Page:Ruth of the U.S.A. (IA ruthofusa00balm).pdf/286

 She arose, neglecting his hand, and stepped from the train. The guard closed the door behind her; immediately the train departed. The station master—an old and shrunken man—approached, abjectedly, to inquire whether Hauptmann von Forstner had desires. Herr Hauptmann disclaimed any which he required the station master to satisfy; and the old man retired swiftly to the kiosk at the farther end of the platform.

The driver, who had finished securing the luggage behind his car, opened the door of the tonneau and waited there at attention.

"Welcome to Lauengratz, gnädiges Fräulein." Von Forstner dropped the insulting liebchens to employ his term of respectful and gallant address; and before the soldier-servant he refrained from accents of too evident irony. Ruth's position must be perfectly plain to the man, she thought; but it pleased the master to pretend that he concealed it.

She made no reply; she merely stood a moment longer gazing about her to get her bearings. She had no conscious plan except that she recognized that she was to be taken into some sort of duress from which she must attempt to escape; and if she succeeded she would require memory of landmarks and directions. Von Forstner's eyes narrowed as he watched her and divined what was passing through her mind; but he pretended that he did not.

"Have I not said it was beautiful here?" he asked.

"It is very beautiful," Ruth replied and, as he motioned to her, she preceded him into the car and sat upon the rear seat with him.