“Please take as much of it as you think right,” she said—­“It was very kind of you to let me ride with you.”

The man stared, whistled, and thought.  Feeling in the depth of a capacious pocket he drew out a handful of silver and counted it over carefully.

“’Ere y’are!” he said, handing it all over with the exception of one half-crown—­“Ye’ll want all yer change in Lunnon an’ more.  I’m takin’ two bob an’ sixpence—­if ye thinks it too much, say so!”

“Oh no, no!” and Innocent looked distressed—­“Perhaps it’s too little—­I hope you are not wronging yourself?”

The waggoner laughed, kindly enough.

“Don’t ye mind me!” he said—­“I’m all right!  If I ’adn’t two kids at ‘ome I’d charge ye nothin’—­but I’m goin’ to get ’em a toy they wants, an’ I’ll take the ’arf-crown for the luck of it.  Good-day t’ye!  Hope you’ll find an easy place!”

She smiled and thanked him,—­then entered the station and, finding the ticket-office just open, paid a third-class fare to London.  A sudden thrill of nervousness came over her.  She spoke to the booking-clerk, peering wistfully at him through his little ticket-aperture.

“I have never been in a train before!” she said, in a small, anxious voice.

The clerk smiled, and yawned expansively.  He was a young man who considered himself a “gentleman,” and among his own particular set passed for being a wit.

“Really!” he drawled—­“Quite a new experience for you!  A little country mouse, is it?”

Innocent drew back, offended.

“I don’t know what you mean,” she said, coldly—­and moved away.

The young clerk fingered his embryo moustache dubiously—­conscious of a blunder in manners.  This girl was a lady—­not a mere country wench to joke with.  He felt rather uncomfortable—­and presently leaving his office, went out on the platform where she was walking up and down, and slightly lifted his cap.

“I beg your pardon!” he said, his face reddening a little—­“If you are travelling alone you would like to get into a carriage with other people, wouldn’t you?”

“Oh yes!” she answered, eagerly—­“If you would be so kind—­”

He made no answer, as just then, with a rush and crash and clatter, and deafening shriek of the engine-whistle, the train came thundering in.  There was opening and shutting of doors, much banging and confusion, and before she very well knew where she was, Innocent found herself in a compartment with three other persons—­one benevolent-looking old gentleman with white hair who was seated opposite to her, and a man and woman, evidently husband and wife.  Another shriek and roar, and the train started—­as it began to race along, Innocent closed her eyes with a sickening sensation of faintness and terror—­then, opening them, saw hedges, fields, trees and ponds all flying past her like scud in the wind, and sat watching in stupefied wonderment—­one little hand grasping the