it. However, we will buy both a saw and a crowbar;
as they are both things that are useful to woodcutters, your buying them
will not appear suspicious, nor will the purchase of an auger, but we
had better get them at different shops."

Leaving that part of the town they re-entered the streets where business
was being carried on as usual.

"We won't buy the things until late in the afternoon, Paolo. There would
be no advantage in dragging them about all day."

They sauntered about the streets for some hours, then Paolo went into a
small baker's and bought two loaves of coarse bread. At another shop he
purchased some cheese, and with these they sat down on a stone bench in
the principal square and leisurely ate their food and looked on at the
crowd, which consisted principally of soldiers, Spanish veterans, stiff
in carriage and haughty in manner, together with others, horse and
foot, belonging to the contingent of the Duke of Milan, an ally of the
Spanish. Among these were townspeople, the younger ones chatting with
each other or with ladies of their acquaintance; the middle aged and
older men talking gravely together as they walked up and down.

Among these there was an air of gloom and depression. The state of panic
in which the troops of Prince Thomas, who had marched out confident
that they were about to annihilate the French, had returned, and the
knowledge that the Marquis of Leganez had also failed, had created a
feeling of the deepest disquiet among that portion of the population who
had taken a leading part in throwing off the authority of the duchess
and in acknowledging that of Prince Thomas. They had regarded her cause
as lost, but the vigorous steps that France was taking to assist her had
caused uneasiness; and if, while as yet a comparatively small force had
arrived, these had shown so bold a front, had captured Chieri in the
face of a powerful army, had revictualled Casale, had defeated Prince
Thomas and forced their way past the array of Leganez, it might well be
that in the spring, when reinforcements reached them, they might even
defeat the Spaniards and lay siege to Turin itself. The boys remained
where they were until it began to grow dusk, when, after buying at
three shops a saw, a crowbar, and an auger, they went and sat down on a
doorway in a quiet street until eight o'clock. Then they took their way
to the Strada Vecchia. It was entirely deserted. Lights showed in one
or two of the windows, bu