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

266 MILITARY LIFE.
"
To-morrow you
will see your son," he then said.
at Ascoli, and is
expecting you."
The good woman sprang forward to kiss his hand ;
" He is
he drew
it back. . . . Half an hour later he started for the city.
He had talked for a long time with that poor woman, but had
said nothing of the gold medal.
Scarcely had he reached Ascoli and entered his house when
he called the orderly, and uttering each syllable distinctly, and
accenting each word with his hand, he talked for some time,
while the other listened with wide-stretched eyes and mouth.
" "
Have you understood ? he said at last.
"
Yes, sir."
" You
will do every thing carefully ?"
" Rest assured of that."
" I
depend upon you." And he went out. The orderly followed
him with his eyes as far as the door, stood meditating for a
moment, then sticking his hand into a boot and seizing the
brush with the other he began blacking it with all his might,
murmuring as he did so : " You are a good man ; you deserve
a premium ;
to-morrow morning your
boots shall shine more
brightly than any in the regiment."
The following morning, about eight o'clock, the orderly,
standing at the corner of a street which opened on the principal
square of the city, saw an old peasant woman, in gala dress,
with two great hoops in her ears, a beautiful string of coral
around her neck, and her skirt speckled with all the colors of
the rainbow, coming slowly forward. As she approached she
glanced around her with a mingled expression of curiosity,
astonishment, and gaiety. He watched her carefully, and then
approached her.
"
"My good woman !
"Oh, are you the soldier the captain told me about ?"