Men and women lay, slept
and snored upon the stone ledges which lined the side of the tunnel,
their bags and packets stacked around them. Small children lay asleep
like cut corn, heads hanging and nodding in all directions, or propped
against each other in such an intricate combination that if one should
move the whole sheaf of tired heads slipped lower to the floor.
Further on, swing doors of glass led to a waiting-room, and here the
sleeping men and women were so packed upon the ground and around the
little tables that it was difficult to walk between them. Men sat in
groups of nine or ten around a table meant for four each with his head
sunk down between his hands upon the marble surface. On one table a
small child wrapped in shawls lay among the circle of heads, curled like
a snail, its toe in its father's ear. At each end of the room stood
soldiers with fixed bayonets.
Denis paused at the entrance. "Walk round here," he said, "there is a
gangway for the sentry."
"If we talk too loud," said Fanny, "we shall wake them."
"They must soon wake in any case. It must be near the time for the
train. You know who they are?"
"Who?"
"Germans. Expelled from Metz. They leave in batches for Germany every
night--by a train that comes in and goes out at some horrible hour."
Passing through more glass doors they came to an inner room where,
behind a buffet, a lady in black silk served them with beer and slices
of raw ham and bread.
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