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It is really a "human comedy," well worked out, with plenty of vivacity, stirring scenes, and eventful episodes.'-NEWSAGENT. London: CHATTO & WINDUS, 111 St. Martin's Lane, W.C. HOLLOWAY'S OINTMENT Is the most Reliable Remedy for SORES, ULCERS, OLD WOUNDS, Chest and Throat Affections, Gout, Rheumatism, Stiff Joints, and all Manufactured only at 78 NEW OXFORD STREET, LONDON, dvine Gratis at the ahore address daily between the hours of 11 ond PUELIC LIBRARY THE ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATION3. GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. JUNE 1897. VINCTI SED NON VICTI By C. SOREL Strong. PART I. T was Sunday afternoon. IT Trevor and I had just arrived in Naples. With the instinct befitting serious-minded travellers, we felt we ought already to be "doing something." Nor was I ever Trevor I knew for "Baedeker says everything is open just the same on Sundays," Trevor announced, weary, but conscientious. Had he said, "Let us begin this instant a scrupulous examination of the treasures of the Museum; and when daylight fails, let us continue our studies by the help of torches," I should have assented with as much show of heartiness as I could command; for I am one of the many men lacking the courage to confess to being tired. brave enough to acknowledge that I was afraid. "a bird of a feather"; I caught the hollow tone in his weary voice, and was inspired to make a suggestion which should save his amourpropre-and my own. "They tell me," I said, with an affectation of carelessness, "we ought not to miss the music in the Gardens this afternoon-some promenade down by the Chiaja. All Naples will be there. It is a recognised sight of the place.” Trevor looked quite relieved. Here was a way of "doing something," and at the same time being lazy; of keeping a sight-seer's conscience at peace, and yet yielding a little to our weak and weary nature. "And after the concert we could go and see something-churches, perhaps, as it is Sunday." (This I added with the unamiable object of tempering his joy.) I notice in myself, and still more in others, an increased irritability of temper after long, comfortless journeys. VOL. CCLXXXII. NO. 1998. For a valetudinarian, I am, however, under ordinary circumstances, a man of amiable disposition. "Yes, after the concert, if it isn't too late," Trevor assented, strong in the confidence that by four or five o'clock on a December afternoon darkness would have fallen, even upon Naples. "We won't walk to the music, for we don't know our way. We must drive there." "One can't be seen finding one's way through a town by map on Sunday." Transparent pretences! We saw through each other perfectly. We laughed aloud. But all the same, we were not going to allow, in so many words, that we were dog-tired. Chain cables would not have dragged from either of us the admission that were we offered the choice of a bed or a kingdom we should have greatly preferred the bed. But as our amour-propre was more to us than kingdoms, or even beds, we decided to wear out the next seven or eight hours affronting the eyes that might rest upon us with our wan and haggard looks, while we silently longed for the moment when to retire for the night would not be to make open confession of weakness. Our appearance at the door was the signal for a charge of Legni towards the hotel. The rickety conveyances are like overgrown bath-chairs with two little wheels in front under the coachbox, instead of the chair's steering wheel. These shabby carriages are generally drawn by shapely, undersized horses. Of those that scampered and clattered towards us as we emerged from our porte cochère, Trevor chose a little black, with a fierce head and great crest-a fiery, sensitive pigmy, like a miniature Arab, with the Arab's rounded outlines; small, sharp ears, mobile nostrils, and lightemitting eyes. We had plenty of later opportunities for observing the little fellow, because, from that first meeting, the owner of the black horse marked us for his own. He seemed to know our movements better than we could have predicted them; and at every turn, when we might possibly prefer driving to walking, he would start up before us, advising, even entreating us, to use the legno. We were whirled down to the Villa Nazionale in a very few minutes. The music had already begun. The gardens were thronged, and more people were constantly coming. Rows of empty carriages lined the promenade on the side next the sea. Their usual occupants, the beauty and fashion of Naples-for the most part neither beautiful nor fashionable, if beauty be judged by art standards, and if fashion consists in conformity to Parisian models-walked about within earshot of the music. Uniforms of many sorts looked well in the crowd, even those of the small pupils of the naval school. The most conspicuous figures were the nurses, in their gay-coloured, stiff silk dresses, gold-bedecked or much belaced, and with many yards of bright ribbon streaming from their black hair. These nurses shook their rich skirts about at every step, and were evidently as proud of their finery as of the diminutive swaddled infants they carried in their strong arms; and they were much pleasanter objects to see than the sickly-looking young mothers, the effete dandies, or the grandmothers of, perhaps, forty winters, who would never walk again, being reduced to waddling (by reason of their portentous size) for the rest of their natural lives. No woman commands fullest admiration in Naples until she is fat; and once fat, she rapidly deteriorates in looks. "Un bel pezzo di donna," Southern Italians exclaim, as a short broad figure waddles into view. "A fine piece of woman!" And this, when in the "piece" there is stuff enough to make four symmetrical figures! That was an uncomely crowd down by the Chiaja! The sun went in and out fitfully. Cold gusts blew down now and then from the north. The stream of people moved so slowly about the bandstand, and there were so many cross currents in this stream, that to lounge up and down was impossible. This crowd was like a "chopping sea." When we betook ourselves to chairs in a sheltered corner, we were pestered first by a ragged little match-girl, who forced us each to buy a box of her wretched vestas, and then conveniently discovered that she had no soldi to give us in change; secondly, by the ragged one's brother, aged about six, who had nothing to sell, but declared he was dying of hunger, clamoured for soldi, squeezed his grimy little person between Trevor's chair and mine, clutched at Trevor's immaculate glove with his unspeakable fingers; proposed, though dying, to earn the money by dancing for us, and did actually begin to tread a measure-head lowered in a butting attitude, hands in ragged trousers pockets, shoulders almost touching his ears, while he slowly and heavily hopped from one foot to another, until he sighted more promising arrivals, and fled away with his sister and the matches to try his luck with them. But we were not left even now in peace, for number three was down upon us in a moment; a weather-beaten flower-seller, who thrust her faded rose-buds against our very noses, and her yellow acaciaballs actually into the breast-pockets of our coats. And, after her, came the newsman-less familiar, but even more noisyand then another flower vendor; and the collector of the threepennies for chairs; and more matches and coloured caricatures; |