THE PORTER. Dey’s so many ladies on board I couldn’t find her.
MR. ROBERTS. Oh, no, no, of course not. I didn’t expect that.
THE PORTER. Don’t like to go routing ’em all up, you know. I wouldn’t be allowed to.
MR. ROBERTS. I don’t ask it; that would be preposterous.
THE PORTER. What sort of looking lady was she?
MR. ROBERTS. Well, I don’t know, really. Not very tall, rather slight, blue eyes. I—I don’t know what you’d call her nose. And—stop! Oh yes, she had a child with her, a little boy. Yes!
THE PORTER (thoughtfully looking down the aisle). Dey was three ladies had children. I didn’t notice whether dey was boys or girls, or what dey was. Didn’t have anybody with her?
MR. ROBERTS. No, no. Only the child.
THE PORTER. Well, I don’t know what you are going to do, sah. It won’t be a great while now till morning, you know. Here comes the conductor. Maybe he’ll know what to do.
[MR. ROBERTS makes some futile, inarticulate attempts to prevent The PORTER from laying the case before THE CONDUCTOR, and then stands guiltily smiling, overwhelmed with the hopeless absurdity of his position.]