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

But
DEPARTURE AND RETURN. 337
The reply is a violent protest, which gradually diminishes in
strength from the first to the last word, although it begins :
" You are unworthy of the immense love I bear you. Heaven
is
very cruel to me .
. ." and ends :
" Heaven be praised,
foi I see that it protects you ; and receive every blessing, my
good Alberto "
!
MARTELLAGO, 2$tk September.
Finally We are quartered for the first time at Martellago, a
!
short distance from Mestre. I have a room, a bed, a table, and a lookingglass
Oh, more than human ! felicity
! You cannot understand, my dear,
what it means for us to possess a bit of house after so many months that we have
been sleeping on the ground, and washing our faces in the running brooks.
" It is mine !
room in
" I exclaim, measuring the length and breadth of my
slow, grave steps, and turning to look at the 'walls. " It is mine ; I
pay for
it, walk in it, enjoy it, and carry the key about in my pocket." The first
evening, -in getting into bed, I experienced a certain embarrassment and restraint
;
I felt like a peasant who has secretly crept into the drawing-room
of his master, and that at any moment I might receive a shower of blows.
Then when I had placed my knee on the edge and felt it giving way,
I thought I was falling, held back, smiled, and climbed up again, with a surpiise
and pleasure which recalled that which I felt as a boy on opening the
"box from which jumped the Sabine magician with the long beard. What
a. delicious sleep
! What a joyful awakening
! . . . A room ! I
?m a king
! I wish to amuse myself, to pla'y the young lord, and enjoy life.
I have begun already. I have had my coffee brought to my bed ; have
bathed and dressed slowly, gaping in a luxurious manner, and asking at
every moment about the weather and time. I have had the impertinence to
send foi the barber of the place and receive him stretched out in an armchair
;
of lighting a cigar, and opening a book . . . It is truly a fine thing
to revel in ease and luxury
!
My dear, would you believe that I love my
little room enough to look out for the symmetrical arrangement of the
chairs ? You will laugh, yet.
. . . Now I begin to understand why you
women so love your houses. I will never laugh again at your care that every
thing should be in its place bright and shining. How many things tent
life teaches !
"
Reply I should not consider a tent : necessary in order
to understand some things
!
Sleep with your window closed ;