The Travelling Companions by Thomas Anstey Guthrie

SCENE -- _The roof of Milan Cathedral; the innumerable statues and fretted pinnacles show in dazzling relief against the intense blue sky. Through the open-work of the parapet is seen the vast Piazza, with its yellow toy tram cars, and the small crawling figures which cast inordinately long shadows. All around is a maze of pale brown roofs, and beyond, the green plain blending on the horizon with dove-coloured clouds in a quivering violet haze._ CULCHARD _is sitting by a small doorway at the foot of a flight of steps leading to the Spire_.

CULCHARD (_meditating_). I think Maud must have seen from the tone in which I said I preferred to remain below, that I object to that cousin of hers perpetually coming about with us as he does. She's far too indulgent to him -- a posing, affected prig, always talking about the wonderful things he's _going_ to write! He had the impudence to tell me I didn't know the most elementary laws of the sonnet this morning! Withering repartee seems to have no effect whatever on him. I wish I had some of Podbury's faculty for flippant chaff! I wonder if he and the Prendergasts really are at Milan. I certainly thought I recognised -- -- If they are, it's very bad taste of them, after the pointed way in which they left Bellagio. I only hope we shan't -- --