Every ten minutes, however,—in this there is no misconception,—
Comes a great white puff from behind Michel Angelo’s dome, and
After a space the report of a real big gun,—not the Frenchman’s!—
That must be doing some work. And so we watch and conjecture.
Shortly, an Englishman comes, who says he has been to St. Peter’s,
Seen the Piazza and troops, but that is all he can tell us;
So we watch and sit, and, indeed, it begins to be tiresome.—
All this smoke is outside; when it has come to the inside,
It will be time, perhaps, to descend and retreat to our houses.
Half-past one, or two. The report of small arms frequent,