he said:--

"I left my season at home this morning, so I bought a return."

"What on earth for?" I expostulated. "You've already paid the company
once by taking out a season; why pay twice? And anyhow it's only the
Government."

"It's the first duty of a citizen to obey the laws of his country,"
he proclaimed sententiously.

"Oh, all right; but you'll never get your money back--not from the
Government. Besides, you could easily have got through without a
ticket."

"How?"

"By taking out your note-case at the barrier and showing the girl the
back of a Bradbury. Dazzled by the display of so much wealth, she'd
pass you without a murmur."

"A miserable subterfuge," Cozens protested.

"Or you and I might walk up to the barrier deep in conversation. I
should then get in front, and the examiner would pull me up for my
ticket. I should fumble before producing my season. Meantime you would
have passed beyond recall."

"I simply couldn't do it."