The expense of sleeping-
berths had been out of the question with so many of them; but in the
rack with the bags were several rolls of rugs and two or three air-
pillows against the weary hours. The idea of so many hours in the
train had been delightful to all the young ones; none of them but Judy
had been a greater distance than forty or fifty miles before, and it
seemed perfectly fascinating to think of rushing on and on through
the blackness as well as the daylight.
But long before ten o'clock a change came o'er the spirit of their
dreams. Nell and Baby had had a quarrel over the puffing out of the
air-cushions, and were too tired and cross to make it up again; Pip
had hit Bunty over the head for no ostensible reason, and received
two kicks in return; Judy's head ached, and the noise, was not calculated
to cure it; Meg had grown weary of staring out into the moving darkness,
and wondering whether Alan would notice she was never on the river-boat
now; and the poor little General was filling the hot air with
expostulations, in the shape of loud roars, at the irregularities of
the treatment he was undergoing.
Esther had taken his day clothes off, and made a picture of him in
a cream flannel nightgown and a pink wool jacket.
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