different to such nightly
disturbances, the others will have gained hardihood for a real
outbreak."

"If they only be persuaded that war is assassination on a grand scale,
they might make excellent soldiers," simpered Jekyl; but the others
seemed to take no heed of his pleasantry.

"Have they not fixed a time?" asked Norwood, eagerly; "or is it all left
vague and uncertain as ever?"

"The Swiss are quite ready; we only wait now for the Piedmontese. Genoa
is with us at a word; so are Leghorn and the towns of the Romagna. The
signal once given, there will be such a rising as Italy has not seen for
centuries. England will supply arms, ammunition--"

"All but men," sighed Norwood; "and it is exactly what are wanting."

"And France--"

"Will give her sympathies," broke in Jekyl. "That dear France! that
always says God speed to disturbance and trouble wherever it be."

"What of that Austrian soldier?" said D'Esmonde, who did not quite like
the tone of either of his companions,--"is he better?"

"The surgeon says that he cannot recover," replied Jekyl; "and for that
reason I suspect that he 's in no danger."

"Have you seen the officer to-day?" asked the priest again.

"No," replied Norwood. "Jekyl and I twice endeavored to speak with
him; but he slept half the forenoon, and since that he has been writing
innumerable despatches to headquarters."

"They say at Milan that he 'll be shot for this misadventure," said
D'Esmonde; "that he acted in contravention to his orders, or did
something, I know not what, which will be treated as a grave military
offence."

"The canonico is furious with us for this delay," said Jekyl, laughing,
as he returned from a peep into the _salon_.

The Abbe was, meanwhile, deep in a whispered conversation with Norwood.
"Ay," said the latter, doubtingly, "but it's a serious thing to tamper
with a soldier's fidelity. The Austrians are not the people to suffer
this with impunity."

"How are they to know it?"

"If it fail,--if this young fellow reject our offers, which, as a
Hungarian, it is just as likely that he will do?"

"But he is not a Hungarian. I know him, and all about him."

"And can you answer for his readiness to join us?"

"I cannot go that far; but seeing the position he stands in, what can be
more probable? And, take the worst case: suppose that he refuses, I have
him still!"

"How do you mean?"

"Simply that I have in my hands the means to destroy all his credit, an