As a matter of fact, he travelled by special train and
beat the Prince home by the matter of three hours. The procession of
troops, headed by the Royal Castle Guard, it was announced would pass
the historic Hotel Regengetz at five in the afternoon, so Mr.
Blithers had front seats on the extension porch facing the Platz.
He did not know it, but if he had waited for the regular train in
Vienna, he would have had the honour of travelling in the same
railway carriage with the royal young man. ("Would" is used advisedly
in the place of "might," for he _would_ have travelled in it, you may
be sure.)
Moreover, he erred in another particular, for arriving at the same
instant and virtually arm-in-arm with the country's sovereign, he
could hardly have been kept out of the procession itself. When you
stop to think that next to the Prince he was the most important
personage in the realm on this day of celebration, it ought not to be
considered at all unreasonable for him to have expected some notable
attention, such as being placed in the first carriage immediately
behind the country's sovereign, or possibly on the seat facing him.
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