“Oh! if you please——” began Girlie nervously, feeling very much alarmed.
“Well, then, I don’t, please,” said the woman, snapping her up before she could finish the sentence; “and if you’re not off this very minute, you’ll catch it, I can tell you.”
Girlie did not wait to be told a second time, but, running as quickly as she could along the platform, she hastened up the stairs at the other end. “Oh dear! oh dear!” she panted while she hurried along, “I do hope that all the people here are not so cross and disagreeable as that; although I don’t know, I’m sure,” she thought, “what I should have done about that ticket, if she hadn’t come out and sent the Porter away;” and, finding to her great relief that she was not being followed, Girlie hurried up the stairs.
CHAPTER III
BREAKFAST FOR TEA.
WHEN she reached the top of the stairs, Girlie found herself in a courtyard, surrounded by high railings and some massive iron gates. There was a lodge by the gates, at the door of which stood an old crocodile with a white bandage around his head. He came slowly towards Girlie, carrying some enormous keys in his hand.
“Have you had your tea?” he queried anxiously.
“No!” said Girlie, thinking that she should very much like some after all those stairs.
“Very well, then,” said the Crocodile, “we will have some together; step this way.” Girlie followed him into the lodge, the door of which opened directly into a cosy little room. A table stood in the centre, covered with a white table-cloth.