This one might have been trodden by a similar weight of tread to the other, exercised a less number of times; or it might have been walked just as frequently, but by lighter feet.
Probably a gentleman from Scotland-yard, had he been passing at the time, might have considered the latter alternative as the more probable.
Elfride thought otherwise, so far as she thought at all.

But her own great To-Morrow was now imminent; all thoughts inspired by casual sights of the eye were only allowed to exercise themselves in inferior corners of her brain, previously to being banished altogether.
Elfride was at length compelled to reason practically upon her undertaking.

All her definite perceptions thereon, when the emotion accompanying them was abstracted, amounted to no more than these: 'Say an hour and three-quarters to ride to St.Launce's.
'Say half an hour at the Falcon to change my dress.
'Say two hours waiting for some train and getting to Plymouth.
'Say an hour to spare before twelve o'clock.
'Total time from leaving Endelstow till twelve o'clock, five hours.
'Therefore I shall have to start at seven.' No surprise or sense of unwontedness entered the minds of the servants at her early ride.

The monotony of life we associate with people of small incomes in districts out of the sound of the railway whistle, has one exception, which puts into shade the experience of dwellers about the great centres of population--that is, in travelling.

Every journey there is more or less an adventure; adventurous hours are necessarily chosen for the most commonplace outing.