"I don't know, my love, yet; wait"
They waited several minutes.
"What could it be?" said Ellen. "It was certainly a light; I saw it as plainly as ever I saw anything; what can it have done with itself? there it is again! going the other way!"
Alice waited no longer, but screamed out, "Who's there?"
But the light paid no attention to her cry; it travelled on.
"Halloo!" called Alice, again, as loud as she could.
"Halloo!" answered a rough deep voice. The light suddenly stopped.
"That's he! that's he!" exclaimed Ellen, in an ecstasy, and almost dancing "I know it it's Mr. Van Brunt! it's Mr. Van Brunt! oh, Miss Alice!"
Struggling between crying and laughing Ellen could not stand it, but gave way to a good fit of crying. Alice felt the infection, but controlled herself, though her eyes watered as her heart sent up its grateful tribute; as well as she could she answered the halloo.
The light was seen advancing towards them. Presently it glimmered faintly behind the fence, showing a bit of the dark rails covered with snow, and they could dimly see the figure of a man getting over them. He crossed the road to where they stood. It was Mr. Van Brunt.