They felt that THEY were seeing HER off, and they were glad of it.
"But, oh, those poor little foreign children that she's going to governess!" whispered Phyllis.

"I wouldn't be them for anything!" At first they enjoyed looking out of the window, but when it grew dusk they grew sleepier and sleepier, and no one knew how long they had been in the train when they were roused by Mother's shaking them gently and saying:-- "Wake up, dears.

We're there." They woke up, cold and melancholy, and stood shivering on the draughty platform while the baggage was taken out of the train.

Then the engine, puffing and blowing, set to work again, and dragged the train away.

The children watched the tail-lights of the guard's van disappear into the darkness.
This was the first train the children saw on that railway which was in time to become so very dear to them.