"Is she going by herself?" asked the porter"s wife.

"Yes."

"And how far is it?"

"Fifty miles."

"What a long way! I wonder Mrs. Reed is not afraid to trust her so far alone."

The coach drew up; there it was at the gates with its four horses and its top laden with passengers: the guard and coachman loudly urged haste; my trunk was hoisted up; I was taken from Bessie"s neck，to which I clung with kisses.

"Be sure and take good care of her," cried she to the guard，as he lifted me into the inside.

"Ay，ay!" was the answer: the door was slapped to，a voice exclaimed "All right," and on we drove. Thus was I severed from Bessie and Gateshead; thus whirled away to unknown，and，as I then deemed，remote and mysterious regions.

I remember but little of the journey; I only know that the day seemed to me of a preternatural length，and that we appeared to travel over hundreds of miles of road. We passed through several towns，and in one，a very large one，the coach stopped; the horses were taken out，and the passengers alighted to dine. I was carried into an inn，where the guard wanted me to have some dinner; but，as I had no appetite，he left me in an immense room with a fireplace at each end，a chandelier pendent from the ceiling，and a little red gallery high up against the wall filled with musical instruments. Here I walked about for a long time，feeling very strange，and mortally apprehensive of some one ing in and kidnapping me; for I believed in kidnappers，their exploits having frequently figured in Bessie"s fireside chronicles. At last the guard returned; once more I was stowed away in the coach，my protector mounted his own seat，sounded The afternoon came on wet and somewhat misty: as it waned into dusk，I began to feel that we were getting very far indeed from Gateshead: we ceased to pass through towns; the country changed; great grey hills heaved up round the horizon: as twilight deepened，we descended a valley，dark with wood，and long after night had overclouded the prospect，I heard a wild wind rushing amongst trees.

Lulled by the sound，I at last dropped asleep; I had not long slumbered when the sudden cessation of motion awoke me; the coach-door was open，and a person like a servant was standing at it: I saw her face and dress by the light of the lamps.