ustrian step-drum, beating unaccompanied, strikes
the mind with the real nature of battles, as the salt smell of powder
strikes it, and more in horror, more as a child's imagination realizes
bloodshed, where the scene is a rolling heaven, black and red on
all sides, with pitiable men moving up to the mouth of butchery, the
insufferable flashes, the dark illumination of red, red of black, like a
vision of the shadows Life and Death in a shadow-fight over the dear men
still living. Sensitive minds may be excited by a small stimulant to see
such pictures. This regimental drum is like a song of the flat-headed
savage in man. It has no rise or fall, but leads to the bloody business
with an unvarying note, and a savage's dance in the middle of the
rhythm. Violetta listened to it until her heart quickened with alarm
lest she should be going to have a fever. She thought of Carlo Ammiani,
and of the name of Nagen; she had seen him at the Lenkensteins. Her
instant supposition was that Anna had perhaps paid heavily for the
secret of Carlo's movements an purpose to place Major Nagen on the
Brescian high-road to capture him. Capture meant a long imprisonment, if
not execution. Partly for the sake of getting peace of mind--for she was
shocked by her temporary inability to command repose--but with some hope
of convincing Carlo that she strove to be of use to him, she sent for
the spy Luigi, and at a cost of two hundred and twenty Austrian florins,
obtained his promise upon oath to follow Count Ammiani into Brescia, if
necessary, and deliver to him a letter she had written, wherein Nagen's
name was mentioned, and Carlo was advised to avoid personal risks; the
letter hinted that he might have incurred a private enmity, and he had
better keep among his friends. She knew the writing of this letter to
be the foolishest thing she had ever done. Two hundred and twenty
florins--the man originally stipulated to have three hundred--was a
large sum to pay for postage. However, sacrifices must now and then be
made for friendship, and for sleep. When she had paid half the money,
her mind was relieved, and she had the slumber which preserves beauty.
Luigi was to be paid the other half on his return. "He may never
return," she thought, while graciously dismissing him. The deduction by
mental arithmetic of the two hundred and twenty, or the one hundred and
ten florins, from the large amount Countess Anna was bound to pay her
in turn, annoyed her, thoug