He regretted leaving his dear grotto; he was sorry to say good-by to Panoria--his favorite "La Giacommetta." But his future had been decided upon by his father and mother, and he promised to do great things for them when he was old enough to be a captain in the army--even if it were the army of France.
For, you see, he was still so earnest a Corsican patriot, that he wished rather to free Corsica than to defend France.
"Who knows ?" he boasted one day to Panoria; "perhaps I will become a colonel, and come back here and be a greater man than Paoli.

Perhaps I may free Corsica.

What would you think of that, Panoria ?" "I should think it funny for a boy who went to school in France to come away and fight France," said practical Panoria.
But Napoleon would not see it in this way.

He dreamed of glory, and believed he would yet be able to strike a blow for the freedom of Corsica.

At last the day of departure arrived.