Adam's Breed

Maddalena was very silent on the journey, and Gian-Luca knew that she grieved, so he too was silent, for how could he console her for this unhappy ending to their visit?

When they came near the frontier at Modane the next day Gian-Luca looked at his wife; Maddalena was gazing out of the window and he saw that the tears were rolling down her cheeks -- she, who so seldom wept. Then he took her hand and stroked it with his fingers, while the other passengers pretended to read -- they were all English people who were fond of Italians, and they thought this a quarrel between lovers.