Tekla! He laughed sardonically.
She was no doubt sound asleep by this time, and the end of the chapter would never be written for her.

What fools these young men a-courting were! War and famine and pestilence; did these not always follow at the heels of women?
As the station-master's bell rang, the door opened and a man jumped in.
He tossed his bag into the corner and plumped down in the seat.
"Captain ?" "You, Hans ?" "Yes.

Where are you going ?" "I am weary of Dreiberg, so I am taking a little vacation." "For how long ?" suspiciously.
"Oh, for ever so long!" evasively.

And Carmichael lifted his feet to the opposite seat and prepared to go to sleep.
Hans said nothing more.

He was full of wisdom.