Again he clicked those heels of his.  Again that silk hat came off.  Again that superb bow.  He was very sorry, but he could do nothing.  Doubtless we could arrange things at the frontier.  It was within ten minutes of train time, and we were surrounded by no fewer than thirty German men—­guests, porters, hall-boys—­who listened curiously, and offered no assistance.

I looked at my companion, and she looked at me, and ground her teeth.

“Then you absolutely refuse us the courtesy of walking across the street with us and mending matters, do you?” I said.

Again those heels, that hat, that bow.  I could have killed him.  I am sorry now that I didn’t.  I missed a glorious opportunity.

So off we started alone at eleven o’clock at night for Poland, with our trunks safely checked through to St. Petersburg, and fifty-five marks lighter in pocket.

My companion kept saying, “Well, I never!” A pause.  And again, “Well, I never!” And again, “Did you ever in all your life!” Yet there was no sameness in my ears to her remarks, for it was all that I, too, wanted to say.  It covered the ground completely.

I was speechless with surprise.  It kept recurring to my mind that my friends in America who had lived in Germany had told me that I need expect nothing at the hands of German men on account of being a woman.  I couldn’t seem to get it through my head.  But now that it had happened to me—­now that a man had deliberately refused to cross the street—­no farther, mind you!—­to get us out of such a mess!  Why, in America, there isn’t a man from the President to a chimney-sweep, from a major-general to the blackest nigger in the cotton fields, who wouldn’t do ten times that much for any woman!

I shall never get over it.

With the courage of despair I accosted every man and woman on the platform with the words, “Do you speak English?” But not one of them did.  Nor French either.  So with heavy hearts we got on the train, feed the porter four marks for getting us into this dilemma (and incidentally carrying our hand-luggage), and when he had the impertinence to demand more I turned on him and assured him that if he dared to speak another word to us we would report him to His Excellency the American Ambassador, who was on intimate terms with the Kaiser; and that I would use my influence to have him put in prison for life.  He fled in dismay, although I know he did not understand one word.  My manner, however, was not affable.  Then I cast myself into my berth in a despairing heap, and broke two of the wings in my hat.

My companion was almost in tears.  “Never mind,” she said.  “It was all my fault.  But we may get our trunks, anyway.  And if not, perhaps we can get along without them.”

“Impossible!” I said.  “How can we spend a week as guests in a house without a change of clothes?”

In order not to let her know how worried I was, I told her that if we couldn’t get our trunks off the train at Vilna we would give up our visit and telegraph our excuses and regrets to our expectant hostess, or else come back from St. Petersburg after we had got our precious trunks once more within our clutches.