one as the crow flies, but, as our carpenter, Mr. Hansombody, put it,
"we are not crows, and, that being the case, naturally resent being
packed sixteen in a compartment." Mr. Hansombody taxed the Great
Western Company with lack of foresight in not running excursion trains,
and appealed to me to support his complaint. I argued (with the general
approval of our fellow-travellers) that there was something heartless in
the idea of an excursion to listen to the recital of a woman's wrongs,
especially of Miss Cox's, whom we had known so long and esteemed.
Driven from this position, Mr. Hansombody took a fresh stand on the
superiority of the old broad-gauge carriages; and this, since it raised
no personal question, we discussed in very good humour while we unpacked
and ate our luncheons.

In the midst of our meal a lady at the far end of the compartment heaved
a sigh and ejaculated "Poor thing!"--which at once set us off discussing
the case anew. We agreed that such conduct as Pretyman's was
fortunately rare amongst us. We tried to disclaim him--no easy matter,
since his father and mother had been natives of Troy, and he had spent
all his life in our midst. The lady in the corner challenged Mr.
Hansombody to deny that our town was deteriorating--the rising
generation more mischievous than its parents, and given to mitching from
school, and cigarette smoking, if not to worse.

Now this was a really damaging attack, for Mr. Hansombody not only
presides over our School Board, but has a son in the tobacco business.
He met it magnificently. "He would dismiss (he said) the cigarette
question as one upon which--Heaven knew with how little justice!--he
might be suspected of private bias; but on the question of truancy he
had something to say, and he would say it. To begin with, he would
admit that the children in Troy played truant; the percentage of school