AN AFTERNOON BY THE RIVER. 103 



but I had wit enough to sit still and let the 

 car run; a degree of sophistication which 

 passes pretty well as a substitute for wisdom 

 in a world where men are distinguished from 

 children not so much by more knowledge as 

 by less curiosity. In the present instance, 

 however, as the event proved, the dunce's 

 cap belonged on the other head. My coun- 

 tryman's stare was less verdant than his 

 next neighbor's smile ; for in a few minutes 

 the conductor was taking up a trap door at 

 our feet, to get at the works, some part of 

 which had fallen out of gear, though they 

 were still running. Twice the car was 

 stopped for a better examination into the dif- 

 ficulty, and at last a new wedge, or some- 

 thing else, was inserted, and we proceeded 

 on our way, while the motorman who had 

 done the job busied himself with removing 

 from his coat, as best he could, the oil with 

 which it had become besmeared in the course 

 of the operation. It was rather hard, he 

 thought, to have to spoil his clothes in re- 

 pair-shop work of that kind, especially as he 

 was paid nothing for it, and had to find 

 himself. As for my rustic-looking seat-mate, 

 he was an old hand at the business, it ap- 



