he elder in the patriotic
work therefore, if he bowed his head to the Chief, it was a voluntary
act, a form of respect, and not the surrendering of his judgement. He was
on the spot: the Chief was absent. Barto reasoned that the Chief could
have had no experience of women, seeing that he was ready to trust in
them. "Do I trust to my pigeon, my sling-stone?" he said jovially to the
thickbrowed, splendidly ruddy young woman, who was his wife; "do I trust
her? Not half a morsel of her!" This young woman, a peasant woman of
remarkable personal attractions, served him with the fidelity of a
fascinated animal, and the dumbness of a wooden vessel. She could have
hanged him, had it pleased her. She had all his secrets: but it was not
vain speaking on Barto Rizzo's part; he was master of her will; and on
the occasions when he showed that he did not trust her, he was careful at
the same time to shock and subdue her senses. Her report of Vittoria was,
that she went to the house of the Signora, Laura Piaveni, widow of the
latest heroic son of Milan, and to that of the maestro Rocco Ricci; to no
other. It was also Luigi's report.

"She's true enough," the woman said, evidently permitting herself to
entertain an opinion; a sign that she required fresh schooling.

"So are you," said Barto, and eyed her in a way that made her ask, "Now,
what's for me to do?"

He thought awhile.

"You will see the colonel. Tell him to come in corporal's uniform. What's
the little wretch twisting her body for? Shan't I embrace her presently
if she's obedient? Send to the polizia. You believe your husband is in
the city, and will visit you in disguise at the corporal's hour. They
seize him. They also examine the house up to the point where we seal it.
Your object is to learn whether the Austrians are moving men upon Milan.
If they are-I learn something. When the house has been examined, our
court here will have rest for a good month ahead; and it suits me not to
be disturbed. Do this, and we will have a red-wine evening in the house,
shut up alone, my snake! my pepper-flower!"

It happened that Luigi was entering the court to keep an appointment with
Barto when he saw a handful of the polizia burst into the house and drag
out a soldier, who was in the uniform, as he guessed it to be, of the
Prohaska regiment. The soldier struggled and offered money to them. Luigi
could not help shouting, "You fools! don't you see he's an officer?" Two
of them took th