The idea that Gouache
might be killed without having learned the truth began to take
possession of him and caused him an annoyance he could not
explain. It was not that he felt any very profound remorse for
having wronged the man. His nature was not so sensitive as that.
It was rather, perhaps, because he regarded the explanation with
Anastase as a part of what he owed Corona, that he was so anxious
to meet him alive. Partly, too, his anxiety arose from his
restlessness and from the desire for action of some sort in which
to forget all he had suffered, and all he was still suffering.
Towards evening he went out and heard news of the engagement. It
was already known that the enemy had fallen back upon Mentana, and
no one doubted the ultimate result of the day's fighting. People
were already beginning to talk of going out to take assistance to
the wounded. The idea struck Giovanni as plausible and he
determined to act upon it at once. He took a surgeon and several
men with him, and drove out across the Campagna to the scene of
the battle.
As has been told, he found Gouache at last, after a long and
difficult search. The ground was so broken and divided by ditches,
walls and trees, that some of the wounded were not found until the
middle of the next day.
Pages:
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366