"They took a local express," explained the stranger by whom she was being personally conducted. "Afraid to wait in the station, I suppose. Our train passes theirs up the road, and we'll wait for them in Albany."
"But perhaps they'll get off before they reach Albany," replied Belinda.
"Well, their tickets were for Albany, and we'll have to gamble on that. It's a fair chance. Probably they want to lose themselves somewhere until the storm blows over and papa makes terms."
"But why should you go to Albany? You've been awfully good and I'm so much obliged to you, but now I'll just go on by myself."
He looked down at the independent young woman, and the familiar smile came back into his eyes.
"That would be a nice proposition. I can see a life-size picture of myself letting you go up to Albany alone to handle De Puys. A chap like that needs a man. You can get the girl. I wouldn't attempt to handle her without a derrick, but I'll just make a few well-chosen remarks to that rascally Frenchman myself."
"But it is an imposition upon——"
"Nothing of the sort. It's an interposition—of Providence. I've spent weeks wondering how it could ever be done."
Belinda looked puzzled. "You knew they were going to elope?"
"No, that wasn't what I meant."