At that time the railway had not been very long in existence; two trains ran southward from the large towns in the morning, and two trains ran northward to the large towns in the evening; besides these, there was just one local train which came into St.Armand at noon, and passengers arriving at noon were obliged to wait for the evening train to get on farther.
There were not many passengers by this short local line.

Even on the main line there was little traffic that affected St.Armand.Yet most of the men of the place found excuse of business or pleasure to come and watch the advent of the trains.

The chief use of the station platform seemed to be for these loungers; the chief use of the bar at the hotel was to slake their thirst, although they were not on the whole an intemperate lot.

They stood about in homespun clothes and smoked.

A lazy, but honest set of humble-minded French papists were the men at St.
Armand.
It was on the station platform that Zilda Chaplot came out in society, as the phrase might be.