Brum's face shone.
"Poor lamb! I may as well give him Mont Blanc," she thought tenderly.
XIV
Endless other quaint dialogues passed between mother and son on that tedious and harassing journey southwards.
"There'll be no more snow when we get to Italy," Brum explained. "Italy's the land of beauty—always sunshine and blue sky. It's the country of the old Gods—Venus, the goddess of beauty; Juno, with her peacocks; Jupiter, with his thunderbolts, and lots of others."
"But I thought the Pope was a Christian," said Zillah.
"So he is. It was long ago, before people believed in Christianity."
"But then they were all Jews."
"Oh no, mother. There were Pagan gods that people used to believe in at Rome and in Greece. In Greece, though, these gods changed their names."
"So!" said Zillah scornfully; "I suppose they wanted to have a fresh chance. And what's become of them now?"