IV + 

Six weeks later Geppe managed to get home, his military service having come to an end. He swaggered into the shop one evening; he had not let them know of his prospective arrival. + 

“Ah,” said Nerone, “so you have returned!” But he could not quite keep the excitement from his voice. “Rosa!” he called, “here is someone to see us⁠—a fine young soldier from home!” + 

Rosa came hurrying down the stairs. “Is it my Geppe?” she almost screamed, and seeing that it was she burst into tears and wept in the arms of her son. + 

Geppe was very much what he had been, except that he now wore a miniature moustache and carried his shoulders better. His eyes were bloodshot from sun and wind, and his hands, which his mother examined anxiously, were covered with corns in the place of blisters; for the rest he was plump and still rather flabby in spite of two years in the army. But to Rosa, gazing at him through her tears, he seemed a thing of rare beauty. + 

Nerone said: “I will put up the shutters, and then we can talk in peace.” And this from Nerone was a great concession, it meant that he welcomed his grandson home, that the hatchet was buried for the moment. + 

Geppe helped himself to a cigarette from an open box on the counter. “Italy will not come in,” he announced, though so far no one had asked for his opinion. + 

However, Nerone paused for a moment in his task of putting up the shutters. “It is surely you who must know,” he said agreeably, “since you are just from the army.” + 

The shop closed for the night, they retired to the room that was full of Nerone’s birds. Geppe promptly woke up the avadavats by puffing smoke into their cage. + 

“I think I will go and fetch Fabio,” remarked Nerone; “also Rocca may like to come round.” + 

Alone with her son, Rosa stroked his large hand. “Mio bimbo⁠—” she murmured. “Mio bimbo.” + 

“Where is papa?” inquired Geppe, feeling that his father ought to be among his admirers. + 

“At the Capo, tesoro. He works very hard, and they have not yet raised his wages⁠—” + 

“As for that,” laughed Geppe, “I know all about hard work! In the army we do not think waiters work hard⁠—however, that is as it may be.” He crossed one leg manfully over the other, and groped for a fresh cigarette. + 

“I will go into the shop and buy you a packet,” said his mother, looking in her purse for a coin that she would afterwards give to Nerone. + 

Presently Nerone came stumping back, accompanied by Fabio and Rocca. + 

“Buona sera, Capitano!” said Rocca jovially, and he slapped Geppe’s shoulder with tremendous vigor. + 

“This is splendid, splendid!” smiled Fabio. + 

“And now,” said Nerone, “we would hear all the news. How is our beloved country looking?” + 

“Very hot at the moment, very ugly and hot,” muttered Geppe, whose shoulder was aching. + 

“And what of the war?” inquired anxious Fabio. “Do you think that Italy will fight?” + 

“Neanche per sogno!” Geppe answered promptly. “There is no chance of such a thing.” + 

“What is that?” demanded Rocca. “What is that you say? Perhaps I have not heard correctly.” + 

But Geppe, nothing daunted, repeated his words, and he added: “Why should we fight?” + 

“Giurabbaccaccio!” began Rocca, very red. + 

“Now do let us have peace, here, at any rate,” pleaded Fabio. + 

“Peace!” thundered Rocca. “You ask me for peace! I, who have known Garibaldi!” + 

“That will not make our country go to war,” remarked Geppe; “I tell you that we remain neutral.” + 

“Per Bacco! You lie!” shouted outraged Rocca. + 

“Let us try to keep calm,” said Nerone unexpectedly; “I would hear what the boy has to say.” + 

Rocca glared round the room. “Must I sit here and listen?” he demanded; but as nobody troubled to answer, he was forced to listen or go. + 

Geppe, lounging grandly in his chair, began to give all of a hundred reasons why Italy would not come in. He talked loudly in order to cheer himself up. He kept racking his brain for convincing arguments that he himself could believe. Fabio was relieved, and even Nerone was gradually being persuaded, when Rocca got slowly on to his feet and held up his hand for silence. They all turned to stare in surprise at his face, which had suddenly grown very grave. His voice when he spoke was very grave too, not blustering as was its wont. + 

“I am only a miserable butcher,” said Rocca, “and one who, alas, has grown old. To our young men the glory, to our old men the patience⁠—because they are past the time for glory. But we who are old have heard many things, and some who are still alive have seen them; and those who have seen can never forget, and those who have heard remember. We have heard of the White Coats swarming in Milan; we have heard of our women flogged in the streets and our patriots hung from the lampposts. We have heard of the glorious Risorgimento⁠—of Mazzini, and the martyr Menotti, and of many a youth much younger than Geppe who died that Italy might live. And this I say to you all this night, if my country stops out of the war, I disown her⁠—I who have fought in the second Custozza, I who have seen the Austrian’s blood, and the blood from my own three wounds; I who have known our father Garibaldi⁠—yes, even I, Rocca, will cast off my country, I will take her no more for my mother. The ghosts of her patriots shall walk through her streets, wailing and wringing their hands; the spirits of her virgins whom the Austrians deflowered, shall come back and proclaim their deflowering; and Rocca will go in sorrow to his grave, because he will be as a man without a country. May the saints put a sword into Italy’s hand, and may Italy use that sword!” + 

Then Nerone struck the floor with his wooden leg. “Amen,” he said huskily. “Amen.” + 

And Fabio, forgetting his naturalization, forgetting the debts of the Casa Boselli, stumbled over to Rocca and gripped his arm; and they both tried to stand very straight, like the young. + 

Rosa looked at her only son and through him and beyond him at her country, and at all those mothers long since dead and gone, and at all their sons who had laid down their lives, whom she seemed to see living again in Geppe⁠— + 

“Our country will use that sword,” she said quietly, “and Geppe shall help her to use it. My Geppe is brave, he is anxious to fight.” + 

“Of course I am anxious to fight,” murmured Geppe, staring down at his cigarette. + 