I had yesterday allowed the road twenty-four hours to improve itself,
finding that I required that additional margin of time for the completion
of my task. I had ordered my Bill to be upon the table, and a chaise to
be at the door, "at eight o'clock to-morrow evening." It was eight
o'clock to-morrow evening when I buckled up my travelling writing-desk in
its leather case, paid my Bill, and got on my warm coats and wrappers. Of
course, no time now remained for my travelling on to add a frozen tear to
the icicles which were doubtless hanging plentifully about the farmhouse
where I had first seen Angela. What I had to do was to get across to
Liverpool by the shortest open road, there to meet my heavy baggage and
embark. It was quite enough to do, and I had not an hour too much time
to do it in.

I had taken leave of all my Holly-Tree friends--almost, for the time
being, of my bashfulness too--and was standing for half a minute at the
Inn door watching the ostler as he took another turn at the cord which
tied my portmanteau on the chaise, when I saw lamps coming down towards
the Holly-Tree. The road was so padded with snow that no wheels were
audible; but all of us who were standing at the Inn door saw lamps coming
on, and at a lively rate too, between the walls of snow that had been
heaped up on either side of the track. The chambermaid instantly divined
how the case stood, and called to the ostler, "Tom, this is a Gretna
job!" The ostler, knowing that her sex instinctively scented a marriage,
or anything in that direction, rushed up the yard bawling, "Next four
out!" and in a moment the whole establishment was thrown into commotion.

I had a melancholy interest in seeing the happy man who loved and was
beloved; and therefore, instead of driving off at once, I remained at the
Inn door when the fugitives drove up. A bright-eyed fellow, muffled in a
mantle, jumped out so briskly that he almost overthrew me. He turned to