Military life in Italy : sketches - Societa italiana di storia militare

THE SON OF THE REGIMENT. 83
" Well, neither of us have any thing to do with it," and the
dialogue ended thus. I returned to the tent quite annoyed,
called Carluccio, and said to him :
"You must come as far as the village with me, it is only a
few steps away."
A suspicion crossed his mind ;
he became serious and looked
fixedly at me. I had not known how to dissimulate my design
by voice or face I turned the other ;
way, and pretended to
look for something in my travelling-case.
" "
You want to send me home ! he cried suddenly then
;
broke out into a violent fit of weeping, threw himself on his
knees at my feet, and now clasping his hands, now seizing my
jacket, began to say, with all his "
strength : Oh, no no, Mr.
Officer, don't send me home, for pity sake, for pity sake. I
cannot go home, I would rather die first ; keep me here, to do
any thing you wish. I do '11 every thing, and look after my
own food. . . . For mercy- sake, Mr. Officer, don't make
"
me go home !
I felt my heart breaking. I controlled myself for a moment,
"
and then said : No, don't worry, Carluccio ;
don't cry or be
afraid. We won't send you home ; you shall always stay with us.
We will always love you. ... I promise you that,
rest assured
of it ;
about it."
dry your eyes and we won't say any thing more
Then Carluccio grew quiet.
" I was not born for great undertakings," I said to myself as I
left the tent ;
" there is
nothing else to do but wait for the reply
from Padua and then .
be done."
. . then we will see what is to