e older one； who had been so fierce； began to sob。
〃I guess I scared her；〃 Aymo said。 〃I didn't mean to scare her。〃
Bartolomeo brought out his knapsack and cut off two pieces of cheese。 〃Here；〃 he said。 〃Stop crying。〃
The older girl shook her head and still cried； but the younger girl took the cheese and menced to eat。 After a while the younger girl gave her sister the second piece of cheese and they both ate。 The older sister still sobbed a little。
〃She'll be all right after a while；〃 Aymo said。
An idea came to him。 〃Virgin？〃 he asked the girl next to him。 She nodded her head vigorously。 〃Virgin too？〃 he pointed to the sister。 Both the girls nodded their heads and the elder said something in dialect。
〃That's all right；〃 Bartolomeo said。 〃That's all right。〃
Both the girls seemed cheered。
I left them sitting together with Aymo sitting back in the corner and went back to Piani's car。 The column of vehicles did not move but the troops kept passing alongside。 It was still raining hard and I thought some of the stops in the movement of the column might be from cars with wet wiring。 More likely they were from horses or men going to sleep。 Still； traffic could tie up in cities when every one was awake。 It was the bination of horse and motor vehicles。 They did not help each other any。 The peasants' carts did not help much either。 Those were a couple of fine girls with Barto。 A retreat was no place for two virgins。 Real virgins。 Probably very religious。 If there were no war we would probably all be in bed。 In bed I lay me down my head。 Bed and board。 Stiff as a board in bed。 Catherine was in bed now between two sheets； over her and under her。 Which side did she sleep on？ Maybe she wasn't asleep。 Maybe she was lying thinking