inquisitors, in uniform and out, French and
British.
Because of the crowd in the little room it was impossible to put down one's coat and hand bags. Their weight increased momentarily as the un- clouded sun baked the flimsy roof overhead. Many of us commenced to look as if we were more in need of a physician's certificate than one of entry. Then at a grumbled word from the inquisitors the proceedings opened.
With a commendable partiality the huge military policeman roared:
“Ladies first ! Step forward, and don't push abawt so. Now, lady. You got your passport ready?"
There were more women than one would have thought. Because of the increasing heat and the weight of baggage the situation had approached the intolerable when the military policeman cried out:
“No more ladies?"
Suspense! A sigh of relief as the silence persisted! We who were not at the front of the line began to compute the duration of our ordeal. А groan disturbed our ranks, for the military policeman was following evidently an extended order of precedence.
