Part 47 (2/2)
William settled himself comfortably across his master's knees and in two minutes was snoring softly.
Miles manifested so keen an interest in Mr. With.e.l.ls' exhibits (he had got a second prize and a highly commended) that the kindly little man was quite attracted; and when Miles inquired about trains to Cheltenham he gave him precisely the same advice that he had given Meg.
The station at Amber Guiting is seldom crowded; it's on a shuttle line, and except on market-day there is but little pa.s.senger traffic.
Therefore a small young lady with rather conspicuously red hair, a neat grey coat and skirt, a shady grey straw hat trimmed with white clover and green leaves, and a green parasol, was noticeable upon the platform out of all proportion to her size.
The train was waiting. The lady entered an empty third-cla.s.s carriage, and sitting in the corner with her back to the engine, shut herself in.
The train departed punctually, and she took out from her bag a note-book which she studied with frowning concentration.
Ten minutes further down the line the train stops again at Guiting Green, and here the young lady looked out of the window to see whether anyone was travelling that she recognised.
There was. But it was impossible to judge from the young lady's expression whether the recognition gave her pleasure or not.
She drew in her head very quickly, but not before she had been seen.
”Hullo, Miss Morton! Where are you going? May I get in here?”
”Aren't you travelling first?”
”Not a bit of it. Sure you don't mind? How jolly to have met you!”
Miles looked so smiling, so big and well turned out, and pleased with life, that Meg's severe expression relaxed somewhat.
”I suppose,” she said, ”you're just going to the junction. But why come to Guiting Green?”
”I came to Guiting Green because it's exactly four miles from the Manor House. And I've walked those four miles, Miss Morton, walked 'em for the good of my health. Wish it wasn't so dusty, though--look at my boots! _I'm_ going to Cheltenham. Where are you going?”
”Cheltenham?” Meg repeated suspiciously. ”What are you going to do there?”
”I'm going to see about a horse--not a dog this time--I hear that Smith's have got a horse that may suit me; really up to my weight they say it is, so I took the chance of going over while I'm with my uncle--it's a lot nearer than town, you know. But where are _you_ going?”
”I,” said Meg, ”am going to Cheltenham----”
”To Cheltenham!” Miles exclaimed in rather overdone astonishment. ”What an extraordinary coincidence! And what are _you_ going to buy in Cheltenham?”
”I am going to see my father. I thought I had told you he lives there.”
”So you did, of course. How stupid of me to forget! Well, it's very jolly we should happen to be going down together, isn't it?”
They looked at one another, and Miles laughed.
”I'm not at all sure that we ought to travel together after we reach the junction, and I don't believe you've got a third-cla.s.s ticket.” Meg looked very prim.
Miles produced his ticket--it _was_ third-cla.s.s.
<script>