"No more," said she angrily, "to me of dreams and dreampeter stories; for they are just as unsufferable to me as your sonneteering on my table there. It too has not once dreamed, that in its old age it would serve as a finger board.--
"Peace," said Godfred, "you do not understand all that, Barbara, for the people over there are assembling: What is the matter then. Let our gossip play the harpsichord, he uses his own fingers for it and not yours, but something new must have occurred, I should like to hear, we must question our neighbours."
Thus throwing unconsciously the different conversations together, because he was curious, and yet he also wished to answer, he now demanded of one that was running by, why the neighbourhood seemed thus in an uproar. Now smart firing was heard close by. "There must be great confusion on all sides in the valley," said a country woman.
All quitted the garden, and the firing of small guns was distinctly heard as it was borne on the air.
"Ugh!" sighed Dubois, who could now climb the mountain. "One must hear it much more distinctly up there."
"I like not," said Godfred, "to have any thing to do with war and war cries. The unfortunate, beautiful, peaceful villages, until now we have heard nothing of it, except once at the very beginning, now again we receive the evil visit."
"There yonder," thought the woman, "they have the miracle-working statue of the Mother of God, that will protect them all, the rebels cannot effect any thing in opposition to that: Fire and sword, balls and blows cannot prevail against the heavenly miracle."
Detached light cavalry scoured the village. They enquired the way and desired to rejoin their companions from whom they had been cut off on the mountains.
The trumpeter approached the officer with a face of importance, while he pointed out to him a mountain road, upon which the horses, in a case of necessity, could make their way through. "I have myself had the honour to serve in the royal guards;" added he proudly. "As what?" asked the young officer. "It was granted to me," said the former, "to be first trumpeter of the regiment. How goes it, sir captain, with the rebels?" "Grant to me, trumpeter," answered the leader, "to owe you the answer until we meet again. The knaves are possessed by the devil, and it faires badly with us. If you could blow them away, we would then take you with us."
Thereupon they all galloped away, whilst the whole body raised a burst of laughter. "Service is no longer as it was formerly," observed Dubois, "the old, genuine soldier-like gallantry must give place to new fashioned boasting, and venerable age and experience are of no value among the raw striplings."