The duke dispatched his valet to the ticket office to engage a coupe on the express train, so that he might be entirely private. And he remained in the cab with closed doors and windows until the servant had secured the coupe, and conveyed all the light luggage into it. Then he left the cab, and passed at once into the coupe, leaving his servant to pay and discharge the cab, and to follow him on the train. James Kerr, after performing these duties, went to the door of his master's little compartment to ask if he had any further orders, before going to take his place in the second-class carriages. "No, Kerr, but come in here with me. I want you at hand during the journey," replied the duke, who, much as he confided in the young man's devotion and loyalty, could not quite trust his discretion, and therefore desired to keep him from talking. The valet bowed and entered the coupe, taking the seat that his master pointed out. The train moved slowly out of the station, but gaining speed as it left the town, soon began to fly swiftly on its northern course. The October sun was setting as the train flew along the margin of the "New River," as Sir Hugh Myddellen's celebrated piece of water-engineering is called. The October evening was chill, and the swift flight of the train drawing a strong draught that could not be kept out, increased the chilliness. The duke leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. The valet attentively tucked the railway rug around his master's knees. The sun had set. The long twilight of northern latitudes came on. At the first station where the express stopped, the guard opened the door and offered to light the lamps, but the duke forbade him, saying that he preferred the darkness. The guard closed the door and retired, and the train started again, and flew on northward through the deepening night. It stopped only at the largest towns and cities on its route--at Peterboro', at York, at Newcastle, and Edinboro'. It was sunrise when the train reached Lone, the only small station at which it stopped on the route. The guard opened the door of the coupe, and the young duke got out, attended by his valet. The train stopped but one minute, and then shot out of the station and flew on toward Aberdeen. The distance between the railway station and the "Hereward Arms," was very short, so the duke preferred to walk it, followed by his valet and a railway porter carrying his light luggage. The sun had risen indeed, although it was nowhere visible. A Scotch mist had risen from the lake, and settled over the mountains, vailing all the grand features of the landscape. Early as the hour was, the hamlet, as they passed through it, seemed deserted by all its male inhabitants. None but women and children were to be seen, and even they, instead of being at work, were loitering about their own doors or gossiping with each other.