ing to and
fro as if they had heard a call; officers on horseback trotting by; men
and boys passing with bundles of flags on their shoulders and in their
arms; all active and hurrying as if they were being pursued. I, who knew
nothing and no one, looked now at this face, now at that, to try and
discover something. They all seemed happy, but did not exhibit their
former boisterous, unrestrained joy: all betrayed a disturbing thought,
a misgiving, almost an uneasiness: one could see that they were people
concocting something. I turned into one of the smaller streets; went
farther on; stopped at two or three crossways: everywhere was the same
sight--great crowds, a great stir, great haste and an indescribable
manner of speaking and gesticulating, which I had already remarked in
the Corso, as if the whole mass of people wished to conceal something
from some one, although it was visible to every one. Knots of people
passed by me, troops, hundreds of men and women together, and not a cry
was to be heard. All were going in the same direction, as if to a place
of rendezvous."

"Where were they going?" asked the mother and father.

"Wait. I returned to the Corso. The nearer I approached, the more
distinctly I heard a dull, continuous roar, like that of an immense
crowd. I reached it: the Corso was full of people, who had all stopped
and turned toward the Campidoglio, as if they were waiting for something
from that quarter. From the Piazza del Popolo to the Piazza di Venezia
there was such a press that it was impossible to move. There was a
whispering here and there, 'They will be here in a little while;' 'They
are coming yonder,'--'Who are coming yonder?'--'The main column.'--'The
main column is coming.'--'Here it is!'--'No.'--'Yes.'--All at once the
crowd began to move turbulently. Everybody cried on all sides, 'There
they are!' And in less time than I can say it the street was cleared in
the middle, as if to make way for a procession. All heads were
uncovered. I, who had remained behind, elbowed my way across the street
and looked. I seem to feel now a thrill that ran through me from head
to foot. First advanced generals in full uniform and noblemen in black
coats with tri-colored scarfs: in the midst of the nobles and generals
came men, women and children with tattered, unbuttoned shirts; behind,
work-people, country-people, women with babies on their backs, soldiers
of all arms, grand ladies, students, whole families holdin