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

DEPARTURE AND RETURN. $2$
denied it, but she was really crying. You do not yet know what
a good heart she has." The letter ends " Where are the
:
Austrians ?"
In another of her letters she puts this "
query Tell me, Alberto
; they say the Austrian battalions are larger than : ours.
How does it
happen ? What will you do ? "
The son replied
:
" We will send two of ours against one of
theirs."
All these letters and those fastened to them are full of
affectionate
messages
from the old man and the Neapolitan
lady,
who expects
"
great descriptions of great things." And now
and then there is a postscript from the mother, who asks :
" What is the orderly doing?"
I gather from the book that the colonel the "executioner"
was at the headquarters of the army, and from that " superb
height " watched lovingly over his obscure cousin by means of
letters and indirect information ;
but the cousin knew nothing
of it. The "executioner" concealed the protector, so that the
colonel should not appear in the matter ;
and I praise him
for it.
Alberto's regiment had been encamped for
four days near
San Giorgio, within a few miles of Piacenza, and he had only
written to his mother on the day of his departure to tell her that
he " was to sleep under the tent."
" Four days since he has written ! Poor Alberto is sleeping on
the ground ;
he will suffer and be ill. Who knows what may
have happened ! Oh, my God ! I must telegraph to the colonel
immediately."
She sent the dispatch
:
" Give me some news of Alberto, I
beg you. I receive no letters, and am trembling for his
health."