Page:A thousand years hence. Being personal experiences (IA thousandyearshen00gree).djvu/236

 common occurrence, even amongst the fair sex, considerable bands would return with still uncaptured hearts, to be welcomed with triumphant acclamation by their compatriots, and afterwards, most likely, to be eagerly sought after at home as the proud possessors of unmatchable superiorities. But there was one remarkable instance of the same complete result, which happened not very long after this first case, and which comprised such exceptional and stirring features, as to be not unworthy also of a place in our record.

The case in question concerned Italy, which country had not yet sent forth its first army of fair and foraging maidens, even after most other countries, including our own, had repeatedly set the example. We, for instance, had already thus invaded this same backward Italy, in common with other places. There was something not entirely explicable in the matter; for a long roll of Italian beauty was understood to be both ready and willing, and seemed restrained only by a mysterious official pressure. But no one outside had suspected the real cause and motive, until early one fine Italian morning our ambassador at Rome telephoned our Government in haste and alarm, to the effect that he had just then, reliably, albeit surreptitiously, ascertained, that we were almost on the very eve of being visited by such unprecedented numbers, and such a strictly selected excellence of Italian maidenhood, as made it utterly impossible for us, with mere ordinary preparation, to escape grievous national defeat.

The surface, to all appearance, indicated nothing unusual. The Italian Government had already trans-