As Jimmy moved in his seat, his boots touched the old gentleman's black trousers. Laying aside his newspaper the old gentleman leaned forward to look at them, and then he brushed off the mud. A few moments later Jimmy's boots touched his trousers again, and the old gentleman began to cough.
'I should feel greatly obliged,' he said in a loud voice, 'if you would not make a door-mat of my legs.'
'I beg your pardon,' answered Jimmy, and he tucked his feet as far under his seat as they would go.
'You should be more careful,' said the old gentleman, and then one of the ladies suggested that Jimmy should sit by her side.
'I wanted to look out at the window,' he answered.
'Well, you can look out at my window,' she said, and so Jimmy went to the other end of the compartment, and she gave him her seat; and for an hour or more the train went on its way, stopping at one or two stations, until presently it came to a standstill again.
'Where is this?' asked one of the ladies. The other looked out at the window and said—
'Meresleigh.'
'We ought not to stop here,' answered her friend.
At the other end of the compartment the old gentleman let down his window: 'Hi, Hi! Guard, Guard!' he cried, and the guard came to the door.