There were not many minutes to go now before the train left, and the big engine was hissing gently just under the signals. Jon had his eyes fixed on it and did not notice the porter until he had collided with him. He apologized and then looked in astonishment at the woman whose luggage the porter was carrying. She was the sort of person that deserved a second glance if only because of her extraordinary appearance. She was short and very broad and rather inclined to waddle. A bright orange scarf was most un-becomingly draped round her greyish hair, which was cut short like that of a man. As she turned to speak to the porter, Jon, groping again for the suitcase which he had dropped, saw that she wore heavy horn-rimmed glasses, with lenses so thick that it was difficult to see her eyes.

"Come along, my man," she was saying. "Never mind that star-gazing lad. He should look where he's going. You hurry on and get me a corner... And don't drop those bags..." and she turned her enormous back on Jon and waddled after the porter.

Jon, still fascinated by the crude check design of the strange woman's costume, was slow to follow until he realized that Penny, hopping first on one leg and then on the other and grimacing horribly, was urging him to greater speed as the porter approached the compartment she was guarding. Jon saw the danger and spurted, but he was still ten yards away when Penny jumped in and slammed the door. The porter reached the compartment, looked in, put down the bags and was just about to open the door when Penny let the window down, put out her head and was seized with an awful fit of coughing. The porter was almost blown backwards by the blast, but he rallied and put his hand to the door again.

Penny, now scarlet in the face, shook her head at him, but before she could speak the large woman arrived, with Jon only just behind her.

"Come along! Come along!" she boomed. "Open the door, man! Open the door. This will do as well as anything else, I suppose... What's the matter with you, child? Let me in, please."

Penny gasped piteously and fought for breath.

"Oh, Jon, dear... There you are at last... Tell the lady, Jon... I think we ought to tell her..."

"Nah then, missy," said the porter, opening the door, "you go an' corf in the corridor and let me get the lidy's baggage in."

Penny moved reluctantly aside, glaring fiercely at Jon as she did so. The porter put four suitcases on the rack, while the woman fumbled in a great black bag and presented him with a tip. Then she heaved herself into the carriage and flopped down in the seat opposite Penny.