"Monsieur le colonel," he said, without raising his hand to his hat, as a
Frenchman would have done.

"Yes," replied the colonel's pleasant voice, with no ring of recognition
in it.

"It is Mattei--the driver of the St. Florent diligence," explained the
man, who, indeed, carried his badge of office, a long whip.

"Of course; but I recognized you almost at once," said the colonel, with
that friendliness which is so noticeable in the Republic to-day.

"You have seen me on the road often enough," said the man, "and I have
seen you, Monsieur le Colonel, riding over to the Casa Perucca."

"Of course."

"You know Perucca's agent, Pietro Andrei?"

"Yes."

"He was shot in the back on the Olmeta road this afternoon."

Colonel Gilbert gave a slight start.

"Is that so?" he said at length, quietly, after a pause.

"Yes," said the diligence-driver; and without further comment he walked
on, keeping well in the middle of the road, as it is wise to do when one