The men lack the memory of
the check; the check never forgets its identity. Moreover, the European
railways generously furnish the porters at the expense of the traveler.
Nevertheless, if these men have not the invincible business precision of
the check, and if they have to be tipped, it can be asserted for those
who care that in Europe one-half of the populace waits on the other half
most diligently and well.
Against the masonry of a platform, under the vaulted arch of the train-
house, lay a long string of coaches. They were painted white on the
bulging part, which led halfway down from the top, and the bodies were a
deep bottle-green. There was a group of porters placing luggage in the
van, and a great many others were busy with the affairs of passengers,
tossing smaller bits of luggage into the racks over the seats, and
bustling here and there on short quests. The guard of the train, a tall
man who resembled one of the first Napoleon's veterans, was caring for
the distribution of passengers into the various bins. There were no
second-class compartments; they were all third and first-class.
The train was at this time engineless, but presently a railway "flier,"
painted a glowing vermilion, slid modestly down and took its place at
the head. The guard walked along the platform, and decisively closed
each door. He wore a dark blue uniform thoroughly decorated with silver
braid in the guise of leaves.
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