felt hat was whitened with flour, and his bronzed face was red with the
dust. Still he stood very straight, and it was a good face, with broad
forehead and long, straight nose, while the effect of the solid jaw was
mitigated by something in the shape of the mobile lips. The grey eyes
were keen and steady until a sympathetic twinkle crept into them, and
Miss Deringham felt that the man understood her position.

"Well," he said. "What's the difficulty?"

The station agent explained laconically, and the stranger gravely took
off his battered hat. "My wagon's pretty full, but I can take you
through," he said.

"It would be a favour," said Deringham, taking out a roll of bills. "I
should, of course, be glad to recompense you for your trouble."

For a moment the man's eyes closed a trifle, then he laughed, and Miss
Deringham noticed that there was nothing dissonant in his merriment.
"Well," he said lightly, "there will be plenty time to talk of that.
These are your things, miss?"

The girl nodded, and wondered when, heaving up the biggest trunk as
though it weighed nothing at all, he laid it carefully in the wagon,
because she remembered having to fee two hotel porters lavishly for
handling it in Liverpool. He stopped, however, and glanced at the
second one with a faint trace of embarrassment. It had burst open, and
several folds of filmy fabric projected.

"My hands are floury. You might be able to shut it up," he said.