The man looked up in surprise at this traveler’s ignorance, yet scarcely knew how to enlighten him on so simple a subject; for the most obvious things are often the most difficult of explanation to those that do not understand them.
“What the mischief is the parliamentary?” again inquired the General.
The officer looked up from the open trunk before which he was kneeling, and answered, slowly:
“Well, sir, the parliamentary is——the parliamentary, you know.”
“Humph!”
“It is not the express.”
“So I should judge from its name.”
“It is the slow, heavy train.”
“Everything ‘parliamentary’ is, I should imagine. When does this ‘parliamentary’ start?”
“At ten to-night, and gets in at five in the morning.”