Carrados's sightless eyes had the one quality of concealing emotion
supremely. "Oh," he commented softly, "always; and it was quite a
saying, was it? And _why_ was it always so on Thursday?"

"It had to do with the early closing, I'm told. The suburban traffic
was a bit different. By rights we ought to have been set back two
minutes for that day, but I suppose it wasn't thought worth while to
alter us in the time-table so we most always had to wait outside Three
Deep tunnel for a west-bound electric to make good."

"You were prepared for it then?"

"Yes, sir, I was," said Hutchins, reddening at some recollection, "and
very down about it was one of the jury over that. But, mayhap once in
three months, I did get through even on a Thursday, and it's not for
me to question whether things are right or wrong just because they are
not what I may expect. The signals are my orders, sir--stop! go on!
and it's for me to obey, as you would a general on the field of
battle. What would happen otherwise! It was nonsense what they said
about going cautious; and the man who stated it was a barber who
didn't know the difference between a 'distance' and a 'stop' signal
down to the minute they gave their verdict. My orders, sir, given me
by that signal, was 'Go right ahead and keep to your running time!'"

Carrados nodded a soothing assent. "That is all, I think," he
remarked.

"All!" exclaimed Hutchins in surprise. "Why, sir, you can't have got
much idea of it yet."