They deserve it."
He went to Victoria, and ignoring the booking-office, calmly seated
himself in a first-class compartment, where, amongst other occupants,
sat a quite remarkably proper-looking clergyman, and a very handsomely
dressed lady, with a haughty stare, and a typical _nouveau riche_
nose!
When the ticket collector came round before the train started, Hamar
waited, till every one else in the compartment had shown him their
tickets, and then, just as the man was about to demand his, swallowed
one of the prescribed pills, repeating immediately, in a loud voice,
which caused considerable excitement among the other passengers, the
words, "Bakra--naka--taksomana!" The next moment he had disappeared.
"Strike me red!" the collector gasped, putting one hand to his heart,
and grasping the door with the other. "What's become of him? Was
he--a--a--gho--st?"
"I don't--er--know--er what to--to make of it," the parson said,
heroically preserving his Oxford drawl, in spite of his chattering
teeth. "I don't--er, of course--er, believe in gho--sts! He must--er
have been--a--a--an evil spirit. Dear me--aw!"
"Help me out of the carriage at once," the lady with the stare panted.
"I consider the whole thing most disgraceful. I shall report it to the
Company."
"What's the matter, Joe?" an inspector called out, threading his way
through the crowd of people, that had commenced to collect at the door
of the compartment.
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