midday
She wakened with a start to find that the coach had halted to apply the brakes , at the top of the precipitous hill that led down to the railway township . In a two-wheeled buggy this was an exciting descent ; but the coach jammed on both its brakes , moved like a snail , and seemed hardly able to crawl . At the foot of the hill the little town lay sluggish in the sun . Although it was close on midday , but few people were astir in the streets ; for the place had long since ceased to be an important mining centre : the chief claims were worked out ; and the coming of the railway had been powerless to give it the impetus to a new life . It was always like this in these streets of low , verandahed , red-brick houses , always dull and sleepy , and such animation as there was , was invariably to be found before the doors of the many public-houses . At one of these the coach stopped and unloaded its goods , for an interminable time . People came and looked in at the window at Laura , and she was beginning to feel alarmed lest O'Donnell , who had gone inside , had forgotten all about her having to catch the train , when out he came , wiping his lips .