critically disgusted with the tale, and
refusing to hear more. Two hours later, he despatched Beppo to Carlo
in Brescia, warning him that for some insane purpose these two
proclamations had been printed by Barto Rizzo, and that they were false.

It was early on the morning of a second day, before sunrise, when
Vittoria sent for Merthyr to conduct her to the cathedral. "There has
been a battle," she said. Her lips hardly joined to frame the syllables
in speech. Merthyr refrained from asking where she had heard of the
battle. As soon as the Duomo doors were open, he led her in and left her
standing shrinking under the great vault with her neck fearfully drawn
on her shoulders, as one sees birds under thunder. He thought that she
was losing courage. Choosing to go out on the steps rather than look
on her, he was struck by the sight of two horsemen, who proved to be
Austrian officers, rattling at racing speed past the Duomo up the Corso.
The sight of them made it seem possible that a battle had been fought.
As soon as he was free, Merthyr went to the Duchess of Graatli, from
whom he had the news of Novara. The officers he had seen were Prince
Radocky and Lieutenant Wilfrid Pierson, the old Marshal's emissaries of
victory. They had made a bet on the bloody field about reaching Milan
first, and the duchess affected to be full of the humour of this bet
in order to conceal her exultation. The Lenkensteins called on her; the
Countess of Lenkenstein, Anna, and Lena; and they were less considerate,
and drew their joy openly from the source of his misery--a dreadful
house for Merthyr to remain in; but he hoped to see Wilfrid, having
heard the duchess rally Lena concerning the deeds of the white umbrella,
which, Lena said, was pierced with balls, and had been preserved for
her. "The dear foolish fellow insisted on marching right into the midst
of the enemy with his absurd white umbrella; and wherever there was
danger the men were seen following it. Prince Radocky told me the
whole army was laughing. How he escaped death was a miracle!" She spoke
unaffectedly of her admiration for the owner, and as Wilfrid came in she
gave him brilliant eyes. He shook Merthyr's hand without looking at
him. The ladies would talk of nothing but the battle, so he went up to
Merthyr, and under pretext of an eager desire for English news, drew him
away.

"Her husband was not there? not at Novara, I mean?" he said.

"He's at Brescia," said Merthyr.

"