"Shall we get there soon, do you think, Miss Alice?" said poor Ellen, whose wearied feet carried her painfully over the deepening snow. The tone of voice went to Alice's heart.
"I don't know, my darling; I hope so," she answered, but it was spoken rather patiently than cheerfully. "Fear nothing, dear Ellen; remember who has the care of us; darkness and light are both alike to Him; nothing will do us any real harm."
"How tired you must be, dear Miss Alice, carrying pussy!" Ellen said, with a sigh.
For the first time Alice echoed the sigh; but almost immediately Ellen exclaimed in a totally different tone, "There's a light! but it isn't a candle it is moving about; what is it, Miss Alice?"
They stopped and looked. A light there certainly was, dimly seen, moving at some little distance from the fence on the opposite side of the road. All of a sudden it disappeared.
"What is it?" whispered Ellen, fearfully.
"What could it be?" said Ellen. "It was certainly a light; I saw it as plainly as ever I saw anything; what can it have done with itself? there it is again! going the other way!"
Alice waited no longer, but screamed out, "Who's there?"
But the light paid no attention to her cry; it travelled on.
"Halloo!" called Alice, again, as loud as she could.
"Halloo!" answered a rough deep voice. The light suddenly stopped.
"That's he! that's he!" exclaimed Ellen, in an ecstasy, and almost dancing "I know it it's Mr. Van Brunt! it's Mr. Van Brunt! oh, Miss Alice!"
Struggling between crying and laughing Ellen could not stand it, but gave way to a good fit of crying. Alice felt the infection, but controlled herself, though her eyes watered as her heart sent up its grateful tribute; as well as she could she answered the halloo.
The light was seen advancing towards them. Presently it glimmered faintly behind the fence, showing a bit of the dark rails covered with snow, and they could dimly see the figure of a man getting over them. He crossed the road to where they stood. It was Mr. Van Brunt.
"I am very glad to see you, Mr. Van Brunt." said Alice's sweet voice; but it trembled a little.
That gentleman, at first dumb with astonishment, lifted his lantern to survey them, and assure his eyes that his ears had not been mistaken.