"No hurry, sir," said the man, stamping Mona's ticket first. "You have three minutes yet."
"I have got your ticket," Dudley said, joining Mona on the platform. "You will come with me."
The words were spoken almost more as a command than as a request.
("Let me not lose my pride!")
"Thank you very much." she said; "I never travel first-class."
"You will to-day."
Her only answer was to open the door of a third-class carriage.
Dudley bit his lip—then smiled. "Do you prefer a smoking-carriage?" he said.
She laughed nervously, and, moving on to the next, entered it without a word. Ralph longed to follow her, but he prudently thought better of it.
With punctilious courtesy he saw her into the carriage; and then, closing the door, he lifted his hat and walked away.