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

258 MILITARY LIFE.
culed him with the hateful intention of enraging and so ruining
him. But this was not true. The captain was a fine man ;
he
had nothing more against him than he had against the others ;
he loved his soldiers, was incapable of a blind or unjust feeling
of aversion, and perfectly abhorred intentional persecutions
oppression.
Only
he had not understood the character of this
soldier. Seeing him always so gloomy and sullen, he had fancied
him to be of a stubborn, ignorant, and sullen nature, and
wished to conquer him ;
but he was tractable by means of
persuasion and kindness, and not with menaces and imprisonment
these made him worse.
One day our soldier stood talking with a girl at a street
or
corner
the ; captain passed, but the soldier did not see him. The.
former fancied he had pretended not to see him, in order not
to give the salute, so he took him to task in the presence of
the girl and many other people who were standing about.
The
soldier was so ashamed, that as soon as the captain had gone,
he too disappeared and was not seen again. But his anger
against the captain went on increasing, and became absolute
hatred, continually tormented him, left him not a moment's
peace, and fairly poisoned his life. Nor could he conceal it,
no matter how hard he tried. The captain reproved the soldier,
and the latter coughed and kicked his feet ;
the captain
turned angrily around, and he, quite ready, lifted his head and
looked at the clouds. During a march, if a soldier was attentive
when the captain wished to drink and offered him his
leather bottle, he sneered, and, drawing that soldier aside,
whispered in his ear " "
You imbecile : ! When the captain
reproved him, he pretended not to understand, rolled his eyes
like a madman, shook his head, or smiled maliciously with