Butfromthatdayonemighthavedatedacertainassumptionofyouthfulnessinhismanners。AtcardsitwasalwaysthesignorinoandGonerilagainstthetwoelderladies;inhisconversation,too,itwastotheyounggirlthatheconstantlyappealed,asifshewerehisnaturalcompanion——she,andnothisfriendsofthirtyyears。MadamePetrucci,alwayssereneandkind,tooknonoticeoftheselittlechanges,buttheywereparticularlyirritatingtoMissPrunty,whowas,afterall,onlyfouryearsolderthanthesignorino。
Thatladyhad,indeed,becomemorethanusuallysharpandforeboding。
Shereceivedthesignorino’sgayeffusionsinominoussilence,andwouldfrowndarklywhileMadamePetruccipettedher"littlebird,"asshecalledGoneril。Once,indeed,MissPruntywasheardtoremarkthatitwastemptingProvidencetohavedealingswithacreaturewhoseverynamewasasynonymforingratitude。ButtheelderladyonlysmiledanddeclaredthatherGonerillawascharming,delicious,arealsunshineinthehouse。
"NowIcallonyoutosupportme,signorino,"shecriedoneevening,whenthethreeelderssattogetherintheroom,whileGonerilwateredtherosesontheterrace。"IsnotmyGonerillaacharminglittle/bebe/?"
SignorGrazianowithdrewhiseyesfromthewindow。
"Mostcharming,certainly,butscarcelysuchachild。Sheisseventeen,youknow,mydearsignora。"
"Seventeen!/SantoDio!/Andwhatisoneatseventeenbutaninnocent,playful,charminglittlekitten?"
"Youarealwaysright,madame,"agreedthesignorino,buthelookedasifhethoughtshewereverywrong。
"OfcourseIamright,"laughedthelittlelady。"Comehere,myGonerilla,andholdmyskeinforme。SignorGrazianoisgoingtocharmuswithoneofhisdelightfulairs。"
"Ihopedshewouldsing,"falteredthesignorino。
"Who?Gonerilla?Nonsense,myfriend。Shewindssilkmuchbetterthanshesings。"
Gonerillaughed;shewasnotatalloffended。ButSignorGrazianomadeseveralmistakesinhisplaying。Atlastheleftthepiano。"Icannotplayto-night,"hecried。"Iamnotinthehumour。Goneril,willyoucomeandwalkwithmeontheterrace?"
BeforethegirlcouldreplyMissPruntyhaddartedanangryglanceatSignorGraziano。
"GoodLord,whatfoolsmenare!"sheejaculated。"Anddoyouthink,now,I’mgoingtoletthatgirl,who’sjustgettingridofhermalaria,gostar-gazingwithanyoldidiotwhileallthemistsarecurlingoutofthevalleys?"
"Brigida,mylove,youforgetyourself,"saidMadamePetrucci。
"Bah!"criedthesignorino。Hewasevidentlyoutoftemper。
Thelittleladyhastenedtosmooththetroubledwaters。"Talkingofmalaria,"shebegan,inherserenestmanner,"IalwaysrememberwhatmydearestMadameLillitoldme。ItwasatoneofPrinceTeano’sconcerts。Youremember,signorino?"
"/Che!/HowshouldIremember?"heexclaimed。"Itwasalifetimeago,deadandforgotten。"
Theoldladyshrank,asifaglassofwaterhadbeenrudelythrowninherface。Shesaidnothing,staringblindly。
"Gotobed,Goneril!"criedMissPrunty,inavoiceofthunder。
CHAPTERIV
BIRDSOFAFEATHER
AfewmorningsaftertheseeventsthepostmanbroughtaletterforGoneril。Thiswassucharareoccurrencethatsheblushedroseredattheverysightofitandhadtowalkupanddowntheterraceseveraltimesbeforeshefeltcalmenoughtoreadit。ThenshewentupstairsandknockedatthedoorofMadamePetrucci’sroom。"
"Comein,littlebird。"
Theoldlady,inpinkmerinoandcurl-papers,openedthedoor。Gonerilheldupherletter。
"MycousinJackiscomingtoFlorence,andheisgoingtowalkovertoseemethisafternoon。Andmayhestaytodinner,/cara/signora?"
"Why,ofcourse,Gonerilla。Iamcharmed!"
Gonerilkissedtheoldlady,anddanceddownstairsbrimmingoverwithdelight。
LaterinthemorningSignorGrazianocalled。
"Willyoucomeoutwithme,MeesGoneril?"hesaid。"Onmylandtheearliestvintagebeginsto-day。"
"Oh,hownice!"shecried。
"Come,then,"saidthesignorino,smiling。
"Oh,Ican’tcometo-day,becauseofJack。"
"Jack?"
"Mycousin;hemaycomeatanytime。"
"Yourcousin!"Thesignorinofrownedalittle。"Ah,youEnglish,"hesaid,"youconsiderallyourcousinsbrothersandsisters!"
Gonerillaughed。
"Isitnotso?"heasked,alittleanxiously。
"Jackismuchnicerthanmybrothers,"saidtheyounggirl。
"Andwhoishe,thisJack?"
"He’sadearboy,"saidGoneril,"andveryclever;heisgoinghomefortheIndiancivil-serviceexam;hehasbeenouttoCalcuttatoseemyfather。"
Thesignorinodidnotpayanyattentiontothelatterpartofthisdescription,butheappearedtofindthebeginningverysatisfactory。
"Soheisonlyaboy,"hemutteredtohimself,andwentawaycomparativelysatisfied。
GonerilspentmostofthedaywatchingtheroadfromFlorence。Shemightnotwalkonthehighway,butasteepshortcutthatjoinedthemainroadatthebottomofthehillwasquiteatherdisposal。Shewalkedupanddownformorethananhour。AtlastshesawsomeoneontheFlorenceroad。Shewalkedonquickly。Itwasthetelegraph-boy。
Shetoreopentheenvelopeandread:"Venice。——Exam。onWednesday。
Startatonce。/Arivederci/。"
ItwaswithveryredeyesthatGonerilwentintodinner。
"Sothecousinhasn’tcome?"saidMissPrunty,kindly。
"No;hehadtogohomeatonceforhisexamination。"
"Idaresayhe’llcomeoveragainsoon,mydear,"saidthatdiscriminatinglady。ShehadquitetakenGonerilbackintohergoodgraces。
Theyallsattogetherinthelittleparlorafterdinner。Ateighto’clockthedoor-bellrang。ItwasnowsevenweekssinceGonerilhadblushedwithexcitementwhenfirstsheheardthatring,andnowshedidnotblush。
Thesignorinoentered。Hewalkedverystraightandhislipswereset。
Hecameinwiththeairofonepreparedtoencounteropposition。
"MeesGoneril,"hesaid,"willyoucomeoutontheterrace?——beforeitistoolate,"headded,withasavageglanceatMissPrunty。
"Yes,"saidGoneril;andtheywentouttogether。
"Sothecousindidnotcome?"saidthesignorino。
"No。"
Theywentonalittlewayinsilencetogether。Thenightwasmoon-litandclear;notawindstirredtheleaves;theskywaslikeasapphire,containingbutnotsheddinglight。Thelateoleanderssmelledverysweet;themoonwassofullthatonecoulddistinguishthepeculiargrayish-pinkoftheblossoms。
"Itisalovelynight!"saidGoneril。
"Andalovelyplace。"
"Yes。"
Thenabirdsang。
"Youhavebeenherejusteightweeks,"saidthesignorino。
"Ihavebeenveryhappy。"
Hedidnotspeakforaminuteortwo,andthenhesaid:
"Wouldyouliketoliveherealways?"
"Ah,yes!butthatisimpossible。"
Hetookherhandandturnedhergently,sothatherfacewasinthelight。
"DearMeesGoneril,whyisitimpossible?"
Foramomenttheyounggirldidnotanswer。Sheblushedveryred,andlookedbrave。
"BecauseofJack!"shesaid。
"Ah!"
"Nothingissettled,"addedtheyounggirl,"butitisnousepretendingnottoknow。"
"Itisnouse,"herepeated,verysadly。
Andthenforalittlewhiletheylistenedtothebird。
"MeesGoneril,"saidthesignorinoatlast,"doyouknowwhyIbroughtyououthere?"
"Notatall,"sheanswered。
Itwasaminutebeforehespokeagain。
"IamgoingtoRometo-morrow,"hesaid,"andIwantedtobidyougood-bye。Youwillsingtometo-night,asitwillbethelasttime?"
"Oh,Ihopenotthelasttime!"
"Yes,yes,"hesaid,alittletestily;"unless——andIprayitmaynotbeso——unlessyoueverneedthehelpofanoldfriend。"
"DearSignorGraziano!"
"Andnowyouwillsingmemy’NobilAmore’?"
"Iwilldoanythingyoulike。"
Thesignorinosighedandlookedatherforaminute。Thenheledherintothelittleparlour,whereMadamePetrucciwassingingshrillyinthetwilight。
THEBRIGAND’SBRIDE:
ATALEOFSOUTHERNITALY
BY
LAURENCEOLIPHANT
TheItalianpeninsuladuringtheyears1859,1860,and1861offeredaparticularlytemptingfieldforadventuretoardentspiritsinsearchofexcitement;and,attractedpartlybymysympathywiththepopularmovement,andpartlybythatsimpledesire,whichgivessomuchzesttothelifeofyouth,ofriskingitonallpossibleoccasions,Ihadtakenanactivepart,chieflyasanofficiousspectator,inalltheprincipaleventsofthosestirringyears。Itwasinthespringof1862
thatIfoundmattersbeginningtosettledowntoadegreethatthreatenedmonotony;andwiththeterminationofthewintergaietiesatNaplesandthecloseoftheSanCarlo,Iseriouslybethoughtmeofacceptingtheofferofanavalfriendwhowasabouttoengageinblockade-running,andofferedtolandmeintheConfederateStates,whenarecrudescenceofactivityonthepartofthebrigandbandsinCalabriainducedmetoturnmyattentioninthatdirection。ThefirstquestionIhadtoconsiderwas,whetherIshouldenjoymyselfmostbyjoiningthebrigands,orthetroopswhichwereengagedinsuppressingthem。Astheformeraspiredtoapoliticalcharacter,andcalledthemselvespatrioticbandsfightingfortheirchurch,theircountry,andtheirking,——therefugeemonarchofNaples,——onecouldespousetheircausewithoutexactlylayingone’sselfopentothechargeofbeingabandit;butitwasnotoriousinpointoffactthatthebandscaredforneitherthepopenortheexiledkingnortheirannexedcountry,butcommittedthemostabominableatrocitiesinthenamesofallthethree,forthesimplepurposeoffillingtheirpockets。I
foresawnotonlyextremedifficultyinbeingacceptedasamemberofthefraternity,moreespeciallyasIhadhithertobeenidentifiedwiththeGaribaldians,butalsotheprobabilityoffindingmyselfcompromisedbyactsfromwhichmyconsciencewouldrevolt,andforwhichmylifewouldinalllikelihoodpaytheforfeit。Ontheotherhand,Icouldthinkofnofriendamongtheofficersofthebersaglieriandcavalryregimentsthenengagedinbrigand-huntingintheCapitanataandBasilicatatowhomIcouldapplyforaninvitationtojointhem。
UnderthesecircumstancesIdeterminedtotrusttothechapterofaccidents;and,armedwithaknapsack,asketch-book,andanair-gun,tookmyseatonemorningintheFoggiadiligence,withthevagueideaofgettingasnearthesceneofoperationsaspossible,andseeingwhatwouldturnup。Theair-gunwasnotsomuchaweaponofoffenceordefenceasameansofintroductiontotheinhabitants。Ithadtheinnocentappearanceofratherathickwalking-cane,withalittlebrasstriggerprojecting;andintheafternoonIwouldjointhegroupsittinginfrontofthechemist’s,which,forsomereasonorother,isgenerallyasortofopen-airclubinasmallNeapolitantown,orstrollintothesinglemodestcafeofwhichitmightpossiblyboast,andtoyabstractedlywiththetrigger。This,togetherwithmypersonalappearance,——fordowhatIwouldIcouldnevermakemyselflooklikeaNeapolitan,——wouldbecertaintoattractattention,andsomeonebolderthantherestwouldmakehimselfthespokesman,andpolitelyaskmewhetherthecaneinmyhandwasanumbrellaorafishing-rod;
onwhichIwouldamiablyreplythatitwasagun,andthatIshouldhavemuchpleasureinexhibitingmyskillandthemethodofitsoperationtotheassembledcompany。Thenthewholepartywouldfollowmetoanopenspace,andIwouldcallforapackofcards,andpossibly——forIwasagoodshotinthosedays——pinktheaceofheartsatfifteenpaces。Atanyrate,myperformancesusuallycalledforthplaudits,andthisinvolvedafurtherinterchangeofcomplimentsandexplanations,andtheproductionofmysketch-book,whichsoonprocuredmetheacquaintanceofsomeladies,andaninvitationasanEnglishartisttothehouseofsomerespectablecitizen。
Soithappenedthat,gettingoutofthediligencebeforeitreachedFoggia,Istrucksouth,andwanderedforsomedaysfromonelittletowntoanother,beingalwayshospitablyentertained,whethertherehappenedtobean/albergo/ornot,atprivatehouses,seeinginthiswaymoreofthemannersandcustomsoftheinhabitantsthanwouldhavebeenotherwisepossible,gainingmuchinformationastothehauntsofthebrigands,thewhereaboutsofthetroops,andhearingmuchlocalgossipgenerally。Theignoranceofthemostrespectableclassesatthisperiodwasastounding;ithasdoubtlessallchangedsince。Ihavebeenatatownoftwothousandinhabitants,notoneofwhomtookinanewspaper;thewholepopulation,therefore,wasinasprofoundignoranceofwhatwastranspiringintherestoftheworldasiftheyhadbeeninNovaiaZemlia。IhavestayedwithamayorwhodidnotknowthatEnglandwasanisland;IhavebeentheguestofacitizenwhohadneverheardofScotland,andtowhom,therefore,mynationalitywasanenigma;butInevermetanyone——Imeanofthissameclass——whohadnotheardofPalmerston。Hewasamysteriouspersonage,execratedbythe"blacks"andadoredbythe"reds。"AndIshonewithareflectedlustreasthecitizenofacountryofwhichhewasthePrimeMinister。
Asaconsequence,wehadpoliticaldiscussions,whichwereprotractedfarintothenight;fortheprincipalmealofthetwenty-fourhourswasa10-o’clock-P。M。supper,atwhich,aftertheinevitablemacaroni,weremanyunwholesomedishes,suchassaladsmadeofthistles,cows’
udders,andotherdelicacies,whichdeprivedoneofalldesireforsleep。Notwithstandingwhich,weroseearly,myhostessandtheladiesoftheestablishmentappearingintheearlypartofthedayinthemostextremedeshabille。Indeed,ononeoccasionwhenIwasfirstintroducedintothefamilyofarespectablecitizenandshownintomybedroom,Imistookoneofthetwofemaleswhoweremakingthebedfortheservant,andwassurprisedtoseeherhandalittledouceurIgaveherasanearnestofattentiononherparttotheother,withasmile。
Shesoonafterwardwenttobed:wealldid,from11A。M。tillabout3
P。M。,atwhichhourIwashorrifiedtomeetherarrayedinsilksandsatins,andtofindthatshewasthewifeofmyhost。Shekindlytookmeadrivewithherinacarriageandpair,andwithacoachmaninlivery。
Itwasbythissimplemeans,andbythusimposingmyselfuponthehospitalityoftheseunsophisticatedpeople,thatIworkedmyway,byslowdegrees,chieflyonfoot,intothepartofthecountryIdesiredtovisit;andItrustthatIinameasurerepaidthemforitbythestoresofinformationwhichIimpartedtothem,andofwhichtheystoodmuchinneed,andbylittlesketchesoftheirhomesandthesurroundingscenery,withwhichIpresentedthem。Iwas,indeed,dependentinsomemeasureforhospitalityofthisdescription,asI
hadtakennomoneywithme,partlybecause,totellthetruth,Ihadscarcelygotany,andpartlybecauseIwasafraidofbeingrobbedbybrigandsofthelittleIhad。Ithereforeeschewedthecharacterofa/milordoInglese/;butIneversucceededindispellingallsuspicionthatImightnotbeanephewoftheQueen,oratleastaverynearrelativeofPalmerstonindisguise。Itwassonatural,seeingwhatadeepinterestbothherMajestyandthePrimeMinistertookinItaly,thattheyshouldsendsomeoneincognitowhomtheycouldtrusttotellthemallaboutit。
Meantime,Iwasnotsurprised,whenIcametoknowthedispositionoftheinhabitants,atthesuccessofbrigandage。Ithasneverbeenmyfortunebeforeorsincetoliveamongsuchatimidpopulation。Onedayatalargetownaleadinglandedproprietorreceivednoticethatifhedidnotpayacertainsuminblackmail,——Iforgetatthisdistanceoftimetheexactamount,——hisfarmor/masseria/wouldberobbed。Thisfarm,whichwasinfactahandsomecountryhouse,wasdistantabouttenmilesfromthetown。Hethereforemadeanappealtothecitizensthattheyshouldarmthemselvesandhelphimtodefendhisproperty,ashehaddeterminednottopay,andhadtakenstepstobeinformedastotheexactdatewhentheattackwastobemadeindefaultofpayment。Morethanthreehundredcitizensenrolledthemselvesaswillingtoturnoutinarms。Onthedayprecedingtheattackbythebrigands,arendezvouswasgiventothesethreehundredonthegreatsquareforfiveinthemorning,andthitherIaccordinglyrepaired,unable,however,toinducemyhosttoaccompanyme,althoughhehadsignedasavolunteer。Onreachingtherendezvous,Ifoundthelandedproprietorandafriendwhowaslivingwithhim,andabouttenminutesafterwardtwoothervolunteersstrolledup。Fivewasallwecouldmusteroutofthreehundred。Itwasmanifestlyuselesstoattemptanythingwithsosmallaforce,andnoargumentscouldinduceanyoftheotherstoturnout;sotheunhappygentlemanhadthesatisfactionofknowingthatthebrigandshadpunctuallypillagedhisplace,carryingoffallhislivestockontheverydayandattheveryhourtheysaidtheywould。Asfortheinhabitantsventuringanydistancefromtown,exceptundermilitaryescort,suchathingwasunknown,andallcommunicationwithNapleswasforsometimevirtuallyintercepted。
IwasregardedasasortofmonomaniacofrecklessnessbecauseI
venturedonasolitarywalkofamileortwoinsearchofasketch——anactofnogreataudacityonmypart,forIhadwalkedthroughvariouspartsofthecountrywithoutseeingabrigand,andfounditdifficulttorealisethattherewasanyactualdangerinstrollingamilefromamoderatelylargetown。
Emboldenedbyimpunity,Iwastemptedonedaytofollowupamostromanticgleninsearchofasketch,whenIcameuponaremarkablyhandsomepeasantgirl,drivingadonkeybeforeherloadedwithwood。
Mysuddenappearanceonthenarrowpathmadetheanimalshyagainstaprojectingpieceofrock,offwhichhereboundedtotheedgeofthepath,which,givingway,precipitatedhimandhisloaddowntheravine。Hewasbroughtupunhurtagainstabushsometwentyfeetbelow,thefagotsofwoodbeingscatteredinhisdescentinalldirections。Foramomentthegirl’slarge,fierceeyesflasheduponmewithanger;buttheimpetuositywithwhichIwentheadlongafterthedonkey,withaviewofrepairingmyerror,andtheabsurdattemptsI
madetoreversethepositionofhisfeet,whichwereintheair,convertedherindignationintoaheartyfitoflaughter,as,seeingthattheanimalwasapparentlyuninjured,shescrambleddowntomyassistance。Byourunitedeffortsweatlastsucceededinhoistingthedonkeyuptothepath,andthenIcollectedthewoodandhelpedhertoloaditagain——anoperationwhichinvolvedafrequentmeetingofhandsandoftheeyes,whichhadnowlosttheferocitythathadstartledmeatfirst,andseemedgettingmoresoftandbeamingeverytimeI
glancedatthem,tillatlast,producingmysketch-book,Iventuredtoremark,"Ah,signorina,whatapictureyouwouldmake!Nowthattheassisloaded,letmedrawyoubeforewepart,thatImaycarryawaytherecollectionoftheloveliestwomanIhaveseen。"
"Firstdrawthedonkey,"shereplied,"thatImaycarryawayarecollectionofthe/galantuomo/whofirstupsethimoverthebank,andthenhelpedmetoloadhim。"
Smilingatthisambiguouscompliment,Igaveherthesketchshedesired,andwasabouttoclaimmyreward,whensheabruptlyremarked:
"Thereisnottimenow;itisgettinglate,andImustnotlinger,asIhavestillanhourtogobeforereachinghome。Howisitthatyouarenotafraidtobewanderinginthissolitaryglenbyyourself?Doyounotknowtherisks?"
"Ihaveheardofthem,butIdonotbelieveinthem,"Isaid;
"besides,Ishouldbepoorplunderforrobbers。"
"Butyouhavefriends,whowouldpaytoransomyou,Isuppose,ifyouwerecaptured?"
"Mylifeisnotworthahundredscuditoanyofthem,"Ireplied,laughing;"butIamwillingtoforegothepleaseofdrawingyounow,/bellissima/,ifyouwilltellmewhereyoulive,andletmecomeandpaintyouthereatmyleisure。"
"You’reabraveone,"shesaid,withalittlelaugh;"thereisnotanothermaninallAscoliwhowoulddaretopaymeavisitwithoutanescortoftwentysoldiers。ButIamtoogratefulforyouramiabilitytoletyourunsucharisk。/Addio/,SignorInglese。TherearemanyreasonswhyIcan’tletyoudrawmypicture,butIamnotungrateful,see!"——andsheofferedmehercheek,onwhichIinstantlyimprintedachasteandfraternalsalute。
"Don’tthinkthatyou’veseenthelastofme,/carrissima/,"Icalledout,assheturnedaway。"IshallliveonthememoryofthatkisstillIhaveanopportunityofrepeatingit。"
AndasIwatchedherretreatingfigurewithanartist’seye,Iwasstruckwithitsgraceandsuppleness,combined,asIhadobservedwhileshewashelpingmetoleadthedonkey,withanunusualdegreeofmuscularstrengthforawoman。
ThespotatwhichthisepisodehadtakenplacewassoromanticthatI
determinedtomakeasketchofit,andtheshadesofeveningwereclosinginsofastthattheywarnedmetohurryifIwouldreachthetownbeforedark。Ihadjustfinisheditandwasstoopingtopickupbyair-gun,whenIheardasuddenrush,andbeforeIhadtimetolookupIwasthrownviolentlyforwardonmyface,andfoundmyselfstrugglingintheembraceofapowerfulgrasp,fromwhichIhadnearlysucceededinfreeingmyself,whenthearmswhichwereclaspingmewerereinforcedbyseveralmorepairs,andIfeltaropebeingpassedroundmybody。
"Allright,signors!"Iexclaimed。"Iyieldtosuperiornumbers。Youneednotpullsohard;letmegetup,andIpromisetogowithyouquietly。"AndbythistimeIhadturnedsufficientlyonmybacktoseethatfourmenwereengagedintyingmeup。
"Tiehiselbowstogetherandlethimgetup,"saidone;"heisnotarmed。Here,Giuseppe,carryhisstickandpaint-boxwhileIfeelhispockets。/CorpodiBaccho!/twelvebajocchi,"heexclaimed,producingthosecoppercoinswithanairofprofounddisgust。"Itistobehopedheisworthmoretohisfriends。Now,youngman,trudge,andrememberthatthefirstsignyoumakeofattemptingtorunawaymeansfourbulletsthroughyou。"
AsIdidnotanticipateanyrealdanger,andasaprolongeddetentionwasamatterofnoconsequencetoamanwithoutanoccupation,I
steppedforwardwithalightheart,ratherpleasedthanotherwisewithanticipationsofthebrigand’scave,andturningoverinmymindwhetherornotIshouldproposetojointheband。
Wehadwalkedanhourandithadbecomedark,whenweturnedofftheroad,upanarrowpaththatledbetweenrockysidestoaglade,attheextremityofwhich,underanoverhangingledge,wasasmallcottage,withwhatseemedtobeapatchofgardeninfront。
"Ho!Anita!"calledoutthemanwhoappearedtobetheleaderoftheband;"open!Wehavebroughtafriendtosupper,whowillrequireanight’slodgings。"
Anoldwomanwithalightappeared,andoverhershoulder,tomydelight,IsawthefaceIhadaskedtobeallowedtopaintsoshortlybefore。Iwasabouttorecogniseherwithanexclamation,whenIsawahurriedmotionofherfingertoherlip,whichlookedanaturalgesturetothecasualobserver,butwhichIconstruedintoasignofprudence。
"Wheredidyoupickhimup,Croppo?"sheasked,carelessly。"Heoughttobeworthsomething。"
"Justtwelvebajocchi,"heanswered,withasneeringlaugh。"Come,/amicomio/,youwillhavetogiveusthenamesofsomeofyourfriends。"
"IamtolerablyintimatewithhisHolinessthePope,andIhaveabowingacquaintancewiththeKingofNaples,whommayGodspeedilyrestoretohisown,"Ireplied,inalightandairyfashion,whichseemedexceedinglytoexasperatethemancalledCroppo。
"Oh,yes,weknowallaboutthat;wenevercatchamanwhodoesnotprofesstobeaNeroofthedeepestdyeinordertoconciliateoursympathies。Itisjustaswellthatyoushouldunderstand,myfriend,thatallarefishwhocomeintoournet。Themoneyofthepope’sfriendsisquiteasgoodasthemoneyofGaribaldi’s。YouneednothopetoputusoffwithyourItalianfriendsofanycolour;whatwewantisEnglishgold——good,solidEnglishgold,andplentyofit。"
"Ah,"saidI,withalaugh,"ifyoudidbutknow,myfriend,howlongIhavewantedittoo!IfyoucouldonlysuggestanEnglishmanwhowouldpayyouformylife,Iwouldwritetohimimmediately,andwewouldgohalvesintheransom。Hold!"Isaid,abrightideasuddenlystrikingme。"SupposeIweretowritetomygovernment——howwouldthatdo?"
Croppowasevidentlypuzzled;mycheerfulandunembarrassedmannerapparentlyperplexedhim。HehadasuspicionthatIwasevencapableoftheaudacityofmakingafoolofhim,andyetthatpropositionaboutthegovernmentratherstaggeredhim;theremightbesomethinginit。
"Don’tyouthink,"heremarked,grimly,"itwouldaddtotheeffectofyourcommunicationifyouweretoencloseyourownearsinyourletter?Icaneasilysupplythem;andifyouarenotalittlemoreguardedinyourspeechyoumaypossiblyhavetoaddyourtongue。"
"Itwouldnothavetheslightesteffect,"Ireplied,payingnoheedtohisthreat;"youdon’tknowPalmerstonasIdo。Ifyouwishtogetanythingoutofhimyoumustbeexcessivelycivil。Whatdoeshecareaboutmyears?"AndIlaughedwithsuchscornfulcontemptthatCroppothistimefeltthathehadmadeafoolofhimself,andIobservedthelovelygirlbehind,whilethecornersofhermouthtwitchedwithsuppressedlaughter,makeasignofcaution。
"/PerDio!/"heexclaimed,jumpingupwithfury。"Understand,SignorInglese,thatCroppoisnottobetrifledwith。Ihaveasummarywayoftreatingdisrespect,"andhedrewalongandexceedinglysharp-
lookingtwo-edgedknife。
"Soyouwouldkillthegoose"("andIcertainlyamagoose,"I
reflected)"thatmaylayagoldenegg。"Butmyallusionwaslostuponhim,andIsawmycharmertouchherforeheadsignificantly,asthoughtoimplytoCroppothatIwasweakintheupperstory。
"Animbecilewithoutfriendsandtwelvebajocchiinhispocket,"hemuttered,savagely。"Perhapsthenightwithoutfoodwillrestorehissenses。Come,fool!"andheroughlypushedmeintoadarklittlechamberadjoining。"Here,Valeria,holdthelight。"
SoValeriawasthenameoftheheroineofthedonkeyepisode。Assheheldasmalloil-lampaloftIperceivedthattheroominwhichIwastospendthenighthadmoretheappearanceofacellarthanachamber;
ithadbeenexcavatedontwosidesfromthebank;onthethirdtherewasasmallholeaboutsixinchessquare,apparentlycommunicatingwithanotherroom,andonthefourthwasthedoorbywhichIhadentered,andwhichopenedintothekitchenandgeneralliving-roomoftheinhabitants。Therewasaheapofonionsrunningtoseed,thefagotsoffire-woodwhichValeriahadbroughtthatafternoon,andanoldcaskortwo。
"Won’tyougivehimsomekindofabed?"sheaskedCroppo。
"Bah!hecansleepontheonions,"respondedthatworthy。"Ifhehadbeenmorecivilandintelligentheshouldhavehadsomethingtoeat。
Youthree,"hewenton,turningtotheothermen,"sleepinthekitchen,andwatchthattheprisonerdoesnotescape。Thedoorhasastrongboltbesides。Come,Valeria。"
Andthepairdisappeared,leavingmeinadensegloom,stronglypervadedbyanordouroffungusanddecayingonions。Gropingintooneofthecasks,Ifoundsomestraw,andspreadingitonapieceofplank,IpreparedtopassthenightsittingwithmybacktothedriestpieceofwallIcouldfind,whichhappenedtobeimmediatelyundertheair-hole——afortunatecircumstance,astheclosenesswasoftenstifling。Ihadprobablybeendozingforsometimeinasittingposition,whenIfeltsomethingticklethetopofmyhead。Theideathatitmightbealargespidercausedmetostart,when,stretchingupmyhand,itcameincontactwithwhatseemedtobearag,whichI
hadnotobserved。Gettingcarefullyup,Iperceivedafaintlightgleamingthroughtheaperture,andthensawthatahandwasprotrudedthroughit,apparentlywavingtherag。AsIfeltinstinctivelythatthehandwasValeria’s,Iseizedthefinger-tips,whichwasallI
couldgetholdof,andpressedthemtomylips。Theywerequicklydrawnaway,andthenthewhisperreachedmyears:
"Areyouhungry?"
"Yes。"
"Theneatthis,"andshepassedmeatinpannikinfullofcoldmacaroni,whichwouldjustgothroughtheopening。
"DearValeria,"Isaid,withmymouthfull,"howgoodandthoughtfulyouare!"
"Hush!he’llhear。"
"Who?"
"Croppo。"
"Whereishe?"
"Asleepinthebedjustbehindme。"
"Howdoyoucometobeinhisbedroom?"
"BecauseI’mhiswife。"
"Oh!"Alongpause,duringwhichIcollapseduponmystrawseat,andswallowedmacaronithoughtfully。Astheresultofmymeditations,"Valeria,/carissima/!"
"Hush!Yes。"
"Can’tyougetmeoutofthisinfernalden?"
"Perhaps,iftheyallthreesleepinthekitchen;atpresentoneisawake。Watchformysignal,andiftheyallthreesleepIwillmanagetoslipthebolt。Thenyoumustgivemetimetogetbackintobed,andwhenyouhearmesnoreyoumaymaketheattempt。Theyareallthreesleepingonthefloor,sobeverycarefulwhereyoutread;Iwillalsoleavethefrontdooralittleopen,sothatyoucanslipthroughwithoutnoise。"
"DearestValeria!"
"Hush!Yes。"
"Handmethatcane——itismyfishing-rod,youknow——throughthishole;
youcanleavethesketch-bookandpaint-boxunderthetreethatthedonkeyfellagainst;Iwillcallforthemsomedaysoon。And,Valeria,don’tyouthinkwecouldmakeourlipsmeetthroughthisbeastlyhole?"
"Impossible。There’smyhand;heavens!Croppowouldmurdermeifheknew。NowkeepquiettillIgivethesignal。Oh,doletgomyhand!"
"Remember,Valeria,/bellissima,carissima/,whateverhappens,thatI
loveyou。"
ButIdon’tthinksheheardthis,andIwentandsatontheonions,becauseIcouldseetheholebetterandthesmellofthemkeptmeawake。
Itwasatleasttwohoursafterthisthatthefaintlightappearedattheholeinthewallandahandwaspushedthrough。Irushedatthefinger-tips。
"Here’syourfishing-rod,"shesaid,whenIhadreleasedthemandshehadpassedmemyair-gun。"Nowbeverycarefulhowyoutread。Thereisoneasleepacrossthedoor,butyoucanopenitabouttwofeet。Thenstepoverhim;thenmakeforagleamofmoonlightthatcomesthroughthecrackofthefrontdoor,openitverygently,andslipout。
/Addio,caroInglese/;mindyouwaittillyouhearmesnoring。"
Thenshelingered,andIheardasigh。
"Whatisit,sweetValeria?"andIcoveredherhandwithkisses。
"IwishCroppohadblueeyeslikeyou。"
ThiswasmurmuredsosoftlythatImayhavebeenmistaken,butI’mnearlysurethatwaswhatshesaid;thenshedrewsoftlyaway,andtwominutesafterwardIheardhersnoring。AsthefirstsoundissuedfromherlovelynostrilsIstealthilyapproachedthedoor,gentlypusheditopen,stealthilysteppedoveraspacewhichItrustedclearedtherecumbentfigurethatIcouldnotsee,clearedhim,stolegentlyonforthestreakofmoonlight,trodsquarelyonsomethingthatseemedlikeanoutstretchedhand,foritgaveundermypressureandproducedayell,feltthatImustnowrushformylife,dashedthedooropen,anddownthepathwithfouryellingruffiansatmyheels。Iwasaprettygoodrunner,butthemoonwasbehindacloudandthewaywasrocky;moreover,theremusthavebeenashortcutIdidnotknow,foroneofmypursuersgaineduponmewithunaccountablerapidity——heappearedsuddenlywithintenyardsofmyheels。Theotherswereatleastahundredyardsbehind。Ihadnothingforitbuttoturnround,lethimalmostrunagainstthemuzzleofmyair-gun,pullthetrigger,andseehimfallinhistracks。Itwastheworkofasecond,butitcheckedmypursuers。Theyhadheardnonoise,buttheyfoundsomethingthattheydidnotbargainfor,andlingeredamoment;then,theytookupthechasewithredoubledfury。ButIhadtoogoodastart;andwherethepathjoinedthemainroad,insteadofturningdowntowardthetownastheyexpectedIwould,Idodgedroundintheoppositedirection,theuncertainlightthistimefavouringme,andIheardtheirfootstepsandtheircursesdyingawayonthewrongtrack。
NeverthelessIranonatfullspeed,anditwasnottillthedaywasdawningthatIbegantofeelsafeandrelaxmyefforts。ThesunhadbeenupanhourwhenIreachedasmalltown,andthelittle/locanda/
wasjustopeningforthedaywhenIenteredit,thankfulforahotcupofcoffeeandadirtylittleroom,withadirtierbed,whereIcouldsleepoffthefatigueandexcitementofthenight。IwasstrollingdownalmosttheonlystreetintheafternoonwhenImetacoupleofcarabineersridingintoit,andshortlyafterencounteredthewholetroop,tomygreatdelightincommandofanintimatefriendwhomIhadleftamonthbeforeinNaples。
"Ah,/caromio/,"heexclaimed,whenhesawme,"wellmet!Whatonearthareyoudoinghere?LookingforthosebrigandsyouweresoanxioustofindwhenyouleftNaples?Consideringthatyouareintheheartoftheircountry,youshouldnothavemuchdifficultyingratifyingyourcuriosity。"
"Ihavehadanadventureortwo,"Ireplied,carelessly。"Indeed,thatispartlythereasonyoufindmehere。IwasjustthinkinghowIcouldgetsafelybacktoAscoli,whenyourwelcomeescortappeared;forI
supposeyouaregoingthereandwillletmetakeadvantageofit。"
"Onlytoodelighted;andyoucantellmeyouradventures。Letusdinetogetherto-night,andIwillfindyouahorsetorideonwithusinthemorning。"
IamafraidmyaccountoftheepisodewithwhichIhaveacquaintedthereaderwasnotstrictlyaccurateinallitsdetails,asIdidnotwishtobringdownmymilitaryfriendsonpoorValeria;soIskippedallallusiontoherandmydetentioninherhome,merelysayingthatIhadhadascufflewithbrigandsandhadbeenfortunateenoughtoescapeundercoverofthenight。AswepasseditnextmorningIrecognisedthepathwhichleduptoValeria’scottage,andshortlyafterobservedthatyoungwomanherselfcominguptheglen。
"Holloa!"Isaid,withgreatpresenceofmind,asshedrewnear,"mylovelymodel,Ideclare!Justyourideon,oldfellow,whileIstopandaskherwhenshecancomeandsittomeagain。"
"Youartistsaresadrogues;whatchancesyourprofessionmustgiveyou!"remarkedmycompanion,ashecastanadmiringglanceonValeriaandrodediscreetlyon。
"Thereisnothingtobeafraidof,lovelyValeria,"Isaid,inalowtone,asIlingeredbehind;"besureIwillneverbetrayeitheryouroryourrascally——hem!ImeanyourexcellentCroppo。Bytheby,wasthatmanmuchhurtthatIwasobligedtotripup?"
"Hurt!SantaMaria!heisdead,withabulletthroughhisheart。
Cropposaysitmusthavebeenmagic,forhehadsearchedyouandheknewyouwerenotarmed,andhewaswithinahundredyardsofyouwhenpoorPippofell,andheheardnosound。"
"Croppoisnotfarwrong,"Isaid,gladoftheopportunitythusofferedofimposingontheignoranceandcredulityofthenatives。"Heseemedsurprisedthathecouldnotfrightenmetheothernight。TellhimhewasmuchmoreinmypowerthanIwasinhis,dearValeria,"I
added,lookingtenderlyintohiseyes。"Ididn’twanttoalarmyou;
thatwasthereasonIlethimoffsoeasily;butImaynotbesomercifulnexttime。Now,sweetest,thatkissyouoweme,andwhichthewallpreventedyourgivingmetheothernight。"SheheldupherfacewiththeinnocenceofachildasIstoopedfrommysaddle。
"Ishallneverseeyouagain,SignorInglese,"shesaid,withasigh;
"forCropposaysitisnotsafe,afterwhathappenedthenightbeforelast,tostayanotherhour。Indeed,hewentoffyesterday,leavingmeorderstofollowto-day;butIwentfirsttoputyoursketch-bookunderthebushwherethedonkeyfell,andwhereyouwillfindit。"
Ittookusanotherminuteortwotopartafterthis;andwhenIhadriddenawayIturnedtolookback,andtherewasValeriagazingafterme。"Positively,"Ireflected,"Iamoverheadandearsinlovewiththegirl,andIbelievesheiswithme。Ioughttohavenippedmyfeelingsinthebudwhenshetoldmeshewashiswife;butthenheisabrigand,whothreatenedbothmyearsandmytongue,tosaynothingofmylife。Towhatextentisthedomestichappinessofsucharuffiantoberespected?"AndIwentonsplittingthemoralstrawssuggestedbythistrainofthoughtuntilIhadrecoveredmysketch-bookandovertakenmyescort,withwhomIrodetriumphantlybackintoAscoli,wheremyabsencehadbeenthecauseofmuchanxietyandmyfatewaseventhenbeingeagerlydiscussed。MyfriendswithwhomIusuallysatroundthechemist’sdoorweremuchexercisedbythereservewhichI
manifestedinreplytothefireofcross-examinationtowhichIwassubjectedforthenextfewdays;andEnglisheccentricity,whichwasproverbialeveninthissecludedtown,receivedafreshillustrationinthelightandairymannerwithwhichItreatedacaptureandescapefrombrigands,whichIregardedwithsuchindifferencethatIcouldnotbeinducedeventocondescendtodetails。"Itwasamerescuffle;
therewereonlyfour;and,beinganEnglishman,Ipolishedthemalloffwiththe’box,’"andIclosedmyfistandstruckascientificattitudeofself-defence,branchingoffintoalearneddisquisitiononthepugilisticart,whichfilledmyhearerswithrespectandamazement。FromthistimeforwardthesentimentwithwhichIregardedmyair-gununderwentachange。WhenafriendhadmademeapresentofitayearbeforeIregardeditinthelightofatoyandratherresentedthegiftastoojuvenile。"Iwonderhedidnotgivemeakiteorahoop,"Imentallyreflected。ThenIhadfounditusefulamongItalians,whoareatriflingpeopleandlikeplaythings;butnowthatithadsavedmylifeandsentabulletthroughaman’sheart,Inolongerentertainedthesamefeelingofcontemptforit。NotagainwouldImakelightofit——thispotentengineofdestructionwhichhadprocuredmethecharacterofbeingamagician。Iwouldhideitfromhumangazeandcherishitasasortoffetich。SoIboughtawalking-
stickandanumbrella,andstrappeditupwiththem,wrappedinmyplaid;andwhen,shortlyafter,anunexpectedremittancefromanauntsuppliedmewithmoneyenoughtobuyahorsefromoneoftheofficersofmyfriend’sregiment,whichsoonafterarrived,andIacceptedtheirinvitationtoaccompanythemontheirbrigand-huntingexpeditions,notoneofthemknewthatIhadsuchaweaponasanair-
guninmypossession。
Our/modusoperandi/ontheseoccasionswasasfollows:Onreceivinginformationfromsomeproprietorthatthebrigandswerethreateninghisproperty,——itwasimpossibletogetintelligencefromthepeasantry,fortheywereallinleaguewiththebrigands;indeed,theyalltookaholidayfromregularworkandjoinedabandforafewweeksfromtimetotime,——weproceeded,withaforcesufficientlystrongtocopewiththesupposedstrengthoftheband,tothefarminquestion。
Thebandswereallmounted,andaveragedfrom200to400meneach。Itwascalculatedthatupwardof2000menwerethusengagedinharryingthecountry,andthisenabledtheNeritotalkoftheking’sforcesengagedinlegitimatewarfareagainstthoseofVictorEmmanuel。RidingoverthevastplainsofCapitanata,wewoulddiscernagainsttheskyoutlinethefigureofasolitaryhorseman。Thisweknewtobeapicket。Thentherewasnotimetobelost,andawaywewouldgoforhimhelter-skelteracrosstheplain;hewouldinstantlygallopinonthemainbody,probablyoccupyinga/masseria/。Iftheythoughttheywerestrongenoughtheywouldshowfight。Ifnottheywouldtaketotheirheelsinthedirectionofthemountains,withusinfullcryafterthem。Iftheywerehardlypressedtheywouldscatter,andwewereobligedtodothesame,andtheresultwouldbethattheswiftesthorsemenmightpossiblyeffectafewcaptures。Itwasanexcitingspeciesofwarfare,partakingagooddealmoreofthecharacterofahunting-fieldthanofcavalryskirmishing。Sometimes,wherethegroundwashilly,wehadbersaglieriwithus,andasthebrigandstooktothemountainsthewarfareassumedadifferentcharacter。Sometimes,indefaultoftheseactivelittletroops,wetooklocalvolunteers,whomwefoundaverypoorsubstitute。Onmorethanoneoccasionwhenwecameuponthebrigandsinafarmtheythoughtthemselvessufficientlystrongtoholditagainstus,andoncethecowardiceofthevolunteerswasamusinglyillustrated。Thebandwasestimatedatabout200,andwehad100volunteersandadetachmentof50cavalry。Oncomingunderthefireofthebrigandsthecavalrycaptain,whowasincommand,orderedthevolunteerstocharge,intendingwhentheyhaddislodgedtheenemytoridehimdownontheopen;butthevolunteerofficerdidnotrepeatthewordandstoodstock-still,hismenallimitatinghisexample。
"Charge!Isay,"shoutedthecavalrycaptain,"whydon’tyoucharge?I
believeyou’reafraid!"
"/Evero/,"saidthecaptainofvolunteers,shrugginghisshoulders。
"Here,takemyhorse——you’reonlyfittobeagroom;andyou,men,dismountandletthesecowardsholdyourhorses,whileyoufollowme。"
And,jumpingfromhishorse,thegallantfellow,followedbyhismen,chargedthebuilding,fromwhichahotfirewasplayinguponthem,swordinhand。Inlessthanaquarterofanhourthebrigandswerescampering,someonfootandsomeonhorseback,outofthefarmbuildings,followedbyafewstrayandharmlessshotsfromsuchofthevolunteersashadtheirhandsfree。Welostthreemenkilledandfivewoundedinthislittleskirmish,andkilledsixofthebrigands,besidesmakingadozenprisoners。WhenIsay"we"Imeanmycompanions,for,havingnoweapon,Ihaddiscreetlyremainedwiththevolunteers。Thesceneofthisgallantexploitwasontheclassicbattle-fieldofCannae。Thiscaptain,whowasnotthefriendIhadjoinedthedayaftermybrigandadventure,wasamostpluckyanddashingcavalryofficer,andwaswellsecondedbyhismen,whowereallPiedmonteseandofaverydifferenttemperamentfromtheNeapolitans。Ononeoccasionabandof250brigandswaitedforusonthetopofasmallhill,neverdreamingthatweshouldchargeupitwiththeoddsfivetooneagainstus;butwedid,andafterfiringavolleyatus,whichemptiedacoupleofsaddles,theybrokeandfledwhenwewereabouttwentyyardsfromthem。Thenbeganoneofthemostexcitingscurriesacrosscountryitwasevermyfortunetobeengagedin。Thebrigandsscattered——sodidwe;andIfoundmyselfwithtwotroopersinchaseofapairofbandits,oneofwhomseemedtobethechiefoftheband。Asmallstreamwoundthroughtheplain,whichwedashedacross。Justbeyondwasatributaryditch,whichwouldhavebeenconsideredafairjumpinthehunting-field:bothbrigandstookitinsplendidstyle。Thehindmostwasnottenyardsaheadoftheleadingtrooper,whocameacropper;onwhichthebrigandreinedup,firedapistol-shotintotheprostratehorseandman,andwasoff;butthedelaycosthimdear。Theothertrooper,whowasalittleaheadofme,gotsafelyover。Ifollowedsuit。Inanothermomenthehadfiredhiscarabineintothebrigand’shorse,anddowntheybothcamebytherun。Weinstantlyreinedup,forIsawtherewasnochanceofovertakingtheremainingbrigand,andthetrooperwasintheactofcuttingdownthemanashestruggledtohisfeet,whentomyhorrorI
recognisedthelovelyfeaturesof——Valeria。
"Stay,man!"Ishouted,throwingmyselffrommyhorse。"It’sawoman!
touchherifyoudare!"Andthen,seeingtheman’seyegleamwithindignation,Iadded,"Bravesoldiers,suchasyouhaveprovedyourselftobe,donotkillwomen;thoughyourtraducerssayyoudo,donotgivethemcausetospeaktruth。Iwillberesponsibleforthiswoman’ssafety。Here,tomakeitsureyouhadbetterstrapustogether。"Ipiquedmyselfexceedinglyonthishappyinspiration,wherebyIsecuredanarm-in-armwalk,ofapeculiarkind,itistrue,withValeria;andindeedmyreadinesstosacrificemyselfseemedrathertoastonishthesoldier,whohesitated。However,hiscomrade,whosehorsehadbeenshotintheditch,nowcameup,andsecondedmyproposalasIofferedhimamountonmine。
"HowonearthamItoletyouescape,dearValeria?"Iwhispered,givingherasortofaffectionatenudge;thepositionofourarmspreventedmysqueezinghersasIcouldhavewished,andthetwotrooperskeptbehindus,watchingus,Ithought,suspiciously。
"Itisquiteimpossiblenow——don’tattemptit,"sheanswered;"perhapstheremaybeanopportunitylater。"
"WasthatCroppowhogotaway?"Iasked。
"Yes。Hecouldnotgethiscowardlymentostandonthathill。"
"Whatabotherthosemenarebehind,dearest!Letmepretendtoscratchmynosewiththishandthatistiedtoyours,whichIcanthusbringtomylips。"
Iaccomplishedthismanoeuvreratherneatly,butpartiesnowcamestragglinginfromotherdirections,andIwasobligedtogiveupwhisperingandbecomecircumspect。Theyallseemedratherastonishedatourgroup,andthecaptainlaughedheartilyasherodeupandcalledout,"Whohaveyougottiedtoyouthere,/caromio/?"
"Croppo’swife。Ihadhertiedtomeforfearsheshouldescape;
besides,sheisnotbad-looking。"
"Whataprize!"heexclaimed。"Wehavemadeatolerablehaulthistime——twentyprisonersinall,amongthemthepriestoftheband。Ourcolonelhasjustarrived,soIaminluck;hewillbedelighted。Seetheprisonersarebeingbroughtuptohimnow;butyouhadbetterremountandpresentyoursinalesssingularfashion。"
Whenwereachedthecolonelwefoundhimexaminingthepriest。Hisbreviarycontainedvariousinterestingnoteswrittenonsomeofthefly-leaves。
Forinstance:
"AdministeredextremeunctiontoA————,shotbyCroppo’sorder;mysharetenscudi。
"Ditto,ditto,toR————,hungbyCroppo’sorder,mysharetwoscudi。
"Ditto,ditto,toS————,roastedbyCroppo’sordertomakehimnameanagenttobringhisransom;overdonebymistake,anddied,sogotnothing。
"Ditto,ditto,toP————,executedbytheknifebyCroppo’sorderfordisobedience。
"M————andF————andD————,threenewmembers,joinedto-day;
confessedthem,andreceivedtheusualfees。"
Hewasadark,beetle-browed-lookingruffian,thisholyman;andthecolonel,whenhehadfinishedexamininghisbookofprayerandcrime,tossedittome,saying,"There!thatwillshowyourfriendsinEnglandthekindofpoliticianswemakewaragainst。Ha!whathavewehere?Thisismoreserious。"Andheunfoldedapieceofpaperwhichhadbeenconcealedinthebreastofthepriest。"Thiscontainsalittlevaluableinformation,"headded,withagrimsmile。"Nobodylikepriestsandwomenforcarryingaboutpoliticalsecrets,soyoumayhavemadeavaluablecapture,"andheturnedtowhereIstoodwithValeria;"letherbecarefullysearched。"
Nowthecolonelwasaverypompousman,andthedocumenthehadjustdiscoveredonthepriestaddedtohissenseofself-importance。When,therefore,alarge,carefullyfoldedpaperwasproducedfromtheneighbourhoodofValeria’slovelybosomhiseyessparkledwithadmiration。"Ho,ho!"heexclaimed,asheclutchediteagerly,"theplotisthickening!"Andhespreadouttriumphantly,beforehehadhimselfseenwhatitwas,theexquisitelydrawnportraitofadonkey。
Therewasasuppressedtitter,whichexplodedintoashoutwhenthebystanderslookedintothecolonel’sindignantface。IonlywasaffecteddifferentlyasmygazefelluponthistouchingevidenceofdearValeria’sloveforme,andIglancedathertenderly。"Thishasadeepersignificancethanyouthinkfor,"saidthecolonel,lookingroundangrily。"Croppo’swifedoesnotcarefullysecreteadrawinglikethatonherpersonfornothing。See,itisdonebynocommonartist。Itmeanssomething,andmustbepreserved。"
"ItmayhaveabiblicalreferencetothestateofItaly。YourememberIssacharwaslikenedtoanassbetweentwoburdens。InthatcaseitprobablyemanatedfromRome,"Iremarked;butnobodyseemedtoseethepointoftheallusion,andtheobservationfellflat。
ThatnightIdinedwiththecolonel,andafterdinnerIpersuadedhimtoletmevisitValeriainprison,asIwishedtotaketheportraitofthewifeofthecelebratedbrigandchief。Ithankedmystarsthatmyfriendwhohadseenherwhenwemetintheglenwasawayondutywithhisdetachmentandcouldnottestifytoourformeracquaintance。
MymeetingwithValeriaonthisoccasionwastootouchingandfulloftenderpassagestobeofanygeneralinterest。Valeriatoldmethatshewasstillabride,thatshehadonlybeenmarriedafewmonths,andthatshehadbeencompelledtobecomeCroppo’swifeagainstherchoice,asthebrigand’swillwastoopowerfultoberesisted;butthat,thoughhewasjealousandattachedtoher,hewassternandcruel,and,sofarfromwinningherlovesincehermarriage,hehadratherestrangeditbyhisfitsofpassionandferocity。Asmaybeimagined,theportrait,whichwasreallyverysuccessful,tooksometimeinexecution,themoreespeciallyaswehadtodiscussthepossibilitiesofValeria’sescape。
"Wearegoingtobetransferredto-morrowtotheprisonatFoggia,"
shesaid。"Ifwhilewewerepassingthroughthemarket-placeadisturbanceofsomesortcouldbecreated,asitismarket-dayandallthecountrypeopleknowmeandaremyfriends,arescuemightbeattempted。Iknowhowtoarrangeforthat,onlytheymustseesomechanceofsuccess。"
Abrightthoughtsuddenlystruckme;itwassuggestedbyatrickIhadplayedshortlyaftermyarrivalinItaly。
"YouknowIamsomethingofamagician,Valeria;youhavehadproofofthat。IfIcreateadisturbancebymagicto-morrowwhenyouarepassingthroughthemarket-place,youwon’tstaytowonderwhatisthecauseoftheconfusion,butinstantlytakeadvantageofittoescape。"
"Trustmeforthat,/caromio/。"
"Andifyouescapewhenshallwemeetagain?"
"Iamknowntoowellnowtoriskanothermeeting。IshallbeinhidingwithCroppo,whereitwillbeimpossibleforyoutofindme,norwhilehelivescouldIeverdaretothinkofleavinghim;butIshallneverforgetyou,"——andshepressedmyhandstoherlips,——"thoughIshallnolongerhavethepictureofthedonkeytorememberyouby。"
"See,here’smyphotograph;thatwillbebetter,"saidI,feelingalittleannoyed——foolishly,Iadmit。Thenwestrainedeachothertoourrespectiveheartsandparted。Nowitsohappenedthatmyroominthe/lacanda/inwhichIwaslodgingoverlookedthemarket-place。Hereatteno’clockinthemorningIpostedmyself;forthatwasthehour,asIhadbeencarefultoascertain,whentheprisonersweretostartforFoggia。Iopenedthewindowaboutthreeinchesandfixeditthere;I
tookoutmygun,puteightballsinit,andlookeddownuponthesquare。Itwascrowdedwiththecountrypeopleintheirbright-