eep with their bedroom windows shut, which makes them
soft, and apt to catch cold. So they are always afraid of draughts,
especially in a railway train. The first thing a Belgian does, as soon
as he enters a carriage, is to shut the windows, and the rule is that
if by any chance there were, say, five people who wanted a window
open, and only one who wanted it shut, that one can refuse to let the
others have it open. If you are sitting near a window, and open it,
you may be sure that someone, who is perhaps sitting at the other end
of the carriage, will step across and shut it. They never ask leave,
or, indeed, say a word; they just shut it.

One day, two or three years ago, there was a great crowd in a district
train. It was July, and very hot. All the windows of one first-class
carriage were, as usual, shut, and it was so stifling that some of us
stood outside on the platform so as to get some fresh air. A feeble
old lady chanced to be sitting next one of the windows, and wished to
open it. All the other passengers refused to allow her. She told them
she felt as if she would faint from the heat. Not one of the Belgian
ladies and gentlemen, who were all well-dressed people, cared about
that. They just shrugged their shoulders. At last the old lady, who
had been turning very pale, fainted away. Then they were afraid, and
the guard was sent for. He insisted on letting in some air, and
attended to the lady, who presently revived. The other passengers at
once had the window shut again, and the lady had to be taken into
another carriage, on which everyone began to laugh, as if it was a
good joke.

Some Englishmen are always having rows about this window question; but
the best plan is to say nothing, and remember that every country has
its own customs, which strangers ought to observe.

CHAPTER IV

SOME OF THE TOWNS: THE ARDENNES

England, as you know, is not a very big country. But Belgium is very
much smaller. It is such a little bit of a place, a mere corner of
Europe, that in a few hours the train can take you from one end of it
to the other. I suppose that from Ostend to Liege is one of the
longest journeys you could make, and that takes less than four hours.
So it is very easy to go from one town to another.

Suppose we land at Ostend, which, as you will see on the map, lies in
the middle of the Belgian coast. It is the largest of the seaside
towns, and one of the oldest. In ancient times it was fortified