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“Tickets, please,” he shouted in a loud voice.

“I’m very sorry, but I haven’t one,” said Girlie.

“Defrauding the Company, infringement of by-laws. Penalty, forty pounds!” said the Porter severely.

“Oh dear!” said Girlie, feeling really alarmed, “I didn’t know that I had to take a ticket.” And, when she came to think of it, she didn’t see how she could have done so.

“What class did you travel?” asked the Porter suddenly.

“I don’t know,” said Girlie, feeling dreadfully puzzled; “I don’t think that it was any class at all; besides, it was so dark that I couldn’t see.”

“Oh! that’s all very fine,” said the Porter, “but——”

“‘GO IN DIRECTLY AND FINISH SCRUBBING THE FLOOR.’”

What he meant to say Girlie never knew, for, at that moment, a very stout, cross-looking woman, came through a door at the side of the barrier, and called out in a harsh voice to the Porter:

“Dawdling away your time again, are you? leaving me as usual to do all the work; go in directly and finish scrubbing the floor;” and, catching hold of the poor Porter’s coat collar, she pushed him roughly through the door, slamming it violently after him.