Delia Blanchflower

And the Englishman whose mind shaped these words continued his leisurely survey of thecrowded salon of a Tyrolese hotel, into which a dining-room like a college hall had justemptied itself after the mid-day meal. Meanwhile a German, sitting near, seeing that his tallneighbour had been searching his pockets in vain for matches, offered some. TheEnglishman's quick smile in response modified the German's general opinion of Englishmanners, and the two exchanged some remarks on the weather-a thunder shower wassplashing outside-remarks which bore witness at least to the Englishman's courage inusing such knowledge of the German tongue as he possessed. Then, smoking contentedly, he leant against the wall behind him, still looking on.He saw a large room, some seventy feet long, filled with a miscellaneous foreign crowd-South Germans, Austrians, Russians, Italians-seated in groups round small tables, smoking, playing cards or dominoes, reading the day's newspapers which the funicular hadjust brought up, or lazily listening to the moderately good band which was playing someRheingold selection at the farther en