The next morning Franz woke first, and instantly rang thebell. The sound had not yet died away when Signor Pastrinihimself entered.

"Well, excellency," said the landlord triumphantly, andwithout waiting for Franz to question him, "I fearedyesterday, when I would not promise you anything, that youwere too late - there is not a single carriage to be had - that is, for the last three days of the carnival."

"Yes," returned Franz, "for the very three days it is mostneeded."

"What is the matter?" said Albert, entering; "no carriage tobe had?"

"Just so," returned Franz, "you have guessed it."

"Well, your Eternal City is a nice sort of place."

"That is to say, excellency," replied Pastrini, who wasdesirous of keeping up the dignity of the capital of theChristian world in the eyes of his guest, "that there are nocarriages to be had from Sunday to Tuesday evening, but fromnow till Sunday you can have fifty if you please."

"Ah, that is something," said Albert; "to-day is Thursday,and who knows what may arrive between this and Sunday?"

"Ten or twelve thousand travellers will arrive," repliedFranz, "which will make it still more difficult."

"My friend," said Morcerf, "let us enjoy the present withoutgloomy forebodings for the future."

"At least we can have a window?"

"Where?"

"In the Corso."

"Ah, a window!" exclaimed Signor Pastrini, - "utterlyimpossible; there was only one left on the fifth floor ofthe Doria Palace, and that has been let to a Russian princefor twenty sequins a day."

The two young men looked at each other with an air ofstupefaction.

"Well," said Franz to Albert, "do you know what is the bestthing we can do? It is to pass the Carnival at Venice; therewe are sure of obtaining gondolas if we cannot havecarriages."

"Ah, the devil, no," cried Albert; "I came to Rome to seethe Carnival, and I will, though I see it on stilts."

"Bravo! an excellent idea. We will disguise ourselves asmonster pulchinellos or shepherds of the Landes, and weshall have complete success."

"Do your excellencies still wish for a carriage from now toSunday morning?"

"Parbleu!" said Albert, "do you think we are going to runabout on foot in the streets of Rome, like lawyer's clerks?"

"I hasten to comply with your excellencies' wishes; only, Itell you beforehand, the carriage will cost you six piastresa day."

"And, as I am not a millionaire, like the gentleman in thenext apartments," said Franz, "I warn you, that as I havebeen four times before at Rome, I know the prices of all thecarriages; we will give you twelve piastres for to-day,tomorrow, and the day after, and then you will make a goodprofit."

"But, excellency" - said Pastrini, still striving to gainhis point.

"Now go," returned Franz, "or I shall go myself and bargainwith your affettatore, who is mine also; he is an old friendof mine, who has plundered me pretty well already, and, inthe hope of making more out of me, he will take a less pricethan the one I offer you; you will lose the preference, andthat will be your fault."

"Do not give yourselves the trouble, excellency," returnedSignor Pastrini, with the smile peculiar to the Italianspeculator when he confesses defeat; "I will do all I can,and I hope you will be satisfied."

"And now we understand each other."

"When do you wish the carriage to be here?"

"In an hour."

"In an hour it will be at the door."

An hour after the vehicle was at the door; it was a hackconveyance which was elevated to the rank of a privatecarriage in honor of the occasion, but, in spite of itshumble exterior, the young men would have thought themselveshappy to have secured it for the last three days of theCarnival. "Excellency," cried the cicerone, seeing Franzapproach the window, "shall I bring the carriage nearer tothe palace?"

Accustomed as Franz was to the Italian phraseology, hisfirst impulse was to look round him, but these words wereaddressed to him. Franz was the "excellency," the vehiclewas the "carriage," and the Hotel de Londres was the"palace." The genius for laudation characteristic of therace was in that phrase.

Franz and Albert descended, the carriage approached thepalace; their excellencies stretched their legs along theseats; the cicerone sprang into the seat behind. "Where doyour excellencics wish to go?" asked he.

"To Saint Peter's first, and then to the Colosseum,"returned Albert. But Albert did not know that it takes a dayto see Saint Peter's, and a month to study it. The day waspassed at Saint Peter's alone. Suddenly the daylight beganto fade away; Franz took out his watch - it was half-pastfour. They returned to the hotel; at the door Franz orderedthe coachman to be ready at eight. He wished to show Albertthe Colosseum by moonlight, as he had shown him SaintPeter's by daylight. When we show a friend a city one hasalready visited, we feel the same pride as when we point outa woman whose lover we have been. He was to leave the cityby the Porta del Popolo, skirt the outer wall, and re-enterby the Porta San Giovanni; thus they would behold theColosseum without finding their impressions dulled by firstlooking on the Capitol, the Forum, the Arch of SeptimusSeverus, the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, and the ViaSacra. They sat down to dinner. Signor Pastrini had promisedthem a banquet; he gave them a tolerable repast. At the endof the dinner he entered in person. Franz thought that hecame to hear his dinner praised, and began accordingly, butat the first words he was interrupted. "Excellency," saidPastrini, "I am delighted to have your approbation, but itwas not for that I came."

"Did you come to tell us you have procured a carriage?"asked Albert, lighting his cigar.

"No; and your excellencies will do well not to think of thatany longer; at Rome things can or cannot be done; when youare told anything cannot be done, there is an end of it."

"It is much more convenient at Paris, - when anythingcannot be done, you pay double, and it is done directly."

"That is what all the French say," returned Signor Pastrini,somewhat piqued; "for that reason, I do not understand whythey travel."

"But," said Albert, emitting a volume of smoke and balancinghis chair on its hind legs, "only madmen, or blockheads likeus, ever do travel. Men in their senses do not quit theirhotel in the Rue du Helder, their walk on the Boulevard deGand, and the Cafe de Paris." It is of course understoodthat Albert resided in the aforesaid street, appeared everyday on the fashionable walk, and dined frequently at theonly restaurant where you can really dine, that is, if youare on good terms with its frequenters. Signor Pastriniremained silent a short time; it was evident that he wasmusing over this answer, which did not seem very clear."But," said Franz, in his turn interrupting his host'smeditations, "you had some motive for coming here, may I begto know what it was?"

"Ah, yes; you have ordered your carriage at eight o'clockprecisely?"

"I have."

"You intend visiting Il Colosseo."

"You mean the Colosseum?"

"It is the same thing. You have told your coachman to leavethe city by the Porta del Popolo, to drive round the walls,and re-enter by the Porta San Giovanni?"

"These are my words exactly."

"Well, this route is impossible."

"Impossible!"

"Very dangerous, to say the least."

"Dangerous! - and why?"

"On account of the famous Luigi Vampa."

"Pray, who may this famous Luigi Vampa be?" inquired Albert;"he may be very famous at Rome, but I can assure you he isquite unknown at Paris."

"What! do you not know him?"

"I have not that honor."

"You have never heard his name?"

"Never."

"Well, then, he is a bandit, compared to whom the Decesarisand the Gasparones were mere children."

"Now then, Albert," cried Franz, "here is a bandit for youat last."

"I forewarn you, Signor Pastrini, that I shall not believeone word of what you are going to tell us; having told youthis, begin."

"Once upon a time" -

"Well, go on." Signor Pastrini turned toward Franz, whoseemed to him the more reasonable of the two; we must do himjustice, - he had had a great many Frenchmen in his house,but had never been able to comprehend them. "Excellency,"said he gravely, addressing Franz, "if you look upon me as aliar, it is useless for me to say anything; it was for yourinterest I" -

"Albert does not say you are a liar, Signor Pastrini," saidFranz, "but that he will not believe what you are going totell us, - but I will believe all you say; so proceed."

"But if your excellency doubt my veracity" -

"Signor Pastrini," returned Franz, "you are more susceptiblethan Cassandra, who was a prophetess, and yet no onebelieved her; while you, at least, are sure of the credenceof half your audience. Come, sit down, and tell us all aboutthis Signor Vampa."

"I had told your excellency he is the most famous bandit wehave had since the days of Mastrilla."

"Well, what has this bandit to do with the order I havegiven the coachman to leave the city by the Porta delPopolo, and to re-enter by the Porta San Giovanni?"

"This," replied Signor Pastrini, "that you will go out byone, but I very much doubt your returning by the other."

"Why?" asked Franz.

"Because, after nightfall, you are not safe fifty yards fromthe gates."

"On your honor is that true?" cried Albert.

"Count," returned Signor Pastrini, hurt at Albert's repeateddoubts of the truth of his assertions, "I do not say this toyou, but to your companion, who knows Rome, and knows, too,that these things are not to be laughed at."

"My dear fellow," said Albert, turning to Franz, "here is anadmirable adventure; we will fill our carriage with pistols,blunderbusses, and double-barrelled guns. Luigi Vampa comesto take us, and we take him - we bring him back to Rome,and present him to his holiness the Pope, who asks how hecan repay so great a service; then we merely ask for acarriage and a pair of horses, and we see the Carnival inthe carriage, and doubtless the Roman people will crown usat the Capitol, and proclaim us, like Curtius and the veiledHoratius, the preservers of their country." Whilst Albertproposed this scheme, Signor Pastrini's face assumed anexpression impossible to describe.

"And pray," asked Franz, "where are these pistols,blunderbusses, and other deadly weapons with which youintend filling the carriage?"

"Not out of my armory, for at Terracina I was plundered evenof my hunting-knife."

"I shared the same fate at Aquapendente."

"Do you know, Signor Pastrini," said Albert, lighting asecond cigar at the first, "that this practice is veryconvenient for bandits, and that it seems to be due to anarrangement of their own." Doubtless Signor Pastrini foundthis pleasantry compromising, for he only answered half thequestion, and then he spoke to Franz, as the only one likelyto listen with attention. "Your excellency knows that it isnot customary to defend yourself when attacked by bandits."

"What!" cried Albert, whose courage revolted at the idea ofbeing plundered tamely, "not make any resistance!"

"No, for it would be useless. What could you do against adozen bandits who spring out of some pit, ruin, or aqueduct,and level their pieces at you?"

"Eh, parbleu! - they should kill me."

The inn-keeper turned to Franz with an air that seemed tosay, "Your friend is decidedly mad."

"My dear Albert," returned Franz, "your answer is sublime,and worthy the `Let him die,' of Corneille, only, whenHorace made that answer, the safety of Rome was concerned;but, as for us, it is only to gratify a whim, and it wouldbe ridiculous to risk our lives for so foolish a motive."Albert poured himself out a glass of lacryma Christi, whichhe sipped at intervals, muttering some unintelligible words.

"Well, Signor Pastrini," said Franz, "now that my companionis quieted, and you have seen how peaceful my intentionsare, tell me who is this Luigi Vampa. Is he a shepherd or anobleman? - young or old? - tall or short? Describe him,in order that, if we meet him by chance, like Bugaboo Johnor Lara, we may recognize him."

"You could not apply to any one better able to inform you onall these points, for I knew him when he was a child, andone day that I fell into his hands, going from Ferentino toAlatri, he, fortunately for me, recollected me, and set mefree, not only without ransom, but made me a present of avery splendid watch, and related his history to me."

"Let us see the watch," said Albert.

Signor Pastrini drew from his fob a magnificent Breguet,bearing the name of its maker, of Parisian manufacture, anda count's coronet.

"Here it is," said he.

"Peste," returned Albert, "I compliment you on it; I haveits fellow" - he took his watch from his waistcoat pocket- "and it cost me 3,000 francs."

"Let us hear the history," said Franz, motioning SignorPastrini to seat himself.

"Your excellencies permit it?" asked the host.

"Pardieu!" cried Albert, "you are not a preacher, to remainstanding!"

The host sat down, after having made each of them arespectful bow, which meant that he was ready to tell themall they wished to know concerning Luigi Vampa. "You tellme," said Franz, at the moment Signor Pastrini was about toopen his mouth, "that you knew Luigi Vampa when he was achild - he is still a young man, then?"

"A young man? he is only two and twenty; - he will gainhimself a reputation."

"What do you think of that, Albert? - at two and twenty tobe thus famous?"

"Yes, and at his age, Alexander, Caesar, and Napoleon, whohave all made some noise in the world, were quite behindhim."

"So," continued Franz, "the hero of this history is only twoand twenty?"

"Scarcely so much."

"Is he tall or short?"

"Of the middle height - about the same stature as hisexcellency," returned the host, pointing to Albert.

"Thanks for the comparison," said Albert, with a bow.

"Go on, Signor Pastrini," continued Franz, smiling at hisfriend's susceptibility. "To what class of society does hebelong?"

"He was a shepherd-boy attached to the farm of the Count ofSan-Felice, situated between Palestrina and the lake ofGabri; he was born at Pampinara, and entered the count'sservice when he was five years old; his father was also ashepherd, who owned a small flock, and lived by the wool andthe milk, which he sold at Rome. When quite a child, thelittle Vampa displayed a most extraordinary precocity. Oneday, when he was seven years old, he came to the curate ofPalestrina, and asked to be taught to read; it was somewhatdifficult, for he could not quit his flock; but the goodcurate went every day to say mass at a little hamlet toopoor to pay a priest and which, having no other name, wascalled Borgo; he told Luigi that he might meet him on hisreturn, and that then he would give him a lesson, warninghim that it would be short, and that he must profit as muchas possible by it. The child accepted joyfully. Every dayLuigi led his flock to graze on the road that leads fromPalestrina to Borgo; every day, at nine o'clock in themorning, the priest and the boy sat down on a bank by thewayside, and the little shepherd took his lesson out of thepriest's breviary. At the end of three months he had learnedto read. This was not enough - he must now learn to write.The priest had a writing teacher at Rome make threealphabets - one large, one middling, and one small; andpointed out to him that by the help of a sharp instrument hecould trace the letters on a slate, and thus learn to write.The same evening, when the flock was safe at the farm, thelittle Luigi hastened to the smith at Palestrina, took alarge nail, heated and sharpened it, and formed a sort ofstylus. The next morning he gathered an armful of pieces ofslate and began. At the end of three months he had learnedto write. The curate, astonished at his quickness andintelligence, made him a present of pens, paper, and apenknife. This demanded new effort, but nothing compared tothe first; at the end of a week he wrote as well with thispen as with the stylus. The curate related the incident tothe Count of San-Felice, who sent for the little shepherd,made him read and write before him, ordered his attendant tolet him eat with the domestics, and to give him two piastresa month. With this, Luigi purchased books and pencils. Heapplied his imitative powers to everything, and, likeGiotto, when young, he drew on his slate sheep, houses, andtrees. Then, with his knife, he began to carve all sorts ofobjects in wood; it was thus that Pinelli, the famoussculptor, had commenced.

"A girl of six or seven - that is, a little younger thanVampa - tended sheep on a farm near Palestrina; she was anorphan, born at Valmontone and was named Teresa. The twochildren met, sat down near each other, let their flocksmingle together, played, laughed, and conversed together; inthe evening they separated the Count of San-Felice's flockfrom those of Baron Cervetri, and the children returned totheir respective farms, promising to meet the next morning.The next day they kept their word, and thus they grew uptogether. Vampa was twelve, and Teresa eleven. And yet theirnatural disposition revealed itself. Beside his taste forthe fine arts, which Luigi had carried as far as he could inhis solitude, he was given to alternating fits of sadnessand enthusiasm, was often angry and capricious, and alwayssarcastic. None of the lads of Pampinara, Palestrina, orValmontone had been able to gain any influence over him oreven to become his companion. His disposition (alwaysinclined to exact concessions rather than to make them) kepthim aloof from all friendships. Teresa alone ruled by alook, a word, a gesture, this impetuous character, whichyielded beneath the hand of a woman, and which beneath thehand of a man might have broken, but could never have beenbended. Teresa was lively and gay, but coquettish to excess.The two piastres that Luigi received every month from theCount of San-Felice's steward, and the price of all thelittle carvings in wood he sold at Rome, were expended inear-rings, necklaces, and gold hairpins. So that, thanks toher friend's generosity, Teresa was the most beautiful andthe best-attired peasant near Rome. The two children grew uptogether, passing all their time with each other, and givingthemselves up to the wild ideas of their differentcharacters. Thus, in all their dreams, their wishes, andtheir conversations, Vampa saw himself the captain of avessel, general of an army, or governor of a province.Teresa saw herself rich, superbly attired, and attended by atrain of liveried domestics. Then, when they had thus passedthe day in building castles in the air, they separated theirflocks, and descended from the elevation of their dreams tothe reality of their humble position.

"One day the young shepherd told the count's steward that hehad seen a wolf come out of the Sabine mountains, and prowlaround his flock. The steward gave him a gun; this was whatVampa longed for. This gun had an excellent barrel, made atBreschia, and carrying a ball with the precision of anEnglish rifle; but one day the count broke the stock, andhad then cast the gun aside. This, however, was nothing to asculptor like Vampa; he examined the broken stock,calculated what change it would require to adapt the gun tohis shoulder, and made a fresh stock, so beautifully carvedthat it would have fetched fifteen or twenty piastres, hadhe chosen to sell it. But nothing could be farther from histhoughts. For a long time a gun had been the young man'sgreatest ambition. In every country where independence hastaken the place of liberty, the first desire of a manlyheart is to possess a weapon, which at once renders himcapable of defence or attack, and, by rendering its ownerterrible, often makes him feared. From this moment Vampadevoted all his leisure time to perfecting himself in theuse of his precious weapon; he purchased powder and ball,and everything served him for a mark - the trunk of someold and moss-grown olive-tree, that grew on the Sabinemountains; the fox, as he quitted his earth on somemarauding excursion; the eagle that soared above theirheads: and thus he soon became so expert, that Teresaovercame the terror she at first felt at the report, andamused herself by watching him direct the ball wherever hepleased, with as much accuracy as if he placed it by hand.

"One evening a wolf emerged from a pine-wood hear which theywere usually stationed, but the wolf had scarcely advancedten yards ere he was dead. Proud of this exploit, Vampa tookthe dead animal on his shoulders, and carried him to thefarm. These exploits had gained Luigi considerablereputation. The man of superior abilities always findsadmirers, go where he will. He was spoken of as the mostadroit, the strongest, and the most courageous contadino forten leagues around; and although Teresa was universallyallowed to be the most beautiful girl of the Sabines, no onehad ever spoken to her of love, because it was known thatshe was beloved by Vampa. And yet the two young people hadnever declared their affection; they had grown together liketwo trees whose roots are mingled, whose branchesintertwined, and whose intermingled perfume rises to theheavens. Only their wish to see each other had become anecessity, and they would have preferred death to a day'sseparation. Teresa was sixteen, and Vampa seventeen. Aboutthis time, a band of brigands that had established itself inthe Lepini mountains began to be much spoken of. Thebrigands have never been really extirpated from theneighborhood of Rome. Sometimes a chief is wanted, but whena chief presents himself he rarely has to wait long for aband of followers.

"The celebrated Cucumetto, pursued in the Abruzzo, drivenout of the kingdom of Naples, where he had carried on aregular war, had crossed the Garigliano, like Manfred, andhad taken refuge on the banks of the Amasine between Sonninoand Juperno. He strove to collect a band of followers, andfollowed the footsteps of Decesaris and Gasperone, whom hehoped to surpass. Many young men of Palestrina, Frascati,and Pampinara had disappeared. Their disappearance at firstcaused much disquietude; but it was soon known that they hadjoined Cucumetto. After some time Cucumetto became theobject of universal attention; the most extraordinary traitsof ferocious daring and brutality were related of him. Oneday he carried off a young girl, the daughter of a surveyorof Frosinone. The bandit's laws are positive; a young girlbelongs first to him who carries her off, then the rest drawlots for her, and she is abandoned to their brutality untildeath relieves her sufferings. When their parents aresufficiently rich to pay a ransom, a messenger is sent tonegotiate; the prisoner is hostage for the security of themessenger; should the ransom be refused, the prisoner isirrevocably lost. The young girl's lover was in Cucumetto'stroop; his name was Carlini. When she recognized her lover,the poor girl extended her arms to him, and believed herselfsafe; but Carlini felt his heart sink, for he but too wellknew the fate that awaited her. However, as he was afavorite with Cucumetto, as he had for three yearsfaithfully served him, and as he had saved his life byshooting a dragoon who was about to cut him down, he hopedthe chief would have pity on him. He took Cucumetto oneside, while the young girl, seated at the foot of a hugepine that stood in the centre of the forest, made a veil ofher picturesque head-dress to hide her face from thelascivious gaze of the bandits. There he told the chief all- his affection for the prisoner, their promises of mutualfidelity, and how every night, since he had been near, theyhad met in some neighboring ruins.

"It so happened that night that Cucumetto had sent Carlinito a village, so that he had been unable to go to the placeof meeting. Cucumetto had been there, however, by accident,as he said, and had carried the maiden off. Carlini besoughthis chief to make an exception in Rita's favor, as herfather was rich, and could pay a large ransom. Cucumettoseemed to yield to his friend's entreaties, and bade himfind a shepherd to send to Rita's father at Frosinone.Carlini flew joyfully to Rita, telling her she was saved,and bidding her write to her father, to inform him what hadoccurred, and that her ransom was fixed at three hundredpiastres. Twelve hours' delay was all that was granted - that is, until nine the next morning. The instant the letterwas written, Carlini seized it, and hastened to the plain tofind a messenger. He found a young shepherd watching hisflock. The natural messengers of the bandits are theshepherds who live between the city and the mountains,between civilized and savage life. The boy undertook thecommission, promising to be in Frosinone in less than anhour. Carlini returned, anxious to see his mistress, andannounce the joyful intelligence. He found the troop in theglade, supping off the provisions exacted as contributionsfrom the peasants; but his eye vainly sought Rita andCucumetto among them. He inquired where they were, and wasanswered by a burst of laughter. A cold perspiration burstfrom every pore, and his hair stood on end. He repeated hisquestion. One of the bandits rose, and offered him a glassfilled with Orvietto, saying, `To the health of the braveCucumetto and the fair Rita.' At this moment Carlini heard awoman's cry; he divined the truth, seized the glass, brokeit across the face of him who presented it, and rushedtowards the spot whence the cry came. After a hundred yardshe turned the corner of the thicket; he found Rita senselessin the arms of Cucumetto. At the sight of Carlini, Cucumettorose, a pistol in each hand. The two brigands looked at eachother for a moment - the one with a smile of lasciviousnesson his lips, the other with the pallor of death on his brow.A terrible battle between the two men seemed imminent; butby degrees Carlini's features relaxed, his hand, which hadgrasped one of the pistols in his belt, fell to his side.Rita lay between them. The moon lighted the group.

"`Well,' said Cucumetto, `have you executed yourcommission?'

"`Yes, captain,' returned Carlini. `At nine o'clockto-morrow Rita's father will be here with the money.' - `Itis well; in the meantime, we will have a merry night; thisyoung girl is charming, and does credit to your taste. Now,as I am not egotistical, we will return to our comrades anddraw lots for her.' - `You have determined, then, toabandon her to the common law?" said Carlini.

"`Why should an exception be made in her favor?'

"`I thought that my entreaties' -

"`What right have you, any more than the rest, to ask for anexception?' - `It is true.' - `But never mind,' continuedCucumetto, laughing, `sooner or later your turn will come.'Carlini's teeth clinched convulsively.

"`Now, then,' said Cucumetto, advancing towards the otherbandits, `are you coming?' - `I follow you.'

"Cucumetto departed, without losing sight of Carlini, for,doubtless, he feared lest he should strike him unawares; butnothing betrayed a hostile design on Carlini's part. He wasstanding, his arms folded, near Rita, who was stillinsensible. Cucumetto fancied for a moment the young man wasabout to take her in his arms and fly; but this matteredlittle to him now Rita had been his; and as for the money,three hundred piastres distributed among the band was sosmall a sum that he cared little about it. He continued tofollow the path to the glade; but, to his great surprise,Carlini arrived almost as soon as himself. `Let us drawlots! let us draw lots!' cried all the brigands, when theysaw the chief.

"Their demand was fair, and the chief inclined his head insign of acquiescence. The eyes of all shone fiercely as theymade their demand, and the red light of the fire made themlook like demons. The names of all, including Carlini, wereplaced in a hat, and the youngest of the band drew forth aticket; the ticket bore the name of Diovolaccio. He was theman who had proposed to Carlini the health of their chief,and to whom Carlini replied by breaking the glass across hisface. A large wound, extending from the temple to the mouth,was bleeding profusely. Diovalaccio, seeing himself thusfavored by fortune, burst into a loud laugh. `Captain,' saidhe, `just now Carlini would not drink your health when Iproposed it to him; propose mine to him, and let us see ifhe will be more condescending to you than to me.' Every oneexpected an explosion on Carlini's part; but to their greatsurprise, he took a glass in one hand and a flask in theother, and filling it, - `Your health, Diavolaccio,' saidhe calmly, and he drank it off, without his hand tremblingin the least. Then sitting down by the fire, `My supper,'said he; `my expedition has given me an appetite.' - `Welldone, Carlini!' cried the brigands; `that is acting like agood fellow;' and they all formed a circle round the fire,while Diavolaccio disappeared. Carlini ate and drank as ifnothing had happened. The bandits looked on withastonishment at this singular conduct until they heardfootsteps. They turned round, and saw Diavolaccio bearingthe young girl in his arms. Her head hung back, and her longhair swept the ground. As they entered the circle, thebandits could perceive, by the firelight, the unearthlypallor of the young girl and of Diavolaccio. This apparitionwas so strange and so solemn, that every one rose, with theexception of Carlini, who remained seated, and ate and drankcalmly. Diavolaccio advanced amidst the most profoundsilence, and laid Rita at the captain's feet. Then every onecould understand the cause of the unearthly pallor in theyoung girl and the bandit. A knife was plunged up to thehilt in Rita's left breast. Every one looked at Carlini; thesheath at his belt was empty. `Ah, ah,' said the chief, `Inow understand why Carlini stayed behind.' All savagenatures appreciate a desperate deed. No other of the banditswould, perhaps, have done the same; but they all understoodwhat Carlini had done. `Now, then,' cried Carlini, rising inhis turn, and approaching the corpse, his hand on the buttof one of his pistols, `does any one dispute the possessionof this woman with me?' - `No,' returned the chief, `she isthine.' Carlini raised her in his arms, and carried her outof the circle of firelight. Cucumetto placed his sentinelsfor the night, and the bandits wrapped themselves in theircloaks, and lay down before the fire. At midnight thesentinel gave the alarm, and in an instant all were on thealert. It was Rita's father, who brought his daughter'sransom in person. `Here,' said he, to Cucumetto, `here arethree hundred piastres; give me back my child. But thechief, without taking the money, made a sign to him tofollow. The old man obeyed. They both advanced beneath thetrees, through whose branches streamed the moonlight.Cucumetto stopped at last, and pointed to two personsgrouped at the foot of a tree.

"`There,' said he, `demand thy child of Carlini; he willtell thee what has become of her;' and he returned to hiscompanions. The old man remained motionless; he felt thatsome great and unforeseen misfortune hung over his head. Atlength he advanced toward the group, the meaning of which hecould not comprehend. As he approached, Carlini raised hishead, and the forms of two persons became visible to the oldman's eyes. A woman lay on the ground, her head resting onthe knees of a man, who was seated by her; as he raised hishead, the woman's face became visible. The old manrecognized his child, and Carlini recognized the old man. `Iexpected thee,' said the bandit to Rita's father. - `Wretch!' returned the old man, `what hast thou done?' andhe gazed with terror on Rita, pale and bloody, a knifeburied in her bosom. A ray of moonlight poured through thetrees, and lighted up the face of the dead. - `Cucumettohad violated thy daughter,' said the bandit; `I loved her,therefore I slew her; for she would have served as the sportof the whole band.' The old man spoke not, and grew pale asdeath. `Now,' continued Carlini, `if I have done wrongly,avenge her;' and withdrawing the knife from the wound inRita's bosom, he held it out to the old man with one hand,while with the other he tore open his vest. - `Thou hastdone well!' returned the old man in a hoarse voice; `embraceme, my son.' Carlini threw himself, sobbing like a child,into the arms of his mistress's father. These were the firsttears the man of blood had ever wept. `Now,' said the oldman, `aid me to bury my child.' Carlini fetched twopickaxes; and the father and the lover began to dig at thefoot of a huge oak, beneath which the young girl was torepose. When the grave was formed, the father kissed herfirst, and then the lover; afterwards, one taking the head,the other the feet, they placed her in the grave. Then theyknelt on each side of the grave, and said the prayers of thedead. Then, when they had finished, they cast the earth overthe corpse, until the grave was filled. Then, extending hishand, the old man said; `I thank you, my son; and now leaveme alone.' - `Yet' - replied Carlini. - `Leave me, Icommand you.' Carlini obeyed, rejoined his comrades, foldedhimself in his cloak, and soon appeared to sleep as soundlyas the rest. It had been resolved the night before to changetheir encampment. An hour before daybreak, Cucumetto arousedhis men, and gave the word to march. But Carlini would notquit the forest, without knowing what had become of Rita'sfather. He went toward the place where he had left him. Hefound the old man suspended from one of the branches of theoak which shaded his daughter's grave. He then took an oathof bitter vengeance over the dead body of the one and thetomb of the other. But he was unable to complete this oath,for two days afterwards, in an encounter with the Romancarbineers, Carlini was killed. There was some surprise,however, that, as he was with his face to the enemy, heshould have received a ball between his shoulders. Thatastonishment ceased when one of the brigands remarked to hiscomrades that Cucumetto was stationed ten paces in Carlini'srear when he fell. On the morning of the departure from theforest of Frosinone he had followed Carlini in the darkness,and heard this oath of vengeance, and, like a wise man,anticipated it. They told ten other stories of this banditchief, each more singular than the other. Thus, from Fondito Perusia, every one trembles at the name of Cucumetto.

"These narratives were frequently the theme of conversationbetween Luigi and Teresa. The young girl trembled very muchat hearing the stories; but Vampa reassured her with asmile, tapping the butt of his good fowling-piece, whichthrew its ball so well; and if that did not restore hercourage, he pointed to a crow, perched on some dead branch,took aim, touched the trigger, and the bird fell dead at thefoot of the tree. Time passed on, and the two young peoplehad agreed to be married when Vampa should be twenty andTeresa nineteen years of age. They were both orphans, andhad only their employers' leave to ask, which had beenalready sought and obtained. One day when they were talkingover their plans for the future, they heard two or threereports of firearms, and then suddenly a man came out of thewood, near which the two young persons used to graze theirflocks, and hurried towards them. When he came withinhearing, he exclaimed. `I am pursued; can you conceal me?'They knew full well that this fugitive must be a bandit; butthere is an innate sympathy between the Roman brigand andthe Roman peasant and the latter is always ready to aid theformer. Vampa, without saying a word, hastened to the stonethat closed up the entrance to their grotto, drew it away,made a sign to the fugitive to take refuge there, in aretreat unknown to every one, closed the stone upon him, andthen went and resumed his seat by Teresa. Instantlyafterwards four carbineers, on horseback, appeared on theedge of the wood; three of them appeared to be looking forthe fugitive, while the fourth dragged a brigand prisoner bythe neck. The three carbineers looked about carefully onevery side, saw the young peasants, and galloping up, beganto question them. They had seen no one. `That is veryannoying,' said the brigadier; for the man we are lookingfor is the chief.' - `Cucumetto?' cried Luigi and Teresa atthe same moment.

"`Yes,' replied the brigadier; `and as his head is valued ata thousand Roman crowns, there would have been five hundredfor you, if you had helped us to catch him.' The two youngpersons exchanged looks. The brigadier had a moment's hope.Five hundred Roman crowns are three thousand lire, and threethousand lire are a fortune for two poor orphans who aregoing to be married.

"`Yes, it is very annoying,' said Vampa; `but we have notseen him.'

"Then the carbineers scoured the country in differentdirections, but in vain; then, after a time, theydisappeared. Vampa then removed the stone, and Cucumettocame out. Through the crevices in the granite he had seenthe two young peasants talking with the carbineers, andguessed the subject of their parley. He had read in thecountenances of Luigi and Teresa their steadfast resolutionnot to surrender him, and he drew from his pocket a pursefull of gold, which he offered to them. But Vampa raised hishead proudly; as to Teresa, her eyes sparkled when shethought of all the fine gowns and gay jewellery she couldbuy with this purse of gold.

"Cucumetto was a cunning fiend, and had assumed the form ofa brigand instead of a serpent, and this look from Teresashowed to him that she was a worthy daughter of Eve, and hereturned to the forest, pausing several times on his way,under the pretext of saluting his protectors. Several dayselapsed, and they neither saw nor heard of Cucumetto. Thetime of the Carnival was at hand. The Count of San-Feliceannounced a grand masked ball, to which all that weredistinguished in Rome were invited. Teresa had a greatdesire to see this ball. Luigi asked permission of hisprotector, the steward, that she and he might be presentamongst the servants of the house. This was granted. Theball was given by the Count for the particular pleasure ofhis daughter Carmela, whom he adored. Carmela was preciselythe age and figure of Teresa, and Teresa was as handsome asCarmela. On the evening of the ball Teresa was attired inher best, her most brilliant ornaments in her hair, andgayest glass beads, - she was in the costume of the womenof Frascati. Luigi wore the very picturesque garb of theRoman peasant at holiday time. They both mingled, as theyhad leave to do, with the servants and peasants.

"The festa was magnificent; not only was the villabrilliantly illuminated, but thousands of colored lanternswere suspended from the trees in the garden; and very soonthe palace overflowed to the terraces, and the terraces tothe garden-walks. At each cross-path was an orchestra, andtables spread with refreshments; the guests stopped, formedquadrilles, and danced in any part of the grounds theypleased. Carmela was attired like a woman of Sonnino. Hercap was embroidered with pearls, the pins in her hair wereof gold and diamonds, her girdle was of Turkey silk, withlarge embroidered flowers, her bodice and skirt were ofcashmere, her apron of Indian muslin, and the buttons of hercorset were of jewels. Two of her companions were dressed,the one as a woman of Nettuno, and the other as a woman ofLa Riccia. Four young men of the richest and noblestfamilies of Rome accompanied them with that Italian freedomwhich has not its parallel in any other country in theworld. They were attired as peasants of Albano, Velletri,Civita-Castellana, and Sora. We need hardly add that thesepeasant costumes, like those of the young women, werebrilliant with gold and jewels.

"Carmela wished to form a quadrille, but there was one ladywanting. Carmela looked all around her, but not one of theguests had a costume similar to her own, or those of hercompanions. The Count of San-Felice pointed out Teresa, whowas hanging on Luigi's arm in a group of peasants. `Will youallow me, father?' said Carmela. - `Certainly,' replied thecount, `are we not in Carnival time?' - Carmela turnedtowards the young man who was talking with her, and saying afew words to him, pointed with her finger to Teresa. Theyoung man looked, bowed in obedience, and then went toTeresa, and invited her to dance in a quadrille directed bythe count's daughter. Teresa felt a flush pass over herface; she looked at Luigi, who could not refuse his assent.Luigi slowly relinquished Teresa's arm, which he had heldbeneath his own, and Teresa, accompanied by her elegantcavalier, took her appointed place with much agitation inthe aristocratic quadrille. Certainly, in the eyes of anartist, the exact and strict costume of Teresa had a verydifferent character from that of Carmela and her companions;and Teresa was frivolous and coquettish, and thus theembroidery and muslins, the cashmere waist-girdles, alldazzled her, and the reflection of sapphires and diamondsalmost turned her giddy brain.

"Luigi felt a sensation hitherto unknown arising in hismind. It was like an acute pain which gnawed at his heart,and then thrilled through his whole body. He followed withhis eye each movement of Teresa and her cavalier; when theirhands touched, he felt as though he should swoon; everypulse beat with violence, and it seemed as though a bellwere ringing in his ears. When they spoke, although Teresalistened timidly and with downcast eyes to the conversationof her cavalier, as Luigi could read in the ardent looks ofthe good-looking young man that his language was that ofpraise, it seemed as if the whole world was turning roundwith him, and all the voices of hell were whispering in hisears ideas of murder and assassination. Then fearing thathis paroxysm might get the better of him, he clutched withone hand the branch of a tree against which he was leaning,and with the other convulsively grasped the dagger with acarved handle which was in his belt, and which, unwittingly,he drew from the scabbard from time to time. Luigi wasjealous! He felt that, influenced by her ambitions andcoquettish disposition, Teresa might escape him.

"The young peasant girl, at first timid and scared, soonrecovered herself. We have said that Teresa was handsome,but this is not all; Teresa was endowed with all those wildgraces which are so much more potent than our affected andstudied elegancies. She had almost all the honors of thequadrille, and if she were envious of the Count ofSan-Felice's daughter, we will not undertake to say thatCarmela was not jealous of her. And with overpoweringcompliments her handsome cavalier led her back to the placewhence he had taken her, and where Luigi awaited her. Twiceor thrice during the dance the young girl had glanced atLuigi, and each time she saw that he was pale and that hisfeatures were agitated, once even the blade of his knife,half drawn from its sheath, had dazzled her eyes with itssinister glare. Thus, it was almost tremblingly that sheresumed her lover's arm. The quadrille had been mostperfect, and it was evident there was a great demand for arepetition, Carmela alone objecting to it, but the Count ofSan-Felice besought his daughter so earnestly, that sheacceded. One of the cavaliers then hastened to inviteTeresa, without whom it was impossible for the quadrille tobe formed, but the young girl had disappeared. The truthwas, that Luigi had not felt the strength to support anothersuch trial, and, half by persuasion and half by force, hehad removed Teresa toward another part of the garden. Teresahad yielded in spite of herself, but when she looked at theagitated countenance of the young man, she understood by hissilence and trembling voice that something strange waspassing within him. She herself was not exempt from internalemotion, and without having done anything wrong, yet fullycomprehended that Luigi was right in reproaching her. Why,she did not know, but yet she did not the less feel thatthese reproaches were merited. However, to Teresa's greatastonishment, Luigi remained mute, and not a word escapedhis lips the rest of the evening. When the chill of thenight had driven away the guests from the gardens, and thegates of the villa were closed on them for the festain-doors, he took Teresa quite away, and as he left her ather home, he said, -

"`Teresa, what were you thinking of as you danced oppositethe young Countess of San-Felice?' - `I thought,' repliedthe young girl, with all the frankness of her nature, `thatI would give half my life for a costume such as she wore.'

"`And what said your cavalier to you?' - `He said it onlydepended on myself to have it, and I had only one word tosay.'

"`He was right,' said Luigi. `Do you desire it as ardentlyas you say?' - `Yes.' - `Well, then, you shall have it!'

"The young girl, much astonished, raised her head to look athim, but his face was so gloomy and terrible that her wordsfroze to her lips. As Luigi spoke thus, he left her. Teresafollowed him with her eyes into the darkness as long as shecould, and when he had quite disappeared, she went into thehouse with a sigh.

"That night a memorable event occurred, due, no doubt, tothe imprudence of some servant who had neglected toextinguish the lights. The Villa of San-Felice took fire inthe rooms adjoining the very apartment of the lovelyCarmela. Awakened in the night by the light of the flames,she sprang out of bed, wrapped herself in a dressing-gown,and attempted to escape by the door, but the corridor bywhich she hoped to fly was already a prey to the flames. Shethen returned to her room, calling for help as loudly as shecould, when suddenly her window, which was twenty feet fromthe ground, was opened, a young peasant jumped into thechamber, seized her in his arms, and with superhuman skilland strength conveyed her to the turf of the grass-plot,where she fainted. When she recovered, her father was by herside. All the servants surrounded her, offering herassistance. An entire wing of the villa was burnt down; butwhat of that, as long as Carmela was safe and uninjured? Herpreserver was everywhere sought for, but he did not appear;he was inquired after, but no one had seen him. Carmela wasgreatly troubled that she had not recognized him. As thecount was immensely rich, excepting the danger Carmela hadrun, - and the marvellous manner in which she had escaped,made that appear to him rather a favor of providence than areal misfortune, - the loss occasioned by the conflagrationwas to him but a trifle.

"The next day, at the usual hour, the two young peasantswere on the borders of the forest. Luigi arrived first. Hecame toward Teresa in high spirits, and seemed to havecompletely forgotten the events of the previous evening. Theyoung girl was very pensive, but seeing Luigi so cheerful,she on her part assumed a smiling air, which was natural toher when she was not excited or in a passion. Luigi took herarm beneath his own, and led her to the door of the grotto.Then he paused. The young girl, perceiving that there wassomething extraordinary, looked at him steadfastly.`Teresa,' said Luigi, `yesterday evening you told me youwould give all the world to have a costume similar to thatof the count's daughter.' - `Yes,' replied Teresa withastonishment; `but I was mad to utter such a wish.' - `AndI replied, "Very well, you shall have it."' - `Yes,'replied the young girl, whose astonishment increased atevery word uttered by Luigi, `but of course your reply wasonly to please me.'

"`I have promised no more than I have given you, Teresa,'said Luigi proudly. `Go into the grotto and dress yourself.'At these words he drew away the stone, and showed Teresa thegrotto, lighted up by two wax lights, which burnt on eachside of a splendid mirror; on a rustic table, made by Luigi,were spread out the pearl necklace and the diamond pins, andon a chair at the side was laid the rest of the costume.

"Teresa uttered a cry of joy, and, without inquiring whencethis attire came, or even thanking Luigi, darted into thegrotto, transformed into a dressing-room. Luigi pushed thestone behind her, for on the crest of a small adjacent hillwhich cut off the view toward Palestrina, he saw a travelleron horseback, stopping a moment, as if uncertain of hisroad, and thus presenting against the blue sky that perfectoutline which is peculiar to distant objects in southernclimes. When he saw Luigi, he put his horse into a gallopand advanced toward him. Luigi was not mistaken. Thetraveller, who was going from Palestrina to Tivoli, hadmistaken his way; the young man directed him; but as at adistance of a quarter of a mile the road again divided intothree ways, and on reaching these the traveller might againstray from his route, he begged Luigi to be his guide. Luigithrew his cloak on the ground, placed his carbine on hisshoulder, and freed from his heavy covering, preceded thetraveller with the rapid step of a mountaineer, which ahorse can scarcely keep up with. In ten minutes Luigi andthe traveller reached the cross-roads. On arriving there,with an air as majestic as that of an emperor, he stretchedhis hand towards that one of the roads which the travellerwas to follow. - "That is your road, excellency, and nowyou cannot again mistake.' - `And here is your recompense,'said the traveller, offering the young herdsman some smallpieces of money.

"`Thank you,' said Luigi, drawing back his hand; `I render aservice, I do not sell it.' - `Well,' replied thetraveller, who seemed used to this difference between theservility of a man of the cities and the pride of themountaineer, `if you refuse wages, you will, perhaps, accepta gift.' - `Ah, yes, that is another thing.' - `Then,'said the traveller, `take these two Venetian sequins andgive them to your bride, to make herself a pair ofearrings.'

"`And then do you take this poniard,' said the youngherdsman; `you will not find one better carved betweenAlbano and Civita-Castellana.'

"`I accept it,' answered the traveller, `but then theobligation will be on my side, for this poniard is worthmore than two sequins.' - `For a dealer perhaps; but forme, who engraved it myself, it is hardly worth a piastre.'

"`What is your name?' inquired the traveller. - `LuigiVampa,' replied the shepherd, with the same air as he wouldhave replied, Alexander, King of Macedon. - `And yours?' - `I,' said the traveller, `am called Sinbad the Sailor.'"Franz d'Epinay started with surprise.

"Sinbad the Sailor." he said.

"Yes," replied the narrator; "that was the name which thetraveller gave to Vampa as his own."

"Well, and what may you have to say against this name?"inquired Albert; "it is a very pretty name, and theadventures of the gentleman of that name amused me very muchin my youth, I must confess." - Franz said no more. Thename of Sinbad the Sailor, as may well be supposed, awakenedin him a world of recollections, as had the name of theCount of Monte Cristo on the previous evening.

"Proceed!" said he to the host.

"Vampa put the two sequins haughtily into his pocket, andslowly returned by the way he had gone. As he came withintwo or three hundred paces of the grotto, he thought heheard a cry. He listened to know whence this sound couldproceed. A moment afterwards he thought he heard his ownname pronounced distinctly. The cry proceeded from thegrotto. He bounded like a chamois, cocking his carbine as hewent, and in a moment reached the summit of a hill oppositeto that on which he had perceived the traveller. Three criesfor help came more distinctly to his ear. He cast his eyesaround him and saw a man carrying off Teresa, as Nessus, thecentaur, carried Dejanira. This man, who was hasteningtowards the wood, was already three-quarters of the way onthe road from the grotto to the forest. Vampa measured thedistance; the man was at least two hundred paces in advanceof him, and there was not a chance of overtaking him. Theyoung shepherd stopped, as if his feet had been rooted tothe ground; then he put the butt of his carbine to hisshoulder, took aim at the ravisher, followed him for asecond in his track, and then fired. The ravisher stoppedsuddenly, his knees bent under him, and he fell with Teresain his arms. The young girl rose instantly, but the man layon the earth struggling in the agonies of death. Vampa thenrushed towards Teresa; for at ten paces from the dying manher legs had failed her, and she had dropped on her knees,so that the young man feared that the ball that had broughtdown his enemy, had also wounded his betrothed. Fortunately,she was unscathed, and it was fright alone that had overcomeTeresa. When Luigi had assured himself that she was safe andunharmed, he turned towards the wounded man. He had justexpired, with clinched hands, his mouth in a spasm of agony,and his hair on end in the sweat of death. His eyes remainedopen and menacing. Vampa approached the corpse, andrecognized Cucumetto. From the day on which the bandit hadbeen saved by the two young peasants, he had been enamouredof Teresa, and had sworn she should be his. From that timehe had watched them, and profiting by the moment when herlover had left her alone, had carried her off, and believedhe at length had her in his power, when the ball, directedby the unerring skill of the young herdsman, had pierced hisheart. Vampa gazed on him for a moment without betraying theslightest emotion; while, on the contrary, Teresa,shuddering in every limb, dared not approach the slainruffian but by degrees, and threw a hesitating glance at thedead body over the shoulder of her lover. Suddenly Vampaturned toward his mistress: - `Ah,' said he - `good, good!You are dressed; it is now my turn to dress myself.'

"Teresa was clothed from head to foot in the garb of theCount of San-Felice's daughter. Vampa took Cucumetto's bodyin his arms and conveyed it to the grotto, while in her turnTeresa remained outside. If a second traveller had passed,he would have seen a strange thing, - a shepherdesswatching her flock, clad in a cashmere grown, with ear-ringsand necklace of pearls, diamond pins, and buttons ofsapphires, emeralds, and rubies. He would, no doubt, havebelieved that he had returned to the times of Florian, andwould have declared, on reaching Paris, that he had met anAlpine shepherdess seated at the foot of the Sabine Hill. Atthe end of a quarter of an hour Vampa quitted the grotto;his costume was no less elegant than that of Teresa. He worea vest of garnet-colored velvet, with buttons of cut gold; asilk waistcoat covered with embroidery; a Roman scarf tiedround his neck; a cartridge-box worked with gold, and redand green silk; sky-blue velvet breeches, fastened above theknee with diamond buckles; garters of deerskin, worked witha thousand arabesques, and a hat whereon hung ribbons of allcolors; two watches hung from his girdle, and a splendidponiard was in his belt. Teresa uttered a cry of admiration.Vampa in this attire resembled a painting by Leopold Robert,or Schnetz. He had assumed the entire costume of Cucumetto.The young man saw the effect produced on his betrothed, anda smile of pride passed over his lips. - `Now,' he said toTeresa, `are you ready to share my fortune, whatever it maybe?' - `Oh, yes!' exclaimed the young girlenthusiastically. - `And follow me wherever I go?' - `Tothe world's end.' - `Then take my arm, and let us on; wehave no time to lose.' - The young girl did so withoutquestioning her lover as to where he was conducting her, forhe appeared to her at this moment as handsome, proud, andpowerful as a god. They went towards the forest, and soonentered it. We need scarcely say that all the paths of themountain were known to Vampa; he therefore went forwardwithout a moment's hesitation, although there was no beatentrack, but he knew his path by looking at the trees andbushes, and thus they kept on advancing for nearly an hourand a half. At the end of this time they had reached thethickest of the forest. A torrent, whose bed was dry, ledinto a deep gorge. Vampa took this wild road, which,enclosed between two ridges, and shadowed by the tuftedumbrage of the pines, seemed, but for the difficulties ofits descent, that path to Avernus of which Virgil speaks.Teresa had become alarmed at the wild and deserted look ofthe plain around her, and pressed closely against her guide,not uttering a syllable; but as she saw him advance witheven step and composed countenance, she endeavored torepress her emotion. Suddenly, about ten paces from them, aman advanced from behind a tree and aimed at Vampa. - `Notanother step,' he said, `or you are a dead man.' - `What,then,' said Vampa, raising his hand with a gesture ofdisdain, while Teresa, no longer able to restrain her alarm,clung closely to him, `do wolves rend each other?' - `Whoare you?' inquired the sentinel. - `I am Luigi Vampa,shepherd of the San-Felice farm.' - `What do you want?' - `I would speak with your companions who are in the glade atRocca Bianca.' - `Follow me, then,' said the sentinel; `or,as you know your way, go first.' - Vampa smileddisdainfully at this precaution on the part of the bandit,went before Teresa, and continued to advance with the samefirm and easy step as before. At the end of ten minutes thebandit made them a sign to stop. The two young personsobeyed. Then the bandit thrice imitated the cry of a crow; acroak answered this signal. - `Good!' said the sentry, `youmay now go on.' - Luigi and Teresa again set forward; asthey went on Teresa clung tremblingly to her lover at thesight of weapons and the glistening of carbines through thetrees. The retreat of Rocca Bianca was at the top of a smallmountain, which no doubt in former days had been a volcano- an extinct volcano before the days when Remus and Romulushad deserted Alba to come and found the city of Rome. Teresaand Luigi reached the summit, and all at once foundthemselves in the presence of twenty bandits. `Here is ayoung man who seeks and wishes to speak to you,' said thesentinel. - `What has he to say?' inquired the young manwho was in command in the chief's absence. - `I wish to saythat I am tired of a shepherd's life,' was Vampa's reply. - `Ah, I understand,' said the lieutenant; `and you seekadmittance into our ranks?' - `Welcome!' cried severalbandits from Ferrusino, Pampinara, and Anagni, who hadrecognized Luigi Vampa. - `Yes, but I came to ask somethingmore than to be your companion.' - `And what may that be?'inquired the bandits with astonishment. - `I come to ask tobe your captain,' said the young man. The bandits shoutedwith laughter. `And what have you done to aspire to thishonor?' demanded the lieutenant. - `I have killed yourchief, Cucumetto, whose dress I now wear; and I set fire tothe villa San-Felice to procure a wedding-dress for mybetrothed.' An hour afterwards Luigi Vampa was chosencaptain, vice Cucumetto deceased."

"Well, my dear Albert," said Franz, turning towards hisfriend; "what think you of citizen Luigi Vampa?"

"I say he is a myth," replied Albert, "and never had anexistence."

"And what may a myth be?" inquired Pastrini.

"The explanation would be too long, my dear landlord,"replied Franz.

"And you say that Signor Vampa exercises his profession atthis moment in the environs of Rome?"

"And with a boldness of which no bandit before him ever gavean example."

"Then the police have vainly tried to lay hands on him?"

"Why, you see, he has a good understanding with theshepherds in the plains, the fishermen of the Tiber, and thesmugglers of the coast. They seek for him in the mountains,and he is on the waters; they follow him on the waters, andhe is on the open sea; then they pursue him, and he hassuddenly taken refuge in the islands, at Giglio, Guanouti,or Monte Cristo; and when they hunt for him there, hereappears suddenly at Albano, Tivoli, or La Riccia."

"And how does he behave towards travellers?"

"Alas! his plan is very simple. It depends on the distancehe may be from the city, whether he gives eight hours,twelve hours, or a day wherein to pay their ransom; and whenthat time has elapsed he allows another hour's grace. At thesixtieth minute of this hour, if the money is notforthcoming, he blows out the prisoner's brains with apistol-shot, or plants his dagger in his heart, and thatsettles the account."

"Well, Albert," inquired Franz of his companion, "are youstill disposed to go to the Colosseum by the outer wall?"

"Quite so," said Albert, "if the way be picturesque." Theclock struck nine as the door opened, and a coachmanappeared. "Excellencies," said he, "the coach is ready."

"Well, then," said Franz, "let us to the Colosseum."

"By the Porta del Popolo or by the streets, yourexcellencies?"

"By the streets, morbleu, by the streets!" cried Franz.

"Ah, my dear fellow," said Albert, rising, and lighting histhird cigar, "really, I thought you had more courage." Sosaying, the two young men went down the staircase, and gotinto the carriage.