The Second Guard Has Gone Down Into The Town To Try And Sell A Dog,
And The Passengers Stroll About The Platform And Smoke, Or Partake
Of A Light Meal In The Refreshment-Room - The Poorer Classes Regaling
Themselves Upon Hot Sausage, And The More Dainty Upon Soup.
When
everybody appears to be sufficiently rested, a move onward is
suggested by the engine-driver or the guard, and if all are
agreeable to the proposal the train starts.
Tremendous excitement was caused during our journey between
Heidelberg and Darmstadt by the discovery that we were travelling in
an express train (they called it an "express:" it jogged along at
the rate of twenty miles an hour when it could be got to move at
all; most of its time it seemed to be half asleep) with slow-train
tickets. The train was stopped at the next station and B. was
marched off between two stern-looking gold-laced officials to
explain the matter to a stern-looking gold-laced station-master,
surrounded by three stern-looking gold-laced followers. The scene
suggested a drum-head court-martial, and I could see that B. was
nervous, though outwardly calm and brave. He shouted back a light-
hearted adieu to me as he passed down the platform, and asked me, if
the worst happened, to break it gently to his mother.
However, no harm came of it, and he returned to the carriage without
a stain upon his character, he having made it clear to the
satisfaction of the court - firstly, That he did not know that our
tickets were only slow-train tickets; secondly, That he was not
aware that we were not travelling by a slow train; and thirdly, That
he was ready to pay the difference in the fares.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 153 of 158
Words from 40872 to 41171
of 42395