al justice. They also may in time, perhaps, teach
travellers not to trust to conclusions based upon insufficient data about
distinguished-looking ladies in restaurant-cars.

But I sent her the post-card all the same.

CHAPTER XVI
THE CORPORAL

One makes friends rapidly in Sicily. I made friends for life with all
the coast-guards during three or four hours which I spent with them in
their caserma. The corporal was the most demonstrative, and after I
returned to England we exchanged post-cards for some months. Then he
suddenly left off writing, and I drew the conclusion that it is as easy
to unmake friends as to make them. But I was wrong. After four and a
half years of undeserved neglect I received another post-card:

Since the death of one of my sisters and the occurrence of several
other family troubles I have not been able before this day to write
and assure you of the great affection which I continue to nourish
towards you. For this I beg your pardon and your indulgence. I
should have much pleasure in writing you a long letter and in telling
you many things. Do you permit me to do so?

I gave the required permission, and presently received the long
letter--much too long to be reproduced, but amounting to this:

That he was sorry to hear I had had a cold, and wished he could have had
it instead; we could only hope that heaven would give me good health for
a hundred years; that he was now writing the long letter about which
there had been delay in consequence of his having been away at home on
leave when the necessary permission reached him; that he had no words in
which to express his joy at hearing that I was soon coming to Sicily, as
it was now sixty-three months since he had been in my presence. "Year
after year and I have not seen you, spring after spring and I have not
seen you, autumn after autumn and I have not seen you, and I have always
looked for your coming and have not seen you."

He went on to say that the young lady to whom he was engaged was a
beautiful and honest girl, well educated and of a superior but
unfortunately poor family. He was longing for the day when he might
introduce her to me, for he had now been engaged over four years, and his
misery was that he did not know when they could be married. He was
thirty-five, and had been in service fifteen years and a half; on
attaining forty he would be able to retire from the service and marry,
but in th