"Is there danger, do you fear?" she whispered.
"No, I trust not. I think not. Were anything wrong, the telegraph would have brought the news. It must be some obstruction on the line."
Sara's fear faded away. She had confidence in him. If he, so experienced, the line's own engineer, saw no cause for dread, why should she? Perhaps she could not quite banish one little corner of doubt in her heart; perhaps Mr. Oswald Cray might have some slight corner of fear himself, which he did not deem it expedient to impart to her.
"Did you get frightened, Sara?" he asked, as they walked slowly to and fro in the moonlight.
"I was at the Abbey waiting for them, and Dorcas, one of their new servants, came to me with the news that people in the street were saying there had been an accident. I was very much frightened and came away; ran away, I may say," she added, smiling, "without saying anything to Aunt Bettina."
"Is she at the Abbey?"
"She has just come. She expected they had returned."
"I fear Lady Oswald is waiting for this train at Hildon," he remarked. "She will not like the delay."
"Indeed! Lady Oswald at Hildon!"
He explained to her how it was: that Lady Oswald had gone to Mr. Low's, and was not yet back. "Did you know that I called at your house this afternoon?" he asked.