She had never
traveled much in the train; and this journey, apart from its
eventfulness, was sufficient in itself to stupefy her with its newness
and immensity. She had never before had a longer journey than to the
county town, which cost sixpence; and here she was going to Edinburgh! a
great city, of which she had all the dread of the inexperienced,
unsophisticated country girl. A slight shiver soon began to creep down
her back, and gradually she became cold; but she sat never speaking, and
the other two occupants were so engrossed in thinking out maledictions
against each other, that they had no thoughts to bestow upon her.
The wild, bleak moors rolled past, as the train rushed onward, and the
telegraph poles seemed to scamper along, as if frightened by the noise
of the train. She gazed away to the far horizon, where the sun had left
a faint glow upon the western clouds, and she tried to think of
something that would not betray her nervousness, but her mind was all
chaos and excitement, and strange expectation.
What would be waiting for her at the end of the journey? Suppose Peter
failed to be at the station, what would she do in a strange city? What
if he were ill, and would not come? Or if he was doing this
deliberately, and did not mean to meet her? Thus, torn by anxiety, and
worried almost to death by nameless other fears, she spent the hour-long
journey which seemed like a day, making herself ill, so that she could
scarcely leave the carriage when the train steamed into Princes Street
Station.
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