"You must mean Mr. Edwin Barley of Hallam."
"Yes, that's it. Is it far?"
"Well, Hallam's five miles off, and the house is a mile on this side of it. There's no rail, Miss; you must go by the omnibus."
"But you are sure that Mrs. Edwin Barley has not come to meet me?" I asked, feeling a sort of chill.
Not any one had come, and the porter put me into the omnibus with some more passengers. What a long drive it seemed! And the hedges and trees looked very dreary, for the shades of evening were gathering.
At the foot of a hill the omnibus pulled up, and a man who had sat by the driver came round. "Ain't there somebody inside for Mr. Edwin Barley's?"
"Yes; I am."
I got out, and the luggage was put upon the ground. "Two shillings, Miss," said the man.
"Two shillings!" I repeated, in great alarm.
"Why, did you expect to come for one—and inside too! It's uncommon cheap, is this omnibus."