It is the wonder of all Englishmen that 'Foreigners' insist on travelling with all openings for ventilation persistently closed, and equally incomprehensible to the foreigner how Englishmen can travel with the windows open, and not catch their death of cold.
"Phew! this is awfully stuffy," exclaimed the elder of the two Englishmen who answered to the name of Ridgeway, "I can't imagine why these foreigners always insist on having the windows closed. There's not a breath of air in the place, Charley," he said to the younger of the two, "do open the windows, there's a good chap." The young man got up and tugged at the strap at the window—it gave way and he fell backwards on to the feet of the passengers.
"Sorry," he said as he picked himself up, and he proceeded to open the opposite window.
Madame Beaupaire looked daggers at him, and she rubbed the foot on which he had fallen.
Charley suddenly uttered a cry of pain. In attempting to open the second window, the frame had slipped and jammed his finger.
"Confound these carriages," said Charley, "why can't someone invent a fool-proof window which will be provided with a strap that will not come off, and that can be opened without reducing one's fingers to pulp?"
Violette laughed at the wry face he made.
Charley turned round, and seeing her good-looking face lit up with merriment, laughed in concert.
"Well, that's a funny way to introduce yourself," said Violette in good English, but with rather a pretty foreign accent.