ndtheneveryoneburstouttalking,sothatyoucouldnothearwhatwassaid.
MatteoandIbowedourselvesawayfromDonnaGiulia,andhetookmetoChecco,standinginagroupofmen.
'Youhaverecoveredfromyourfatigue?'heaskedkindly.
'Youhavebeentravelling,Matteo?'saidoneofthecompany.
'Yes,werodesixtymilesyesterday,'hereplied.
'Sixtymilesononehorseyoumusthavegoodsteedsandgoodimaginations,'saidabig,heavy-lookingman—anugly,sallow-facedperson,whomIhatedatfirstsight.
'Itwasonlyonceinaway,andwewantedtogethome.'
'Youcouldnothavecomefasterifyouhadbeenrunningawayfromabattlefield,'saidtheman.
Ithoughthimneedlesslydisagreeable,butIdidnotspeak.Matteohadnotcultivatedthegoldenquality.
'Youtalkasonewhohashadexperience,'heremarked,smilinginhismostamiablemanner.
IsawCheccofrownatMatteo,whilethebystanderslookedoninterestedly.
'Ionlysaidthat,'addedtheman,shrugginghisshoulders,'becausetheDukeofCalabriaisrathercelebratedforhisretreativetactics.'
IentertainedaverygreatrespectfortheDuke,whohadalwaysbeenakindandgenerousmastertome.
'Perhapsyoudonotknowverymuchabouttactics,'IremarkedasoffensivelyasIcould.
Heturnedandlookedatme,asiftosay,'Whothedevilareyou!'Helookedmeupanddowncontemptuously,andIbegantofeelthatIwasalmostlosingmytemper.
'Mygoodyoungman,'hesaid,'IimaginethatIwasengagedinwarwhenyourbattleswerewithyournursemaid.'
'Youhavetheadvantageofmeincourtesyaswellasinyears,sir,'Ireplied.'ButImightsuggestthatamanmayfightallhislife,andhavenomoreideaofwarattheendthanatthebeginning.'
'Itdependsontheintelligence,'remarkedMatteo.
'ExactlywhatIwasthinking,'saidI.
'Whatthedevildoyoumean?'saidtheman,angrily.
'Idon'tsupposehemeansanythingatall,Ercole,'putinChecco,withaforcedlaugh.
'Hecananswerforhimself,Isuppose,'saidtheman.AflushcameoverChecco'sface,