Presently the whirr of the coming train was heard. In a minute more it rushed into the station and stopped. There were no other down passengers except Mr. Rockharrt and Mrs. Rothsay.
He handed her up, and took her to a seat. The car was not half full. The tide of travel was northward, not southward at this season.
They were scarcely seated when the train started again. They reached New York just before noon.
"Carriage, sir? Carriage, ma'am? Carriage? Carriage? Carriage?" screamed a score of hackmen's voices, as the passengers came out on the sidewalk.
Mr. Rockharrt beckoned the best-looking turnout and handed his granddaughter into it.
"Drive to St. L----'s Hospital," he said.
The hackman touched his hat and drove off. In less than fifteen minutes he drew up before the front of St. L----'s.
The hackman jumped down, went up and rang the bell. Then he came back to the carriage and opened the door.
Mr. Rockharrt got out, followed by his granddaughter.
"Wait here!" he said to the hackman, as he went to the door, which was promptly opened by an attendant.
"I wish to see the physician in charge here, or the head of the hospital, or whatever may be his official title," said the Iron King.
The attendant conducted the party into a spacious, plainly furnished reception or waiting room, saw them seated, and then took away Mr. Rockharrt's card.
A few minutes passed, and a tall, white haired, venerable form, clothed in a long black coat and a round skull cap, entered the room, looking from side to side for his visitor.
Mr. Rockharrt got up and went to meet him.
"Mr. Rockharrt, of North End?" courteously inquired the venerable man.
"Yes, sir. Pray be seated. And this lady?" inquired the venerable doctor, courteously turning toward Cora.
The aged man shook hands kindly with Cora, and then turned to Mr. Rockharrt, as if silently questioning his will.
"I came to inquire about the lady who was found in an unconscious state at the Hudson River Railway depot. How is she?" The old man's anxiety betrayed itself even through his deliberate words.
"More than know her--have been intimate with her for many years. She is our guest and traveling companion. She got separated from us in the crowd which was pressing through the railway gate to take the train yesterday morning. I surely thought when I missed her that she had found her way to some car. But it appears that she was seized with vertigo, or something, and so missed the train."