Omegon was reached before Eleanor had the courage to awaken him.  She did so then only because it was impossible for her to crawl over his knees without losing her dignity; they were planted sturdily against the seat in front.  She fled like a scared child to Joe’s side, her mind made up to cling to him now, no matter what manner of opposition prevailed.

“I’ll go with you, Joe,” she whispered fiercely.  “I don’t care what any one says or thinks.  Your cousin will meet us with the carriage, won’t he?” she concluded piteously.  Windomshire also had taken the bull by the horns and was helping Miss Courtenay from the train with an assiduity that brought down the wrath of obstructing passengers upon his devoted head.

“He said he would,” replied Dauntless, his spirits in the clouds.  “We must get away from these people, Nell.  I’ll go crazy in another minute.  There’s Derby waiting for instructions.  Dear old Darb—­he’s a brick.  My cousin Jim is a deacon or something in the village church, dear, and he has promised to let us in.  I suppose he has a key.  He and his wife will be the only witnesses.  By George, nothing can stop us now, dear, if you have the nerve to—­Where the dickens is Jim?  Confound him, I don’t see him on the platform.”

He looked about the station platform—­first anxiously, then impatiently, then—­with consternation!  His cousin was nowhere in sight.  Cold with apprehensiveness, he dashed over to a citizen who wore a star upon his coat, almost dragging Eleanor after him.

“Is Jim Carpenter here?  Have you seen him?  Do you know him?” he demanded.

“He was here, mister.  ’Bout two hours ago, I reckon.  I guess you must be the fellow he was to meet—­”

“Yes, yes,—­where is he now?”

“I don’t know, mister.  His wife’s got pneumonia, an’ he told me to tell you he couldn’t wait.  He took the doctor right out to—­”

“Good Lord!” exploded Joe.  The citizen jumped a few inches into the air.  “He’s gone?”

“Yep.  But he told me to tell you to go over to the Somerset an’ wait till you hear from him.”

“Wait—­till—­I hear—­from—­him?” groaned Dauntless, wild-eyed but faint.  He and Eleanor looked at each other in despair.

“Go—­to—­the—­hotel?” she murmured, her heart in her boots.  “I never can do that,” she continued.  Her voice was full of tears.

Mrs. Van Truder bore down upon them like an angry vulture.  They saw her coming, but neither had the strength of purpose to move.

Before they really knew how it happened, she was leading Eleanor to the hotel ’bus and he was limply following, lugging both bags with a faithfulness that seemed pathetic.  Two minutes later they were in the ’bus, touching knees with the equally dazed and discomfited English people.

Back on the platform the elongated medical gentleman, Mr. Hooker, was talking loudly, wrathfully to the station agent.  His voice rang in their ears long after the ’bus rolled away on its “trip” to the big summer hotel.