The platform at Euston was crowded, and the porters' barrows piled high with luggage.

During the last week in July the Irish mail carries a heavy load of passengers, and for the twenty minutes before its departure people are busy endeavouring to secure their own comfort and the safety of their belongings.

There are schoolboys, with portmanteaux, play-boxes, and hand-bags, escaping home for the summer holidays.

There are sportsmen, eager members of the Stock Exchange or keen lawyers, on their way to Donegal or Clare for fishing.

There are tourists, the holders of tickets which promise them a round of visits to famous beauty spots.