"Ah, you fellows get all the fun," said the clerk, sticking his pen behind his ear, and slewing round his tall stool, as the guards made themselves comfortable, one upon a wine-hamper, and the other upon an upturned box; while the ticket-collector seated himself upon the edge of a huge pigeon-hole, which necessitated his keeping his body in a bent position, something after the fashion of that held by occupants of the pleasant dungeon known in the Tower as "The Little Ease." "Well, we get all the rough as well," said one of the guards, "and some ugly customers too." "Regular 'lopement, then?" said one of the porters, scratching his ear with a piece of straw. "Regular, my lad," said one of the guards. "You saw the gent before, didn't you, George?" "Yes; he was walking up and down the platform for half an hour first," said the ticket-collector. "I hadn't noticed the other, because he was outside the gate waiting." "Well, tell us all about it," said the clerk. "Oh, there ain't much to tell," said the guard who had spoken first. "I saw the girl get in at Lympton, regular stylish-looking body, nice figure, closely veiled. I thought it meant sixpence perhaps; and took her bag, and ran and opened a first-class, when she quite staggered me as she says: `Third class, please.' Well, of course that made me notice her more than once, as we stopped coming up, and I could see that she had been crying and was in trouble." The little party grew more interested and drew closer. "Somehow, I couldn't help seeing that there was something wrong, for she tried to avoid being noticed, squeezing herself up in the corner of the compartment, and then being very fidgety at every station we stopped at, till I slapped my leg as I got into the break, and says to myself: `She's off!'" "Ah, it would look like it," said the clerk, nodding, and letting his pen slip from behind his ear, so that it fell, sticking its nib like an arrow in the boarded floor. "Yes; I wasn't a bit surprised to see a dark good-looking gentleman on the platform, peeping into every carriage as the train drew up; and I managed to be close to her door as the gent opened it and held out his hand." "`Why didn't you come first-class, you foolish girl?' he says in a whisper; and she didn't answer, only gave a low moan, like, and let him help her out on to the platform, when he draws her arm right through his, so as to support her well, catches up her little bag, and walks her along towards George here; and I felt so interested, that I followed 'em, just to see how matters went." "You felt reg'lar suspicious then?" said one of the porters.