sir,» said the guard, «and you may well grumble. It's not my fault, and I've spoken about it, and will again. Why, it's three days now there's been no glass in that far-side window! Shameful!»
The guard hurried off, the train moved on, and Sturt and Barker sat glaring at one another. Then they both said the same thing in exactly the same words and at exactly the same time. They were as beautifully together as if they had spent weeks in practising it. They said:
«And now you see what a fool you've been making of yourself.»
They sat in speechless rage for the rest of the journey; Barker's fighting spirit was aroused, however, and he was not disposed to let things stop there. At the terminus Barker jumped out and flung himself on the nearest porter.
«Porter, I want the station-master, or traffic superintendent, or an inspector of some kind. I've.»
«Arf a moment,» said the porter, trundled away a milk can, and never returned. Barker flung himself on to another porter. He reached the desired office at last. The door was ajar, and from within he heard a voice which he recognised as Sturt's.
«It's not only the glass being out of the window. It's the having to travel with a drunken blackguard, who to my certain knowledge only had a third-class ticket.»
I am glad that I was not Mrs. Barker when Barker returned home that evening.
