utterly unlike other people.

This little digression should explain why Angela and Madame Bernard
never quite understood each other, in spite of the elder woman's
almost motherly love for the girl and the latter's devoted gratitude.

They talked about Giovanni when he was gone, of course, but neither
said all she thought about him, because she feared that the other
would think a little differently. The cheerful Frenchwoman had gone
through life with the belief that it is better, on the whole, to make
oneself comfortable in this world, if it can be managed on honest
principles, than to worry oneself about heroics, and in the calm
recesses of her practical little soul she was sure that, in Angela's
place, she would have told Giovanni to resign as soon as possible and
find some pleasant and well-paid occupation for his married life. All
Angela's talk about a man's duty to his country would be very well in
time of war, when there was glory to be got; but it was nonsense in
ordinary times, where one man would do as well as another, to risk his
life in a small expedition, and when it was distinctly advisable not
to be that one. But she knew also that she had better not try to
explain this to Angela, who was evidently a little mad on the point,
most probably because she was an Italian. For Italians, Germans,
Spaniards, Englishmen, and Americans were all completely insane; there
was some little hope for Austrians and a good deal for Russians, in
Madame Bernard's opinion, but there was none for the rest, though they
might be very nice people. The safest thing was to humour them. She
had given lessons in Roman families that were half Austrian and even
half Russian, for the Romans have always been very cosmopolitan in
their marriages, but Angela was quite Italian on both sides, and so
was Giovanni. It was therefore pretty certain that they would behave
like lunatics, sooner or later, the good lady thought; and they
apparently were beginning already.

It is needless to dwell long on what followed, since what has been
narrated so far is only the introduction to Angela's story and the
exposition of the circumstances which determined her subsequent life.
As in most cases, it happened in hers that the greatest events were
the direct consequences of one very small beginning. If she had not
urged Giovanni to wait some time before leaving the army, he would not
have been obliged to remain in the service almost as a matter of
honour, y