“What was this for?” asked Norwood.
“A mere false alarm,——nothing more. The Austrians are harassed beyond measure by these frequent calls to arms; and men grumble that they are mustered twice or thrice during the night without any cause. A petard exploded in the street, or a church bell rung, is sure to call out the whole garrison.”
“I begin to suspect that our Italian friends will be satisfied with this, and never go further,” said Norwood, contemptuously.
“You are wrong there. It is by the frequency and impunity of these demonstrations, that they are working up courage for an overt movement By the time that the Austrians have grown indifferent to such nightly disturbances, the others will have gained hardihood for a real outbreak.”
“If they only be persuaded that war is assassination on a grand scale, they might make excellent soldiers,” simpered Jekyl; but the others seemed to take no heed of his pleasantry.
“Have they not fixed a time?” asked Norwood, eagerly; “or is it all left vague and uncertain as ever?”
“The Swiss are quite ready; we only wait now for the Piedmontese. Genoa is with us at a word; so are Leghorn and the towns of the Romagna. The signal once given, there will be such a rising as Italy has not seen for centuries. England will supply arms, ammunition—”
“All but men,” sighed Norwood; “and it is exactly what are wanting.”
“And France—”
“Will give her sympathies,” broke in Jekyl. “That dear France! that always says God speed to disturbance and trouble wherever it be.”