h she knew it was a trifle. For this lady,
Milan, Turin, and Paris sighed deeply.

When he had left Violetta at her house in the Corso, Merthyr walked
briskly for exercise, knowing that he would have need of his health and
strength. He wanted a sight of Alps to wash out the image of the woman
from his mind, and passed the old Marshal's habitation fronting the
Gardens, wishing that he stood in the field against the fine old
warrior, for whom he had a liking. Near the walls he discovered Beppo
sitting pensively with his head between his two fists. Beppo had not
seen Count Ammiani, but he had seen Barto Rizzo, and pointing to the
walls, said that Barto had dropped down there. He had met him hurrying
in the Corso Francesco. Barto took him to the house of Sarpo, the
bookseller, who possessed a small printing-press. Beppo described
vividly, with his usual vivacity of illustration, the stupefaction of
the man at the apparition of his tormentor, whom he thought fast in
prison; and how Barto had compelled him to print a proclamation to the
Piedmontese, Lombards, and Venetians, setting forth that a battle had
been fought South of the Ticino, and that Carlo Alberto was advancing
on Milan, signed with the name of the Piedmontese Pole in command of the
king's army. A second, framed as an order of the day, spoke of victory
and the planting of the green, white and red banner on the Adige, and
forward to the Isonzo.

"I can hear nothing of Carlo Alberto's victory," Beppo said; "no one has
heard of it. Barto told us how the battle was fought, and the name of
the young lieutenant who discovered the enemy's flank march, and got the
artillery down on him, and pounded him so that--signore, it's amazing!
I'm ready to cry, and laugh, and howl!--fifteen thousand men capitulated
in a heap!"

"Don't you know you've been listening to a madman?" said Merthyr,
irritated, and thoroughly angered to see Beppo's opposition to that
view.

"Signore, Barto described the whole battle. It began at five o'clock in
the morning."

"When it was dark!"

"Yes; when it was dark. He said so. And we sent up rockets, and caught
the enemy coming on, and the cavalry of Alessandria fell upon two
batteries of field guns and carried them off, and Colonel Romboni was
shot in his back, and cries he, 'Best give up the ghost if you're hit in
the rear. Evviva l'Italia!'"

"A Piedmontese colonel, you fool! he would have shouted 'Viva Carlo
Alberto!'" said Merthyr, now