he incident struck so
unpleasantly upon my mind that I asked the landlord, while he was
counting me some change, whether he had ever before seen an Italian in
the village. He said he had once seen some Norwegians, who had been
shipwrecked on the other side of Graden Ness and rescued by the lifeboat
from Cauldhaven.

"No!" said I; "but an Italian, like the man who had just had bread and
cheese."

"What?" cried he, "yon black-avised fellow wi' the teeth? Was he an
I-talian? Weel, yon's the first that ever I saw, an' I daresay he's like
to be the last."

Even as he was speaking, I raised my eyes, and, casting a glance into
the street, beheld three men in earnest conversation together, and not
thirty yards away. One of them was my recent companion in the tavern
parlour; the other two, by their handsome, sallow features and soft
hats, should evidently belong to the same race. A crowd of village
children stood around them, gesticulating and talking gibberish in
imitation. The trio looked singularly foreign to the bleak dirty street
in which they were standing, and the dark grey heaven that overspread
them; and I confess my incredulity received at that moment a shock from
which it never recovered. I might reason with myself as I pleased, but I
could not argue down the effect of what I had seen, and I began to share
in the Italian terror.

It was already drawing towards the close of the day before I had
returned, the newspapers at the manse, and got well forward on to the
links on my way home. I shall never forget that walk. It grew very cold
and boisterous; the wind sang in the short grass about my feet; thin
rain showers came running on the gusts; and an immense mountain range of
clouds began to arise out of the bosom of the sea. It would be hard to
imagine a more dismal evening; and whether it was from these external
influences, or because my nerves were already affected by what I had
heard and seen, my thoughts were as gloomy as the weather.

The upper windows of the pavilion commanded a considerable spread of
links in the direction of Graden-Wester. To avoid observation, it was
necessary to hug the beach until I had gained cover from the higher
sand-hills on the little headland, when I might strike across, through
the hollows, for the margin of the wood. The sun was about setting; the
tide was low, and all the quicksands uncovered; and I was moving along,
lost in unpleasant thought, when I was suddenly thunderstruck