The Leather Plater. 313 



from the home of her childhood, which she was destined never to 

 see again. 



Annie had the coach pretty well to herself all the way up to 

 London, and her gloomy reveries (for she was far from happy) were 

 only disturbed at the different changes, when the kind old guard, 

 who had constituted himself a sort of father protector during the 

 journey, would thrust his jolly mottled face in at the coach window 

 just to inquire how she was " getting on j" to remark that the nights 

 were uncommon cold for the season of the year, and to ask if she 

 would not " get out to take a little refreshment." But her 

 heart was too full to allow of her swallowing a mouthful, and she 

 gently and civilly repulsed all the old gentleman's little advances at 

 familiarity. However, about eight in the morning they stopped to 

 breakfast, and here, as she peremptorily refused to alight, the guard 

 took upon himself to bring her out a cup of tea and some toast, and 

 observing that her eyes were red with weeping, he felt it his duty to 

 say a word or two to comfort her. 



" Come, cheer up, miss j you'll see the old folks at home once 

 more if you live, I dare say." 



This the old fellow considered a very shrewd diplomatic speech j 

 for he now fancied she must drop some chance word or another 

 which would unravel the mystery which he had been puzzling 

 himself throughout the whole night to solve, perched as he was 

 in solitary state on his old backgammon board j for they had 

 but two passengers besides Annie, and these were both in front. 



But the shaft missed its mark. She replied not a word to his 

 kindly-meant observations, but merely thanked him for all his little 

 attentions to her, and this with a smile so gloomy, and yet so 

 sweetly sad, that the old man afterwards declared that the High- 

 flyer had never carried such a passenger since he had been guard on 

 her. 



If, however, he had been struck by her surprising beauty when 

 seen only imperfectly by the light of the moon, how much more 

 was he astonished now, when it burst upon him in all the full blaze 



