coffee at it. The waiter brought it as promptly as the conductor
collected our supplementary fare; he even made a feint of removing the
stains from our table-cloth with a flourish of his napkin, and then he
left us to our conjectures and reflections till he came for his pay and
his fee just before we ran into Madrid.




VI


The mystery persisted and it was only when our train paused in the
station that it was solved. There, as we got out of our car, we
perceived that a broad red velvet carpet was laid from the car in front
into the station; a red carpet such as is used to keep the feet of
distinguished persons from their native earth the world over, but more
especially in Europe. Along this carpet were loosely grouped a number of
solemnly smiling gentlemen in frock-coats with their top-hats genteelly
resting in the hollows of their left arms, and without and beyond the
station in the space usually filled by closed and open cabs was a swarm
of automobiles. Then while our spirits were keyed to the highest pitch,
the Queen of Spain descended from the train, wearing a long black satin
cloak and a large black hat, very blond and beautiful beyond the report
of her pictures. By each hand she led one of her two pretty boys, Don
Jaime, the Prince of Asturias, heir apparent, and his younger brother.
She walked swiftly, with glad, kind looks around, and her ladies
followed her according to their state; then ushered and followed by the
gentlemen assembled to receive them, they mounted to their motors and
whirred away like so many persons of a histrionic pageant: not least