It is part of the duty
of these gatemen never to let you through these wickets until the
arrival of the last possible moment compatible with the boarding of
your car.
So if you are wise--that is, if you have been left behind several times
depending on the watchfulness of these Cerberi and their promises to let
you know when your train is ready--you hang about this gate and keep an
eye out as to what is going on. I had been two nights on the sleeper
through from Warsaw and beyond, and could take no chances.
Then again, I wanted to watch the people coming and going--it is a habit
of mine; nothing gives me greater pleasure. It has made me an expert in
judging human nature. I flatter myself that I can tell the moment I set
my eyes on a man just what manner of life he leads, what language he
speaks, whether he be rich or poor, educated or ignorant. I can do all
this before he opens his mouth. I have never been proud of this faculty.
I have regarded it more as a gift, as I would an acute sense of color,
or a correct eye for drawing, or the ability to acquire a language
quickly.
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