Both were
silent for a time, then Franco murmured with great gentleness:

"Only thirteen hours more. Then perhaps I shall never trouble you
again." At that moment Uncle Piero entered and announced that dinner was
ready. Luisa took her husband's hand and pressed it in silence; it was
not a lover-like pressure, but it told him she shared his emotion.

At dinner neither Franco nor Luisa could eat. But the uncle had a good
appetite, and talked a great deal. He did not approve of Franco's
enlisting. "What sort of a soldier do you expect to become?" said he.
"What will you do without your camphor, your sedative water, and all the
rest?"

Franco replied that he had cast aside all remedies, that he felt as if
he were of steel, and that he should become the most robust soldier of
the whole ninth regiment. "Maybe," the uncle grumbled, "maybe. And you,
Luisa, what do you say about it?" Luisa believed it would be as her
husband had said. "Then that is enough!" the uncle cried. "And so,
hurrah!" He had a great opinion of the strength of Austria, and did not
view matters in the same rosy light as did Franco. According to Franco
there was not the slightest doubt that the Italians would be victorious.
He had seen one of Niel's adjutants, who had come to Turin on a secret
mission, and had heard him say to some staff officers: "_Nous allons
supprimer l'Autriche!_" Of course they fully expected to leave at least
fifty thousand Italians and Frenchmen between the Ticino and the Isonzo.

"Excuse me, Signori," said the waiter who was serving them, "but did the
gentlemen speak of enlisting in the ninth regiment?"

"Yes."

"The Queen's Brigade! A splendid brigade! I served in the tenth. We
covered ourselves with glory in 1848, as you may remember. Goito, Santo
Lucia, Governolo, and Volta. Now it will be your turn."

"We will do our best."

Luisa shuddered slightly. The English people, who were dining at a table
near them, heard this dialogue and looked at Franco. For some minutes no
one in the room spoke; there passed before them the vision of a column
of infantry charging with fixed bayonets, amidst a shower of grapeshot.

After dinner the uncle remained at the hotel for his usual nap, and
Franco went out with Luisa. They turned to the right towards the Palace.
It was rather dark and a few infrequent drops of rain were falling. The
steps leading from the shore to the courtyard of the villa were
slippery, and Franco offered his arm t