The fire was so bright, the little table so temptingly spread that the spirits--seldom long depressed--of one-and-twenty and fifteen rose at the sight.

For we were hungry as well as tired, and the cutlets and broiled ham which the good people had managed to keep beautifully hot and fresh for us--possibly they were so accustomed to the railway eccentricities that they had only cooked them in time for our arrival by the later train, for we were told afterwards that no one ever _did_ catch the express at Fexel Junction,--the cutlets and ham, as I was saying, and the buttered toast, and all the other good things, were _so_ good that we made an excellent supper, and slept the sleep of two tired but perfectly healthy young people till seven o'clock the next morning.
"We awoke refreshed and hopeful.

But alas! when Mary pulled up the blind what a sight met her eyes! snow--snow everywhere.
"'What _shall_ we do ?' she said.

'We can never judge of the houses in this weather.

And how are we to get to them?
Dear me! how unlucky!' "'But it has left off, and it can't be very thick in these few hours,' I said, 'If only it keeps off now, we could manage.' "We dressed quickly, and had eaten our breakfast by half-past eight; for at nine, by arrangement, the agent was to call for us to escort us on our voyage of discovery.