The scene is changed now to the railway station at Wreckumoft, where
there is the usual amount of bustle and noise. The engines are
shrieking and snorting as if nothing on earth could relieve their
feelings but bursting. Bells are ringing; porters are hurrying to and
fro with luggage on trucks, to the risk of passengers' shins and toes;
men, women, and children, young and old, high and low, rich and poor,
are mixed in confusion on the platform, some insanely attempting to
force their way into a train that is moving off, under the impression
that it is _their_ train, and they are too late "after all!" Others are
wildly searching for lost luggage. Many are endeavouring to calm their
own spirits, some are attempting to calm the spirits of others. Timid
old ladies, who _cannot_ get reconciled to railways at all, are
convinced that "something is going to happen," and testy old gentlemen
are stumping about in search of wives and daughters, wishing that
railways had never been invented, while a good many self-possessed
individuals of both sexes are regarding the scene with serene composure.
When Miss Peppy made her appearance she was evidently not among the
latter class. She was accompanied by Kenneth, and attended by Mrs
Niven.
Neither mistress nor maid had ever been in a railway station before.
They belonged to that class of females who are not addicted to
travelling, and who prefer stage-coaches of the olden times to railways.
They entered the station, therefore, with some curiosity and much
trepidation--for it chanced to be an excursion day, and several of the
"trades" of Athenbury were besieging the ticket-windows.
"It is very good of you to go with me, Kennie," said Miss Peppy, hugging
her nephew's arm.
"My dear aunt, it is a pleasure, I assure you," replied Kenneth; "I am
quite anxious to make the acquaintance of Colonel Crusty and his pretty
daughter."
"O dear! what a shriek! Is anything wrong, Kennie?"
"Nothing, dear aunt; it is only a train about to start."
"What's the matter with you, Niven?" inquired Miss Peppy with some
anxiety, on observing that the housekeeper's face was ashy pale.
"Nothink, ma'am; only I feels assured that _everythink_ is a-goin' to
bu'st, ma'am."
She looked round hastily, as if in search of some way of escape, but no
such way presented itself.
"Look-out for your legs, ma'am," shouted a porter, as he tried to stop
his truck of luggage.
Mrs Niven of course did not hear him, and if she had heard him, she
would not have believed it possible that he referred to _her_ legs, for
she wore a very long dress, and was always scrupulously particular in
the matter of concealing her ankles. Fortunately Kenneth observed her
danger, and pulled her out of the way with unavoidable violence.
"It can't 'old on much longer," observed Niven with a sigh, referring to
an engine which stood directly opposite to her in tremulous and
apparently tremendous anxiety to start.
The driver vented his impatience just then by causing the whistle to
give three sharp yelps, which produced three agonising leaps in the
bosoms of Miss Peppy and Mrs Niven.
"_Couldn't_ it all be done with a little less noise," said Miss Peppy to
Kenneth, "it seems to me so aw--oh! look! surely that old gentleman has
gone mad!"
"Not he," said Kenneth with a smile; "he has only lost his wife in the
crowd, and thinks the train will start before he finds her; see, she is
under the same impression, don't you see her rushing wildly about
looking for her husband, they'll meet in a moment or two if they keep
going in the same direction, unless that luggage-truck should
interfere."
"Look-out, sir!" shouted the porter at that moment. The old gentleman
started back, and all but knocked over his wife, who screamed,
recognised him, and clung to his arm with thankful tenacity.
A bell rang.
The crowd swayed to and fro; agitated people became apparently insane;
timid people collapsed; strong people pushed, and weak folk gave way.
If any man should be sceptical in regard to the doctrine of the thorough
depravity of the human heart, he can have his unbelief removed by going
into and observing the conduct of an eager crowd!
"What a hinfamous state of things!" observed Mrs Niven.
"Yell!--shriek!" went the engine whistle, drowning Miss Peppy's reply.
"Take your seats!" roared the guard.
The engine gave a sudden snort, as if to say, "You'd better, else I'm
off without you."
"Now aunt," said Kenneth, "come along."
In another moment Miss Peppy was seated in a carriage, with her head out
of the window, talking earnestly and rapidly to Mrs Niven.
It seemed as if she had reserved all the household directions which she
had to give to that last inopportune moment!
"Now, take good care of Emmie, Niven, and don't forget to get her--"