendant appeared to ask them to take seats for the first luncheon. Mrs. Bisley, full of pleasurable anticipation, jumped up and proceeded to arrange her hair and pin on her hat at the most becoming angle. Then she grasped her hand-bag and came out into the corridor, nodding delightedly. "Sure you won’t come, Miss? It would do you no end of good. Do be persuaded." "Oh, no, thank you. I couldn’t eat." "Then, I leave you to keep our seats. Hope we don’t have anyone else put in with us at Carlisle. Then we can have a nice chat all the afternoon." "Heaven forbid!" said Isla in her inmost soul. A few minutes after her companion had disappeared, and when the corridor was quite empty, she rang the bell. It was a long time before anyone answered it. Then, indeed, it was only the conductor who came. He had not even heard the bell--he merely came through by chance. "Will you be so kind as to get me another seat at once and have my things moved?" she said, with that single touch of hauteur mingled with appeal which, somehow, always commanded immediate service. The man touched his hat, looked inquiringly into the compartment, and, seeing no one, put a question. "The train is rather full, ma’am. Are you not comfortable here? I don’t believe there is another compartment in it with only two passengers." "I don’t mind. I want to move," said Isla desperately. "I--I don’t care for my fellow-traveller. No--she isn’t in the least objectionable, but I want to move right to the other end of the train, if possible, and if there is no other accommodation I’ll pay for a first-class seat."