besides," he addressed the Chief, who alone betrayed no signs of
weariness; "listen, I beg of you. Milan wants no more than a signal.
She does not require to be excited. I came charged with several
proposals for giving the alarm. Attend, you others! The night of the
Fifteenth comes; it is passing like an ordinary night. At twelve a fire-
balloon is seen in the sky. Listen, in the name of saints and devils!"

But even the Chief was observed to show signs of amusement, and the
gravity of the rest forsook them altogether at the display of this
profound and original conspiratorial notion.

"Excellent! excellent! my Carlo," said old Agostino, cheerfully. "You
have thought. You must have thought, or whence such a conception? But,
you really mistake. It is not the garrison whom we desire to put on
their guard. By no means. We are not in the Imperial pay. Probably
your balloon is to burst in due time, and, wind permitting, disperse
printed papers all over the city?"

"What if it is?" cried Carlo fiercely.

"Exactly. I have divined your idea. You have thought, or, to correct
the tense, are thinking, which is more hopeful, though it may chance not
to seem so meritorious. But, if yours are the ideas of full-blown
jackets, bear in mind that our enemies are coated and breeched. It may
be creditable to you that your cunning is not the cunning of the serpent;
to us it would be more valuable if it were. Continue."

"Oh! there are a thousand ways." Carlo controlled himself with a sharp
screw of all his muscles. "I simply wish to save the signorina from an
annoyance."