"Sit down, sir," said the lame gentleman, "I would like to talk with you."
As the young man sat down, the Chairman turned to him with a face in which was no angry feeling, and spoke to him in an undertone.
"My young friend, I have no revengeful feeling to gratify in this matter; but you have been very imprudent. Your manner, had it been thus to a stranger, would have been very injurious to the interests of the Company. I might tell them of this, but I will not. By doing so I should throw you out of your situation, and you might find it difficult to find another. But in future, remember to be polite to all whom you meet. You cannot judge of a man by the coat he wears; and even the poorest should be treated with civility. Take up your books, sir. I shall tell no one of what has passed. If you change your course, nothing which has happened to day shall injure you. Your situation is still continued. Good morning, sir."
The train of carriages swept on, as many a train had done before; but within it a lesson had been given and learned, and the purport of the lesson ran somewhat thus: Judge not from appearances.
Transcriber's note
Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.