In the far North, Austrian arms had, during this interval, a successful passage, but in the South peace nominally reigned. Yet the shadow of the past war lay upon the scene, mingling with that projected by the one to come—the only question being how long it would be in coming. In the interval Austria in Italy stood on the qui vive, with hand day and night upon the sword-hilt, prepared at any moment to make it leap from the scabbard. But for the sudden death of Cavour in July 1861, it is probable that it would have leaped much sooner than it actually did; since reliable information, quoted by Mollinary, exists as to the preparation of a concerted attack which was to be carried out by Garibaldi, Kossuth, Türr, Cosenz and others, and for which all preparations were made. Even with this danger averted, there remained ample grounds for caution. Lombardy had been lost; but Venetia remained; and in it Austrian prestige had a hard stand against the yearnings of Italian unity.

That, given these circumstances, the position of the Austrian officer was a peculiarly difficult one, will readily be believed; also that it gave rise to numberless critical and occasionally absurd situations. My own personal recollections, though of a very juvenile nature, can testify to this; for the winters preceding 1866 were spent by my mother in Venice, whither an old intimacy with the late Duchess of Parma (Princess Louise of Bourbon) had originally led her.