"Well," rapped out the old man with the mane of grey hair, "you can keep the blessing, but I will take care of the money for you." And with that he held out his hand. Quite instinctively I gave it to him, without thinking what I was doing. Then, the next moment, I regretted the act and strove to undo it. I remembered muttering something about fighting for France and joining the levies of Garibaldi, when I should need all the money I could get. But old Dennis calmly locked my banknotes away in his safe, and assured me that I might 'list if I liked, but that it would be a downright fool's trick to carry about so much money among a parcel of Italians. He would send it on to me as I wanted it--twenty francs at a time. I could pick it up as I went, either at a bank, or from a correspondent of the Small Arms firm. Once left to ourselves, Rhoda Polly seemed to think that we had come rather well out of the scrape. "But it was Cawdor being there that saved you," said Rhoda Polly. "Father got so keen about Angus not spending his father's money, that he forgot about you. Now, you have only to run straight and do as you are bid----" "Do you think I shall be able to go with Cawdor when this simmers down? I want to wear the red blouse as much as he does." "As to that I don't know," said Rhoda Polly. "I don't believe he took it that you wanted to go soldiering as well. He means to put you into the works--fair field--no favour--up at five in the morning, breakfast in a tin can--that sort of thing--and as for Garibaldi's red jackets, he will sell them guns, but I rather fancy he will keep his son at home." "Well," said Deventer, "I shall be ready for the works all in good time, but if Cawdor goes off with Garibaldi, I go. I could not stay behind. Nor could even the Pater keep me. He would not chain me to a wall, and----" "At any rate," broke in the watchful Rhoda Polly, "here you are now, and the better you please the commander-in-chief the better chance there will be for you afterwards when the time comes. I shall do what I can for you, Hugh." "Thanks, old girl," said Deventer. "Where are Hannah and Liz?" "Where should they be but in bed, where, of course, I ought to be also. Only I have a dispensation to get what sleep I can in the daytime. I can see in the dark better than anyone in the house. I saw them gathering for the attack under the shadow of the pines on Thursday night, an hour after the moon had gone down. The Pater said it was a near shave, and spoke about my 'high-power vision' as if it were an attachment he had had fitted before I was born."