platform, and remembered for the first time, with a touch of sadness, that in the years of his youth there had been nothing but open fields and farm land in the suburban quarter through which he was now riding. By degrees most of the passengers had got off, and not until then did it strike him that the conductor had as yet not made his appearance. He cast a glance about him, and encountered two eyes which smiled at him in friendly mockery. They belonged to a young, rather pale girl dressed simply, but attractively in something light, who had presumably been standing next to him on the platform for some little while.
"I suppose you are wondering that the conductor doesn't come along," she said, raising her head and looking brightly up at Graesler from under her flat, black straw hat, the brim of which she held with one hand.
"Yes, that's right," he replied rather stiffly.
"You see, we haven't one," the young girl explained. "But up front there, by the motorman, you know, there's a box where you drop your ten-pfennig piece, and that settles the matter."
"Thanks very much," the doctor said, betook himself to the front of the car, did as directed, walked back, and repeated, "Thank you very much, Fräulein. That's really an awfully convenient arrangement—especially for rascals."
"They would be out of luck," the young girl replied. "There are nothing but honest people hereabouts."
"Far be it from me to doubt it, of course. But I wonder, now, just what others must have thought of me."
"Oh, simply that you're a stranger here—which you are, aren't you?" And she looked up at him inquisitively.
"Well, I suppose you might call me that," he replied and looked away. Then he turned again quickly towards his neighbour and asked, "What kind of a stranger would you take me for?"
"Of course, I can tell now that you are German, perhaps from right around here somewhere. But at first I thought you must come from some place far away—from Spain, or Portugal."
"Portugal?" he repeated, and reached involuntarily for his hat. "No, I'm not a Portuguese, to be sure—though," he added parenthetically, "I do know the country slightly."
"Yes, I should think so. You've gotten around quite a bit in the world, I suppose."
