“You must now return; but we will try to raise you again from the depths, when you are in the quiet of your own home, alone, and the prospects are favorable.”
Deeply disappointed and violently struggling against the power that would thus wrench us from the happy haven into which we had drifted, we heard—O, so faintly, as from a great distance——
“Rest easily, Earth-child; you are doing yourself only harm. All will be made clear in the Good Father’s own time.”
Then the horrible whistles, the jolting of the train, and an indignant voice saying:
“Didn’t you see her shiver? Such a fuss over nothing! She is coming to, all right. Better keep your bottle for those that need it. Some doctors think that brandy will start or stop the universe.” This last in an undertone.
We opened our eyes very reluctantly, to find a red-faced, wrinkled and be-whiskered man bending over us, with a breath strongly indicative of the contents of a bottle held threateningly near.
Pushing it angrily away, we exclaimed in a far-from-Reinstern-like tone:—
“Why are you meddling with our affairs? We did not want to come back yet; we have not seen the father’s field;—not even had dinner—and things looked so attractive!”
He shook his head with a professional air, and murmured: “Not right yet;—better,—decidedly better.”
Then we sat up as straight as a clothes-pin, and glaring at the passengers about our seat rudely demanded: