Delaine tried to persuade Elizabeth to return to the car—­in vain.  He himself returned thither for a warmer coat, and she and Anderson walked on alone.

“The Rockies were fine!—­but the Selkirks are superb!”

She smiled at him as she spoke, as though she thanked him personally for the grandeur round them.  Her slender form seemed to have grown in stature and in energy.  The mountain rain was on her fresh cheek and her hair; a blue veil eddying round her head and face framed the brilliance of her eyes.  Those who had known Elizabeth in Europe would hardly have recognised her here.  The spirit of earth’s wild and virgin places had mingled with her spirit, and as she had grown in sympathy, so also she had grown in beauty.  Anderson looked at her from time to time in enchantment, grudging every minute that passed.  The temptation strengthened to tell her his trouble.  But how, or when?

As he turned to her he saw that she, too, was gazing at him with an anxious, wistful expression, her lips parted as though to speak.

He bent over her.

“What was that?” exclaimed Elizabeth, looking round her.

They had passed beyond the station where the train was at rest.  But the sound of shouts pursued them.  Anderson distinguished his own name.  A couple of railway officials had left the station and were hurrying towards them.

A sudden thought struck Anderson.  He held up his hand with a gesture as though to ask Lady Merton not to follow, and himself ran back to the station.

Elizabeth, from where she stood, saw the passengers all pouring out of the train on to the platform.  Even Philip emerged and waved to her.  She slowly returned, and meanwhile Anderson had disappeared.

She found an excited crowd of travellers and a babel of noise.  Delaine hurried to her.

It appeared that an extraordinary thing had happened.  The train immediately in front of them, carrying mail and express cars but no passengers, had been “held up” by a gang of train-robbers, at a spot between Sicamous junction and Kamloops.  In order to break open the mail van the robbers had employed a charge of dynamite, which had wrecked the car and caused some damage to the line; enough to block the permanent way for some hours.

“And Philip has just opened this telegram for you.”

Delaine handed it to her.  It was from the District Superintendent, expressing great regret for the interruption to their journey, and suggesting that they should spend the night at the hotel at Glacier.

“Which I understand is only four miles off, the other side of the pass,” said Delaine.  “Was there ever anything more annoying!”

Elizabeth’s face expressed an utter bewilderment.

“A train held up in Canada—­and on the C.P.R.—­impossible!”

An elderly man in front of her heard what she said, and turned upon her a face purple with wrath.