The meal finished, the vivandière, who was still haranguing, was interrupted by a woman who had come across the fields and passed them on the road.
"Hallo there, hi!" this woman shouted. "Hallo, Margot! Your 6th Light are over there on the right."
"I must leave you, my boy," said the vivandière to our hero; "but really and truly I pity you; I've taken quite a fancy to you, upon my word I have. You don't know a thing about anything, you're going to get a wipe in the eye, as sure as God's in heaven! Come along to the 6th Light with me."
"I quite understand that I know nothing," Fabrizio told her, "but I want to fight, and I'm determined to go over there towards that white smoke."
"Look how your horse is twitching his ears! As soon as he gets over there, even if he's no strength left, he'll take the bit in his teeth and start galloping, and heaven only knows where he'll land you. Will you listen to me now? As soon as you get to the troops, pick up a musket and a cartridge-pouch, get down among the men and copy what you see them do, exactly the same: But, good heavens, I'll bet you don't even know how to open a cartridge."
Fabrizio, stung to the quick, admitted nevertheless to his new friend that she had guessed aright.
"Poor boy! He'll be killed straight away; sure as God! It won't take long. You've got to come with me, absolutely," went on the cantinière in a tone of authority.
"But I want to fight."
"You shall fight too; why, the 6th Light are famous fighters, and there's fighting enough to-day for everyone."
"But shall we come soon to the regiment?"