"
"I had no idea of this, Signer Rivarez," Montanelli
said in a voice of great distress.
"I told Your Eminence," the Gadfly answered,
with his hard smile, "that I n-n-never expected to
be patted on the head."
"Sergeant, how long has this been going on?"
"Since he tried to escape, Your Eminence."
"That is, nearly a week? Bring a knife and cut
these off at once."
"May it please Your Eminence, the doctor
wanted to take them off, but Colonel Ferrari
wouldn't allow it."
"Bring a knife at once." Montanelli had not
raised his voice, but the soldiers could see that he
was white with anger. The sergeant took a clasp-knife
from his pocket, and bent down to cut the
arm-strap. He was not a skilful-fingered man;
and he jerked the strap tighter with an awkward
movement, so that the Gadfly winced and bit his
lip in spite of all his self-control. Montanelli came
forward at once.
"You don't know how to do it; give me the
knife."
"Ah-h-h!" The Gadfly stretched out his arms
with a long, rapturous sigh as the strap fell off.
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