ull of
knowledge, to its undoing. To Carroll, in this mood, even the
bridal-party, even the children, seemed as old as age itself, puppets
evolved from the ashes of ages, working out a creation-old plan of
things.

The car was very close and hot--in fact, the atmosphere was
intolerable--but he felt chilly. He pulled his coat closer. Two young
men, countrymen, who had entered from the New Sanderson car, and sat
next the German woman, eyed him at the gesture, and their eyes fell
with a sort of dull dissent upon his handsome coat. One said
something to the other, and both laughed with boorish malice. Then
one, after glancing at the conductor, whose back was turned as he
talked to one of the pretty girls with pompadours, bent his head
hastily to the floor. Then he scraped his foot, and looked aloft with
an innocent and unconcerned expression. One of the pretty girls had
observed him, and said something to the conductor, pointing to a
printed placard over the man's head. The conductor looked at him, but
the man did not notice. He gave his fare, when it was demanded,
surlily. Then he bent his head again, when the conductor had turned
again, scraped his foot, and gave a sharp glance at the same time at
Carroll's long coat, which was almost within range. The German woman
suddenly awoke to nervous life and pulled her satin skirt aside, with
a look at the offender, to which he was impervious.

Then the car stopped in response to a signal, and a tiny, evidently
aged, woman with the activity of a child sprang on board. She had a
large bag which she bore on one meagre little arm as if it had been a
feather. Her wrinkled little face, rosily colored with the cold air,
peeped alertly from under quite a fine, youthful hat trimmed with
smart bows and a wing, but set crookedly on the head. Her sparse gray
hair was strained tightly back from her thin temples and wound
tightly at the back. Although she was undoubtedly old, her face could
no more be called old than could that of a bird. She kept it in
constant motion, bringing bright eyes to bear upon the different
passengers. She did not travel very far. She stopped the car,
springing alertly to her feet and pulling the bell-rope. Then she
hopped off as spryly as a sparrow, on her thin ankles, moving with
nervous haste. Then it was that Carroll noticed the boy for the first
time, although he was seated directly opposite, and the child looked
long and intently at the man. When the strange