“Next station?--O--Oldbridge,” sang out the cherubic faced conductor and
Ruth's heart began to palpitate.
“I _will_ smile,” she said, “I won't be absurd.” And she fixed her gaze
resolutely on the landscape, arrested, at once, by some subtle change in
it.
Perceptibly, the meadows displayed a softer, more velvety grass; the
trees grew, more finely luxuriant, the cliffs rose boldly. A hint of
human intention, the touch of elegance, a something thoroughbred, spoke
aloud.... The few last miles through which Miss Adgate jolted gave
symptoms of civilisation.
“O--O--ldbridge!”
The guard intoned it nasally, with complete resignation,--a twenty
years' fatiguing habit; and an intimation too, in his voice, that the
goal of human travel had been reached. The train slackened.... One saw,
spanning the river, a black bridge latticing the green and the blue;
one caught glimpses of a town, white houses scattered up the slopes of
wooded hills.
Several trim white yachts rested on the water; small sailboats glided,
hither and yon, and little skiffs and slim rowboats floated by to
a leisurely motion, manned by a single young oarsman, a girl seated
hatless, in the bow. The gay scene under the yellow sunlight, the
rippling, the smiling river, the warm waning afternoon--alive,
sparkling, seemed an invitation to her full of promise.
“Come, Paolina,” said Ruth, with inward trepidation. “Come, Paolina.”
Miss Adgate summoned her courage as the train stopped with a jerk.
She passed--heroic effort--through the car to the platform, while
Paolina took the dressing-case and followed, moved like her mistress and
as tremulous.
Ruth scanned the faces in the friendly brick station. The white head,
the features, familiar from photograph presentment, were--not there!
But a hand, extended at the last step to help her descend, caused her
to turn. Her arms in an instant had flung themselves impulsively about a
figure which stood at her side.
“Uncle!” cried Ruth. Her heart ceased to pound, her nervousness gave way
to an immense inward satisfaction. Tears sprang to her eyes--but,
what did it matter? My heroine would be less charming were she less
impressionable and one does not gather upon every bush, an uncle _in
loco parentis_.
“Well, well, my dear!--we've got you here at last, Ruth,” said the tall,
thin, old man. He looked down at her fondly, a good face full of kindly
scrutiny.
“You've brought belongings of sorts?” General Adgate enquired as he
conducted Ruth towards the carriage whilst the young girl felt half a
dozen pairs of curious eyes fixed upon her.
“If that's your maid tell her there's a seat for her in the luggage
cart near Jobias,” said General Adgate. He handed his niece into the
brougham, Paolina received her instructions, they drove off.