I might possibly have preferred a more
pretentious patron, but I trusted sufficiently in my
own name to make me less mindful of this matter,
and so I agreed, and we chatted away for hours.
Indeed, he went on talking long after I ceased
to reply, and his voice was in my ears as I
dropped off to sleep.

Out of a very sound slumber I was aroused by
the shrill blast of a key-bugle. It was my friend
Bianciardi practising close to my ear, totally
regardless of the false alarm he was creating, and
the intense state of confusion he was causing.
In a short time, and a good deal of laughing, he
was silenced, and the drum beat for morning roll.

"Let us slip out of this," whispered he to me.
"It will never do for persons of our condition to
serve with the Picciotti. We must get on the
staff, or at least into Bideschini's brigade; so,
come along, and I'll show you the way."

We were soon outside the convent, and
traversing a narrow lane called the Condotto, which
seemed to have nothing but eating-houses along
each side of it.

"What if we were to breakfast first of all?"
asked I.

"What if I hadn't a Carlino to pay for it?"
said he.

"But I have, which is just as good."

"Let me order it, then," cried he, eagerly.
"There are such exquisite things in these low
' trattorie,' if people only knew of them." I gave
him full powers, and sat down to read a dirty
little newspaper called the Pungolo. Suddenly
my friend started up with the cry of -— " There
goes the General! there goes Garibaldi!"

I rushed eagerly to the door, and saw a group
of six or seven men moving rapidly along
towards a small piazza where a church stood.
Bianciardi took my arm, and we hastened after
them. By the time we gained the piazza the
others had reached the church, and passed in.
Strangely enough, the custode was proceeding to
close the doors after them, when my friend came
up; and, after a slight remonstrance, and a very
modest bribe, we got leave to follow them.

The custode simply pointed to the tower, up
the stairs of which they had gone, and left us.

I own I was not perfectly satisfied with myself
for thus obtruding on Garibaldi's notice in a
mode so very questionable. Indeed, I hope
and believe it would not have been possible for
me to have done so but a few weeks before;
but the last few days of my life, and my rough
companionship, had done the work of years in
eradicating notions of delicacy, so up I went,
and in a few minutes found myself one of a
knot of people on the top of the church tower,
keenly engaged in scanning the country beneath,
and the large open roadstead that flanks the
town.

None noticed or suspected me to be a stranger,
and I heard an animated dispute whether a
large frigate in the bay were the Duke of Genoa,
or the new ship, the Stella d'ltalia.

"One thing I'll swear to," cried one, " that
long-legged fellow on the poop-deck is Tolosano,
the late prefect here. He is a cousin of my
own, and I would know him at any distance."

"That's Mella's force you see yonder," said
Garibaldi, pointing to a large encampment on
the slope of a hill, about three miles off. " You
see," added he, with a sweep of his hand, " how
they hedge us in by land and by sea. What
number of men would you call those yonder,
Cairoli?"

"I'd say less than two thousand, General."

"And I would give them between four and
five," said Garibaldi. " What do you say?"
and he handed me his pocket telescope as he
spoke.

I looked for an instant, and then taking out
my own glass, I saw clearly enough that the
force was a large one, and could distinguish the
staff officers grouped in front of a tent.

"Will you try this glass, General?" said I,
offering it.

"Oh, it's plain enough! I was quite right.
What a fine glass. French, isn't it?"

"No, sir, English."

"Better still! By the way—- I'm ashamed to
say-— I forget your name, though I know your
face so well."

"I'm afraid that both are strangers to you,
General," said I. " I only left my home to
follow you a few days ago. I am 'of the
Palledoros.' You may know of our family."

"I made free with your father's palace at
Palermo in '59," said he, laughing, " and never
slept in so grand a bed since. I did my best to
avoid all mischief to property, and I hope
succeeded; though certain bottles of wine that
used to figure at the dinner-table, made me
suspect my fellows had found a key to the cellar.
What can I do for you?"

"Make of me whatever I'm fit for, General."

"I want an orderly much," said he, pondering.
"I have not to ask if you can ride. The
puzzle will be how to mount you. They're
moving yonder; they're breaking up camp; and
see! the frigate is signalling to them. Ay, they
surround us land and sea. Land and sea!"
repeated he, half mournfully to himself, and then
turned to go down.

"Well," whispered Bianciardi, " what did he
say to you? Will he make you a colonel? or
even a major? and what have you got for me?"

"Beefsteaks and mushrooms which we left
smoking at the eating-house, and a flask of
Campo-fiorito; that's all up to this time!"

"Speriamo!" cried he, " let us have hope."
And, with this piece of philosophy, he stepped out
of the church, and hastened off to breakfast.

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