As I sat in a railway carriage I noticed at the other end of the
compartment a worthy squire, whom I knew by sight, engaged in
conversation with another passenger, who was evidently a friend of his.
"How far have you to drive to your place from the railway station?"
asked the stranger.
"Well," replied the squire, "if I get out at Appleford, it is just the
same distance as if I go to Bridgefield, another fifteen miles farther
on; and if I changed at Appleford and went thirteen miles from there to
Carterton, it would still be the same distance. You see, I am
equidistant from the three stations, so I get a good choice of trains."
Now I happened to know that Bridgefield is just fourteen miles from
Carterton, so I amused myself in working out the exact distance that the
squire had to drive home whichever station he got out at. What was the
distance?