Page:A thousand years hence. Being personal experiences (IA thousandyearshen00gree).djvu/241

 proved second-best in the dread encounter, and gave timely relief to many doubting and anxious minds. But this was only an individual instance. A legion lay still behind, and the Italian side was still undismayed; nor had it still abandoned hope even when the entire first letter was played out. But, alas! long, long ere Z was reached, their hopes had fallen to zero. What a harvest in store for the "Bet Magazines" of that nationally eventful week!

"We are left to infer that the young couples did actually settle their mutual affairs by the chance medley of the alphabetic course. Anyhow, as the record has told us, every young Italian maiden was duly robbed of her heart by the young English brigands of the occasion. Although Italy lost some expected vainglorying, we are not to doubt that she contributed largely instead to the brightness, beauty, and happiness of many English homes.