AUNT MARY. Then people might think it was for mattresses. But, as I was
saying, I took it off that night, and tucked it safely away, as I
supposed, in my pocket, and I slept sweetly till about midnight, when I
happened to open my eyes, and saw something long and black crawl off my
bed and slip under the berth. _Such_ a shriek as I gave, my dear! "A
snake! a snake! oh, a snake!" And everybody began talking at once, and
some of the gentlemen swearing, and the porter came running with the
poker to kill it; and all the while it was that ridiculous switch of
mine, that had worked out of my pocket. And glad enough I was to grab it
up before anybody saw it, and say I must have been dreaming.

MRS. ROBERTS. Why, aunty, how funny! How _could_ you suppose a serpent
could get on board a sleeping-car, of all places in the world!

AUNT MARY. That was the perfect absurdity of it.

THE PORTER. Berths ready now, ladies.

MRS. ROBERTS (to THE PORTER, who walks away to the end of the car, and
sits down near the door). Oh, thank you. Aunty, do you feel nervous the
least bit?

AUNT MARY. Nervous? No. Why?

MRS. ROBERTS. Well, I don't know. I suppose I've been worked up a
little about meeting Willis, and wondering how he'll look, and all. We
can't _know_ each other, of course. It doesn't stand to reason that if
he's been out there for twelve years, ever since I was a child, though
we've corresponded regularly--at least _I_ have--that he could recognize
me; not at the first glance, you know. He'll have a full beard; and then