Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-21
THE CLOUD THAT PASSED.
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There were only three in the compart-
ment as the train sped southwards over
the great plain OF Northern Italy-the hus-
band, the wife, and the Frenchman.
The lady sat in the right-hand corner
facing the engine, gazing out on the sun
rathed landscape as IL she dreaded 10
miss the minutest detail of the scenery.
In her cheeks was the rosy flush OF morn
ing: in her blue eyes the reflection OF 'he
sky of Italy-that sky whose radiant IN
tensity of blue seems to be the expression
TO the eye OF youth and poetry and pas
sion. Her heart beat high within her; II
seemed 20 her as IL for the hrst time III
her eight and thirty years she knew the
10Y of drawing a long breath.
George Lamont, her husband, looking up
at her from the pages of the inevitable
"Baedeker," could hardly believe that tnis
radiant creature was the placid, sedate
wife who for the last ten years had
darned his socks and sewed on his put'
the tiny brick-bullt house at Hackney
BewiIdered by the strangeness OF every
thing, oppressed by sense OF RESPONSE
bility which his narrow life had hardly
nrenared him to bear easily, he could no'
share in her exhilaration. With puz-
lied sigh he turned away his eyes from
her face: but ere he could lower them
over his hook again they were arrested
nv the look on the face OF the Frenchman.
wbo was sitting opposite her-a look OF
undisguised, and, N George said to NM
eeIf almost insulting, admiration. 1t was
with a clouded brow that he once more
hant over his "Baedeker." Presently he
was aroused by a question from his wife'
"Gsorge" she was saying, tell me,
,,osn,t n Caesar who fought the battle OF
Pavia. or was II NapoleonY'
She spoke in a dreamy tone, In which
there was no trace of mauvaise monte.
che knew that the names OF both those
great generals were associated with the
nlains OF Northern italy, and as to the
question of time-well, she had been only
four-and-twenty hours In Italy, but al
ready she had begun to feel, as we all
do in that land OF history, sense OF the
Insigniffcance of time, which seems to
bring the events of twice ten hundred
wears ago as near to Us as those from
which we are not yet separated by a
century.
George couehed in an embarrassed way.
He was a Woodworking. studious man,
hut his studies were ali directed along
one narrow line; ne was a specialist In
zoology. and his days were spent In re-
searches as to the nature and habits OF
what Priscilla, his wife, called little
beasts" and In giving lectures at South
Kensington.
caesar he exclaimed. to gain time,
while he endeayored surreptiously TO turn
no his "Baedeker." II think you are 60
ing rather too far back. Priscilla"
The Frenchman anticipated "Baedeker.'
"Perhaps madame means the battle In
which Francis !. was taken prisoner
he suggested, in tolerably good English.
Nothing could have been less intrusive
or more respectful than his manner, but
a dark flush Of anger rose In George La
nont's pale students face as he sank
back In his seat and buried himself deeper
than ever in his guide-books. He had
noted that the Frenchman had KEPT
stroking his moustache for some seconds
and he had seemed to catch a glimpse 81
a mocking smile In the corners OF wha'
ba choss to call 20 himself "the fellow'i
wicked eyes"-.oniy he quaiined the nour
with another and stronger adjective whicf
I, il usually forbidden to set down IN
writing. AS hs sat with head bent oye'