All the servants, horses and carriages attached to the place were at the young mistress’ order; but she chose to avail herself of none of them. She would walk to the railway station. The clear, starlit sky and the snow-white earth rendered her road light enough for convenience. As for danger, there was none of any sort. No act of violence had ever been known to occur in that primitive, rural neighborhood, which might almost have been called Arcadian in its simplicity and innocence. She knew that she could easily walk the six miles in two hours and catch the ten o’clock train. So she walked bravely on until she came to the outer gate. Just as she was in the act of opening it she was startled by a rushing sound behind her, and turning, saw Lion, the large Newfoundland dog, at her side, evidently bent on following her.
“Yes, good dog. Good, good dog, you shall go! And then if there could be any danger you would guard me with your life. Wouldn’t you, good dog?”
Lion assured his mistress, in much eloquent pantomime, that he was her own devoted dog and would die for her if necessary.
Lilith went on, the dog trotting by her side, over the stubble fields, into the dense forest, out again, through the narrow mountain pass, out again into the fields, and finally in sight of the lights at the railway station.
Here Lilith stopped to draw the vail more closely around her face, for she did not wish to be recognized by any acquaintance who might ask her questions. Here, too, she must part with her dog. It would not be well to take him with her to the railway station, either for her sake or for his own. So she must send him home; but she wished to part pleasantly with her fourfooted friend—not to drive him away from her, but to send him on an errand for her; so she opened her hand-bag and took off a paper which had been wrapped around her brushes, breathed into the paper, rolled it up to a convenient size and gave it to the dog, putting it between his jaws, patting him on the head, turning him with his nose towards the Cliffs, and saying:
“Good dog! Good dog! Good fellow! Carry it home! Carry it home!”
And Lion, delighted at having an important commission to execute, set off at a run.
Lilith dashed a tear from her eye and hurried on to the railway station. There was not a soul there except the ticket agent and a rough-looking passenger.
Lilith knew exactly the price of a ticket to Baltimore, and had her change ready. She went into the musty office, pushed the money on the ledge of the ticket window, and said, from behind her vail:
“One, to Baltimore.”