This etext was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
By Geoerge Meredith
Weisspriess and Wilfrid made their way toward Milan together, silentlysmoking, after one attempt at conversation, which touched on Vittoria'smarriage; but when they reached Monza the officer slapped his degradedbrother in arms upon the shoulder, and asked him whether he had anyinclination to crave permission to serve in Hungary. For his own part,Weisspriess said that he should quit Italy at once; he had here to skewerthe poor devils, one or two weekly, or to play the mightily generous; inshort, to do things unsoldierly; and he was desirous of getting away fromthe country. General Schoneck was at Monza, and might arrange the matterfor them both. Promotion was to be looked for in Hungary; theapplication would please the General; one battle would restore thelieutenant's star to Wilfrid's collar. Wilfrid, who had been offendedby his companion's previous brooding silence, nodded briefly, and theystopped at Monza, where they saw General Schoneck in the morning, andWilfrid being by extraordinary favour in civilian's dress during hisleave of absence, they were jointly invited to the General's table atnoon, though not to meet any other officer. General Schoneck agreed withWeisspriess that Hungary would be a better field for Wilfrid; said hewould do his utmost to serve them in the manner they wished, anddismissed them after the second cigar. They strolled about the city,glad for reasons of their own to be out of Milan as long as the leavepermitted. At night, when they were passing a palace in one of the darkstreets, a feather, accompanied by a sharp sibilation from above, droppedon Wilfrid's face. Weisspriess held the feather up, and judged by itslength that it was an eagle's, and therefore belonging to the HungarianHussar regiment stationed in Milan. "The bird's aloft," he remarked.His voice aroused a noise of feet that was instantly still. He sent aglance at the doorways, where he thought he discerned men. Fetching awhistle in with his breath, he unsheathed his sword, and seeing thatWilfrid had no weapon, he pushed him to a gate of the palace-court thathad just cautiously turned a hinge. Wilfrid found his hand taken by awoman's hand inside. The gate closed behind him. He was led up to anapartment where, by the light of a darkly-veiled lamp, he beheld a youngHungarian officer and a lady clinging to his neck, praying him not to goforth. Her Italian speech revealed how matters stood in this house. Theofficer accosted Wilfrid: "But you are not one of us!" He repeated it tothe lady: "You see, the man is not one of us!"
She assured him that she had seen the uniform when she dropped thefeather, and wept protesting it.
"Louis, Louis! why did you come to-night! why did I make you come! Youwill be slain. I had my warning, but I was mad."
The officer hushed her with a quick squeeze of her inter-twisted fingers.
"Are you the man to take a sword and be at my back, sir?" he said; andresumed in a manner less contemptuous toward the civil costume:"I request it for the sole purpose of quieting this lady's fears."
Wilfrid explained who and what he was. On hearing that he was General