their own importance. They disdained to reply to any question, and said
nothing beyond the terse statement that no more trains were going East
to Russia. At this intelligence the travellers bound for the latter
country collapsed, the majority, women, flopping upon their baggage and
dropping their heads in their hands in grief and utter despair.

Yet, although the authorities were fully aware that no more trains were
going East they made no attempt to cope with the influx of arriving and
stranded passengers. They were left to their own devices. The majority
of the women and children were famished, thirsty, and tired, but the
officials resolutely refused to open the waiting rooms and buffets
before the usual hour. Accordingly the travel-tired, grief-stricken
women either threw themselves prone upon the platforms, or crawled into
corridors, sub-ways, and corners to seek a little repose, using their
luggage as head-rests, or being content with the cold hard steps. The
few seats upon the platform were speedily occupied but the occupants
were denied more than a brief repose. At the end of 15 minutes officials
came round and emptied the seats of those in possession to allow other
parties to have a quarter of an hour's rest.

While the worn-out passengers slept the light-fingered German gentry
passed swiftly from bag to bag, the conditions offering favourable
opportunities for the light-fingered gentry. They appeared to suffer no
molestation from the officials, who could plainly see what was going on,
but possibly officialdom regarded the belongings of tired and exhausted
foreigners as legitimate loot to those who were prepared to take it.
Outside the station the heavier baggage was stacked in barricades in a
wildly haphazard manner with the heavier articles at the top. These,
crushing the lighter and more fragile packages beneath, spread the
contents of the latter in the roadway to serve as sport for gamins and