She had since that, she told me, strayed as far as Rome, and walked around St. Peter's once, and returned back: that she found her way alone across the Apennines, had traveled over all Lombardy without money, and through the flinty roads of Savoy without shoes: how she had borne it, and how she had got supported she could not tell: "But, 'God tempers the wind,'" said Maria, "'to the shorn lamb.'" "Shorn, indeed, and to the quick," said I: "and wast thou in my own land, where I have a cottage, I would take thee to it, and shelter thee; thou shouldst eat of my own bread, and drink of my own cup: I would be kind to thy Sylvio; in all thy weaknesses and wanderings I would seek after thee, and bring thee back; when the sun went down, I would say my prayers; and when I had done, thou shouldst play thy evening song upon thy pipe, nor would the incense of my sacrifice be worse accepted for entering heaven along with that of a broken heart!" Nature melted within me as I uttered this: and Maria observing, as I took out my handkerchief, that it was steeped too much already to be of use, would needs go wash it in the stream. "And where will you dry it, Maria?" said I. "I'll dry it in my bosom," said she: "'twill do me good." "And is your heart still so warm, Maria?" said I. I touched upon a string on which hung all her sorrows: she looked with wistful disorder for some time in my face; and then, without saying anything, took her pipe, and played her service to the Virgin. The string I had touched ceased to vibrate; in a moment or two, Maria returned to herself, let her pipe fall, and rose up. "And where are you going, Maria?" said I. She said, "To Moulines." "Let us go," said I, "together." Maria put her arm within mine, and lengthening the string to let the dog follow, in that order we entered Moulines. III THE DEATH OF LE FEVRE[35] "In a fortnight or three weeks," added my uncle Toby, smiling, "he might march." "He will never march, an' please your Honor, in this world," said the Corporal. "He will march," said my uncle Toby, rising up from the side of the bed with one shoe off. "An' please your Honor," said the Corporal, "he will never march but to his grave." "He shall march," cried my uncle Toby, marching the foot which had a shoe on, tho without advancing an inch--"he shall march to his regiment." "He can not stand it," said the Corporal. "He shall be supported," said my uncle Toby. "He'll drop at last," said the Corporal, "and what will become of his body?" "He shall not drop," said my uncle Toby firmly. "Ah, well--a--day!--do what we can for him," said Trim, maintaining his point, "the poor soul will die." "He shall not die, by G--," cried my uncle Toby. The accusing spirit, which flew up to heaven's chancery with the oath, blushed as he gave it in; and the recording angel, as he wrote it down, dropt a tear upon the word, and blotted it out forever.