He jumped quietly on the road just as the engine thundered between the gates in front. By the time the train was at rest, he was over the gate and making his way to the platform. He stopped in the darkness by the rear end of the train till he saw the figure in black disappear into a carriage, and then he stepped into a compartment near the guard’s van.
“Haven’t got a ticket, but I’ll pay as I go along,” he said to the guard as he passed the window.
The guard knew Mr. Cromarty well and touched his cap, and then the train started and Mr. Cromarty was embarked upon what he confessed to himself was the blindest journey he had ever made in all his varied career.
Where was she going—and why was she going? He asked himself these questions over and over again as he sat with a cigar between his teeth and his long legs stretched out on the opposite seat, and the train drove on into an ever wilder and more desolate land. It would be very many miles and a couple of hours or more before they reached any sort of conceivable destination for her, and as a matter of fact this train did not go beyond that destination. Then it struck him sharply that up till the end of last month the train had continued its southward journey. The alteration in the timetable was only a few days old. Possibly she was not aware of it and had counted on travelling to—where? He knew where she had got to stop, but where had she meant to stop? Or where would she go tomorrow? And above all, why was she going at all, leaving her bicycle at a wayside station and with her sole luggage a small suit case? Ned shook his head, tried to suck life into his neglected cigar, and gave up the problem in the meanwhile.
As to the question of what business he had to be following Miss Farmond like this, he troubled his head about it not at all. If she needed him, here he was. If she didn’t, he would clear out. But very strong and very urgent was the conviction that she required a friend of some sort.
The stations were few and far between and most desolate, improbable places as endings for Cicely Farmond’s journey. He looked out of the window at each of them, but she never alighted.
“She’s going to find herself stuck for the night. That’s about the size of it,” he said to himself as they left the last station before the journey ended.
Though their next stop was the final stop, he did not open the carriage door when the train pulled up. He did not even put his head far out of the window, only just enough to see what passed on the platform ahead.
“I’m not going to worry her if she doesn’t need me,” he said to himself.
He saw the slip of a figure in black talking to the stationmaster, and it was hardly necessary to hear that official’s last words in order to divine what had happened.
“Weel, miss,” he overheard the stationmaster say, “I’m sorry ye’re disappointed, but it’s no me that has stoppit the train. It’s aff for the winter. If ye turn to the left ye’ll fin’ the hotel.”
The girl looked round her slowly and it seemed to Ned that the way she did it epitomised disappointment and desolation, and then she hurried through the station buildings and was gone.
He was out of the carriage and after her in an instant. Beyond the station the darkness was intense and he had almost passed a road branching to the left without seeing it. He stopped and was going to turn down it when it struck him the silence was intense that way, but that there was a light sound of retreating footsteps straight ahead.
“She’s missed the turning!” he said to himself, and followed the footsteps.
In a little he could see her against the sky, a dim hurrying figure, and his own stride quickened. He had never been in this place before, but he knew it for a mere seaboard village with an utterly lonely country on every inland side. She was heading into a black wilderness, and he took his decision at once and increased his pace till he was overhauling her fast.
At the sound of his footsteps he could see that she glanced over her shoulder and made the more haste till she was almost running. And then as she heard the pursuing steps always nearer she suddenly slackened speed to let him pass.
“Miss Farmond!” said he.
He could hear her gasp as she stopped short and turned sharply. She was staring hard now at the tall figure looming above her.
“It’s only me—Ned Cromarty,” he said quietly.
And then he started in turn, for instead of showing relief she gave a half smothered little cry and shrank away from him. For a moment there was dead silence and then he said, still quietly, though it cost him an effort.
“I only mean to help you if you need a hand. Are you looking for the hotel?”
“Yes,” she said in a low frightened voice.
“Well,” said he, “I guess you’d walk till morning before you reached an hotel along this road. You missed the turning at the station. Give me your bag. Come along!”
She let him take the suit case and she turned back with him, but it struck him painfully that her docility was like that of a frightened animal.
“Where are you bound for?” he enquired in his usual direct way.
She murmured something that he could not catch and then they fell altogether silent till they had retraced their road to the station and turned down towards a twinkling light or two which showed where the
