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Updated: May 27, 2025
Sant' Ilario was somewhat taken aback by the Zouave's polite astonishment. He seemed even more angry than surprised, however; and his black eyebrows bent together fiercely. "Let us waste no words," he said imperiously. "If I had found you last night, the affair might have been over by this time." "What affair?" asked Gouache, more and more mystified.
Gouache experienced an odd sensation when the first orders were given to fire. His experience had hitherto been limited to a few skirmishes with the outlaws of the Samnite hills, and the idea of standing up and deliberately taking aim at men who stood still to be shot at, so far as he could see, was not altogether pleasant.
There was no one in the street, but the sentinel at the doorway, and Giovanni walked quickly up to Gouache as the latter fumbled for the change to pay his driver. Anastase smiled and made a short military salute. Sant' Ilario bowed stiffly and did not extend his hand. "I tried to find you last night," he said coldly. "You were out. Will you favour me with five minutes' conversation?"
Old Saracinesca greeted him warmly; Sant' Ilario looked grave; Corona herself looked up from her game with little Orsino, nodded and uttered a word of recognition, and then returned to her occupation. Conversation under these circumstances was manifestly impossible, and Gouache wished he had not had the unlucky idea of calling.
But he had not counted upon his own inherent hatred of rudeness, nor upon the growth of an attachment which he had not foreseen when he had coldly made up his mind that it would be worth while to make love to her, as Gouache had laughingly suggested. Yet he was pleased with what he deemed his own coldness.
But Corona had seen it. "Are you angry?" she asked. "If you knew how I worship you, you would know that I am not," answered Gouache with a strange simplicity. For an instant the princess's deep eyes flashed and a dark blush mounted through her olive skin. She drew back, rather proudly. A delicate, gentle smile played round the soldier's mouth.
He found her alone, as young girls are generally to be found in Roman drawing-rooms, unless there are two of them present to sit together. "What have you been talking about with the princess?" asked Donna Faustina when Gouache was seated beside her. "Could you see from here?" asked Gouache instead of answering. "I thought the plants would have hindered you."
I am a painter," he added, in modest explanation. "Yes," said the princess, "I know. But, really this is a matter which would require great consideration and my husband's consent and, for the present " She paused significantly, intending to convey a polite refusal, but Gouache completed the sentence. "For the present, until my bones are mended, we will not speak of it.
He was, of course, disappointed, for while he was making inquiries Gouache was actually on the way to the battle with his corps, as has been already seen. Giovanni spent most of the day in the house, constantly inquiring after Corona, and trying to occupy his mind in reading, though with little success.
Gouache found her there many hours later. When you saw us together a little earlier he was telling me he loved her. He is a man of honour. He saw that the only way to save her good name was to bring her here and let me take her home. He sent me a word by the porter, while she waited in the shadow. I ran down and found her there. We purposely prevented the porter from seeing her.
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