At last he got them wedged
behind the foremost row of travellers who were waiting to spring upon and
overwhelm an approaching stage. Those who had won the way to the front and
achieved safety, unless defeated by an unexpected rear attack, wore an
appearance of deceitful calm. Two extremely big young men, who had the air
of footballers in training, did what they could to form a hollow square
round a couple of fragile but determined girls. The party, while in
reality bent upon securing the two best seats at any cost to life or limb,
pretended to be looking at an illustrated newspaper. This feint was
intended to put others off their guard; and the four concealed their
emotions by discussing the pictures on the uppermost page.
A name spoken by one of the girls was an electric shock for Angela. In an
instant the veranda, the crowd on it, and the stage whose turn would come
next, vanished from before her eyes like a dissolving view.
"Prince di Sereno! What a romantic name. And say, _isn't_ he handsome? I
wonder if he's as good-looking as that, really?"
"She's handsome, too," the other girl added. "I do hope they won't be
killed."
"Come along, kids--look sharp!" said the two young men. And before others
who hoped to annex the box seat could breathe after an interlude of
footballing, the conquering four secured what they wanted.
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