"I rather hope—" and then stopped.
"You rather hope what, Miss Douglas?"
"Oh, never mind. I did not mean to say it aloud. It was only a foolish thought which had no business to come into my mind."
"What was it?"
"Oh!" she said, laughing through her tears. "Such a silly thing! I was going to say that I rather hoped you were not a lord."
"Why not?"
"Oh, I don't know. I only thought we should not feel that you were quite so much our friend. It was very foolish, I know. Only you would seem so different to us then."
"Should I? I hope not," he said, gravely.
"And now I really must be going. What time is it, Captain Fortescue?"
He looked at, his watch, and they found it was getting late, so he got her coat, and she said good-bye to the old landlady, and they set out for New Street. Then he went for her ticket, and put her into the train, and just before it started, he stepped into the carriage and sat down beside her.