"Didn't I say so!" exclaimed Coretti triumphantly; "it's a magic word,
that fourth of the forty-ninth! Haven't I the right to see my general
with some little comfort,--I, who was in that squadron? I saw him close
at hand then; it seems right that I should see him close at hand now.
And I say general! He was my battalion commander for a good half-hour;
for at such moments he commanded the battalion himself, while it was in
the heart of things, and not Major Ubrich, by Heavens!"
In the meantime, in the reception-room and outside, a great mixture of
gentlemen and officers was visible, and in front of the door, the
carriages, with the lackeys dressed in red, were drawn up in a line.
Coretti asked his father whether Prince Umberto had his sword in his
hand when he was with the regiment.
"He would certainly have had his sword in his hand," the latter replied,
"to ward off a blow from a lance, which might strike him as well as
another. Ah! those unchained demons! They came down on us like the wrath
of God; they descended on us. They swept between the groups, the
squadrons, the cannon, as though tossed by a hurricane, crushing down
everything. There was a whirl of light cavalry of Alessandria, of
lancers of Foggia, of infantry, of sharpshooters, a pandemonium in which
nothing could any longer be understood. I heard the shout, 'Your
Highness! your Highness!' I saw the lowered lances approaching; we
discharged our guns; a cloud of smoke hid everything. Then the smoke
cleared away. The ground was covered with horses and uhlans, wounded and
dead. I turned round, and beheld in our midst Umberto, on horseback,
gazing tranquilly about, with the air of demanding, 'Have any of my lads
received a scratch?' And we shouted to him, 'Hurrah!' right in his face,
like madmen. Heavens, what a moment that was! Here's the train coming!"
The band struck up; the officers hastened forward; the crowd elevated
themselves on tiptoe.
"Eh, he won't come out in a hurry," said a policeman; "they are
presenting him with an address now."
The elder Coretti was beside himself with impatience.
"Ah! when I think of it," he said, "I always see him there. Of course,
there is cholera and there are earthquakes; and in them, too, he bears
himself bravely; but I always have him before my mind as I saw him then,
among us, with that tranquil face. I am sure that he too recalls the
fourth of the forty-ninth, even now that he is King; and that it would
give him pleasure to have for once, at a table together, all those whom
he saw about him at such moments. Now, he has generals, and great
gentlemen, and courtiers; then, there was no one but us poor soldiers.
If we could only exchange a few words alone! Our general of twenty-two;
our prince, who was intrusted to our bayonets! I have not seen him for
fifteen years. Our Umberto! that's what he is! Ah! that music stirs my
blood, on my word of honor."
An outburst of shouts interrupted him; thousands of hats rose in the
air; four gentlemen dressed in black got into the first carriage.
"'Tis he!" cried Coretti, and stood as though enchanted.