,
shouldering a gun and marching. Fifteen battles in eighteen months; and
Death a lady at a balcony we kiss hands to on the march below. Not a bit
more terrible! Ah, but your pardon, sir,' he hastened to say, observing
rigidity on the features of the English gentleman; 'would I boast? Not I.
Accept it as my preface for why I am moved to speak the English wherever
I meet them:--Uruguay, Buenos Ayres, La Plata, or Europe. I cannot resist
it. At least, he bent gracefully, 'I do not. We come to the grounds of my
misbehaviour. I have shown at every call I fear nothing, kiss hand of
welcome or adieu to Death. And I, a boy of the age of this youngster--he
's not like me, I can declare!--I was a sneak and a coward. It follows, I
was a liar and a traitor. Who cured me of that vileness, that scandal? I
will tell you--an Englishman and an Englishwoman: my schoolmaster and his
wife. My schoolmaster--my friend! He is the comrade of his boys: English,
French, Germans, Italians, a Spaniard in my time--a South American I have
sent him--two from Boston, Massachusetts--and clever!--all emulous to
excel, none boasting. But, to myself; I was that mean fellow. I did--I
could let you know: before this young lady--she would wither me with her
scorn, Enough, I sneaked, I lied. I let the blame fall on a schoolfellow
and a housemaid. Oh! a small thing, but I coveted it--a scarf. It
reminded me of Rome. Enough, there at the bottom of that pit, behold me.
It was not discovered, but my schoolfellow was unpunished, the housemaid
remained in service; I thought, I thought, and I thought until I could
not look in my dear friend Matthew's face. He said to me one day: "Have
you nothing to tell me, Giulio?" as if to ask the road to right or left.
Out it all came. And no sermon, no! He set me the hardest task I could
have. That was a penance!--to go to his wife, and tell it all to her.
Then I did think it an easier thing to go and face death--and death had
been my nightmare. I went, she listened, she took my hand she said: "You
will never do this again, I know, Giulio." She told me no English girl
would ever look on a man who was a coward and lied. From that day I have
made Truth my bride. And what the consequence? I know not fear! I could
laugh, knowing I was to lie down in my six-foot measure to-morrow. If I
have done my duty and look in the face of my dear Matthew and his wife!
Ah, those two! They are loved. They will be loved all over Europe. He
works fo