260 AFOOT THROUGH THE 



present effects, imagine the awful amount of suffering 

 from famine and disease it entails. It has been good to 

 see a sunburnt face. Tell them at home what hot 

 weather is like." 



The carriage was so hot as I left in the mail 

 train that night that salamanders would have thought 

 it homelike. A weary, anxious-faced woman, lightly 

 clad we had dropped into muslin dressing gowns as 

 soon as the station was left was fanning a tiny, 

 wizened morsel of humanity. I took a turn any 

 diversion to self-centred thought was welcome while 

 she prepared food over an etna, runlets of heat pouring 

 down face and neck. 



' You see," she explained, " I took baby to 

 the hills, and Jack was to join us, but they wired 

 for me two days ago; it seems he is down with fever, 

 and I could not leave baby with any one, people do not 

 like the responsibility of a sick child, but it does seem 

 a pity to bring him down just when he was beginning 

 to look so bonnie." The sight of the babe's wrinkled 

 mouth and tiny limbs made me shudder. " And it is so 

 bad for him travelling so quickly, but, of course, I felt 

 I must come on, and I am to look out for wires, they 

 promised to send one if there were a change or 

 anything." 



That night mocking demons continually looked in at 

 the window, and gibing mouths taunted us as we passed 

 on, heat phantoms jeering at the weary ghosts who had 

 at times believed that the world was made for them, 

 but were being taught by a thousand tortures that they 

 were no lords of creation, just impotent factors in the 

 world's hierarchy. It is given us to win victories some- 

 times, but the price is promptly entered against us. Just 



