leave her mind clear to grapple with evil; and then, as the lurid breaks
come in a storm-driven night sky, she had the picture of her lover in the
hands of enemies, and of Wilfrid in the white uniform; the torment of her
living passion, the mockery of her passion by-gone. Recollection, when
it came back, overwhelmed her; she swayed from recollection to oblivion,
and was like a caged wild thing. Giacinta had to be as a mother with
her. The poor trembling girl, who had begun to perceive that the
carriage was bearing them to some unknown destination, tore open the
bands of her corset and drew her mistress's head against the full warmth
of her bosom, rocked her, and moaned over her, mixing comfort and
lamentation in one offering, and so contrived to draw the tears out from
her, a storm of tears; not fitfully hysterical, but tears that poured a
black veil over the eyeballs, and fell steadily streaming. Once subdued
by the weakness, Vittoria's nature melted; she shook piteously with
weeping; she remembered Laura's words, and thought of what she had done,
in terror and remorse, and tried to ask if the people would be fighting
now, but could not. Laura seemed to stand before her like a Fury
stretching her finger at the dear brave men whom she had hurled upon the
bayonets and the guns. It was an unendurable anguish. Giacinta was
compelled to let her cry, and had to reflect upon their present situation
unaided. They had passed the city gates. Voices on the coachman's box
had given German pass-words. She would have screamed then had not the
carriage seemed to her a sanctuary from such creatures as foreign
soldiers, whitecoats; so she cowered on. They were in the starry open
country, on the high-road between the vine-hung mulberry trees. She held
the precious head of her mistress, praying the Saints that strength
would soon come to her to talk of their plight, or chatter a little
comfortingly at least; and but for the singular sweetness which it
shot thrilling to her woman's heart, she would have been fretted when
Vittoria, after one long-drawn wavering sob, turned her lips to the bared