Ralph had come up, and his eyes were fixed intently upon it.

The hand he laid on Charles's arm shook a little as he whispered, in a hoarse voice, "I must speak to her alone before anything is said." "You shall," replied Charles; and he moved forward a little, and waited for the passengers to alight.

I felt that any chance of escape which lay in eluding those keen light eyes would be small indeed.
Then ensued a scene of confusion, a Babel of tongues, as the passengers poured out upon the platform.

"What was the meaning of it all ?" hotly demanded an infuriated little man before he was well out of the carriage.

"Why had a train been allowed to start if it was to be overturned by a snow-drift?
What had the company been about not to make itself aware of the state of the line?
What did the railway officials mean by--" etc.