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diff --git a/41224-0.txt b/41224-0.txt index 49bfe47..35c6a5d 100644 --- a/41224-0.txt +++ b/41224-0.txt @@ -1,28 +1,4 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Sicilian Bandit, by Alexandre Dumas, -pere - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use -it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Sicilian Bandit - From the Volume “Captain Paul” - -Author: Alexandre Dumas, pere - -Release Date: October 29, 2012 [EBook #41224] -Last Updated: November 21, 2016 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SICILIAN BANDIT *** - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41224 *** Produced by David Widger @@ -3753,355 +3729,4 @@ THE END. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use -it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Sicilian Bandit - From the Volume “Captain Paul” - -Author: Alexandre Dumas, pere - -Release Date: October 29, 2012 [EBook #41224] -Last Updated: November 21, 2016 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SICILIAN BANDIT *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger - - - - - - - - - - - - - -THE SICILIAN BANDIT - -From the Volume “Captain Paul” - -By Alexandre Dumas, pere - - - - - -CONTENTS - - - -CHAPTER I.--INTRODUCTION--PALERMO. - -CHAPTER II.--BRUNO AND ALI. - -CHAPTER III.--THE FATAL BRIDAL. - -CHAPTER IV.--THE PRINCE AND THE BANDIT. - -CHAPTER IV.--THE ROBBER’S CASTLE. - -CHAPTER VI.--A BANDIT’S GRATITUDE. - -CHAPTER VII.--A BRIGAND’S VENGEANCE. - -CHAPTER VIII.---TREACHERY. - -CHAPTER IX.--THE SIEGE. - -CHAPTER X.--THE CHAPELLE ARDENTE. - -CHAPTER XI.--DEATH OF THE BANDIT. - -CHAPTER XII.--CONCLUSION. - - - - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER I.--INTRODUCTION--PALERMO. - -It is with cities as with men--chance presides over their foundation; -and the topographical situation of the first, and the social position of -the latter, exercise a beneficial or an evil influence over their entire -existence. - -There are noble cities which, in their selfish pride of place, have -refused to permit the erection even of a few humble cottages on the -mountain on which their foundations rested: their domination must be -exclusive and supreme; consequently they have remained as poor as they -are proud. - -There are villages so humble as to have taken refuge in the recesses -of the valley--have built their farmsteads, mills, and cottages on the -margin of a brook, and, protected by the hills that sheltered them from -heat and cold, have passed an almost unknown and tranquil life, like -that of men without ardour and without ambition--terrified by every -sound, dazzled by every blaze of light, and whose whole happiness -consists in shade and silence. - -There are, again, others that have commenced their existence as paltry -hamlets on the sea-shore, and which, by degrees, have seen sailing -vessels succeed the simple boat, and noble ships the tiny barque--whose -modest huts have given place to lordly palaces, while the gold of Potosi -and the wealth of the Indies flow into their ample ports. - -It is for these reasons that we give to cold, inanimate nature epithets -that truly belong to man’s nobility alone. Thus we say, Messina the -noble, Syracuse the faithful, Girgenti the magnificent, Trapani the -invincible, and Palermo the blessed. - -If ever there was a city predestined to be blessed--that city is -Palermo. Situated beneath a cloudless sky, on a luxuriously fertile -plain, and sheltered by a belt of mountains, in the centre of a -picturesquely beautiful country, its ample ports open to receive the -gentle flow of the azure sea. - -There is nothing more beautiful than the days at Palermo, except it -be the nights--those eastern nights, so clear and balmy, in which the -murmur of the sea, the rustling of the breeze, and the busy hum of the -town seem like a universal concert of love, during which all created -things, from the wave to the tree, from the tree to man himself, breathe -a mysterious sigh. - -At times, however, the sea suddenly assumes a livid tint; the wind -drops, the noise of the city is hushed; a few bloodied clouds travel -rapidly from the south to the north; these clouds foretell the coming of -the dread sirocco, that scorching blast, borne in the sands of Libya and -carried to Europe by the southerly gales: immediately everything animate -droops and becomes oppressed and suffering, and the whole island feels -as when Etna threatens. Animals and men alike seek shelter, and when -they have found it, they crouch in fear, for the blast has taken away -all courage, paralysed the strength, and deadened every faculty; and -this lasts until a purer air from the Calabrian hills restores the -strength and appears to renew their existence, and on the morrow all -again is pleasure and mirth. - -It was the evening of the month of September, 1803, when the sirocco had -lasted throughout the entire day; but at sunset the sky became clear, -the sea resumed its azure tint, and a few blasts of cool air blew over -the Liparian Archipelago. This atmospheric change had such an influence -on all animated beings, that they gradually revived from their state -of torpor, and you might have imagined you were present at a second -creation, the more so from the fact of Palermo being, as we have already -said, a perfect garden of Eden. - -Among all the daughters of Eve who, in the paradise they inhabit, make -love their principal occupation, there was one who will play a very -important part in the course of this history. That we may direct the -attention of our readers to her, and to the place in which she dwelt, -let them leave Palermo by the San-Georgio gate along with us, leaving -the castle of St Mark on the right, and, reaching the Mole, they will -follow the course of the sea-shore for some distance, and stop before -the delightful villa of the Prince of Carini, the Viceroy of Sicily -under Ferdinand the Fourth, who had just returned from Naples to take up -his abode in it. - -On the first floor of this elegant villa, in a chamber tapestried -with azure-blue silk, the ceiling of which was ornamented with fresco -painting, a female, simply attired in a snow-white morning dress, was -reclining on a sofa, her arms hung listlessly, her head was thrown back, -and her hair dishevelled; for an instant she might have been taken for -a marble statue, but a gentle tremor ran through her frame, colour -gradually came to her cheeks, her eyes began to open, the beautiful -statue became animated, sighed, stretched out its hand to a little -silver bell placed on a table of peliminta marble, rang it lazily, and, -as if fatigued with the effort she had made, fell back again on the -sofa. - -The silvery sound, however, had been heard, the door opened, and a young -and pretty waiting-maid, whose disordered toilet declared that she, -as well as her mistress, had felt the influence of the African wind, -appeared on the threshold. - -“Is it you, Teresa?” said her mistress, languidly, and turning her head. -“It is enough to kill one: is the sirocco still blowing?” - -“No, signora, it has quite passed over, and we begin to breathe again.” - -“Bring me some iced fruit, and let me have a little air.” - -Teresa obeyed these orders with as much promptitude as the remains of -her languor would allow; she placed the refreshments on the table, and -opened the window that looked out on the sea. - -“Look, madame la comtesse,” she said, “we shall have a magnificent day -to-morrow; and the air is so clear that you can plainly see the island -of Alicari, although the day is drawing to a close.” - -“Yes, yes, the air is refreshing; give me your arm, Teresa; I will try -if I can drag myself as far as the window.” - -The attendant approached her mistress, who replaced on the table the -refreshment her lips had scarcely touched, and, resting on Teresa’s -shoulder, walked languidly towards the balcony. - -“How this delightful breeze revives one,” she observed, as she inhaled -the evening air; “bring me my chair, and open the other window that -looks into the garden,--that will do. Has the prince returned from -Montreal?” - -“Not yet, my lady,” replied Teresa. - -“So much the better; I would not have him see me in this wretched state, -so pale and weak: I must look dreadfully.” - -“Madame la comtesse never looked more beautiful than at this moment, and -I am certain that in the whole city we see from this window, there is -not a woman who would not be jealous of your ladyship.” - -“Do you include the Marchioness of Rudini and the Princess of Butera?” - -“I except no one,” replied the attendant. - -“Ah, I see the prince has been bribing you to flatter me, Teresa.” - -“I assure you, madame, I only tell you what I think.” - -“Oh, what a delightful place Palermo is!” said the countess, taking a -deep inspiration. - -“Especially when one is two-and-twenty years of age, and rich and -beautiful,” continued Teresa, smiling. - -“You have but completed my thoughts, and on that account I wish to see -every one about me cheerful and happy. When is your marriage to take -place, Teresa?” Teresa made no answer. “Is not Sunday the day fixed -upon?” continued the countess. - -“Yes, signora,” answered her attendant with a sigh. - -“Why do you sigh? Have you not made up your mind?” - -“Oh, yes, certainly.” - -“Have you any dislike to the marriage!” - -“No; I believe Gaetano is a good lad, and that he will make me happy. -Besides, this marriage will enable me to remain with madame la comtesse, -and that is my most earnest wish.” - -“Then why did you sigh?” - -“Pray pardon me, my lady, but I was thinking of our native country.” - -“Our native country!” echoed the countess. - -“Yes; madame la comtesse may remember, while at Palermo, that she had -left a foster sister at the village of which her father was the signor; -and when she wrote for me to come to her, I was about to be married to a -young man belonging to Bauso.” - -“Why did you not tell me of that? The prince, at my recommendation, -would have taken him into his service.” - -“Oh, he would not become a servant,” said Teresa; “he was too proud for -that.” - -“Indeed!” said the countess. - -“Yes; he had before then refused the situation of shepherd to the Prince -of Goto.” - -“He was a gentleman, then, this young man?” - -“No, madame la comtesse; he was but a simple mountaineer,” said Teresa, -in a melancholy tone. - -“What was his name?” - -“Oh, I do not think that your ladyship would recollect it,” said Teresa, -eagerly. - -“And do you then regret his loss?” - -“I cannot tell; I only know that if I were to become his wife instead of -Gaetano’s, I should be obliged to work for my living; and that would be -a laborious task for me, after leading so easy and pleasant a life under -madame la comtesse.” - -“And yet, Teresa, is it not true that people accuse me of pride and -violence?” asked the countess. - -“Madame is very good to me, that is all I can say,” replied Teresa. - -“The nobles of Palermo say so, because the Counts of Castel Nuovo were -ennobled by Charles the Fifth, while the Ventimillas and the Partanas -descend, as they pretend, from Tancred and Rogero: but that is not the -reason the women hate me; they conceal their hatred under the cloak of -disdain, and they neglect me because Rodolpho loves me, and they are -jealous of the viceroy’s love; they do all they can to seduce him -from me; but they will never succeed, for my beauty is greater than -theirs--Carini tells me so every day, and so do you, story-teller.” - -“You have here a greater flatterer than either his excellency or -myself,” said Teresa, archly. - -“Who is that?” asked the countess. - -“The countess’s mirror.” - -“Foolish girl!” said the countess, with a gratified smile. “There, go -and light the tapers of the Psyche.” The attendant obeyed her mistress’s -orders. “Now shut that window, and leave me; there will be sufficient -air from the garden.” - -Teresa obeyed, and left the room. Scarcely did the countess perceive -that she was gone, than she seated herself before the Psyche, and smiled -as she looked at and admired herself in the glass. - -A wonderful creature was the Countess Emma, or rather Gemma, for, from -her very infancy, her parents had added a G to her baptismal name; -and, on account of this addition, she called herself Diamond. She was -certainly wrong in confining her origin to the signature of Charles the -Fifth, for in her slight and pliant form, you might recognise an Ionian -origin; in her black and expressive eyes, a descendant of the Arabs; and -in her fair and vermilion skin, a daughter of Gaul. She could equally -boast of her descent from an Athenian archon, a Saracen emir, and -a Norman chieftain; she was one of those beauties that in the first -instance were found in Sicily alone, at a later time in one town alone -in the world--Arles. So that, instead, of calling the artifices of the -toilet to her assistance, as she intended in the first instance, Gemma -found herself more charming in her partial dishabille. - -The glass, being placed before the window that was left open, reflected -the sky from its surface, and Gemma, without intention or thought, wrapt -herself up in a vague and delicious pleasure, counting in the glass the -images of the stars as they each appeared in their turn, and giving them -names as they successively appeared in the heavens. - -Suddenly it appeared as if a rising shadow placed itself before the -stars, and that a face appeared behind her; she turned herself quickly -round and beheld a man standing at the window. Gemma rose and opened her -mouth with the intention of screaming for assistance, when the stranger, -springing into the chamber, clasped his hands, and said in supplicating -accents-- - -“In the name of heaven do not call out, madame! for on my honour, you -have nothing to fear: I will do you no harm.” - -Gemma fell back into her chair, and the apparition and words of the -stranger were succeeded by a moment’s silence, during which she had time -to cast a rapid glance at the person who had introduced himself into her -room in this extraordinary manner. - -He was a young man, some twenty-five or twenty-six years of age, and -appeared to belong to the ranks of the people; he wore a Calabrian hat, -round which a piece of velvet was tied, the ends of which fell loosely -on his shoulders, a velvet vest with silver buttons, breeches of the -same material, and ornamented in a similar manner; round his waist -he wore a red silk belt with green fringe; shoes and leather gaiters -completed his costume, which appeared to have been selected to set off -his fine figure to advantage. His features possessed a kind of savage -beauty, his look was bold and proud, his beard black, his teeth sharp -and white, and his nose aquiline. - -For a certainty, Gemma was not a whit the more easy by her examination, -for the stranger, when he saw her stretch out her hand towards the -table, as if to take hold of the silver bell, said-- - -“Did you not hear me, madame?” giving his voice that gentle expression -so peculiar to the Sicilian dialect. “I wish you no harm--far from it. -If you will grant me the request I am about to make, I will adore you as -if you were a Madonna. You are already as beautiful; be as good as one.” - -“But what is it you require?” said Gemma, her voice still trembling; -“and why did you come here in this manner, and at such an hour?” - -“Had I requested the favour of an interview with one so noble, so rich, -and so much loved by a man who is almost a king, is it probable that you -would have granted it to me, so poor and unknown? Tell me, madame. -But even if you had been so condescending, you might have delayed your -answer, and I have no time to wait.” - -“What, then, can I do for you?” said Gemma, recovering herself by -degrees. - -“Everything, madame; for you hold in your hands my despair or my -happiness--my death or my life.” - -“I do not understand you; explain yourself,” faltered out the countess. - -“You have,” said the stranger, “a young woman from Bauso in your -service.” - -“Teresa?” asked the countess. - -“Yes, Teresa,” replied the young man in trembling accents. “Now, this -young woman is to be married to a valet de chambre of the Prince de -Carini, and she is betrothed to me.” - -“Ah! it is you, then?” said the countess. - -“Yes, it was I she was about to marry when she received your letter -desiring her to come to you. She promised to remain faithful to me--to -mention me to you, and if you refused her request, she pledged her word -to return to me. I continued to expect her; but three years passed by, -and yet I saw her not; and as she has not returned to me, I have come to -seek her. On my arrival I learnt all, and then I thought I would throw -myself on my knees before you, and ask Teresa of you.” - -“Teresa is a girl I am partial to,” said the countess, “and I do not -wish her to leave me. Gaetano is the prince’s valet de chambre, and by -marrying him she will still remain near me.” - -“If that is one of the conditions, I will enter the prince’s service,” - said the young man, evidently suppressing his feelings. - -“But Teresa told me you would not enter into service.” - -“That is true,” replied the stranger; “but if it is necessary, I will -make any sacrifice for her; only, if it were possible, I would be one of -the huntsmen rather than a domestic servant.” - -“Well,” said the countess, “I will speak of it to the prince, and if he -consents--” - -“The prince will do all that you wish, madame,” interrupted the young -man. “You do not ask, you order; I know that well.” - -“But what guarantee have I for your good conduct?” asked the countess. - -“My eternal gratitude, madame,” said the young man. - -“Still I must know who you are,” said the countess. - -“I am a man,” said the stranger, “whom you can make miserable or happy; -that is the sum of all.” - -“The prince will ask me your name,” said the countess. - -“What is my name to him?” asked the stranger. “Is he acquainted with it? -Has the name of a poor peasant of Bauso ever reached the prince’s ears?” - -“But I belong to the same country as yourself,” said the countess; -“my father was Count of Castel Nuovo, and lived in a little fortress a -quarter of a league from the village.” - -“I know it, madame,” said the young man, in a low hoarse voice. - -“Well, I ought to know your name,” said the countess. “Tell me, then, -and I will see what I can do for you.” - -“Believe me, madame la comtesse,” said the stranger, “it would be better -for you to remain ignorant of it. What does my name signify? I am an -honest man. I would make Teresa happy; and if it were necessary, I would -sacrifice my life for you or the prince.” - -“Your obstinacy is very strange,” said the countess, “and I have a -greater desire to know your name than ever, for when I asked Teresa what -it was, she, like you, refused to tell me. In the meantime, I warn you -that I will not consent to your wishes except on that condition.” - -“You wish to know it then, madame?” - -“I insist upon it!” said the countess. - -“For the last time,” said the stranger, “I beg, I implore you, not to -insist upon it.” - -“Either name it,” said the countess, in an imperative tone, “or leave -me.” - -“I am called Pascal Bruno,” said the young man, in so calm a voice that -you might have imagined every emotion had passed away if the paleness of -his features had not been evidence of the internal struggle. - -“Pascal Bruno!” cried the countess, drawing back in her chair in terror. -“Pascal Bruno! You, the son of Antonio Bruno, whose head is placed in an -iron cage at the Château de Bauso?” - -“I am his son,” coolly replied the young man. - -“And do you not know,” asked the countess, “why your father’s head is -placed there? Speak!” Pascal remained silent. “Well,” continued the -countess, “it was because your father attempted to assassinate mine.” - -“I know all that, madame,” replied Pascal, calmly; “and I know, besides, -that when you, then a child, was taken into the village, your attendants -showed you that head, and told you it was my father’s head; but they did -not tell you, madame, that your father dishonoured mine.” - -“Thou liest!” passionately exclaimed the countess. - -“May God punish me if I tell not the truth. Madame, my mother was -beautiful and virtuous; your father, the count, became enamoured of her: -but she resisted all his importunities, all his promises, and all his -threats; but one day, when my father had gone to Taormina, the count -caused her to be carried off by four men, taken to a small house that -belonged to him between Limero and Furnari (it is now a tavern), and -there--madame--he violated her!” - -“The count was lord and master of the village of Bauso,” said Gemma, -proudly. “Both the property and the persons of its inhabitants belonged -to him, and he did your mother much honour by admiring her.” - -“My father did not think so it appears,” said Pascal, knitting his brow. -“That, perhaps, was because he was born at Stilla, on the lands of the -Prince de Moncada Paterno; and on that account he struck the count. -The wound was not mortal; so much the better. For a long time I deeply -regretted it; but now, to my shame, I congratulate myself on it.” - -“If my memory be correct,” said the countess, “not only was your father -put to death as murderer, but your uncles are still at the galleys.” - -“Your memory is good,” said Pascal. “My uncles gave an asylum to the -assassin, and defended him when the officers came to arrest him: they -were, therefore, looked upon as accomplices, and sent, my uncle Placido, -to Favignana; my uncle Pietro, to Lipari; and my uncle Pépe, to Vulcano. -As for myself, I was too young; and, although I was arrested, they gave -me up again to my mother.” - -“And what became of your mother?” asked Gemma. - -“She died,” said Pascal, mournfully. - -“Where?” asked Gemma. - -“In the mountains between Pizzo di Goto and Nisi,” replied Pascal. - -“Why did she leave Bauso?” inquired the countess. - -“That every time we passed the castle,” said Pascal, “she might not see -the head of her husband, nor I that of my father! Yes, she died without -a physician, without a priest--she was buried in unholy ground, and -I dug her grave. There, madame--you will pardon me, I trust--over the -newly-turned earth I swore to avenge the wrongs of my family--of whom I, -alone, remain--upon you, the only survivor of the family of the count. -But I became enamoured of Teresa, and I left the mountains that I might -not see my mother’s grave, towards which I felt myself perjured. I came -down to the plain, and went to Bauso. I did more than that, for when I -knew that Teresa had left the village to enter your service, I thought -of entering that of the count. For a long time I felt repugnant at the -idea; but my love for Teresa overcame every other feeling. I made up -my mind to see you--I have seen you; here am I, without arms, and a -suppliant before you, madame--before whom I ought only to appear as an -enemy.” - -“You must perceive,” said Gemma, “the prince cannot take into his -service the son of a man who was hanged, and whose uncles are at the -galleys.” - -“Why not, madame?” asked Bruno, “if that man consents to forget that -those punishments were unjustly inflicted?” - -“Are you mad?” said the countess. - -“Madame la comtesse,” said Pascal, “you know what an oath is to a -mountaineer. Well, I have broken my oath. You also know the vengeance of -a Sicilian. Well, I will renounce my vengeance and forget my oath. I -ask only that all may be forgotten, and that you will not force me to -remember it?” - -“But if you should,” said the countess, “how would you act?” - -“I do not wish to think upon the subject.” - -“Then we must take our measures accordingly,” said the countess. - -“I beg of you, madame la comtesse,” said Pascal, “to have pity on me; -you see that I am doing all that I can to remain an honest man. Once -engaged by the prince--once Teresa’s husband, I can answer for myself: -otherwise I shall never return to Bauso.” - -“It is impossible to do as you desire,” said the countess, decidedly. - -“Countess,” said Pascal, earnestly, “you have loved?” Gemma smiled -disdainfully. “You must know what jealousy is--you must know its -sufferings, its maddening tortures. Well, I love Teresa--I am jealous of -her; and I feel I should lose my senses if this marriage take place; and -then--” - -“Well, then--” said Gemma, in an agitated tone. - -“Then, take heed’ I do not remember the galleys where my uncles are, the -cage in which my father’s head is placed, and the grave where my mother -sleeps!” At this instant a strange cry, which seemed to be a signal, -was heard outside the window, and almost at the same instant a bell was -rung. - -“There is the prince,” said Gemma, regaining her confidence. - -“Yes, yes--I know it,” mattered Pascal; “but before he passes through -yonder door, you have time to say ‘yes.’ I implore you, madame, to grant -me what I ask. Give me Teresa--place me in the prince’s service!” - -“Let me pass,” said Gemma, imperiously, and advanced towards the door; -but instead of obeying this order, Bruno sprang to the door and bolted -it. “Would you dare to stop me?” cried Gemma, taking hold of the bell. -“Help! help!” - -“Do not call out, madame,” said Bruno, still mastering his feelings, -“for I have told you I will do you no harm.” - -A second cry, resembling the first, was heard outside the window. - -“It is well--well, Ali; you watch faithfully, my boy,” said Bruno. -“Yes, I know the count has arrived; I hear him in the corridor. Madame, -madame! an instant longer remains for you; one second, and all the -misfortunes I foresee may be avoided.” - -“Help, Rodolpho! Help!” screamed Gemma. - -“You have, then neither heart, nor soul, nor pity, either for yourself -or others,” cried Bruno plunging his hands in his hair and looking at -the door, which was being violently shaken. - -“I am fastened in!” cired the countess, who felt fresh courage from the -assistance which had arrived; “fastened in with a man who is threatening -my life. Help! help! Rodolpho, help!” - -“I do not threaten you,” said Pascal, “I am entreating you--I entreat -you still; but since you will--” Bruno, uttering a yell like that of a -tiger, sprang upon Gemma, no doubt with the intention of strangling her, -for (as we have said) he had no arms. At the same instant a small door, -concealed at the extremity of the alcove, opened, the report of a pistol -was heard, the room was filled with smoke, and Gemma fainted: when she -recovered her senses she was in the prince’s arms. - -“Where is he? where is he?” she cried, in a terrified accent, and -looking around her. - -“I cannot tell; I suppose I must have missed him,” answered the prince; -“for, while I was stepping over the bed, he leaped out of the window; -and, as I saw you insensible, I did not trouble myself about him--I -thought only of you; I must have missed him, and yet it is strange I do -not see the mark of the ball in the hangings.” - -“Let them run after him,” said Gemma: “show no mercy, no pity, to that -man, my lord, for he was a robber, who would have assassinated me.” - -They searched the villa during the whole night, the gardens, and the -shore, but without avail--Pascal Bruno had disappeared. - -The next day a track of blood was discovered, which began at the foot of -the window from which he had leaped and was lost on the sea-shore. - - - - - - -CHAPTER II.--BRUNO AND ALI. - -At daybreak the following morning, the fishermen’s boats left the port -as usual and dispersed themselves over the sea. In the meantime, one -of their little fleet, having on board a man, and a boy of twelve or -fourteen years of age, stopped when it came within sight of Palermo, and -lowering its sail, brought to; but as this motionless state, at a spot -little favourable for fishing, might have attracted suspicion, the boy -occupied himself in mending his nets. As to the man, he was lying at the -bottom of the boat, his head resting on the side, and he appeared to -be plunged in a deep reverie, still, as if mechanically, he took up the -sea-water with his right hand, and poured it over his left shoulder, -which was bound up with a bandage stained with blood. - -The man was Pascal Bruno, and the boy the same who, placed beneath the -countess’s window, had twice given him the signal for flight: at first -sight, you could see that he was a native of a more ardent clime than -that in which the events we record took place. He was born on the coast -of Africa, and it was in the following manner that Pascal Bruno became -acquainted with him:-- - -About a year before the occurrence of the events we have just narrated, -a party of Algerine pirates, having learned that the Prince of Moncana -Paterno, one of the richest noblemen in Sicily, was returning in a small -vessel from Pantelleria to Catana with an escort of a dozen men only, -lay in ambush behind the island of Porri, distant about two miles from -the coast. The prince’s vessel, as the pirates had foreseen, passed -between the island and the shore, but the instant it entered the narrow -strait, the pirates left the creek in which they had been concealed -with three vessels and rowed forward to attack their expected prize, the -prince. The latter, however, immediately perceiving the imminence of his -danger, ordered his crew to turn the boat’s head towards the shore, -and run her aground on the beach at Furella. They did not succeed in -reaching the point desired, but the place where the boat grounded had -only about three feet of water, and the pirates were close upon them. -The prince and his followers leaped into the sea, holding their arms -above their heads, trusting to be able to reach a village they saw at -some half a league distance without being obliged to employ them. But -they had scarcely disembarked, when another party of the pirates who, -having foreseen this manouvre, had rowed one of the boats as high as -Bufaidone, issued from the reeds through which the river flowed, and cut -off the retreat of the prince. - -The attack immediately began, but while the followers of the prince were -engaged with the first party, the second came up, and all resistance -becoming evidently useless, the prince surrendered, asking for his life, -and promising to ransom himself and all his followers. Immediately after -the prisoners had laid down their arms, a party of countrymen were seen -approaching, armed with muskets and pitchforks, and the pirates, having -made themselves masters of the prince’s person, the only object they -had in view, did not think it worth while waiting for the arrival of -the countrymen, but took to their boats in such haste as to leave behind -them three of their men, whom they believed were either dead or mortally -wounded. - -Among those who had hastened to the scene of conflict, was Pascal Bruno, -whose wandering life led him sometimes to one place and sometimes to -another, his disturbed mind leading him into every kind of adventurous -enterprise. When the countrymen reached the beach where the struggle had -taken place, they found one of the Prince of Paterno’s domestics dead, -another slightly wounded in the thigh, and three of the pirates bathed -in their blood, but still breathing. Two blows from the butt-end of -a musket soon made an end of two of the number, and a pistol-ball was -about to send the third to join his comrades, when Bruno perceiving it -was a boy, turned the arm that held the pistol on one side, and declared -that he would take the wounded lad under his own protection. - -There were a few remonstrances against this ill-timed pity as it was -called, but when Bruno had said a thing, he maintained what he had said; -accordingly, he cocked his carbine, and declared that he would blow out -the brains of the first man who should approach his protégé, and as they -knew him to be a man who would not hesitate an instant in putting his -threat into execution, they allowed him to take the boy in his arms and -go off with him. Bruno proceeded to the shore, and entered the boat in -which he performed his adventurous excursions, whose qualities he -knew so well that it seemed to obey him like a well-tutored horse, and -spreading his sail, he steered towards Cape Aliga Grande. - -As soon as he saw that the boat was in the right course, and that it no -longer needed a steersman, he attended to the wounded boy, who was still -insensible: he took off the white bournouse in which he was dressed, -loosened the belt to which his yataghan was still attached, and -perceived by the rays of the setting sun the situation of the wound. -Upon examination, he discovered that a musket-ball had entered between -the right hip and the false ribs, and gone out near the spine: the wound -was dangerous, but it was not mortal. - -The evening breeze, and the cool sensation produced by the sea-water -with which Bruno washed the wound, recalled the boy to his senses, and -he uttered a few words in a foreign language, but without opening his -eyes. Bruno, however, knowing that a wound caused by fire-arms produced -a burning thirst, guessed that he was asking for drink, and he placed -a bottle of water to his lips. The boy drank greedily, uttered a few -inarticulate sounds, and fell back in a fainting fit. - -Pascal laid him down as gently as he could at the bottom of the boat, -and, uncovering the wound, he continued, unceasingly, to apply to it his -handkerchief dipped in the sea--a remedy considered infallible in the -case of wounds by every seafaring man in the Mediterranean. - -At length our navigators found themselves at the mouth of the Ragusa, -and the wind setting in from the African coast. Pascal with little -difficulty directed his bark into the stream; and leaving Modica to the -right, he passed the bridge that is thrown across the high-road from -Noto to Chiaramonti. - -He went about half a league further, but there the river became no -longer navigable; he drew his boat up among the shrubs that grew by -the side of the stream, and taking the boy in his arms, he carried -him inland. He soon reached the entrance to a valley, into which -he descended, and presently came to a spot where the mountain was -perpendicular, the smoother side of which was pierced in various places; -for in this valley were to be seen the remains of the habitations of -the dwellers in caves, the first occupants of the country, and who were -afterwards civilised by the Greeks. - -Bruno entered one of these caverns, which communicated by means of a -few steps with an upper story, to which the air was admitted through -a small, square hole that answered the purpose of a window. A bed of -rushes was heaped up in the corner, and on this he spread out the boy’s -bournouse; and then having lighted a branch of fir, he fixed it in the -wall, and seating himself on a stone near the bed, he waited until his -protégé recovered his senses. - -This was not the first visit Bruno had paid to this retreat, for often -during his travels across the island without any object in view, but -merely for the sake of passing away his solitary time, he had entered -that valley, and rested in that chamber which had been excavated in the -rock three thousand years before. Here it was that he gave himself up -to vague and incoherent reveries, so habitual to imaginative but -uninstructed minds. - -He knew that a race of men had disappeared from the earth which in -former times excavated these retreats; and, deeply tinged with the -popular superstition, he believed, like all the inhabitants of the -locality, that these men were enchanters and dealers in witchcraft; but -this belief, far from driving him from these wild and terror-inspiring -places, irresistibly attracted him to them; for in his youth he had -heard numbers of tales related of enchanted guns, invulnerable men, -and invisible travellers; and his fearless mind, delighting in the -marvellous and the terrible, had but one engrossing desire, that of -meeting with some mysterious being, some sorcerer, enchanter, or -demon who, by means of an infernal compact, would endow him with some -supernatural power, and make him superior to the rest of mankind. But he -had vainly invoked the shades of the ancient inhabitants of the valley -of Modica; no supernatural appearances had visited him, and Pascal Bruno -remained, to his great regret, a man like other men, with the exception -of a degree of strength and skill for which no other mountaineer could -be compared with him. - -Bruno had been wholly absorbed in one of these visionary reveries for -nearly an hour beside the bed of the wounded lad, when the latter awoke -from a species of lethargy into which he had been plunged, opened his -eyes, looked round him with a wandering gaze, and at last fixed his eyes -upon the man who had saved him, but unconscious whether he saw in him -a friend or an enemy. During this examination, and by an indefinite -instinct of self-defence, he put his hand to his waist In search of his -faithful yataghan; but not finding it there, he heaved a deep sigh, and -again closed his eyes. - -“Are you in pain?” said Bruno to him, making use of the Lingua Franca, -a language so well understood on the coast of the Mediterranean, from -Marseilles to Alexandria, from Constantinople to Algiers, and by means -of which you may travel over the whole of the old world. - -“Who are you?” asked the boy. - -“A friend,” replied Pascal. - -“I am not a prisoner then?” said the boy. - -“No,” answered Pascal. - -“Then how came I here?” asked the boy. - -Pascal told him all that had happened; to which the boy listened -attentively, and when he had finished his tale, he fixed his eyes -gratefully upon Pascal, and said, “Then, since you have saved my life, -you will be a father to me?” - -“Yes,” said Bruno, “I will.” - -“Father,” said the wounded boy, “thy son’s name is Ali; what is yours?” - -“Pascal Bruno.” - -“May Allah protect thee,” said the lad. - -“Are you in want of anything?” asked Bruno. - -“Yes, water,” said the boy; “I am thirsty.” - -Pascal took up an earthen vessel concealed in a hole in the rock, and -went to a spring that flowed near the cave; on going up again he cast -his eyes on the boy’s yataghan, which he had made no attempt to draw -nearer to him. Ali greedily seized the cup, and drank off the water at a -draught. - -“May Allah grant you as many happy years as there were drops of water in -this cup,” said the boy, as he gave it back to Pascal. - -“You are a good creature,” murmured Bruno; “make haste and get well, and -you shall, if you wish go back to Africa.” - -The boy recovered from his wound, but continued to remain in Sicily, for -he became so much attached to Bruno that he would not leave him. Since -that time, he had always remained with him, accompanying him in his -hunting excursions over the mountains; assisting him in the management -of his boat, and ready to sacrifice his life at a sign from the man he -called his father. - -On the previous evening, he had accompanied Pascal to the villa of the -Prince de Carini, and waited for him beneath the windows during the -interview with Gemma; and he it was who had twice given the signal of -alarm; the first time, when the prince rang the bell at the gate, and -again, when he entered the château. He was just about to climb into -the window to render Bruno assistance when the latter sprang out; he -followed him in his flight, and when they reached the shore, they both -of them got into their boat which was awaiting them, and as they could -not have put to sea in the evening without creating suspicion, they were -content to remain among the fishing-boats that waited for the break of -day, in order that they might put to sea. - -During the night Ali, in his turn, returned to Pascal the attentions he -had received under similar circumstances, for the Prince of Carini -had taken a good aim, and the ball he had vainly searched for in the -hangings had almost passed through Bruno’s shoulder, so that Ali had but -to make a slight incision with his yataghan to extract it from the side -opposite to that at which it entered. All this took place without the -interference of Bruno who appeared scarcely to pay any attention to the -circumstance, and the only care he bestowed on his wound was, as we have -already said, to moisten it, from time to time, with sea-water, while -the boy appeared to be busy mending his nets. - -“Father,” said Ali, suddenly interrupting himself in his pretended -occupation, “look towards the shore.” - -“Well, what is it?” said Pascal. - -“A number of people?”. replied Ali. - -“Where?” asked Pascal. - -“Yonder, on the road leading to the church,” replied Ali. - -In fact, a considerable crowd of people were passing along the winding -road that led to the church. Bruno saw that it was a marriage procession -on its way to the chapel of St. Rosalie. - -“Direct the boat’s head to the shore, and row quickly,” he cried, -starting up and standing in the boat. - -The boy obeyed, seized the oars, and the little vessel seemed to fly -over the surface of the sea; the nearer they approached the shore the -more terrible the features of Bruno became: at length, when they were -within half a mile of the land, he cried out, in an accent of deep -despair-- - -“It is Teresa! They have hurried on the ceremony; they would not wait -until Sunday for fear I should have carried her off. God knows, I have -done all in my power to bring this affair to a happy conclusion--but -they would not have it, so woe betide them!” - -At these words, Bruno, assisted by Ali, hoisted the sail of his little -bark, which, doubling Mount Pellegrino, disappeared at the end of two -hours behind Cape Gollo. - - - - - - -CHAPTER III.--THE FATAL BRIDAL. - -Pascal was not deceived in his conjectures: the countess, afraid of some -attempt on the part of Bruno, had hurried on the marriage three days -before the appointed time without informing Teresa of her interview -with her old lover; and the young people had selected the chapel of St. -Rosalie, the patroness of Palermo, for the celebration of the ceremony. - -This was another of the characteristics of Palermo, that city of love; -it had placed itself under the protection of a young and pretty saint! -Thus, St. Rosalie was at Palermo what St. Januarius is at Naples, the -omnipotent distributor of the blessings of heaven; but superior to -St. Januarius, as she was of a royal French race, being descended from -Charlemagne; this was proved by her genealogical tree, painted above the -door on the exterior of the chapel; a tree whose trunk issues from -the breast of the conqueror of Vitikind, and after dividing into many -branches, it reunites at the summit to give birth to the Prince of -Sinebaldo, the father of St. Rosalie; but her noble birth, the riches of -her house and her own beauty had no effect on the young princess; at the -age of eighteen she quitted the court, and, bent upon living a life of -contemplation, she suddenly disappeared, and no one knew what had become -of her; it was only after her death that she was found, as beautiful and -perfect as if she still lived, in the grotto in which she had taken up -her abode, and in the attitude in which she had fallen asleep. In after -times, a chapel was erected over this grotto, and in this chapel Teresa -and Gaetano were married. - -The ceremony having concluded, the marriage procession returned to -Palermo, where vehicles were in readiness to take the guests to the -village of Carini, the princely fief from which Rodolpho took his title; -there, by the care of the countess, a magnificent repast was prepared. -The country people in the neighbourhood had been invited, and they had -flocked to the feast from four or five leagues round. The tables were -arranged on an esplanade, shaded by the foliage of green oaks and -parasol-like firs, perfumed by orange and lemon trees, and surrounded by -hedges of pomegranate and Indian fig-trees--a double blessing bestowed -by Providence, who, providing for the hunger and thirst of the poor, has -planted these fruitful trees like so much manna over the whole surface -of Sicily. - -This esplanade was reached by a road, the sides of which were planted -with aloes, whose giant blossoms, seen from a distance, resembled the -lances of Arab horsemen; while to the south, the view was bounded by the -palace. Above the terrace, from which the chain of mountains rises -that separate the island into three parts--the eastern, northern, -and western--at the extremity of these three valleys, the magnificent -Sicilian sea was seen in three places; and, by its varying tints, it -might have been taken for three distinct oceans; for, on account of -the varied light produced by the sun just beginning to disappear in -the horizon, on the side of Palermo it was an azure blue, round the -Isoladette Donne it rolled its silvery waves, while it fell in golden -streams against the rocks of St. Vito. - -When the dessert was served, and while the guests were at the height of -their joy, the gates of the château opened, and Gemma, leaning on the -prince’s arm, preceded by two servants carrying torches, and followed -by a host of attendants, came down the marble staircase of the villa -and went up to the esplanade. The peasants were about to rise, but the -prince made a sign they should not disturb themselves; while Gemma -and himself, having made the tour of the tables, stopped before the -newly-married couple. - -Then a domestic held out a golden cup, which Gaetano filled with -Syracuse wine. The domestic then offered the cup to Gemma, and she -uttered a prayer for the happiness of the bride and bridegroom, touched -the wine with her beauteous lips, and offered it to the prince, who -emptied it at a draught, and pouring into it a purseful of golden -ducats, desired it to be given to Teresa, for whom it was a wedding -gift. At the same instant, loud cries of “Long live the Prince of -Carini! Long live the Countess of Castel Nuovo!” were heard; and at this -moment the esplanade became illuminated as if by magic, and the -noble visitors retired, leaving behind them, like a celestial vision, -happiness and light. - -They had scarcely re-entered the castle along with their suite before -the music struck up, and the younger guests, leaving the table, -proceeded to the place prepared for the dance. According to custom, -Gaetano was about to open the ball with his bride, and for that purpose -was advancing towards her, when a stranger, who had entered by the aloe -walk, appeared on the esplanade--it was Pascal Bruno, in the Calabrian -costume we have already described, excepting that he had a pair of -pistols and a dagger at his girdle, and that his jacket, which was -thrown over his right shoulder like that of a Hussar, exposed his shirt, -stained with blood. - -Teresa was the first who noticed him; she screamed, and fixing her -terrified eyes upon him, remained pale and erect, as if she had seen a -spectre; every one turned towards the new comer, and all were silent, -anticipating some dreadful event. - -Pascal Bruno went straight up to Teresa, and stopping before her, he -folded his arms, and looked fixedly at her. - -“Is it you, Pascal?” stammered Teresa. - -“Yes, it is I,” said Bruno, in a hoarse voice; “I heard at Bauso, where -I was waiting for you, that you were about to be married at Carini, and -I have come in time, I hope, to dance the first tarantella with you.” - -“It is the right of the bridegroom,” observed Gaetano, going up to him -and interfering. - -“It is the right of the lover,” replied Bruno. “Come, Teresa, I think it -is the least you can do for me.” - -“Teresa is my wife,” exclaimed Gaetano, extending his arm towards her. - -“She is my betrothed,” cried Pascal, taking her by the hand. - -“Help! help!” exclaimed Teresa. - -Gaetano seized Pascal by the collar, but at the same instant he uttered -a loud cry and fell. Pascal’s dagger was buried in his chest up to the -hilt. The men appeared by their actions to be about to seize upon the -murderer, who quietly drew a pistol from his waist and cocked it, then -with the hand that held it, he made a sign to the musicians to play -the tarantella; they obeyed mechanically, while all the guests remained -motionless. - -“Come, Teresa,” said Bruno. - -Teresa was no longer an accountable or conscious creature, but an -automaton, whose actions were guided by fear--she mechanically obeyed, -and the horrible dance, in the presence of the corpse of the murdered -man, was danced to the last step. - -At length the musicians stopped, and Teresa, as if the music alone had -supported her, fell senseless on the body of Gaetano. - -“Thanks, Teresa,” said her partner, coldly, “that is all I wanted of -thee,” and then turning to the spectators, “and now, if any one desires -to know my name, that he may find me elsewhere, I am called Pascal -Bruno.” - -“Son of Antonio Bruno, whose head is placed in an iron cage at the -château of Bauso?” asked one of the guests. - -“Exactly so,” answered Pascal; “but if you wish to see it, you must make -haste, for I swear to you it shall not remain there much longer?” - -At these words Pascal left, and no one felt inclined to follow him; -besides, whether it arose from fear or interest, every one was engaged -about Gaetano and Teresa; one was dead--the other mad! - -The prince was not made acquainted with this terrible tragedy till the -following morning, when every effort was made to capture the murderer, -but in vain; he had escaped, no one knew how or whither. - -The countess, in consequence of this dreadful event, became more alarmed -than ever for her personal safety, particularly when she reflected that -by her duplicity, in concealing from Teresa her extraordinary interview -with Pascal, she herself had been the chief cause of the catastrophe. - -The Sunday after this occurrence there was a fête at Bauso, and the -whole village was full of life; there was drinking in every cabaret, -and broaching of barrels at every corner; the streets were noisy and -decorated with flags, and the chateau was thronged with people who had -gathered together to see the young men fire at the target, an amusement -much encouraged by King Ferdinand the Fourth during his forced sojourn -in Sicily; and many of those who were, at the time we are speaking -of, about to devote themselves to this exercise, had very recently, as -followers of Cardinal Ruffo, had occasion to exhibit their skill against -the patriots of Naples and the French republicans; but on this occasion -it was merely a trial of skill, the prize being a silver cup. - -The target was fixed immediately below the iron cage in which the head -of Antonio Bruno was placed. The latter could only be reached by a -flight of steps in the interior of the fortress, which led to a window, -on the outside of which the cage was fixed. - -The conditions of the shooting-match were simple enough: to become -one of the candidates it was only necessary to subscribe to the common -purse, for the purpose of defraying the expense of the cup--the charge -was two carlins for each shot, for which the party received in exchange -a number, drawn by chance, which fixed the order in which each man was -to fire. The least skilful took as many as ten, twelve, or even fourteen -numbers; and those who reckoned on their superior skill not more than -five or six. - -In the midst of the confusion of drawing the numbers, a hand was -stretched out among the rest which threw down two carlins, and a voice -was heard asking for a single number. Every one turned round, astonished -at this evidence either of poverty or confidence. The man who asked for -a single number was Pascal Bruno. - -Although he had not been seen in the village for four years, every one -knew him, but still no one addressed him; but as he was known to be the -best hunter in the country, they were not astonished at his asking for -one number only--his number was eleven. - -At length the firing commenced. Every shot was greeted by shouts of -laughter or applause; but after the first few shots the laughter was -less violent. As to Pascal, he was leaning sad and pensively on -his English rifle, and seemed to take no part in the enthusiasm and -merriment of his countrymen. At length it was his turn; they called his -name, he started and raised his head as if the call was unexpected; but -recovering himself at once, he took up his position behind a cord that -was stretched across as a kind of barrier. Every one anxiously followed -the direction of his eyes, for none of the marksmen had excited so much -interest or had been watched so silently. - -Pascal himself seemed to feel the importance of the shot he was about to -take, for he fixed himself firmly, his left leg in advance, and resting -his body on his right. He placed his gun carefully to his shoulder, and, -beginning from below, he slowly raised the barrel; every one watched him -with anxiety, and they saw, with astonishment, that his aim was above -the target; but he still continued to raise his rifle, until it was in -the direction of the iron cage. Then the rifle and the marksman remained -for an instant motionless, as if they had been formed of stone; at -length he fired, and the head rolled out of the cage to the bottom of -the target. Every one shuddered, but no sound was heard at this proof of -address. - -In the midst of this silence, Pascal Bruno walked coolly up to the -target, picked up his father’s head, and without uttering a word -or looking once behind him, he took the cross road that led to the -mountains. - -The spectators saw Bruno depart without attempting to stop or follow -him; in fact, they commiserated the fate of Antonio Bruno, who was much -respected by his fellow-villagers, and appreciated this act of filial -affection in the son. - - - - - - -CHAPTER IV.--THE PRINCE AND THE BANDIT. - -Scarcely a year had passed after the events we have just related before -all Sicily--from Messina to Palermo--from Cephalu to Cape Passaro--was -filled with reports of the exploits of the bandit Pascal Bruno. -Considering the previous history of his family, his adventurous -character, and the badly-organised state of society in his native -country, it is not astonishing that Pascal Bruno should so rapidly have -become the extraordinary character he desired to be. He had, as it were, -established himself as a judge over justice itself; so that throughout -all Sicily, and particularly at Bauso and its environs, no arbitrary act -could be performed without escaping the notice of his tribunal; and as -most of his judgments affected the powerful only, the weak were almost -always on his side. - -In this manner, when some rich lord imposed a heavy rent on a poor -farmer--when a marriage was about to be broken off though the cupidity -of a family--when an iniquitous sentence was passed on an innocent -man--Bruno, after receiving notice, would shoulder his carbine, let -loose his four Corsican dogs (his only band), mount his Valda Noto -horse--half Arabian and half mountaineer, like himself--leave the little -fortress of Castel Nuovo, where he had taken up his abode, go to the -lord, the father, or the judge, and the rent was reduced, the marriage -took place, or the prisoner was set at liberty. - -From this, it may be very well understood, that all those men to whom he -had thus been a benefactor would pay for the benefits they had received -by devotion to his interests, and that every attempt made to capture -him would be sure to fail, through the grateful watchfulness of the -peasants, who warned him by signals agreed on beforehand of the dangers -that threatened him. - -Then, again, the most strange tales were told of him by everybody; -for the simpler men’s minds are, the fonder they are of believing the -marvellous. They said, that on a stormy night, when the whole island -trembled, Pascal Bruno entered into a compact with a sorceress, by which -he obtained from her, giving his soul in exchange, the gift of being -invisible, and the faculty of transporting himself in an instant -from one end of the island to the other; as well as being rendered -invulnerable, either by lead, iron, or fire. The bargain, they said, -was to stand good for three years, Bruno having only signed it for the -purpose of accomplishing an act of vengeance, for which purpose this -term, short as it was, would be sufficient. - -As for Pascal, far from destroying this belief, he perceived it was -beneficial to him, and he endeavoured, on the contrary, to give it the -appearance of truth. These various tales had often afforded him the -means of establishing his invincible nature, by attributing to it a -knowledge of circumstances which it must be imagined would otherwise -have been perfectly unknown to him. The speed of his horse, by whose aid -he could find himself in the morning at incredible distances from the -place where he had been seen at night, convinced them of his locomotive -faculty. A circumstance, also, of which he had taken advantage, like -a skilful man, had left no doubt of his invulnerable nature; it was as -follows:-- - -The murder of Gaetano had produced a great sensation; the Prince of -Carini had given orders to all the commanders of companies to endeavour -to arrest the assassin, who, however, led those who followed him a long -chase through his audacity and cunning; they had, therefore, transmitted -these orders to their agents. - -The chief justice of Spadafora was informed, one morning, that Pascal -Bruno had passed through the village during the night on his way to -Divieto; the two following nights, therefore, he placed men in ambuscade -on the road-side, thinking he would return by the same road he had taken -when going, and take advantage of the night to perform his journey. - -Wearied out by their two nights’ watching, the morning of the third day, -which was Sunday, the soldiers had assembled at a drinking-shop -about twenty steps from the road-side: they were about to begin their -breakfast, when some one brought them word that Pascal Bruno was quietly -coming along the road from the direction of Divieto: as they had no time -to conceal themselves, they waited for him where they were, and when he -was within fifty yards of the inn, they sallied out and drew up before -the door, without, however, appearing to notice him. Bruno, on his side, -saw these preparations for the attack without any apparent uneasiness, -and, instead of retracing his steps, an easy task, he put his horse into -a gallop and continued his journey. As soon as the soldiers perceived -his intention, they got their muskets ready, and the moment he passed -before them, the whole company saluted him with a general discharge; -but neither horse nor rider was touched, and they emerged safe and sound -from the cloud of smoke in which they had been for an instant enveloped. -The soldiers looked at them and shook their heads, and proceeded to -recount what had happened to the judge of Spadafora. - -The report of this adventure reached Bauso the same evening; and several -of the inhabitants, whose imagination was more lively than that of their -neighbours, began to think Pascal Bruno was enchanted, and that lead and -iron when they struck him became soft and flattened. The next day this -assertion was proved by incontestable evidence; for they found his -jacket at the justice’s door, pierced in thirteen places by bullets, -and the thirteen flattened balls were found in one of the pockets. Some -unbelievers, however, and among them was Caesar Alletto, a notary of -Calvaruso, from whose lips we had these particulars, maintained that the -bandit himself, having miraculously escaped from the volley of musketry, -and wishing to profit by the circumstance, had hung his jacket to a tree -and pierced it with bullets in thirteen places. But, notwithstanding -this opinion, the majority were convinced of his bearing a charmed life, -and the terror Pascal already inspired was considerably increased. - -This dread of Bruno was so great and so well established that, spreading -from the lower orders, it had infected even the higher classes, and -to such an extent that, a few months before the time at which we have -arrived, being in want of two hundred ounces of gold for one of his -philanthropic projects (it was to rebuild an inn which had been burnt -down), he addressed himself to the Prince of Butera to obtain a loan of -the money, describing to him a place in the mountains where he would -go to receive it, and begging of him to bury it at the precise spot, -so that on the night he mentioned he might go and seek it. In case this -request, which, however, more resembled a command, was not attended to, -Bruno warned the prince there would be open war between the king of the -mountains and the king of the plains; but that if, on the contrary, the -prince would be kind enough to lend it to him, the two hundred ounces -of gold would be faithfully returned out of the first money he should be -able to carry off from the royal treasure. - -The prince of Butera was one of those characters which have become -extremely rare in modern times: he was one of the ancient Sicilian -nobility, as adventurous and chivalrous as the Normans, by whom their -constitution and society were formed. His name was Hercules, and he -seemed formed after the model of that ancient hero. He could knock down -a restive horse with a blow of his fist; break a bar of iron, half -an inch thick, on his knee; and bend a piastre with his finger. An -occurrence, in which he had exhibited the greatest presence of mind, -had made him the idol of the people of Palermo. In 1770, there was a -scarcity of bread in the city; a riot was the consequence; the governor -had appealed to the ultima ratio, and the cannon were drawn out in the -Toledo street; the people were moving towards the guns; the gunner, with -match in hand, was in the act of firing on the people, when the Prince -of Butera seated himself over the mouth of a cannon, as coolly as if it -had been a chair, and in that situation made so eloquent and rational -a speech that the mob dispersed of its own accord, and the gunner threw -away the match, and the gun returned into the arsenal innocent of human -blood. But this was not the only cause of his popularity. - -He was in the habit every morning of walking on his terrace, which -overlooked the Place de la Marine, and as the gates of his palace were -open to everybody, at daybreak he always found a number of poor people -assembled; on that account he constantly wore a huge buckskin waistcoat, -whose immense pockets were filled every morning by his servant with -carlins and half-carlins, all of which, to the very last piece, -disappeared during his walk, and that with words and actions that -belonged to himself alone, so that he always seemed as if he was about -to knock down those on whom he was bestowing charity. - -“Your excellency,” said a poor woman, surrounded by her family, “have -pity on a poor mother with five children.” - -“An excellent reason,” replied the prince, in an angry tone; “am I their -father?” and shaking his fist in her face, he dropped a handful of money -into her apron. - -“My lord prince,” said another, “I am without food.” - -“You fool,” replied the prince, giving him a cuff, and at the same time -enough to procure him food for a week; “do I make bread? Why do you not -go to the baker’s?” - -On this account, whenever the prince passed along the street every head -was uncovered, and if he had said the word, he might have been made -King of Sicily; but that idea never entered his head, and so he remained -Prince of Butera. - -This liberality of his, however, met with a reprover, and that within -the walls of the prince’s palace, and this reprover was his major-domo. -It is clear that a man with a character like that we have endeavoured to -trace must necessarily keep a splendid table; in fact, he kept in -every sense of the word open house, so that every day he had from -five-and-twenty to thirty guests at the least to dine with him; among -these, seven or eight were perfect strangers to him; while, on the other -hand, there were others who seated themselves as regularly as boarders -at a table d’hôte. - -Among these last there was a certain Captain Altavilla, who had gained -his epaulettes by following Cardinal Ruffo from Palermo to Naples; and -who returned from Naples to Palermo with a pension of a thousand ducats. -Unfortunately, the captain was somewhat of a gambler, and this would -have caused his pension to be insufficient for his wants, if he had not -discovered two plans by means of which his quarterly pay had become the -least important part of his revenue; the first of these plans, and one, -as I have already said, that was open to all the world, was to dine -every day with the prince; and the second was, every day, with the most -scrupulous regularity, to put the silver cover of the plate off which he -had dined into his pocket. - -The manouvre continued for some time before this daily abstraction was -noticed; but, well furnished as the plate-chests of the prince might -be, they began to exhibit certain vacant spaces. The suspicions of -the major-domo immediately fell on the follower of Cardinal Ruffo; -he, therefore, carefully watched him, and after two or three days his -suspicions were changed into certainty. - -He immediately informed the prince of the discovery he had made, who -reflected for an instant, and then answered, that so long as the captain -merely took his own cover he should take no notice; but that if he put -his neighbour’s into his pocket, why then he would consider how he would -act. In consequence of this, Captain Altavilla continued to be one of -the most regular guests of his excellency Prince Hercules de Butera. - -The prince was at Castrogiovanni, where he had a villa, when Bruno’s -letter was brought to him. He read it, and asked if the messenger was -waiting for an answer. He was told, “no” and immediately he put the -letter into his pocket, with as much sang froid as if it had merely been -on some trivial subject. - -The night fixed upon by Bruno had arrived; the spot he had indicated -in his letter was on the southern ridge of mount Etna, near one of the -numerous extinct volcanoes that were indebted for their existence of a -day to its eternal fires--an existence, nevertheless, sufficient for the -destruction of cities. The volcano in question was called Montebaldo; -for each of these terrible hills received a name at the time it was -raised up from the earth. Ten minutes’ walk from its base a colossal -and isolated tree arose, called the chesnut of a hundred horses, because -around its trunk, the circumference of which is equal to 178 feet, and -beneath its foliage, which of itself forms a forest, a hundred horsemen -and their steeds can take shelter. - -It was at the root of this tree Bruno was to seek the money he wished to -borrow of the prince; consequently, about eleven o’clock in the evening -he left Centorbi, and towards midnight he began to discern by the light -of the moon the gigantic tree, and the small house built between its -stems, in which its immense produce is harvested. As he drew near, -Pascal thought he could distinguish a shadow cast upon one of the -five trunks which arose from the same root. Soon afterwards the shade -appeared a reality; the bandit stopped, cocked his carbine, and cried, -“Who goes there?” - -“A man, to be sure!” exclaimed a powerful voice. “Why, zounds! you did -not expect the money could come alone?” - -“No, certainly not,” said Bruno; “but I did not think the man who -brought it would have been bold enough to wait for my coming.” - -“Then you are not acquainted with Prince Hercules de Butera? that is -all.” - -“How! yourself my lord?” said Bruno, throwing his carbine over his -shoulder and advancing hat in hand to the prince. - -“Yes, it is I, you rogue,” replied the prince; “I, who thought a bandit -might be in want of money the same as any other man; and I did not wish -to refuse my purse even to a bandit, only I took the fancy of bringing -it myself for fear he should imagine I was afraid of him.” - -“Your excellency is worthy of your high reputation,” said Bruno. - -“And you, are you deserving of yours?” asked the prince. - -“It depends upon how I have been spoken of to your excellency,” said -Bruno, “for I have more than one reputation.” - -“Good,” continued the prince; “I see you are not deficient in ability -or resolution; I admire brave men, let me meet with them where I will. -Listen to me; will you change your Calabrian dress for the uniform of a -captain and fight against the French? I will raise a company for you on -my own estates, and purchase your epaulettes.” - -“Thank you, my lord, thank you,” said Bruno, “your offer is like that -of a magnificent prince; but I have a certain act of vengeance to -accomplish that will keep me for some time longer in Sicily; after that -we shall see.” - -“Well,” said the prince, “you are free; but, believe me, you had better -accept my offer.” - -“I cannot, your excellency,” said Bruno. - -“Well then,” said the prince, “here is the money you asked for; go to -the devil with it, and take care you don’t get yourself hanged on the -gibbet opposite my door on the Place de la Marine.” - -Bruno balanced the purse in his hand. - -“It seems to me that the purse is very heavy, my lord,” said he. - -“That is because I did not wish a fellow like you should be able to brag -that he had fixed a limit to the liberality of the Prince of Butera; -so, instead of the two hundred ounces of gold you asked for, I have put -three hundred in the purse.” - -“Whatever sum you have been pleased to bring, my lord, it shall be -faithfully returned to you,” said Bruno. - -“I give; I never lend,” said the prince. - -“And I borrow or I steal--I never beg,” replied Bruno; “take back your -purse, my lord, I shall address myself to Prince Ventimille, or to -Prince de la Cattolica.” - -“Well, let it be so,” said the prince; “I never met with a more -capricious bandit: four rascals like you would drive me mad; so I shall -leave. Farewell!” - -“Adieu, my lord!” said Bruno, “and may St Rosalie protect you.” - -The prince departed, with his hands in the pockets of his buckskin -waistcoat, and whistling a favourite air; Bruno remained motionless -watching his departure, and it was not until he had lost sight of him -that he, on his side, retired, heaving a deep sigh. - -The next day, the innkeeper whose house had been burned down received, -by the hands of Ali, the Prince of Butera’s three hundred ounces of -gold. - - - - - - -CHAPTER IV.--THE ROBBER’S CASTLE. - -Some time after the event we have just related, Bruno learnt that a -convoy of money, escorted by four gens-d’armes and a brigadier was about -to leave Messina for Palermo; it was the ransom of the Prince Moncada -Paterno; which, in consequence of a financial operation, which did great -honour to the imagination of Ferdinand the Fourth, had just helped -to swell the Neapolitan budget instead of increasing the treasure of -Casuba, according to its first destination. - -The following is the history of the transaction, as it was told me -in Sicily, and, as it is as curious as it is authentic, we think it -deserves the trouble of being told; besides, it will give some idea of -the simple manner in which taxes are imposed in Sicily. - -We have already related the manner in which the Prince de Moncada -Paterno was made prisoner by the Barbary Corsairs near the little -village of Tugello, on his return from the island of Pantalleria. He was -carried, along with all his followers, to Algiers, and there the price -of his ransom and that of his attendants was modestly fixed at the sum -of five hundred thousand piastres (about one hundred thousand pounds -sterling), half to be paid before his departure, and the other half -after his return to Sicily. - -The prince wrote to his steward to inform him of the situation in -which he found himself placed, and desired him to send, as quickly as -possible, the two hundred and fifty thousand piastres in exchange for -which he was to be liberated. As the Prince of Moncada Paterno was one -of the richest noblemen in Sicily, the sum was easily made up and sent -to Africa; and faithful to his promise, like a true follower of the -prophet, the Dey released the Prince of Paterno, taking his word of -honour that before a year had passed by he would remit the remaining two -hundred and fifty thousand piastres. - -The prince returned to Sicily and endeavoured to collect the -sum necessary for the second instalment of his ransom in his own -principality, when an order came from Ferdinand IV., who, seeing that he -was at war with the regency, had no wish that his subjects should enrich -his enemies; he therefore opposed the proceedings of the prince, and -ordered the two hundred and fifty thousand piastres in question to be -paid into the treasury at Messina. - -The Prince of Paterno, who was a man of honour a well as a faithful -subject, obeyed the order of his sovereign and the voice of his -conscience at the same time, so that his ransom cost him seven hundred -and fifty thousand piastres, two-thirds of which were sent to the -infidel Corsair, and the other third placed at Messina in the hands of -the Prince de Carini, the agent of the Christian pirate. This was the -sum the viceroy was sending to Palermo, the seat of government, under -the escort of four gens-d’armes and a brigadier; the last being likewise -charged with the duty of delivering a letter from the prince to his dear -Gemma, whom he requested to join him at Messina, where the business of -government would still detain him for several months. - -On the evening when the convoy would have to pass near Bauso, Bruno -unfastened his four Corsican dogs, crossed the village, of which he had -become the lord, in their company, and placed himself in ambuscade on -the road between Divieto and Spadafora. He had remained there about an -hour, when he heard the wheels of a waggon and the tramp of horsemen. He -looked to the priming of his carbine, satisfied himself that his dagger -was not fixed in its sheath, whistled to his dogs, who laid themselves -down at his feet, and remained standing upright in the middle of the -road. - -A few minutes afterwards, the convoy appeared at a turning in the road, -and advanced to within fifty paces of the man who was waiting for its -coming up. When the gens-d’armes perceived him, they hailed him with, -“Who goes there?” - -“Pascal Bruno,” replied the bandit; and, at the sound of a peculiar -whistle, his powerful dogs, trained for the purpose, fiercely attacked -the little troop. - -At the name of Pascal Bruno, the four gens-d’armes had taken to their -heels, and the dogs by natural instinct pursued the runaways. The -brigadier, who remained alone by the waggon, drew his sabre and rushed -at the bandit. Pascal raised his carbine to his shoulder as coolly and -slowly as if he were about to shoot at a mark, determining not to fire -until the horseman was within ten paces of him; but the instant he -placed his finger on the trigger, and before he had time to fire, both -horse and man rolled in the dust. Ali had stealthily followed without -saying a word to Bruno, and seeing the brigadier about to charge him, he -had crawled along the road like a serpent and cut the horse’s hamstrings -with his yataghan. As to the brigadier, his fall was so rapid and -unexpected that his head struck against the stones, and he was rendered -totally insensible. - -Bruno went up to him, after satisfying himself that there was no feint -attempted to be practised upon him, and with the assistance of Ali he -placed him in the waggon he had so lately escorted; then placing the -reins in the hands of the young Arab, he desired him to take the waggon -and the brigadier to the fortress. Bruno himself then went up to the -wounded horse, took the brigadier’s carbine from the saddle, to which it -was attached, and searched in the holsters and took out a roll of paper -which he found there; he then whistled to his dogs, who returned with -their mouths covered with blood, and followed the capture he had just -made. - -When he arrived in the court-yard of his little fortress, he closed the -gate behind him, took the brigadier (who was still insensible) on his -shoulder, carried him into a room, and placed him on a mattress on which -he was in the habit of throwing himself with all his clothes on; then, -whether through forgetfulness or imprudence, he placed the carbine he -had taken from the saddle in a corner, and left the room. - -Five minutes afterwards the brigadier opened his eyes, looked round, -and found himself in a place that was completely unknown to him; and, -believing he was under the influence of a dream, he felt round him to -ascertain whether he was really awake. It was then that he felt a pain -in his forehead, and placing his hand on it, he withdrew it covered -with blood: he found that he was wounded. The wound brought back his -recollection, and he remembered he had been stopped on the road by a -single man, deserted in a most cowardly manner by the gens-d’armes who -accompanied him, and that at the instant he was about to attack that -man his horse suddenly fell; beyond that he could recall nothing to his -mind. - -The brigadier was a brave man, but he felt that the responsibility of -this disastrous adventure rested on him, and his heart was filled with -shame and rage at the disgraceful conduct of his men. He looked round -the room to discover if possible where he was; but everything was -strange to him. He rose, went to the window, and saw that it overlooked -the country. It was then that a ray of hope entered his breast, for he -could easily leap out of the window, go in search of assistance, and -return and avenge himself upon his captor. - -He had just opened the window for the purpose of executing his project -when, casting a parting glance into the chamber, he perceived his -carbine standing near the head of the bed; at this unexpected sight -his heart beat violently, for other thoughts besides those of flight -instantly took possession of his mind. He looked round to ascertain -whether he was really alone, and when he was satisfied that no one had -seen or could see him, he seized the weapon, in which he saw a more -hazardous means of safety, but a speedier vengeance. After having -ascertained that the priming was safe, and finding, by passing the -ramrod down the barrel, that it was loaded, he replaced it where he had -found it, and lay down as if he had not as yet recovered his senses; -but he had scarcely stretched himself out on the mattress before Bruno -entered the room. - -He had a piece of lighted fir in his hand, which he threw into the -fire-place, where he set fire to the wood already placed there for the -purpose; then he went to a cupboard formed in the wall, and took out two -plates, two glasses, two flasks of wine, and a roast shoulder of mutton, -which he placed on the table, and appeared to be waiting until the -brigadier recovered his consciousness that he might do the honours of -the repast. - -The room in which the scene we are narrating took place was longer than -it was wide, having a single window at one end, a single door at the -other, and the chimney between the two. The brigadier, now a captain of -the gens-d’armes at Messina, who has given us all these particulars, was -lying down, as we have said, parallel to the window; Bruno was standing -before the fire-place, with his eyes vaguely fixed on the door, and he -appeared to become every instant more and more thoughtful. - -This was the moment for which the brigadier was waiting--the decisive -moment when he must stake everything for one object--life against life, -head against head. He rose, resting upon his left hand, and stretched -out his other slowly towards his carbine, but without taking his eye off -Bruno; he took hold of it between the lock and the butt-end, and then -remained an instant in that position without daring to make another -movement, alarmed even at the beating of his own heart, which was so -violent that the bandit might almost have heard it had he not been so -entirely lost in thought; then, seeing that he gave himself up to his -fate as it were, he resumed his confidence, rose on one knee, looked -once more at the window, his only means of retreat, placed the carbine -to his shoulder, took aim at Bruno like a man who knew that his life -depended on his self-possession, and fired. - -Bruno quietly stooped down, picked up something that lay at his feet, -held the object to the light, and, turning towards the brigadier, who -remained mute with astonishment-- - -“Comrade,” he said, “when next you attempt to shoot me let your balls be -of silver, for unless they are they will be only flattened against me in -this manner. However, I am happy you have so far recovered yourself, for -I begin to feel hungry; we will, therefore, if it is agreeable, sit down -to our supper.” - -The brigadier remained in the same attitude in which he had fired, his -hair bristling on his head, and the perspiration standing in thick drops -on his forehead. The next instant the door opened, and Ali, yataghan in -hand, rushed into the room. - -“It is nothing, my boy, nothing,” said Bruno; “the brigadier discharged -his carbine, that is all; make yourself easy, and go to rest; have no -fear for me.” - -Ali left the room without answering, and went and laid himself down -across the first door-way upon the panther’s skin that served him for a -bed. - -“Well,” continued Bruno, turning towards the brigadier and filling the -two glasses with wine, “did you not hear me?” - -“I did,” replied the brigadier, rising, “and since I have not been able -to kill you, were you the very devil himself, I would drink with you.” - -Uttering these words, he walked boldly up to the table, took up the -glass, touched the brim of Bruno’s, and drank off the wine at a draught. - -“What is your name?” asked Bruno. - -“Paolo Tommassi, brigadier of gens-d’armerie, at your service,” was the -reply. - -“Well, Paolo Tommassi,” continued Bruno, placing his hand on his -shoulder, “you are a brave fellow, and I have a great inclination to -make you a promise.” - -“What is it?” asked the brigadier. - -“To let no one but you,” said Bruno, “obtain the reward of three -thousand ducats that is set upon my head.” - -“That is an excellent idea,” observed the brigadier. - -“Truly so; but it must first come to maturity,” said Bruno; “in the -meantime, as I am not yet tired of my life, take a seat, and let us sup; -and we will talk the matter over by-and-by.” - -“May I cross myself before I eat?” said Tommassi. “Certainly,” replied -Bruno. - -“I thought it might, perhaps, be unpleasant to you,” said the brigadier; -“we are not always sure.” - -“Anything you like,” said Bruno. - -The brigadier made the sign of the cross, seated himself at the table, -and attacked the shoulder of mutton like a man whose conscience was -perfectly at ease, and who knew that he had done, under very difficult -and trying circumstances, all that a brave soldier could do. Bruno kept -him nobly in countenance; and, certainly, to see these two men seated at -the same table, drinking out of the same bottle, and helping themselves -from the same dish, no one would have imagined that each in his turn -had, within the last hour, done all he could to kill the other. - -For an instant they were both silent, partly on account of the important -business in which they were engaged, and partly from the preoccupation -of their minds. Paolo Tommassi was the first to give utterance to the -double idea on which his mind was engaged. - -“Comrade,” he said, “you live well here; it must be allowed you have -excellent wine, certainly, and you do the honours of the table like a -right-good fellow; but I acknowledge I should enjoy all this much better -if I knew when I was to leave here.” - -“To-morrow morning, I presume,” replied Bruno. “You will not keep me -here as a prisoner, then?” asked the brigadier, eagerly. - -“A prisoner! why what the devil should I do with you here?” asked Bruno. - -“Hem!” said the brigadier, “so far it is not so bad; but--” he -continued, evidently embarrassed, “that is not all.” - -“What else is there?” said Bruno, filling the brigadiers glass. - -“Why--is--” said the brigadier, holding his glass up before the lamp; -“it is rather a delicate question, you see.” - -“Go on,” said Bruno; “I am listening.” - -“You will not be angry, I hope, at what I am about to say?” - -“I think you ought to know my character better by this time,” said -Bruno. - -“True, true, you are not irritable, I know that well,” said the -brigadier. “I am speaking about a certain waggon--there, now its out.” - -“That is down in the court-yard,” observed Bruno, holding his glass up -to the light in his turn. - -“I am rather doubtful,” replied the brigadier; “but you understand me, I -cannot go without my waggon.” - -“Very well, then, you shall take it with you,” said Bruno. - -“Untouched?” - -“Hum!” said Bruno; “it will not be much short, considering the sum it -contains. I shall only take what I am absolutely in need of.” - -“Are you in want of much?” asked the brigadier, with anxiety. - -“I want three thousand ounces,” said Bruno. - -“Well, that is reasonable enough,” said the brigadier; “a good many -people would not be so delicate as you are.” - -“You may make yourself quite easy in the matter, for I will give you a -receipt for what I take,” said Bruno. - -“Talking of receipts,” said the brigadier, rising, “that’s well thought -of, for it reminds me of some papers I had in my holsters.” - -“Don’t make yourself uneasy about them,” observed Bruno; “here they -are.” - -“You will do me the greatest service by returning them to me,” said the -brigadier. - -“I know that,” said Bruno, “for I have satisfied myself of their -importance; the first is your brigadier’s commission; I have made a note -at the foot of that, declaring that you have conducted yourself so -well that you deserve to be made a quarter-master. The second is -my description, and I have taken the liberty to make a few small -corrections as to particular signs; for instance, I have added charmed: -the third paper is a letter from his excellency the viceroy to the -Countess Gemma, of Castel Nuovo; and I have too much gratitude for this -lady, who has lent me this castle of hers, to place any restraint on her -loving correspondence. Here are your papers, my brave fellow; one more -glass to your health, and sleep tranquilly. To-morrow, at five o’clock, -we will put you on your road; it is much more prudent, I can assure you, -to travel by day than by night, for perhaps you may not always have the -good fortune of falling into such good hands.” - -“I think you are right,” said Tommassi, rolling up his papers, “and you -appear to me to be an honester fellow than many more apparently honest -folks of my acquaintance.” - -“I am happy to leave you with such favourable impressions on your mind,” - said Bruno, “you will sleep the more pleasantly; by-the-by, I must give -you one caution, do not go down into the court-yard, or my dogs might by -chance make a meal of you.” - -“Thank you for the caution,” said the brigadier. “Good-night,” exclaimed -Bruno, and he went out of the room, leaving the brigadier to continue -his supper, or go to sleep till the hour appointed for his departure. - -Next morning at five o’clock, according to agreement, Bruno entered his -guest’s chamber, whom he found up and ready to start, he conducted him -down stairs, and led him to the gate; there was the waggon, together -with a magnificent horse, and all the harness that belonged to the -animal Ali’s yataghan had rendered unserviceable. Bruno begged of his -friend, Tommassi, to accept of this present as a keepsake. The brigadier -was too well pleased to allow the offer to be made twice; he therefore -mounted his new steed, started the team in the waggon, and left quite -delighted with his new acquaintance. - -Bruno watched his departure, and when he was about twenty paces off, -he cried out, “Above all, do not forget to give the beautiful Countess -Gemma the Prince of Carini’s letter.” - -Tommassi made a sign with his head and disappeared round the corner of -the road. - -And now, if our readers wish to know how Pascal Bruno was not killed -by the discharge of Tommassi’s carbine, we will give them the answer we -received from Signor Caesar Aletto, the notary of Calvaruso: it is, that -it is probable that on the road to the fortress, the bandit took the -precaution of removing the bullet from the carbine. But Paolo Tommassi -always considered that it was a much simpler explanation to attribute it -to magic. - -We give our readers both these opinions, and they are at perfect liberty -to adopt that which suits them best. - - - - - - -CHAPTER VI.--A BANDIT’S GRATITUDE. - -It may well be imagined that the report of exploits like these were not -confined to the little village of Bauso: it was the general theme of -conversation among all classes. Nothing was talked of in all Sicily but -the brave brigand who had taken possession of the Castel Nuovo, and who, -from thence, like an eagle from his eyry, swooped down upon the plain, -sometimes to attack the great, and at others to assist the weak: thus -he was always on the popular side. Our readers will, therefore, not be -astonished that our hero’s name was heard pronounced at the palace of -Prince Butera, who had given a splendid entertainment at his mansion, -the Place de la Marine. - -Knowing the character of this prince, we can easily guess what a fête -must be when given by him. The one in question, however, exceeded in -splendour the ideas of the most fertile imagination. It was like an -Arabian Nights’ dream, and the remembrance of it is perpetuated in -Palermo, although Palermo is a fairy city, and is still celebrated for -its unsurpassed magnificence. - -Imagine the most splendid saloons lined with mirrors from the ceiling to -the floor, some leading to trellised walks, from the summit of which -the richest grapes of Syracuse and Lipari were hanging; others to ample -square spaces, surrounded by beautiful orange and pomegranate trees, -covered with blossoms and fruit at the same time: these spaces were -devoted to dancing English and French dances. As to the waltzers, they -wound their mazy career round two immense marble reservoirs, from each -of which sprang up beautiful jets of water, which, from the reflection -of many-coloured lamps, by which the whole was illuminated, fell like -glittering showers of diamonds. From these delightful spots long alleys -issued, sprinkled with golden-coloured sand, and leading to a little -hill, surrounded with silver vessels, containing every refreshment that -could be desired, and overhung by trees covered with crystal instead -of natural fruits: finally, on the summit of this hill, and facing -the paths that led to it, was a buffet in four divisions, constantly -replenished by means of some internal mechanism. To render the whole -more fairylike and enchanting, the musicians were invisible, and the -sound alone of their instruments reached the ears of the guests. It -might indeed have been supposed to be a fête given by the genii of the -air. - -At the same time, to animate these magical decorations, you must imagine -the most beautiful women and the most elegant cavaliers of Palermo -dressed in costumes each exceeding its neighbour in splendour and -singularity--each with a mask on the face or in the hand, breathing -the balmy air, intoxicated with the invisible harmony, and dreaming or -talking of love; but even then, you would be far from drawing a picture -of this night equal to that preserved in the memories of those that were -present when I passed through Palermo thirty-two years after it took -place. - -Among the groups that wandered through the alleys and saloons, there was -one beyond all others which attracted the attention of the crowds; it -was that which followed in the train of the beautiful Countess Gemma, -and which she drew after her as a planet does its satellites. She had -but that instant entered, accompanied by five others, who, like herself, -had assumed the costume of the thirteenth century--a dress so simple and -elegant, and which, at the same time, appeared to be expressly chosen -to set off the figure to advantage, and she advanced in the midst of -a murmur of admiration, led by the Prince de Butera himself, who, -disguised as a mandarin, received her at the entrance, and preceded her -to present her, as he said, to the daughter of the Emperor of China. - -As it was imagined that our Amphytrion intended some new surprise, they -all followed the prince eagerly, and the cortège increased at every step -it took. - -He stopped at length at the entrance of a pagoda guarded by two Chinese -soldiers, who, at a given signal, opened the door of an apartment -entirely furnished with foreign objects, in the midst of which seated -on a kind of chair, and dressed in a magnificent Chinese costume, which -alone had cost thirty thousand francs, was the Princess de Butera, who -rose as soon as she saw the countess approach, followed by a cloud of -officers, mandarins, and attendants, each more dazzling, fierce-looking, -or droll than his neighbour. This apparition had something so Eastern -and fantastic in it, that the whole assemblage, accustomed as they were -to luxury and magnificence, uttered an exclamation of astonishment. They -surrounded the princess, touched her robe, embroidered with precious -stones, shook the golden bells in her pointed hat, and for an instant -the attention of the assembly was withdrawn from the beautiful Gemma and -entirely centred in the lady of the house. Every one complimented and -admired her, and among those who uttered the most exaggerated praise -was Captain Altavilla, whom the prince had continued to receive at his -dinner parties, to the great discomfiture of his major-domo, and who had -dressed himself in full uniform for the purpose, it may be, of disguise. - -“Well,” said the Prince of Butera to the Countess of Castel Nuovo; “what -do you think of the daughter of the Emperor of China?” - -“I must say,” replied Gemma, “that it is a happy thing for His Majesty, -Ferdinand IV., that the Prince of Carini is at Messina at this moment, -for he might be induced, with a heart like his, out of regard for the -daughter, to give up Sicily to the father, and we should be obliged to -have another Sicilian Vespers against the Chinese.” - -At this instant, the Duke of Moncada Paterno, in the dress of a -Calabrian bandit, went up to the princess. - -“Will her highness permit me,” said the duke, “as a connoisseur, to -examine her magnificent costume?” - -“Sublime daughter of the sun,” said Captain Altavilla, pointing to the -prince, “take care of your golden bells, for I warn you, that you have -to do with Pascal Bruno.” - -“The princess,” exclaimed a voice, “would be safer in the company of -Pascal Bruno than in that of a certain follower of Cardinal Ruffo of my -acquaintance; Pascal Bruno is a murderer, not a thief--a bandit, and not -a cutpurse.” - -“Well answered,” observed the Prince of Butera. - -The captain bit his lips. - -“By-the-by,” said the Prince de la Cattolica, “have you heard of his -last exploit?” - -“Whose?” asked the Duke of Moncada. - -“Pascal Bruno’s,” said the prince. - -“No; what has he done?” asked the duke. - -“He has stopped a convoy of money sent by the Prince of Carini to -Palermo,” replied the prince. - -“My ransom!” exclaimed the duke. - -“By heaven!” said the prince, “your excellency will, after all, be -sacrificed to the infidels.” - -“Zounds! the king will surely not require me to have a second reckoning -with him,” replied Moncada. - -“Let your excellency be reassured,” said the voice which had just before -addressed Altavilla; “Pascal Bruno only took three thousand ounces from -the two hundred and fifty thousand piastres belonging to King Ferdinand -IV.” - -“And how do you know that, my young Albanian?” said the Prince de la -Cattolica, who was close by the speaker--a handsome young man, from -twenty-six to twenty-eight years of age, and dressed in the costume of -Vina. - -“I have heard it reported,” said the Greek, carelessly, and playing with -his yataghan; “besides, if your excellency wishes for particulars, here -is a person who can give them to you.” - -The party thus pointed out to public curiosity was no other than our -old acquaintance, Paolo Tommassi, who, strict in the performance of his -duty, had immediately on his arrival repaired to the Countess de Castel -Nuovo’s residence; but not finding her there, and hearing of the fete, -he took advantage of his situation as envoy from the viceroy to enable -him to gain admission to the gardens of the Duke de Butera. - -In an instant he found himself in the centre of an immense circle and -subjected to a thousand questions; but Paolo Tommassi was, as we have -seen, a bold fellow, and was not easily put out of countenance: he, -therefore, commenced by delivering the prince’s letter to the countess. - -“Prince,” said Gemma, after having read the missive she had received, -“you never suspected you were giving me a farewell fête; the viceroy -orders me to proceed to Messina, and being a faithful subject, I shall -begin my journey to-morrow. Thanks, my friend!” she continued, turning -to Paolo Tommassi and handing him her purse; “you may now retire.” - -Tommassi endeavoured to take advantage of this permission of the -countess, but he was too closely surrounded to make good his retreat -easily; he was, consequently, obliged to surrender at discretion--the -condition of his liberty being an exact account of his recent encounter -with Pascal Bruno. - -He related it, it must be acknowledged, with all the simplicity of real -courage; he told his auditors, without any superfluous addition, how -he had been made prisoner; how he was taken to the fortress of Castel -Nuovo; how he fired at the bandit without the ball taking any effect; -and how, finally, the latter sent him away, making him a present of a -magnificent horse in exchange for that which he had lost. - -Everybody listened to this tale, which bore the impress of truth, with -the silent attention of belief, with the exception of Captain Altavilla, -who raised some doubts as to the veracity of the honest brigadier; but, -luckily for Paolo Tommassi, the Prince de Butera himself came to his -assistance. - -“I will lay a wager,” he said, “that nothing can be more true than -what the brigadier has told us, for all the details appear to me to be -perfectly in accordance with the character of Pascal Bruno.” - -“You know him, then?” said the Prince de Moncada Paterno. - -“I do. I was in his company one night,” replied the Prince de Butera. - -“And where was that?” - -“On your estates.” - -It was now the prince’s turn; he related how Pascal and he had met -at the chesnut of a hundred horses; how he, the Prince of Butera, had -offered him a company, which he had refused; and, finally, how he had -lent him three hundred ounces of gold. - -At this last information, Altavilla could not restrain his mirth. - -“And you think, my lord,” said he, “that Bruno will bring them back?” - -“I am certain of it,” replied the prince. - -“Now we are on this subject,” interrupted the Princess of Butera, “is -there any one else in this company who has seen Pascal Bruno, and who -has spoken to him? I dote upon tales of brigands, they make me ready to -die with fright.” - -“There is the Countess of Castel Nuovo,” observed the Albanian; “she has -seen him.” - -Gemma started, and every one looked at her as if to interrogate her. - -“Can it be true?” said the prince, turning towards her. - -“Yes,” said Gemma, trembling; “but I had forgotten it.” - -“He remembers it,” muttered the young man. - -All the company pressed round the princess, who in vain endeavoured to -make excuses; she in her turn was obliged to relate the scene with -which we opened this tale to tell how Bruno entered her chamber; how the -prince fired at him; and how the bandit, to avenge himself, entered the -villa on the nuptial day and killed Teresa’s husband. This history was -the most terrible of all, and it produced a deep sensation in the -minds of the listeners; something like a shudder ran through the whole -assembly, and had it hot been for the dresses of the guests, you would -hardly have thought you were present at a fête. - -“On my honour,” said Captain Altavilla, who was the first to break -silence, “the greatest crime the bandit has committed is in rendering -this fête so melancholy; I could have pardoned him all his other -misdeeds; but for this I swear, by my epaulettes, I will have vengeance; -and from this moment I devote myself to his pursuit.” - -“Do you speak seriously, Captain Altavilla?” said the Albanian. - -“Yes, on my honour!” replied the captain; “and I here declare there is -nothing I so much wish for as to meet him face to face.” - -“That is not impossible,” observed the Albanian, coolly. - -“To the man who will render me that service,” said the captain, “I will -give--” - -“It is useless to offer a reward, captain,” interrupted the young man; -“I know a man who will render you that service for nothing.” - -“And when can I meet with this man?” repeated Altavilla, affecting a -smile of doubt. - -“If you will follow me, I will tell you,” replied the stoical Albanian. - -With these words the Albanian withdrew, as if he were inviting the -captain to follow him. - -The captain hesitated for an instant, but he had said too much to draw -back; all eyes were turned upon him, and he saw that the least show -of timidity would ruin his reputation; and besides, he considered the -proposal was a joke. - -“Come on,” he cried, “for the honour of the ladies and he followed the -Albanian. - -“Do you know who that young lord disguised as a Greek is?” said the -countess, with a trembling voice, and addressing the Prince de Butera. - -“No, on my soul, I do not,” said he. “Does any one here know him?” - -Everybody looked, but no one answered. - -“With your permission,” said Paolo Tommassi, carrying his hand to his -hat; “I know him.” - -“And who is he, my brave brigadier?” - -“Pascal Bruno, my lord,” replied Tommassi. - -The countess screamed and fainted away; and this incident put a sudden -end to the fête. - -An hour afterwards, the Prince de Butera had retired to his chamber, -and, seated in front of his desk, was arranging some papers, when his -major-domo entered. - -“What’s the matter, Jacomo?” asked the prince. - -“I always told you so, my lord,” said the major-domo. - -“Well, what have you always told me?” asked the prince. - -“That your goodness would only encourage him,” replied Jacomo. - -“Who do you mean?” asked the prince. - -“Captain Altavilla,” replied Jacomo. - -“What has he done?” asked the prince. - -“What has he done, my lord?” said Jacomo. “First, your excellency will -recollect I apprised you of his regularly putting his silver cover in -his pocket.” - -“Well, go on,” said the prince. - -“I beg your pardon,” said Jacomo; “but your excellency answered, that so -long as he only pocketed his own, nothing was to be said.” - -“I recollect I said so perfectly well,” said the prince. - -“Well, my lord,” said Jacomo, “to-day, it seems that he has not only -taken his own, but his neighbours’ also, for there are eight missing.” - -“Ha! that’s quite another affair,” said the prince; “I must communicate -with him on the matter.” - -He took a sheet of paper, and wrote the following note:-- - -“Prince Hercules de Butera has the honour of informing Captain -Altavilla, that as he no longer dines at home, and being by this -fortuitous circumstance deprived of the pleasure of seeing him as -previously, he begs he will accept the trifle he sends herewith as -a small indemnity for the change this determination must make in his -arrangements.” - -“Stay,” continued the prince, giving the major-domo fifty ounces -(twenty-six pounds sterling), “take this money, and deliver it and the -letter to-morrow to Captain Altavilla.” - -Jacomo, who knew it was no use speaking after the prince had decided, -bowed and left the room. The prince continued quietly arranging his -papers when, at the end of about ten minutes, hearing a noise at -the door of his room, he raised his head, and saw a man dressed as a -Calabrian peasant standing on the threshold, with his hat in one hand -and a bundle in the other. - -“Who is there?” said the prince. - -“I, my lord,” replied the peasant. - -“And who are you?” asked the prince. - -“Pascal Bruno,” replied the visitor. - -“And what do you come for?” asked the prince. - -“First, my lord,” said Pascal Bruno, advancing and emptying his hat full -of gold on the desk; “first, I have brought you the three hundred ounces -you so kindly lent me: they were employed for the purpose I mentioned to -you--the inn that was burnt down has been rebuilt.” - -“Ah, ah! you are a man of your word,” said the prince; “well, I am glad -of it.” - -Pascal inclined his head. - -“Then,” he added, after a short pause, “I have brought you back eight -silver covers, with your arms and cypher on them, which I found in the -pocket of a certain captain who, most likely, robbed you of them.” - -“Zounds,” said the prince, “it’s singular they should be brought back by -you; and now, what have you in that bundle?” - -“In this bundle,” said Bruno, “is the head of a wretch who abused -your hospitality, and which I have brought you as a proof of my sworn -devotion to your service.” - -Saying this, Pascal Bruno untied the handkerchief, and taking the head -of Captain Altavilla by the hair, he placed it, all bleeding as it was, -on the duke’s desk. - -“What the devil am I to do with such a present as this?” said the -prince. - -“What you please, my lord,” replied Pascal Bruno, who bowed and left the -room. - -The Prince of Butera remained alone for an instant with his eyes fixed -on the head, balancing himself in his arm-chair, and whistling his -favourite tune; he then, after an instant, rang the bell, and his -major-domo made his appearance. - -“Jacomo,” said the prince, “it is of no use going to Captain Altavilla’s -to-morrow morning; tear up the letter; keep the fifty ounces, and throw -this carrion on the dung-heap.” - - - - - - -CHAPTER VII.--A BRIGAND’S VENGEANCE. - -At the time of which we are speaking--that is, about the beginning of -the year 1804, Sicily was almost in an uncivilised state, from which -the return of King Ferdinand and its occupation by the English have -partially emancipated it. At the present day, the road which now leads -from Palermo to Messina, passing through Taormina and Catana, was -not formed, and the only one that existed, we do not say good, but -practicable to go from one capital to the other, was that which, passing -along the sea-coast, went through Termini and Cephalu; abandoned for its -new rival, it is at present scarcely frequented, except by artists in -search of the magnificent prospects it discloses at every turn. The only -mode of travelling on this road, on which no post was established, was -formerly, as at present, on the back of a mule, in a litter carried -by two horses, or in your own carriage, relays of horses being sent on -before, and placed at every fifteen leagues. - -So that the Countess Gemma de Castel Nuovo, when about to leave for -Messina, at which place the Prince of Carini had written to her to join -him, was obliged to choose one of these three modes. Travelling on a -mule was too fatiguing for her, and a journey in a litter, besides the -inconveniences of this mode of transport, the principal of which was -its slow progress, was apt to produce a feeling like sea-sickness. The -countess therefore decided, without any hesitation, in favour of the -carriage, and sent forward relays of horses to four stations on the -road, that is, to Termini, Cephalu, Saint Agatha, and Melazzo. - -Besides these precautions, the courier was ordered to lay in a store -of provisions at each of these spots, for the inns are so notoriously -deficient in the necessaries of life, that every traveller is advised -when he leaves Messina to provide himself for the journey--to purchase -cooking utensils, and to hire a cook; to these preparations an -experienced Englishman on one occasion added a tent, on account of the -deplorable state of the houses of entertainment. - -I know not whether it was a learned man, acquainted with ancient Sicily, -or a shrewd observer who thoroughly understood modern Sicily, for whom -they were at this instant preparing supper at the sign of the Cross, -the inn which had been rebuilt with the Prince of Butera’s three hundred -ounces, and situated on the road from Palermo to Messina, between Ficara -and Patti. - -The activity of the innkeeper and his wife, who, under the directions -of a foreign cook, were at the same time engaged upon fish, flesh, -and fowl, proved that the man for whom the culinary apparatus was in -requisition was determined not only to have enough, but had no objection -to a superfluity. - -He came from Messina, travelling in a carriage, and with his own horses. -He had stopped because the situation of the inn pleased him, and having -extracted from his trunk everything the most experienced traveller could -require--linen, plate, even bread and wine--he was led into the best -room, where he lighted some perfumed pastilles in a silver vase, and -waited till his dinner was ready, seated on a rich Turkey carpet, and -smoking the finest Mount Sinai tobacco in his amber chibouk, carelessly -caressing at the same time a magnificent Corsican dog of the largest -size that was lying at his feet. - -He was attentively observing the wreaths of sweet-scented smoke as they -escaped from his lips and condensed themselves on the ceiling, when the -door of the apartment opened, and the host, followed by a domestic in -the countess’s livery, appeared on the threshold. - -“Your excellency,” said the worthy man, bowing to the ground. - -“What’s the matter?” asked the traveller, but without turning his head, -and in a decided Maltese accent. - -“Your excellency,” said the host, “it is the Countess Gemma, of Castel -Nuovo.” - -“Well!” replied the traveller. - -“Her carriage has been obliged to stop at my poor inn,” said the -host, “because one of her horses became so lame that she is unable to -proceed.” - -“Well, go on,” said the traveller. - -“She had calculated,” said the host, “having no expectation of this -accident when she left St. Agatha this morning, on sleeping at Melazzo -this evening, where she has relays, so that she is entirely unprovided -with everything.” - -“Tell the countess that my cook and larder are at her service,” said the -traveller. - -“A thousand thanks in my mistress’s name,” said the servant; “but as the -countess will, no doubt, be obliged to pass the night in this inn, while -a relay of horses is brought hither from Melazzo, and as she is equally -unprovided for night as for day, she would be glad to know if your -excellency would have the gallantry to--” - -“More than that,” said the traveller; “let the countess occupy my -apartment--this room will do for her lady’s-maid, whom she will not be -sorry to have near her. As for myself, I am a man accustomed to fatigue -and privations; I will content myself with the first room that is -disengaged; go, therefore, and tell the countess she can step up at -once--the room is at liberty, and our worthy host will do the best he -can for me.” - -Speaking thus, the traveller rose, whistled to his dog, and followed the -host; and the servant at once descended to accomplish his mission. - -Gemma accepted the traveller’s offer as a queen would the homage of a -subject, and not as a woman who accepts a service from a stranger; she -was so accustomed to see everything submit to her will, and everybody -obey her voice, and even her look, that she saw nothing striking in the -extreme gallantry of the traveller. - -It is true she looked so beautiful as she moved towards the apartment, -resting on the arm of her attendant, that every one bent before her. -She was dressed in a most elegant riding-habit, fitting tightly over the -arms and bust, and ornamented with silk braiding. For fear of the cold -air of the mountains, she wore round her neck a beautiful sable boa, -purchased by the Prince Carini of a Maltese merchant who had brought it -from Constantinople. On her head she wore a little black velvet hat, of -a fanciful shape, like the head-dresses worn in the middle ages; and -her long and magnificent tresses hung down in ringlets after the English -fashion. But, prepared as she was to find a room ready to receive her, -she could not avoid being astonished when she entered at the elegant -manner in which the traveller had concealed the poor appearance of the -apartment. - -All the utensils of the toilet were of silver, the cloth that covered -the table was of the finest texture, and the oriental perfumes burning -on the mantelpiece seemed fit for a harem. - -“See, Gidsa, am I not predestined?” said the countess; “an awkward -servant shoes my horses badly, I am obliged to stop, and my good genius, -who finds me in this state of embarrassment, builds a fairy palace for -me on the road.” - -“Has madame la comtesse,” said Gidsa, “no suspicion who this good genius -may be?” - -“Really none,” said the countess. - -“It seems to me,” said the waiting-maid, significantly, “that madame la -comtesse ought to be able to guess!” - -“I swear to you, Gidsa,” said the countess, falling into a chair, “that -I am in a state of perfect ignorance. Come, what are your ideas on the -subject?” - -“My ideas?” said the girl. “Madame, I trust you will pardon me, although -my ideas are very natural.” - -“Oh! certainly,” replied the countess; “speak as you think.” - -“I think,” said the girl, “that perhaps his highness the viceroy, -knowing that your ladyship was on the road, had not patience to wait for -your arrival, and”-- - -“Your idea,” said the countess, “is amazingly good; indeed, it is more -than probable. Besides, who, if it were not he, would have arranged a -room like this for the purpose of giving it up to me? Now listen, you -must say nothing if Rodolpho is preparing a surprise for me. I would -give myself up entirely to it; I would not lose one of the emotions his -unexpected presence would occasion me. It is agreed, therefore, that it -is not the viceroy, but that the stranger is an unknown traveller; so -keep your probabilities to yourself, and leave me in my state of doubt; -besides, if it should be him, I shall have divined his presence, not -you. How kind my dear Rodolpho is to me! how he foresees everything! Oh! -how much he loves me!” - -“And the dinner,” said Gidsa, “that has been prepared with so much care; -do you believe that the result of mere accident?” - -“Chut! I believe nothing; I profit by the good things heaven has sent -me, and I thank God for them. See what a lucky thing it is that this -plate is here! if I had not met with this noble traveller, how should I -have been able to eat off anything else? Look at this silver goblet, you -might say it was engraved by Benvenuto. Give me some drink, Gidsa.” - -The attendant filled the goblet with water, and then added a few drops -of Lipari malvoisie, and the countess sipped it, apparently more for the -purpose of carrying the cup to her lips than because she was thirsty; it -seemed as though, by the sympathetic touch of her lips, she endeavoured -to discover whether it really was the man who loved her who had thus -provided for the wants of a woman accustomed to all that luxury and -magnificence which becomes almost an essential necessary to those who -have been used to it from infancy. - -Supper was served, and the countess ate like a fine lady, that is, -tasting of all, like the humming-bird, the bee, or the butterfly; but, -full of thought and anxiety, while she was eating, she kept her eyes -constantly fixed on the door, and started every time it opened--her -bosom was oppressed and her eyes moist; at length, she fell by degrees -into a delicious state of languor for which she herself could not -account. Gidsa perceived it and became uneasy. - -“Is your ladyship unwell?” asked the anxious attendant. - -“No,” replied Gemma, in a feeble voice; “but do you not find these -perfumes extremely oppressive?” - -“Does your ladyship wish me to open the window?” asked Gidsa. - -“No, no,” replied the countess, “pray do not; I seem as if I should die, -but death appears to be so sweet. Take off my hat, it feels so heavy, I -cannot bear it.” - -Gidsa obeyed, and Gemma’s long hair hung down in ringlets nearly to the -ground. - -“Do you feel like me, Gidsa,” asked the countess, “an incomprehensible -feeling of pleasure? A kind of heavenly sensation flows through my -veins: I must have drank a charmed philter; help me to rise, and lead me -to the mirror.” - -Gidsa supported the countess and led her towards the mantelpiece; when -she reached it, she rested both elbows upon it, placed her head in her -hands, and looked at her beautiful face in the glass. - -“Now, let everything be taken away, then undress me, and leave me -alone.” - -The attendant obeyed her mistress; the servants of the countess cleared -the table, and when they had left, Gidsa performed the second part -of her mistress’s orders, who still remained before the glass, merely -raising her arms languidly one after the other, to make it just possible -for her maid to perform the necessary duties, which were in a short time -accomplished--the countess still remaining in the species of ecstacy -into which she was plunged; then, as her mistress had directed her, she -went out and left her alone. - -The countess completed the remainder of her toilet in a state resembling -somnambulism; she retired to rest, and remained for an instant leaning -on her elbow, with her eyes fixed on the door; then by degrees, and -notwithstanding all her efforts to keep awake, her eyelids became heavy, -her eyes closed, and she sank upon her pillow, heaving a long deep sigh, -and murmuring Rodolpho’s name. - -The next morning, when she awoke, Gemma stretched out her hand as if she -expected to find some one by her side; but she was alone, and for a few -minutes her eyes wandered round the chamber, and then turned and fixed -themselves on the table by the bedside. An open letter lay upon it, she -took it up and read:-- - - - “<i>Madame la Comtesse</i>,--I could have taken the vengeance of - a brigand upon you; I preferred to indulge myself in the - pleasure of a prince! but that, when you awake, you may not - imagine you have been in a dream, I have left you a proof of - the reality; look in your mirror. - - “Pascal Bruno.” - -Gemma’s whole frame shuddered, and a cold perspiration covered her -forehead; she stretched out her arm towards the bell-rope that she -might call for assistance, but womanly instinct arrested her arm, and -collecting all her strength, she sprang out of bed, ran to the glass, -and uttered a cry of horror. Her hair and eyebrows were completely -shorn! - -She hastily dressed herself, and enveloping her head in her veil, threw -herself into her carriage, and ordered it to be driven back to Palermo. - -The instant she arrived there, she wrote to Prince Carini, telling him -that her confessor, as an expiation for her sins, had ordered her to -shave off her eyebrows and hair, and retire for twelve months to a -convent. - - - - - - -CHAPTER VIII.---TREACHERY. - -On the 1st of May, 1805, there was a high festival at Castel Nuovo: -Pascal Bruno was in excellent humour, and gave a supper to one of -his best friends, Placido Tomaselli, an honest dealer in contraband, -belonging to the village of Gesso, and to two females the latter had -brought with him from Messina. This delicate attention sensibly effected -Bruno, and that he might not be behindhand in politeness with so -provident a comrade, he determined to perform the honours of his -domicile after the fashion of the best society. Accordingly, the finest -wines of Sicily and Calabria were selected from the cellars of the -fortress, the most noted cooks of Bauso were placed in requisition, and -all that singular luxury was displayed to which at times it pleased the -hero of our history to resort. - -The guests had only just begun dinner when Ali brought Placido Tomaselli -a letter, which a countryman from Gesso had placed in his hands. Placido -read it, and crumbling it up in a violent passion, exclaimed-- - -“Upon my word he has chosen his time very nicely.” - -“What is it, comrade?” said Bruno. - -“Perdition! why, a summons from Captain Luigi Cama, of Villa San -Giovanni.” - -“What, our purveyor of rum?” asked Bruno. - -“Yes,” replied Placido; “he informs me he is off the shore, and has -a full cargo which he wishes to dispose of before the custom-house -officers hear of his arrival.” - -“Business before all things,” replied Bruno. “I’ll wait for you. I am in -very good company, so make yourself easy; if you are not too long gone, -you will find everything you leave, and more than you can take away.” - -“It is only an hour’s work,” replied Placido, appearing to yield to the -reasoning of his host; “the beach is only about five hundred yards from -this spot.” - -“And there is the whole night before us,” observed Pascal. - -“A good appetite, comrade,” said Placido. “A successful expedition, -master,” said Bruno. Placido left the castle, and Bruno remained with -the two women, and, as he had promised his guest, proceedings did not -suffer by his absence. Bruno was amiable enough for any two, and the -conversation began to assume the most animated character, when the door -opened, and a new actor appeared on the scene. Pascal turned round and -recognised the Maltese merchant we have already spoken of several times, -of whom he was one of the best customers. - -“By St. Gregory!” he exclaimed, “you are welcome; and the more so, if -you have brought any of those Turkish pastilles, a packet of Latakia -tobacco, and a few Tunisian shawls; by-the-by, your opium acted -admirably.” - -“I am glad of it,” replied the Maltese; “but on this occasion, I have -come on quite another business.” - -“Ah! you have come to sup with me, is that it?” asked Bruno. “Pray sit -down, sit down, and once again you are welcome; there, that is a seat -fit for a king.” - -“Your wine is excellent, I know, and these ladies are charming,” replied -the Maltese; “but I have something very important to speak to you -about.” - -“To me?” asked Bruno. - -“Yes, to you,” replied the Maltese. - -“Well go on,” said Bruno. - -“I must speak to you alone,” said the Maltese. - -“Well, then,” said Bruno, “I’ll hear you tomorrow, my worthy captain.” - -“But I must inform you immediately,” said the Maltese. - -“Well, then, speak before the company,” said Bruno; “we have not too -many here, and I make it a rule when I feel comfortable never to disturb -myself, even if my life were at stake.” - -“That is the very subject I wish to allude to,” said the Maltese. - -“Bah!” replied Bruno; “heaven looks after honest men; here’s to your -health, captain.” - -The Maltese emptied his glass. - -“That’s right; now sit down and let me hear your sermon, we’ll listen to -you with proper attention.” - -The merchant perceived he must give in to the whim of his host, and he -consequently obeyed him. - -“Well, now then, what is it?” said Bruno. - -“First, then,” continued the Maltese, “you know that the justices of -Calvaruso, Spadafora, Bauso, Saponara, Divito, and Domita have been -arrested.” - -“I have heard something about it,” said Pascal Bruno, carelessly, at the -same time emptying his glass of Marsala, the best wine in Sicily. - -“But do you know the cause of their arrest?” inquired the merchant. - -“I guess at it,” said Bruno; “is it not because the Prince of Carini, -being in an extremely ill-humour on account of his mistress having -retired to a convent, has taken it into his head that they have been -too slow, and have shown too little skill in their attempts to arrest a -certain Pascal Bruno, whose head is worth two thousand ducats?” - -“Exactly so,” said the merchant. - -“You see,” said Bruno, “I am quite aware of what is going on.” - -“Yet, for all that,” said the Maltese, “there may be some circumstances -of which you are still ignorant.” - -“God is great! as Ali says,” replied Bruno; “but go on, and I will -acknowledge my ignorance; I wish for nothing so much as instruction.” - -“Well,” said the Maltese, “the six judges have met together, and each -has put down twenty-five ounces--that makes one hundred and fifty -ounces.” - -“Or, in other words,” replied Bruno, in the same careless tone, -“eighteen hundred and ninety livres. You see, if my books are not well -regulated, it is not for want of arithmetic. Well, what next?” - -“After that,” continued the merchant, “they offered this sum to two or -three men, known as your common associates, if they would assist them in -capturing you.” - -“Let them offer it,” said Bruno; “I am quite certain they will not meet -with a traitor within ten leagues.” - -“You deceive yourself,” answered the Maltese; “the traitor is found.” - -“Ha!” exclaimed Bruno, knitting his brow and grasping his dagger; “and -how do you know that?” - -“Why, my good fellow,” said the merchant, “in the simplest way in the -world; yesterday I was at the house of the Prince de Goto, governor -of Messina, who sent for me for the purpose of purchasing some Turkish -goods, when a servant entered the room and whispered a few words in his -ear. ‘Very well,’ said the prince, ‘let him come in.’ He then made a -sign to me to go into an adjoining room for a short time; I obeyed, -and as he never suspected that I was acquainted with you, I overheard a -conversation that concerned you.” - -“Well,” said Bruno. - -“It was the traitor,” said the Maltese; “he undertook to open the doors -of your fortress, and to place you in their hands unarmed while you were -at supper; and he himself engaged to conduct the gens-d’armes to your -dining-room.” - -“And do you know who this man is?” demanded Bruno. - -“Yes,” said the merchant. - -“His name?” said Bruno. - -“Placido Tomaselli.” - -“Confusion!” exclaimed the bandit; “he was here but an instant ago.” - -“And has he left the castle?” inquired the merchant. - -“Just before you came in,” replied Bruno. - -“Then,” said the merchant, “he has gone after the police and the -soldiers; for, as far as I can see, you were about to sit down to -supper.” - -“You see I was,” said Bruno. - -“Then I am right; and if you wish to escape, you have not a minute to -lose.” - -“I fly!” cried Bruno, laughing. “Ali! Ali!” and Ali entered the room. - -“Close the gates of the castle, my lad, and turn three of my dogs loose -in the court-yard, and send the fourth, Lionna, upstairs, and get the -ammunition ready.” - -The women began to scream. - -“My goddesses, you must be quiet,” observed Bruno, with an imperative -look; “we must have no singing here; silence, and instantly, if you -please.” - -And the women were silent. - -“Captain, you must keep these ladies company; for my part, I must go my -rounds.” - -Bruno seized his carbine, buckled on his cartouche-box, and went towards -the door; but as he was about to leave the room he stood still and -listened. - -“What is the matter?” said the Maltese. - -“Do you not hear my dogs bark? The enemy is close at hand; they were -not long behind you;--are they not fine beasts? Silence, my tigers!” - continued Bruno, opening one of the windows and giving a peculiar -whistle; “all right, all right, I am on my guard.” - -The dogs gave a low growl and were then silent. - -The women and the Maltese trembled with terror, expecting something -dreadful was about to happen, and at the same moment Ali entered the -room with Pascal’s favourite bitch, Lionna: the noble creature went -straight up to her master, reared up on her hind legs, and placing her -paws on his shoulders, she looked intelligently at him and gave a short -bark. - -“Yes, yes, Lionna, you are a fine beast,” said Bruno, patting the dog -fondly on the head; “come on, my beauty, come along.” - -And he went out, leaving the Maltese and the two women in the supper -apartment. - -Pascal went down into the court-yard, where he found the three dogs -evincing great uneasiness, but without giving any indication that the -danger was very pressing; he then opened the garden door and began to -walk round its bounds. Suddenly Lionna stopped, snuffed the air, and -walked straight up to one part of the enclosure: as soon as she reached -the wall, she reared up on her hind legs, as if she intended to scale -it, grinding her teeth, and uttering a low growl, at the same time -looking back at her master: Pascal Bruno was close behind her. - -He was at once aware that an enemy was concealed, and that at no great -distance, and recollecting that the window of the room in which Paoli -Tomassi had been confined directly overlooked this spot, he ran quickly -up stairs, followed by Lionna, who with open throat and fiery eyes -seemed to guess her master’s intention; and crossing the room in which -the two women and the Maltese were anxiously awaiting the end of the -adventure, she went into an adjoining chamber, in which there was no -light and the window was open. She had scarcely entered when, crouching -quietly on the ground, she crawled like a serpent towards the window, -and when within a few feet of the casement, before Bruno could prevent -her, she sprang through the opening like a panther, and alighted on the -ground without injury, although the height was at least twenty feet. - -Pascal was at the window nearly as soon as the dog; he saw her make -three bounds towards an olive-tree, and then heard a cry of agony: -Lionna had seized a man by the throat, who was concealed behind the -tree. - -“Help! help!” exclaimed a voice, which Pascal recognised as that of -Placido. “Help, it is I! Call off your dog, or she will tear me to -pieces.” - -“Hold him, Lionna!” exclaimed Bruno, “kill him, my good dog! Death to -the traitor!” - -Placido at once saw that Bruno had discovered all, and uttering a cry -of pain and rage, a mortal combat ensued between the dog and the man. -Bruno, resting on his carbine, calmly contemplated this singular duel -by the uncertain light of the moon. He could perceive two bodies, whose -forms were indistinct, struggling, rolling on the ground, and rising -again, and seeming as if they were but one: for the space of ten minutes -he heard their confused cries, but could not distinguish those of the -dog from the man. At the end of that time a dreadful cry was heard, and -one of them fell to rise no more--it was the man. - -Bruno whistled to Lionna, again crossed the supper-room, without -uttering a word, and went rapidly down stairs to open the door to his -favourite bitch; but at the very instant she entered, bleeding -from wounds inflicted with a knife, and even from the bites of her -antagonist, he saw the musket-barrels of soldiers glittering in the rays -of the moon, and advancing up the road that led from the village to the -fortress. He at once barricaded the door, and again entered the room in -which he had left his trembling guests. The Maltese was drinking, and -the women saying their prayers. - -“Well!” said the Maltese. - -“Well, captain?” answered Bruno. - -“What has become of Placido Tomaselli?” asked the merchant. - -“His business is settled,” replied Bruno; “but there is another legion -of devils coming upon us.” - -“And what do you mean next to do?” asked the merchant. - -“Kill as many as I can in the first instance,” said Bruno. - -“And then?” inquired the merchant. - -“Fire the fortress,” said Bruno, coolly, “and then--blow myself up along -with the rest.” - -The women hearing this began to scream most lustily. - -“Ali,” said Pascal, “take these ladies into the vaults, and give them -all they ask for except a candle, for fear they should set fire to the -powder before the proper time.” - -The poor terrified creatures fell on their knees. - -“Come, make haste!” cried Bruno, stamping his feet; “do as I order you.” - -And he uttered these words with such a look and accent, that the two -girls rose and followed Ali without daring to utter another word of -complaint. - -“And now, captain,” said Bruno, as soon as they were gone, “put out the -lights, and get into some corner where the bullets cannot reach you; for -the musicians have arrived and the ball is about to begin.” - - - - - - -CHAPTER IX.--THE SIEGE. - -A few moments after, Ali again entered the room, carrying on his -shoulders two or three muskets of the same calibre, and a basket full of -cartridges. Pascal Bruno opened all the windows, that he might be able -to face in any direction, and Ali, taking a musket in his hand, was -about to place himself at one of them. - -“No, my boy,” said Pascal, in an affectionate and parental tone of -voice, “that is no one’s duty but mine; I have no wish to attach your -fate to mine; I do not wish to drag you into the surf along with me; -you are young; nothing, as yet, has removed your life out of the beaten -track; take my advice, continue to live like the rest of the world.” - -“Father,” replied the youth, with his gentle voice, “why do you not wish -me to defend you as Lionna did? You know I have none to look to but you -in the world, and that, if you die, I must die with you!” - -“No, Ali,” said Bruno, “if I die, I shall perhaps leave behind me some -mysterious and terrible mission to be accomplished, which I can trust to -no one but my child; my boy, therefore, must live to do what his father -commands him.” - -“It is right,” said Ali; “the father is the master, and the child must -obey.” - -Ali seized Pascal’s hand, and kissed it. - -“Can I be of no service to you, father?” observed the lad. - -“Yes; load the guns,” said Bruno, and Ali addressed himself to the task, - -“And what can I do?” said the Maltese, from the corner in which he had -ensconced himself. - -“You, captain? you shall have the task of carrying the flag of truce if -it be needful.” - -At this instant Pascal Bruno saw the muskets of a second troop -descending the mountain: they advanced in so direct a line towards the -isolated olive-tree, at the foot of which lay the body of Placido, that -it was evident it was the appointed place of rendezvous. - -Those who marched first stumbled over the corpse. Upon this they formed -a circle round it; but no one could recognise it, the teeth of Lionna -had so much disfigured it; however, as it was at this olive-tree Placido -had appointed a meeting, and as the body was at its foot, and no other -living being in the neighbourhood, it was evident that the dead man was -Placido himself. - -The soldiers accordingly guessed that their plot had been discovered, -and, consequently, that Bruno was on his guard; they, therefore, began -to consider how they should act. - -Pascal, standing at the window, watched all their movements; but the -moon issuing suddenly from behind a cloud, a ray of light fell upon -his figure, and one of the soldiers seeing him, pointed him out to his -comrades. - -“The bandit! the bandit!” was heard from all the troops, and a volley of -shot was instantly poured in at the window. - -A few of the balls flattened themselves against the wall, others -whistled past the ears and over the head of the party at whom they were -directed, and lodged in the mouldings of the ceiling. - -Pascal replied by discharging four muskets in succession as they were -handed to him by Ali: four men fell. - -The soldiers, who were not troops of the line, but a kind of national -guard organised for the protection of the high road, hesitated a -little when they saw death pay them so sudden a visit; for all the men, -reckoning on Placido’s treason, had entertained the hope of making -an easy capture: instead of which, it was now evident that it was an -absolute siege they were about to undertake, and they were in want of -everything necessary for that purpose. - -The walls of the little fortress were lofty, and the gates strong--they -had neither ladders nor hatchets. There was, however, the possibility of -killing Pascal while at the window levelling his musket; but this seemed -but a poor chance to men who believed their adversary was invulnerable. - -Accordingly, the most prudent manouvre seemed to be to retire out of -gunshot and deliberate on their future proceedings; but their retreat -was not rapid enough to prevent Pascal Bruno despatching two more -messengers of death after them. - -Pascal, perceiving that the siege was raised for an instant, went to -the opposite window that overlooked the village: the discharge of the -muskets had attracted the attention of the first party, so that he had -scarcely shown himself at the opening when he was saluted with a shower -of bullets; but the same miraculous good luck again preserved him. It -seemed like enchantment: while, on his side, every shot he fired told -upon the soldiers, and Pascal was made aware of his success by the oaths -they uttered. - -A similar occurrence happened to this troop as to the other; its ranks -were thrown into disorder, but, instead of taking to flight, they stood -up close against the walls of the fortress, and by this manouvre they -made it impossible for Bruno to fire without thrusting half his body out -of the window; and, as the bandit thought it impolitic to expose himself -to unnecessary danger, the firing in consequence of this mutual act of -prudence ceased for an instant. - -“Have we got rid of them?” asked the Maltese; “may we cry Victory!” - -“Not yet,” observed Bruno, “it is only a suspension of arms; the enemy -have, no doubt, gone to the village to procure ladders and hatchets; -we shall, no doubt, soon have news of them. But make yourself easy,” - continued the bandit, filling two glasses; “as we cannot remain quiet -with them, we must give them something in return. Ali, go and fetch a -barrel of powder.--Here’s to your health, captain!” - -“What are you going to do with the powder?” asked the Maltese, with an -uneasy look. - -“Oh! not much; but you shall see!” replied Bruno. Ali entered the room, -bearing on his shoulder the barrel of gunpowder. - -“That’s right,” said Bruno; “now take a gimlet and make a hole in the -barrel.” - -Ali obeyed with the passive readiness that was the distinctive mark of -his devotion to Bruno. - -While this was going on, Pascal tore up a napkin into strips, which he -tied together, and rolled them in the powder he took out of a cartridge; -he then put this match into the hole Ali had made in the barrel, and -closed it with wet powder, which had the effect also of keeping the -match in its place. He had scarcely finished his preparations when the -sound of a hatchet was heard at the gate. - -“Am I a good prophet?” said Bruno, as he rolled the barrel towards the -door of the chamber which overlooked a staircase leading to the castle -court, and then going back to fetch a piece of lighted fir from the -fire. - -“Ah!” said the Maltese, “now I begin to understand what you are going to -do.” - -“Father,” said Ali, “they are coming from the mountain with ladders.” - -Bruno ran to the window from which he had fired in the first instance -and plainly saw his adversaries, who had procured the scaling implement -they so much needed, and, ashamed of their first retreat, were returning -to the charge with renewed confidence. - -“Are the guns loaded?” asked Bruno. - -“Yes, father,” replied Ali, handing him a carbine. - -Bruno, without looking back, took the gun the boy offered him, slowly -brought it to his shoulder, and levelled with more care than he had yet -exhibited; he fired, and one of the two men who carried the ladder fell. - -Another man took his place, and Bruno took a second musket: the other -soldier fell by the side of his comrade. - -Two other men succeeded those who were killed and fell in their turn; -upon this the scaling party, leaving their ladder, retired a second -time, after firing another volley as useless as their previous -discharges. - -In the meantime, those who were besieging the gate redoubled their -blows, and the dogs on their side barked furiously; every moment the -blows became more violent and the barking fiercer. At length, one side -of the gate was forced in and two or three men entered by the opening; -and by the cries of distress they uttered, their comrades judged that -they had fallen into the hands of more terrible enemies than they had -calculated on; but they could not fire upon the dogs without the risk of -killing the men. - -After a short time, one party of the besiegers had entered through the -door one after the other; the court was soon filled, and then began a -combat, like one of those that were exhibited in the ancient circus, -between the soldiers and the four monstrous dogs, who fiercely defended -the narrow staircase that led to the first floor of the fortress. -Suddenly, the door at the top of the staircase opened, and the barrel of -powder Bruno had prepared bounded from stair to stair and exploded like -a bombshell in the midst of the combatants. - -The explosion was terrible; one of the walls fell in ruins, and -everything in the court-yard was blown to atoms. - -The besiegers were for an instant stupefied; but in the meantime the two -troops had united themselves, and presented an effective force of more -than 300 men. A deep feeling of shame overwhelmed the multitude when -they saw themselves kept in check by a single man. - -The leaders took advantage of this feeling to encourage them, and a -breach having been made by the fall of the wall, they marched up to it -in a body in good order, and having cleared every obstacle, they spread -themselves over the whole of the court-yard and were soon before the -staircase. - -When they reached this spot, there was another moment of hesitation: at -length some of them, encouraged by their comrades, began to ascend the -stairs, the rest of the party following. The staircase was soon carried; -but those who were at the head would soon have felt an inclination -to retreat if it had been possible; this, however, was no longer the -case--they were obliged, therefore, to attempt the door, which yielded -without resistance. - -The besiegers, uttering shouts of triumph, ran round the first chamber; -but at that instant the door of the second room opened, and the soldiers -perceived Bruno seated on a barrel of gunpowder, a pistol in each hand, -while the terrified Maltese rushed through the open, doorway crying -out, in accents so full of truth and terror as to leave no doubt on the -subject:-- - -“Stand back! stand back!” he cried, “the fortress is mined; if you -advance another step we shall all be blown to atoms!” - -The door was closed as if by enchantment, and the shouts of victory were -changed into cries of terror. The whole body of the besiegers might have -been seen precipitating themselves down the narrow staircase that led to -the court-yard--some among them leaped through the windows--it seemed as -if every man felt the ground tremble beneath his feet, and at the end of -five minutes Bruno was again master of his fortress. - -As to the Maltese, he took advantage of the opportunity and left the -castle. - -Pascal, no longer hearing any sound, arose and went to the window. The -siege had been converted into a blockade; a guard was placed at every -opening, and the men who performed this duty had sheltered themselves -from the bandit’s fire behind carts and barrels. It was evident that a -new plan for carrying on the campaign had been adopted. - -“So it seems they intend to starve us out,” observed Bruno. - -“The dogs!” exclaimed Ali. - -“Do not insult the poor beasts who died while defending us, call them -men--men!” said Bruno, smiling sarcastically. - -“Father!” said Ali. - -“Well, my boy,” said Bruno, kindly. - -“Do you not see?” said Ali. - -“What?” asked Bruno. - -“That light!” - -“Ay, truly,” said Bruno; “what can it mean? It cannot be daybreak yet; -and, besides, it comes from the north, and not the east.” - -“The village is on fire!” exclaimed Ali. - -“By heavens you are right!” said Bruno. - -At that instant loud cries of distress were heard; Bruno rushed to the -door and found himself face to face with the Maltese. - -“Is that you, captain?” said Pascal. - -“Yes, it is I--I myself, don’t deceive yourself and take me for another; -I come as a friend.” - -“You are welcome,” said Bruno; “but what has taken place?” - -“That which has taken place is,” said the Maltese, “that, in utter -despair at not having taken you, the soldiers set fire to the village, -and refuse to assist in extinguishing it unless the villagers will -consent to march against you, as they have had enough of it themselves.” - -“And the peasants?” asked Bruno. - -“Have refused,” said the Maltese. - -“Ay, ay--I knew that beforehand,” said Bruno; “they had rather that -all their houses should be burned to the ground than touch a hair of -my head. Well, captain, go back to those who sent you, and tell them to -extinguish the flames.” - -“What do you mean?” asked the Maltese. - -“I will give myself up,” said Bruno. - -“Give yourself up, father?” cried Ali. - -“Yes, but I promised to surrender to one man alone, and I will only give -myself up to him. Let them, therefore, as I have said--let them put out -the flames, and then send to Messina in search of the man I shall name.” - -“And who is this man?” asked the Maltese. - -“Paolo Tomassi, a brigadier in the gendarmerie,” replied Bruno. - -“Have you any other request to make?” asked the Maltese. - -“One only,” replied Bruno, and he spoke to the Maltese in a whisper. - -“I hope you are not asking for my life?” said Ali. - -“Have I not told you I should perhaps require your assistance after my -death?” said Bruno. - -“Pardon me, father,” said Ali, “I had forgotten that.” - -“Away, captain, and do as I have said,” said Bruno; “when I see the -flames extinguished I shall know my terms are accepted.” - -“Do you not wish me to be the bearer of the news?” asked the merchant. - -“Did I not say you should be my negociator? By-the-by,” continued -Pascal, “how many houses are burnt?” - -“Two when I came away,” replied the Maltese. - -“There are three hundred and fifteen ounces in this purse, distribute -them among the sufferers.” - -“Adieu!” said the Maltese, shaking Bruno by the hand. - -Bruno threw his pistol away, again seated himself on his powder barrel -and fell into a deep reverie. - -The young Arab extended himself on his tiger’s skin, and remained -motionless, closing his eyes as if he slept. By degrees the light of the -fire expired--Bruno’s conditions had been accepted. - -At the expiration of about an hour, the door of the room opened, and a -man appeared on the threshold, who, perceiving that neither Bruno nor -Ali noticed him, gave an affected cough. - -Bruno turned round and perceived Paolo Tomassi. - -“Ah! is that you, brigadier?” said he, smiling; “it is a pleasure to -send for you--you have not kept us waiting long.” - -“Why, no,” replied the brigadier, “they met me on the road about a -quarter of an hour ago as I was bringing up my party, and they said that -you wanted to see me.” - -“It is true,” said Bruno; “I wanted to show you that I am a man of my -word.” - -“Zounds, I know that well enough,” said the brigadier. - -“And as I promised that you should receive the three thousand ducats in -question,” said Bruno, “I wish to keep my word.” - -“Perdition!” said the brigadier, with great energy. - -“What do you mean, comrade?” said Bruno. - -“I mean,” said the brigadier, “that I would rather gain three thousand -ducats in any other manner--in the lottery, for instance.” - -“And why so?” asked Bruno. - -“Because you are a fine fellow, and men like you are scarce,” was the -brigadier’s reply. - -“Bah! what’s that to you?” said Bruno; “it will be promotion for you, -brigadier.” - -“I know it,” replied Paolo, with a look of despair. “And so you mean to -deliver yourself up?” - -“I surrender,” said Bruno. - -“On your honour?” said Paolo. - -“On my honour,” replied Bruno; “therefore, you may send all those -rascals away. I wish to have nothing more to do with them.” - -Paolo Tomassi went to the window. - -“You may all of you retire,” he cried; “I will answer for the prisoner: -go and report his capture at Messina.” The soldiers shouted for joy. - -“And now,” said Bruno to the brigadier, “we will finish the supper these -fools interrupted.” - -“With all my heart,” replied Paolo, “for I have come eight leagues in -three hours, and I am dying with hunger and thirst.” - -“Well,” said Bruno, “since you are so well inclined, and as we have but -one night to spend in each other’s company, let us pass it merrily. -Ali, go and fetch the ladies out of the cellar, if they have not been -frightened to death.” - -Ali performed his mission, and the party enjoyed themselves as best -they could. In the morning, the brigadier and his prisoner set out for -Messina. - -Five days after the events we have just related, the Prince of Carini -was informed, in the presence of the beautiful Gemma, who had just ended -her penance at the Convent of the Visitation, and who had only eight -days previously returned to the world, that at length his orders had -been executed, and that Pascal Bruno was taken and placed in one of the -prisons of Messina. - -“In that case, the Prince of Goto will pay the three thousand ducats -promised for his capture; see that the brigand is tried and afterwards -executed.” - -“Dear prince,” said Gemma, in that gentle voice to whose appeal the -count could refuse nothing, “I have always been curious to see this man -of whom I have heard so much.” - -“Your wish shall be gratified, my dear angel; he shall be hanged at -Palermo.” - - - - - - -CHAPTER X.--THE CHAPELLE ARDENTE. - -According to the promise he had made his favourite, the Prince of -Carini ordered the condemned man to be sent from Messina to Palermo; and -Pascal, under a large escort of gendarmerie, was conveyed to the prison -of that city, situated behind the royal palace, and near to the asylum -for lunatics. - -Towards the evening of the second day, a priest entered his dungeon. -Pascal rose when he saw the holy man: but, notwithstanding all the -entreaties of the priest, Pascal resolutely refused to confess. The -priest continued to exhort him to unburden his guilty mind; but nothing -could induce Pascal to perform this last office of religion. And the -priest, perceiving he could not overcome his obstinacy, asked him the -reason. - -“The reason,” said Bruno, “is, that I do not wish to commit a -sacrilegious act.” - -“In what manner, my son?” inquired the priest. - -“Is not the first condition of a good confession,” said Bruno, “not only -the acknowledgment of your own sins, but the forgiveness of those of -your neighbour?” - -“Certainly,” said the priest, “there can be no complete confession -without that.” - -“Well,” said Bruno, “I have not forgiven; my confession would therefore -be imperfect, and I have no inclination to make a bad confession.” - -“Is it not,” said the priest, “more likely that you have such enormous -crimes to acknowledge that you fear they will be too great to expect -pardon? But comfort yourself, God is merciful; and where there is -repentance there is always hope.” - -“Nevertheless, my father,” said Bruno’, “if between your absolution and -my death, a wicked thought I have not the power to control should--” - -“The benefit of your confession would be lost,” said the priest. - -“It is useless then for me to confess,” observed Pascal, “for this -wicked thought will rise.” - -“Cannot you drive it from your mind?” asked the priest. - -Pascal smiled. - -“It is that thought,” said he, “that has kept me alive, father; without -that one infernal thought, without that last hope of vengeance, do you -think I would have allowed myself to be dragged forward as a disgraceful -spectacle to the multitude? No! I would have strangled myself with the -chain that binds me. At Messina, I had made up my mind to do so; and I -was about carrying my intention into effect when an order came to convey -me to Palermo--I thought she would wish to see me die.” - -“Whom do you mean?” asked the priest. - -“She,” said Bruno, with bitter emphasis. - -“But if you die in this manner,” said the priest, “without repenting, -heaven, will show you no mercy.” - -“Father,” said Bruno, “she, also, shall die without repenting, for -she shall die at the moment she least expects it; she, also, shall die -without a priest, and without confession; she, also, shall find, like -me, heaven without mercy, and we shall sink to perdition together.” - -At this instant the gaoler entered. - -“Father,” he said, “the chapelle ardente is prepared.” - -“Do you still persist in your refusal to confess, my son?” said the -priest. - -“I do persist,” said Bruno, quietly. - -“Then I shall no longer delay the mass for the dead,” said the priest, -“which I will repeat without pressing you any further; and I trust that, -while you listen, the Heavenly Spirit will visit you and inspire you -with better thoughts.” - -“It may be so, father,” said Bruno; “but I have no reason to believe it -will.” - -The gens-d’armes entered, unbound Bruno, and led him to the church of -St. François de Sales, facing the prison, and at that moment brilliantly -illuminated, for, according to custom, he was there to hear the mass -for the dead and pass the night in prayer, the execution being fixed for -eight o’clock the following morning. - -An iron ring was fixed in a pillar in the choir, and Pascal was secured -to this ring by means of a chain that went round his body, but which -was sufficiently long to enable him to reach the balustrades where the -communicants knelt. - -The instant mass commenced, the officers of the lunatic asylum brought -in a coffin, which they placed in the centre of the church: it contained -the remains of an insane person who had died during the day, and the -director thought the deceased might as well receive the benefit of the -mass that was about to be celebrated for the condemned criminal who was -to die. - -Besides, there was an economy in this arrangement, both of time and -labour for the priest; and as it accommodated all parties, no objection -was made. - -The sacristan lighted two tapers, one for the head and the other for the -foot of the coffin, and the mass began. - -Pascal listened attentively during the whole service, and when it was -over, the priest went up to him and asked him if he was in a better -frame of mind; but the condemned man answered that, notwithstanding the -mass to which he had listened,--notwithstanding the prayers with which -he had accompanied it, his feelings of hatred and desire for vengeance -were still the same. - -The priest told him that at seven o’clock on the following morning -he would return and ascertain whether a night of solitude and -contemplation, passed in a church and in presence of the crucifix, had -produced any change in his feelings of vengeance. - -Bruno, as may be imagined, when left alone fell into a deep reverie. The -whole of the varied transactions of his life passed in review before his -eyes, from the days of his earliest infancy to that moment; and in vain -he endeavoured to discover in those early days of his life anything that -deserved the terrible fate that awaited his youth. He remembered only a -filial and sacred obedience towards the kind parents the Lord had given -him. He remembered his father’s abode---so quiet, so innocent, and happy -at one time--which suddenly, became, without his being aware of the -cause, full of tears and sorrow. He remembered the day when his father -went out, carrying with him a dagger, which on his return was covered -with blood. He remembered the night on which the author of his being was -arrested as a murderer; when they carried himself, still a child, into a -chapelle ardente like that in which he was now confined, where he saw a -man chained as he was now. - -It seemed to him as if it were some fatal influence, some capricious -chance, some victorious superiority of evil over good, through the means -of which all the prospects of his devoted and once virtuous family had -been so utterly ruined. - -And then he even doubted the truth of the promises of happiness which -heaven had made to man; he sought through his own distorted vision -for the interference of that Providence of which so much was said; -and fancying that in this, his extremity, some portion of this eternal -secret would perhaps be revealed to him, he bowed his forehead to the -earth and prayed--conjured the Deity, with all the fulness of his soul, -to interpret to him this terrible enigma--to raise the corner of that -mysterious veil which enshrouded his mind--to dispel his doubts and give -him confidence here and hopes for hereafter. - -His hopes were vain; all was silent excepting that internal voice which -still continued to exclaim--“Vengeance! vengeance! vengeance!” - -Then he thought the dead were charged to answer him, and that to that -end a corpse had been placed near him: so true it is that the most -insignificant amongst us all considers his own existence as the centre -of the creation, imagines everything is connected with his being, and -that his miserable body is the pivot on which the whole universe turns. - -He, therefore, slowly raised himself, paler from the struggle he had had -with his mind than from any fear of the scaffold, and he turned his eyes -towards the corpse--it was that of a female. - -Pascal shuddered without knowing why; he endeavoured to trace the -features of that woman--(the coffin in Italy is only closed at the -instant of interment)--but a corner of the winding-sheet had fallen over -the face and concealed it. Suddenly, an instinctive maddening feeling -reminded him of Teresa--Teresa, whom he had not seen since the day when -he first broke the bonds of God and man--Teresa, who had become mad, and -for three years had been confined in the lunatic asylum from whence -the coffin and the corpse had been brought--Teresa, his betrothed, with -whom, perhaps, he now found himself at the foot of that altar to which -he had so long hoped to have conducted her while living, and where, at -length, he had been brought by the bitter mockery of fate to rejoin her: -she dead--himself about ignominiously to die! - -To remain longer in doubt was insupportable; he rushed towards the -coffin to satisfy himself, but he was suddenly dragged back by the -waist, his chain not being long enough to enable him to reach the -corpse, and it held him fast to the pillar; he stretched out his arms -towards the coffin, but he was still several feet away from the object -he sought to reach. - -He then looked round in search of something by means of which he might -be able to remove the corner of the veil, but he could discover nothing; -he exerted all the power of his lungs in his endeavour to raise the -corner of the cloth, but it remained as motionless as marble. - -He then turned round with a look of concentrated rage it would be -impossible to describe, seized his chain with both hands, and collecting -all his strength for the effort, he strove to break it; but the links -were too firmly-attached to each other and resisted all his efforts. - -The cold perspiration of rage stood on his forehead; he threw himself -at the foot of the pillar, placed his head in his hands, and remained -motionless and mute as the statue of despair; and when the priest came -in the morning he found him still in the same position. - -The reverend man approached him quietly and calmly, as became his -mission of peace and his office as a minister of reconciliation. -He thought that Pascal slept, but when he placed his hand upon his -shoulder, the bandit started and raised his head. - -“Well, my son,” said the priest, “are you prepared for confession? I am -ready to absolve you?” - -“I will answer you presently, father; but first render me a last -service,” said Bruno. - -“What is it?” said the priest. “Speak!” - -“Father,” said Bruno, “will you raise the corner of the cloth that hides -the features of that woman?” - -The priest raised the corner of the winding-sheet. Pascal had not -deceived himself, that woman was Teresa! - -He looked upon her for an instant with the deepest sorrow, and then made -a sign to the priest to let the linen fall: the priest obeyed him. - -“Well, my son,” he said, “has the sight of death inspired you with any -pious thoughts?” - -“Father,” said Bruno, “that woman and I were born to be happy and -innocent; but she perjured herself, and I became a murderer. She has -conducted this woman through madness, and me, through despair, to the -tomb into which we are both about to descend to-day. Let heaven pardon -her, if it can--I cannot!” - -At this instant the guards entered the church to lead Pascal to the -scaffold. - - - - - - -CHAPTER XI.--DEATH OF THE BANDIT. - -The sky was magnificent, the air pure and transparent; the inhabitants -of Palermo awoke as if it had been a holiday--the scholars at the -colleges and schools had a holiday, and the whole population seemed to -have assembled in the Rue de Toledo, through the whole length of which -the condemned man would have to pass to go from the church of Saint -François de Sales, where He had passed the night, to the Place de la -Marine, where the execution was to take place. - -The windows of the houses were filled with women, whose curiosity had -roused them from their beds before their usual time, and the nuns of the -various convents in Palermo and its environs might be seen moving like -shadows behind the gratings of the galleries; while on the flat roofs of -the houses throngs of people waved to and fro like a field of grain. - -The condemned man was at the gates of the church placed in a cart drawn -by mules, and preceded by a number of White Penitents, the first of whom -carried the cross and the four last the coffin. The executioner followed -on horseback, bearing a red flag; his two assistants on foot, one on -each side. Behind these came a body of Black Penitents, who closed the -procession, which advanced in the midst of a double rank of militia and -regular troops, while, on the outskirts of the crowd, men were running -along clothed in long gray dresses, with their heads covered with hoods, -having openings for the eyes and mouth, holding in one hand a bell, and -in the other a large purse or bag, collecting alms for the deliverance -of the soul of the criminal from purgatory. - -It was reported also among the crowd that the criminal had refused to -confess, and this deviation from the religious ideas entertained by all -gave more weight to the rumours which had been spread abroad since the -very beginning of his career, of an infernal compact between Bruno -and the enemy of mankind. A feeling of terror, therefore, sat upon the -curious yet mute population, and no shouts, no cries, not even a murmur, -disturbed the dirge of death as it was chanted by the White Penitents at -the head of the procession and the Black Penitents in the rear. Behind -these last, and as fast as the culprit advanced along the Rue de Toledo, -the spectators joined the procession and accompanied it towards the -Place de la Marine. - -As to Pascal, he was the only one who appeared perfectly calm in the -midst of this agitated mass of people, and he looked upon the crowd that -surrounded him without humility and without ostentation, like a man who, -understanding the duties of individuals towards society in general and -the rights of society in respect to individuals, did not repent that he -had forgotten the last, nor complained that it avenged the first. - -The procession stopped for an instant at the Place des Quatre Cantons, -which forms the centre of the city, for so great a crowd were pressing -forward from either side of the Rue de Cassero, that the line of troops -was broken, and the centre of the road being crowded with people, the -Penitents were unable to proceed. - -Pascal took advantage of this sudden halt to stand up in the cart and -look round him, like one about to give a final order or make a last -sign; but after a long examination of the crowd, and not seeing that of -which he was in search, he fell back on the truss of straw that answered -the purpose of a seat, and a cloud spread over his face which seemed -to increase until the procession reached the Place de la Marine; then a -second stoppage occurred, and Pascal a second time stood up. - -At first, he cast a careless glance to the extremity of the place -opposite the gibbet, and then his looks ran over the immense crowd that -filled the extensive area of the place of execution, and which appeared -paved with human heads, with the exception of the terrace of the palace -of the Prince de Butera, which was completely deserted. He fixed his -eyes upon a rich balcony covered with damask, embroidered with gold, -and sheltered from the sun by purple awnings. There, on a species of -platform, and surrounded by the most elegant women, and the noblest -lords of Palermo, the beautiful Gemma of Castel Nuova was seated, who, -anxious to witness the last agony of her enemy, had caused her throne to -be raised facing the scaffold. - -The looks of Pascal Bruno and the counters met, and seemed to dart -flashes of hatred and vengeance: they were still gazing on each other -when a strange cry arose among the crowd that surrounded the cart. -Pascal started, and turning quickly to the spot from whence the sound -came, his features not only resumed their wonted expression of calmness, -but a look of joy spread over them. - -At this, instant the procession was again about to move on, when Bruno, -with a loud voice, exclaimed-- - -“Stop!” - -The word had a magical effect, the whole of the crowd seemed for an -instant nailed to the earth, every face was turned to the condemned man, -and a thousand eager looks were fixed upon him. - -“What is it you want?” said the executioner, - -“My confessor,” said Pascal. - -“The priest is gone,” said the executioner; “you sent him away.” - -“My usual confessor is the monk on my left hand in the crowd,” said -Bruno. “I did not want the other; but I wish to confess to this man.” - -The executioner gave a look of impatience and denial; but at the same -instant the people, who had heard the request of the condemned man, -cried out-- - -“The confessor! the confessor!” - -The executioner was obliged to submit, and the crowd made way for the -monk: he was a tall young man, of a swarthy complexion, and seemed as if -he were exhausted by the austerities of the cloister; he went up to the -cart and climbed into it. - -At the same instant Bruno fell on his knees--this was a general signal; -on the pavement, in the street, on the balconies at the windows, on the -roofs of the houses, every one knelt; all excepting the executioner, who -remained on horseback, and his assistants, who stood by his side. At the -same instant the Penitents began to chant the prayers for the dying, to -conceal by the voices the words of the confession. - -“I have been long expecting you,” observed Bruno. “I was waiting here -for you,” replied Ali, for he it was. - -“I was afraid they would not keep the promise they made me,” said Bruso; -“and that you would meet the same fate as myself.” - -“No,” said Ali, “they have kept their promise; I am at liberty.” - -“Listen then,” said Bruno. - -“I am attentive,” replied Ali. - -“There, on my right hand--” Bruno turned in that direction, for his -hands were bound, and he had no other means of pointing--“you see a -balcony covered with gold embroidery.” - -“Yes,” said Ali. - -“On that balcony is a young and beautiful woman, with flowers in her -hair--” - -“I see her,” interrupted Ali; “she is on her knees at prayers like the -rest.” - -“That woman,” said Bruno, “is the Countess Gemma, of Castel Nuova.” - -“Beneath whose window I was waiting when you were wounded in the -shoulder?” asked Ali. - -“Yes,” replied Bruno, “that woman is the cause of all my misfortunes; -she forced me to commit my first crime; she has brought me here!” - -“Well,” said Ali. - -“I should not die in peace if I knew that she would survive me happy and -honoured,” continued Bruno. “You may die in peace,” said the youth. - -“Thanks, thanks, Ali!” said Bruno, impressively. - -“Let me embrace you once more father,” said Ali. - -“Adieu!” said Bruno. - -“Farewell for ever!” said Ali. - -The young monk embraced the culprit as a priest is in the habit of doing -when he gives absolution to the sinner, and he then alighted from the -cart and mingled with the crowd. - -“Go on,” said Bruno, imperatively; and the procession again obeyed him, -as if the speaker had the right to command. - -Every one arose; Gemma reseated herself, and the procession moved on -towards the scaffold. - -When it arrived at the foot of the gibbet, the executioner descended -from his horse, mounted the scaffold, climbed up the ladder, and fixed -his blood-coloured flag on the cross-piece above, satisfied himself that -the cord was well fastened, and threw off his coat that he might have -more freedom of action. - -Pascal immediately sprang out of the cart, thrust aside with his -shoulders the hangmen’s men, who wished to assist him, rapidly mounted -the scaffold, and placed himself against the ladder which he had to -climb backwards. At the same instant, the Penitent who carried the cross -placed it in front of the bandit, so that he might see it in its dying -moments. The Penitents who carried the coffin seated themselves upon it, -and the troops formed themselves into a semicircle round the scaffold, -leaving in the centre the two bands of Penitents, the executioner, his -assistants, and their victim, Pascal mounted the ladder, refusing all -assistance, with the calmness he had hitherto displayed, and as Gemma’s -balcony was facing him, it was even observed that he cast his eyes in -that direction and smiled. At the same instant, the executioner passed -the cord round his neck, seized him by the middle of his body, and cast -him off the ladder; he then slipped down the cord, and pressed with -his whole weight on the shoulders of the culprit, while the assistants, -clinging to his legs, pulled at the lower part of his body; but suddenly -the rope broke, not being able to bear the weight of four persons, and -the whole party, the executioner, his assistants, and their victim, were -rolling on the scaffold. - -One man arose before the rest--it was Pascal Bruno, whose hands had -burst the cords with which they were tied; he stood up in the midst of a -general silence, having in his right side a knife the executioner had in -his rage at the accident plunged into it the whole length of its blade. - -“Wretch!” cried the bandit, addressing the hangman, “you are neither fit -for an executioner nor a bandit; you can neither hang nor assassinate.” - -With these words, he drew out the reeking knife from his right side, and -plunging it into his left side near his heart fell dead. - -Then there arose a terrific shout and a wild tumult in the crowd, some -rushed away from the spot, while others attacked the scaffold. - -The body of the condemned man was carried away by the Penitents, and the -executioner was nearly torn in pieces by the people. - - - - - - -CHAPTER XII.--CONCLUSION. - -The evening after the execution, the Prince of Carini dined with the -Archbishop of Montreal, while Gemma, who was not admissible into the -society of the prelate, remained at the Villa Carini. - -The evening was as delightful as the morning had been. From one of the -windows of the room which was hung with blue satin, the room in which -the first scene of our history took place, Alicudi might plainly be -seen, and behind it, like a vapour floating on the sea, the isles of -Filicudi and Salina. The other window overlooked a beautiful park, -filled with orange trees and pomegranates; on the right, might be seen -Mount Pellegrino from its base to its very summit, and on the left the -view extended as far as Montreal. - -The beautiful Countess Gemma, of Castel Nuovo, had remained for some -time at this window, her eyes fixed on the ancient residence of the -Norman kings, and seeking in every carriage as it came towards Palermo -for the equipage of the viceroy. But at length the darkness of the -evening increased, and distant objects becoming indistinct, she entered -her chamber and rang for her maid, and, fatigued as she had been by the -emotions of the day, she retired to rest. - -It was late before the prince was able to relieve himself from the -kind attentions of his host, and eleven o’clock struck by the cathedral -(built by William the Good) before the viceroy’s carriage, drawn by four -splendid horses, departed at a gallop. Half an hour was sufficient to -enable him to reach Palermo, and in five minutes afterwards, he had -cleared the distance between the city and his villa. - -The prince hastily proceeded to Gemma’s chamber, he attempted to enter -the door, but it was fastened on the inside: he then went to the secret -door that opened on the other side of the bed, close to the recess in -which Gemma reposed. Having opened it softly, that he might not awake -the charming sleeper, he stood a moment to gaze upon her in the sweet -and beautiful abandonment of repose. - -An elaborate lamp, suspended from the ceiling by three strings of -pearls, was the only light in the room, and its light was arranged in -such a manner as to prevent its dazzling the eyes of the sleeper. The -prince, therefore, leaned over the bed that he might see better. - -Gemma was lying with her chest almost entirely uncovered, and her boa, -rolled round her neck, contrasted beautifully by its dark colour with -the whiteness of her skin. - -The prince for an instant gazed on the enchanting statue, but its want -of animation soon astonished him; he drew closer, and perceived that a -strange paleness overspread her features. He bent his ear over her, but -could not hear her respiration; he seized her hand, it was cold. Then he -placed his arm beneath the form he loved so well, that he might warm it -by pressing it to his breast; but he suddenly allowed it again to fall, -and uttered a cry of anguish and horror. Gemma’s head had fallen from -her shoulders and rolled upon the carpet. - -The next morning the yataghan of Ali was found beneath the window! - -THE END. - - - - - - - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg’s The Sicilian Bandit, by Alexandre Dumas, pere - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SICILIAN BANDIT *** - -***** This file should be named 41224-0.txt or 41224-0.zip ***** This -and all associated files of various formats will be found in: http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/2/2/41224/ - -Produced by David Widger - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will be -renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. 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Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. unless -a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks -in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, including -how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to -our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - - - diff --git a/old/41224-0.zip b/old/41224-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 57e205d..0000000 --- a/old/41224-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/41224-8.txt b/old/41224-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 934e595..0000000 --- a/old/41224-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4106 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Sicilian Bandit, by Alexandre Dumas, -pere - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use -it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Sicilian Bandit - From the Volume "Captain Paul" - -Author: Alexandre Dumas, pere - -Release Date: October 29, 2012 [EBook #41224] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SICILIAN BANDIT *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger - - - - - - - - - - - - - -THE SICILIAN BANDIT - -From the Volume "Captain Paul" - -By Alexandre Dumas, pere - - - - - -CONTENTS - - - -CHAPTER I.--INTRODUCTION--PALERMO. - -CHAPTER II.--BRUNO AND ALI. - -CHAPTER III.--THE FATAL BRIDAL. - -CHAPTER IV.--THE PRINCE AND THE BANDIT. - -CHAPTER IV.--THE ROBBER'S CASTLE. - -CHAPTER VI.--A BANDIT'S GRATITUDE. - -CHAPTER VII.--A BRIGAND'S VENGEANCE. - -CHAPTER VIII.---TREACHERY. - -CHAPTER IX.--THE SIEGE. - -CHAPTER X.--THE CHAPELLE ARDENTE. - -CHAPTER XI.--DEATH OF THE BANDIT. - -CHAPTER XII.--CONCLUSION. - - - - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER I.--INTRODUCTION--PALERMO. - -It is with cities as with men--chance presides over their foundation; -and the topographical situation of the first, and the social position of -the latter, exercise a beneficial or an evil influence over their entire -existence. - -There are noble cities which, in their selfish pride of place, have -refused to permit the erection even of a few humble cottages on the -mountain on which their foundations rested: their domination must be -exclusive and supreme; consequently they have remained as poor as they -are proud. - -There are villages so humble as to have taken refuge in the recesses -of the valley--have built their farmsteads, mills, and cottages on the -margin of a brook, and, protected by the hills that sheltered them from -heat and cold, have passed an almost unknown and tranquil life, like -that of men without ardour and without ambition--terrified by every -sound, dazzled by every blaze of light, and whose whole happiness -consists in shade and silence. - -There are, again, others that have commenced their existence as paltry -hamlets on the sea-shore, and which, by degrees, have seen sailing -vessels succeed the simple boat, and noble ships the tiny barque--whose -modest huts have given place to lordly palaces, while the gold of Potosi -and the wealth of the Indies flow into their ample ports. - -It is for these reasons that we give to cold, inanimate nature epithets -that truly belong to man's nobility alone. Thus we say, Messina the -noble, Syracuse the faithful, Girgenti the magnificent, Trapani the -invincible, and Palermo the blessed. - -If ever there was a city predestined to be blessed--that city is -Palermo. Situated beneath a cloudless sky, on a luxuriously fertile -plain, and sheltered by a belt of mountains, in the centre of a -picturesquely beautiful country, its ample ports open to receive the -gentle flow of the azure sea. - -There is nothing more beautiful than the days at Palermo, except it -be the nights--those eastern nights, so clear and balmy, in which the -murmur of the sea, the rustling of the breeze, and the busy hum of the -town seem like a universal concert of love, during which all created -things, from the wave to the tree, from the tree to man himself, breathe -a mysterious sigh. - -At times, however, the sea suddenly assumes a livid tint; the wind -drops, the noise of the city is hushed; a few bloodied clouds travel -rapidly from the south to the north; these clouds foretell the coming of -the dread sirocco, that scorching blast, borne in the sands of Libya and -carried to Europe by the southerly gales: immediately everything animate -droops and becomes oppressed and suffering, and the whole island feels -as when Etna threatens. Animals and men alike seek shelter, and when -they have found it, they crouch in fear, for the blast has taken away -all courage, paralysed the strength, and deadened every faculty; and -this lasts until a purer air from the Calabrian hills restores the -strength and appears to renew their existence, and on the morrow all -again is pleasure and mirth. - -It was the evening of the month of September, 1803, when the sirocco had -lasted throughout the entire day; but at sunset the sky became clear, -the sea resumed its azure tint, and a few blasts of cool air blew over -the Liparian Archipelago. This atmospheric change had such an influence -on all animated beings, that they gradually revived from their state -of torpor, and you might have imagined you were present at a second -creation, the more so from the fact of Palermo being, as we have already -said, a perfect garden of Eden. - -Among all the daughters of Eve who, in the paradise they inhabit, make -love their principal occupation, there was one who will play a very -important part in the course of this history. That we may direct the -attention of our readers to her, and to the place in which she dwelt, -let them leave Palermo by the San-Georgio gate along with us, leaving -the castle of St Mark on the right, and, reaching the Mole, they will -follow the course of the sea-shore for some distance, and stop before -the delightful villa of the Prince of Carini, the Viceroy of Sicily -under Ferdinand the Fourth, who had just returned from Naples to take up -his abode in it. - -On the first floor of this elegant villa, in a chamber tapestried -with azure-blue silk, the ceiling of which was ornamented with fresco -painting, a female, simply attired in a snow-white morning dress, was -reclining on a sofa, her arms hung listlessly, her head was thrown back, -and her hair dishevelled; for an instant she might have been taken for -a marble statue, but a gentle tremor ran through her frame, colour -gradually came to her cheeks, her eyes began to open, the beautiful -statue became animated, sighed, stretched out its hand to a little -silver bell placed on a table of peliminta marble, rang it lazily, and, -as if fatigued with the effort she had made, fell back again on the -sofa. - -The silvery sound, however, had been heard, the door opened, and a young -and pretty waiting-maid, whose disordered toilet declared that she, -as well as her mistress, had felt the influence of the African wind, -appeared on the threshold. - -"Is it you, Teresa?" said her mistress, languidly, and turning her head. -"It is enough to kill one: is the sirocco still blowing?" - -"No, signora, it has quite passed over, and we begin to breathe again." - -"Bring me some iced fruit, and let me have a little air." - -Teresa obeyed these orders with as much promptitude as the remains of -her languor would allow; she placed the refreshments on the table, and -opened the window that looked out on the sea. - -"Look, madame la comtesse," she said, "we shall have a magnificent day -to-morrow; and the air is so clear that you can plainly see the island -of Alicari, although the day is drawing to a close." - -"Yes, yes, the air is refreshing; give me your arm, Teresa; I will try -if I can drag myself as far as the window." - -The attendant approached her mistress, who replaced on the table the -refreshment her lips had scarcely touched, and, resting on Teresa's -shoulder, walked languidly towards the balcony. - -"How this delightful breeze revives one," she observed, as she inhaled -the evening air; "bring me my chair, and open the other window that -looks into the garden,--that will do. Has the prince returned from -Montreal?" - -"Not yet, my lady," replied Teresa. - -"So much the better; I would not have him see me in this wretched state, -so pale and weak: I must look dreadfully." - -"Madame la comtesse never looked more beautiful than at this moment, and -I am certain that in the whole city we see from this window, there is -not a woman who would not be jealous of your ladyship." - -"Do you include the Marchioness of Rudini and the Princess of Butera?" - -"I except no one," replied the attendant. - -"Ah, I see the prince has been bribing you to flatter me, Teresa." - -"I assure you, madame, I only tell you what I think." - -"Oh, what a delightful place Palermo is!" said the countess, taking a -deep inspiration. - -"Especially when one is two-and-twenty years of age, and rich and -beautiful," continued Teresa, smiling. - -"You have but completed my thoughts, and on that account I wish to see -every one about me cheerful and happy. When is your marriage to take -place, Teresa?" Teresa made no answer. "Is not Sunday the day fixed -upon?" continued the countess. - -"Yes, signora," answered her attendant with a sigh. - -"Why do you sigh? Have you not made up your mind?" - -"Oh, yes, certainly." - -"Have you any dislike to the marriage!" - -"No; I believe Gaetano is a good lad, and that he will make me happy. -Besides, this marriage will enable me to remain with madame la comtesse, -and that is my most earnest wish." - -"Then why did you sigh?" - -"Pray pardon me, my lady, but I was thinking of our native country." - -"Our native country!" echoed the countess. - -"Yes; madame la comtesse may remember, while at Palermo, that she had -left a foster sister at the village of which her father was the signor; -and when she wrote for me to come to her, I was about to be married to a -young man belonging to Bauso." - -"Why did you not tell me of that? The prince, at my recommendation, -would have taken him into his service." - -"Oh, he would not become a servant," said Teresa; "he was too proud for -that." - -"Indeed!" said the countess. - -"Yes; he had before then refused the situation of shepherd to the Prince -of Goto." - -"He was a gentleman, then, this young man?" - -"No, madame la comtesse; he was but a simple mountaineer," said Teresa, -in a melancholy tone. - -"What was his name?" - -"Oh, I do not think that your ladyship would recollect it," said Teresa, -eagerly. - -"And do you then regret his loss?" - -"I cannot tell; I only know that if I were to become his wife instead of -Gaetano's, I should be obliged to work for my living; and that would be -a laborious task for me, after leading so easy and pleasant a life under -madame la comtesse." - -"And yet, Teresa, is it not true that people accuse me of pride and -violence?" asked the countess. - -"Madame is very good to me, that is all I can say," replied Teresa. - -"The nobles of Palermo say so, because the Counts of Castel Nuovo were -ennobled by Charles the Fifth, while the Ventimillas and the Partanas -descend, as they pretend, from Tancred and Rogero: but that is not the -reason the women hate me; they conceal their hatred under the cloak of -disdain, and they neglect me because Rodolpho loves me, and they are -jealous of the viceroy's love; they do all they can to seduce him -from me; but they will never succeed, for my beauty is greater than -theirs--Carini tells me so every day, and so do you, story-teller." - -"You have here a greater flatterer than either his excellency or -myself," said Teresa, archly. - -"Who is that?" asked the countess. - -"The countess's mirror." - -"Foolish girl!" said the countess, with a gratified smile. "There, go -and light the tapers of the Psyche." The attendant obeyed her mistress's -orders. "Now shut that window, and leave me; there will be sufficient -air from the garden." - -Teresa obeyed, and left the room. Scarcely did the countess perceive -that she was gone, than she seated herself before the Psyche, and smiled -as she looked at and admired herself in the glass. - -A wonderful creature was the Countess Emma, or rather Gemma, for, from -her very infancy, her parents had added a G to her baptismal name; -and, on account of this addition, she called herself Diamond. She was -certainly wrong in confining her origin to the signature of Charles the -Fifth, for in her slight and pliant form, you might recognise an Ionian -origin; in her black and expressive eyes, a descendant of the Arabs; and -in her fair and vermilion skin, a daughter of Gaul. She could equally -boast of her descent from an Athenian archon, a Saracen emir, and -a Norman chieftain; she was one of those beauties that in the first -instance were found in Sicily alone, at a later time in one town alone -in the world--Arles. So that, instead, of calling the artifices of the -toilet to her assistance, as she intended in the first instance, Gemma -found herself more charming in her partial dishabille. - -The glass, being placed before the window that was left open, reflected -the sky from its surface, and Gemma, without intention or thought, wrapt -herself up in a vague and delicious pleasure, counting in the glass the -images of the stars as they each appeared in their turn, and giving them -names as they successively appeared in the heavens. - -Suddenly it appeared as if a rising shadow placed itself before the -stars, and that a face appeared behind her; she turned herself quickly -round and beheld a man standing at the window. Gemma rose and opened her -mouth with the intention of screaming for assistance, when the stranger, -springing into the chamber, clasped his hands, and said in supplicating -accents-- - -"In the name of heaven do not call out, madame! for on my honour, you -have nothing to fear: I will do you no harm." - -Gemma fell back into her chair, and the apparition and words of the -stranger were succeeded by a moment's silence, during which she had time -to cast a rapid glance at the person who had introduced himself into her -room in this extraordinary manner. - -He was a young man, some twenty-five or twenty-six years of age, and -appeared to belong to the ranks of the people; he wore a Calabrian hat, -round which a piece of velvet was tied, the ends of which fell loosely -on his shoulders, a velvet vest with silver buttons, breeches of the -same material, and ornamented in a similar manner; round his waist -he wore a red silk belt with green fringe; shoes and leather gaiters -completed his costume, which appeared to have been selected to set off -his fine figure to advantage. His features possessed a kind of savage -beauty, his look was bold and proud, his beard black, his teeth sharp -and white, and his nose aquiline. - -For a certainty, Gemma was not a whit the more easy by her examination, -for the stranger, when he saw her stretch out her hand towards the -table, as if to take hold of the silver bell, said-- - -"Did you not hear me, madame?" giving his voice that gentle expression -so peculiar to the Sicilian dialect. "I wish you no harm--far from it. -If you will grant me the request I am about to make, I will adore you as -if you were a Madonna. You are already as beautiful; be as good as one." - -"But what is it you require?" said Gemma, her voice still trembling; -"and why did you come here in this manner, and at such an hour?" - -"Had I requested the favour of an interview with one so noble, so rich, -and so much loved by a man who is almost a king, is it probable that you -would have granted it to me, so poor and unknown? Tell me, madame. -But even if you had been so condescending, you might have delayed your -answer, and I have no time to wait." - -"What, then, can I do for you?" said Gemma, recovering herself by -degrees. - -"Everything, madame; for you hold in your hands my despair or my -happiness--my death or my life." - -"I do not understand you; explain yourself," faltered out the countess. - -"You have," said the stranger, "a young woman from Bauso in your -service." - -"Teresa?" asked the countess. - -"Yes, Teresa," replied the young man in trembling accents. "Now, this -young woman is to be married to a valet de chambre of the Prince de -Carini, and she is betrothed to me." - -"Ah! it is you, then?" said the countess. - -"Yes, it was I she was about to marry when she received your letter -desiring her to come to you. She promised to remain faithful to me--to -mention me to you, and if you refused her request, she pledged her word -to return to me. I continued to expect her; but three years passed by, -and yet I saw her not; and as she has not returned to me, I have come to -seek her. On my arrival I learnt all, and then I thought I would throw -myself on my knees before you, and ask Teresa of you." - -"Teresa is a girl I am partial to," said the countess, "and I do not -wish her to leave me. Gaetano is the prince's valet de chambre, and by -marrying him she will still remain near me." - -"If that is one of the conditions, I will enter the prince's service," -said the young man, evidently suppressing his feelings. - -"But Teresa told me you would not enter into service." - -"That is true," replied the stranger; "but if it is necessary, I will -make any sacrifice for her; only, if it were possible, I would be one of -the huntsmen rather than a domestic servant." - -"Well," said the countess, "I will speak of it to the prince, and if he -consents--" - -"The prince will do all that you wish, madame," interrupted the young -man. "You do not ask, you order; I know that well." - -"But what guarantee have I for your good conduct?" asked the countess. - -"My eternal gratitude, madame," said the young man. - -"Still I must know who you are," said the countess. - -"I am a man," said the stranger, "whom you can make miserable or happy; -that is the sum of all." - -"The prince will ask me your name," said the countess. - -"What is my name to him?" asked the stranger. "Is he acquainted with it? -Has the name of a poor peasant of Bauso ever reached the prince's ears?" - -"But I belong to the same country as yourself," said the countess; -"my father was Count of Castel Nuovo, and lived in a little fortress a -quarter of a league from the village." - -"I know it, madame," said the young man, in a low hoarse voice. - -"Well, I ought to know your name," said the countess. "Tell me, then, -and I will see what I can do for you." - -"Believe me, madame la comtesse," said the stranger, "it would be better -for you to remain ignorant of it. What does my name signify? I am an -honest man. I would make Teresa happy; and if it were necessary, I would -sacrifice my life for you or the prince." - -"Your obstinacy is very strange," said the countess, "and I have a -greater desire to know your name than ever, for when I asked Teresa what -it was, she, like you, refused to tell me. In the meantime, I warn you -that I will not consent to your wishes except on that condition." - -"You wish to know it then, madame?" - -"I insist upon it!" said the countess. - -"For the last time," said the stranger, "I beg, I implore you, not to -insist upon it." - -"Either name it," said the countess, in an imperative tone, "or leave -me." - -"I am called Pascal Bruno," said the young man, in so calm a voice that -you might have imagined every emotion had passed away if the paleness of -his features had not been evidence of the internal struggle. - -"Pascal Bruno!" cried the countess, drawing back in her chair in terror. -"Pascal Bruno! You, the son of Antonio Bruno, whose head is placed in an -iron cage at the Chteau de Bauso?" - -"I am his son," coolly replied the young man. - -"And do you not know," asked the countess, "why your father's head is -placed there? Speak!" Pascal remained silent. "Well," continued the -countess, "it was because your father attempted to assassinate mine." - -"I know all that, madame," replied Pascal, calmly; "and I know, besides, -that when you, then a child, was taken into the village, your attendants -showed you that head, and told you it was my father's head; but they did -not tell you, madame, that your father dishonoured mine." - -"Thou liest!" passionately exclaimed the countess. - -"May God punish me if I tell not the truth. Madame, my mother was -beautiful and virtuous; your father, the count, became enamoured of her: -but she resisted all his importunities, all his promises, and all his -threats; but one day, when my father had gone to Taormina, the count -caused her to be carried off by four men, taken to a small house that -belonged to him between Limero and Furnari (it is now a tavern), and -there--madame--he violated her!" - -"The count was lord and master of the village of Bauso," said Gemma, -proudly. "Both the property and the persons of its inhabitants belonged -to him, and he did your mother much honour by admiring her." - -"My father did not think so it appears," said Pascal, knitting his brow. -"That, perhaps, was because he was born at Stilla, on the lands of the -Prince de Moncada Paterno; and on that account he struck the count. -The wound was not mortal; so much the better. For a long time I deeply -regretted it; but now, to my shame, I congratulate myself on it." - -"If my memory be correct," said the countess, "not only was your father -put to death as murderer, but your uncles are still at the galleys." - -"Your memory is good," said Pascal. "My uncles gave an asylum to the -assassin, and defended him when the officers came to arrest him: they -were, therefore, looked upon as accomplices, and sent, my uncle Placido, -to Favignana; my uncle Pietro, to Lipari; and my uncle Ppe, to Vulcano. -As for myself, I was too young; and, although I was arrested, they gave -me up again to my mother." - -"And what became of your mother?" asked Gemma. - -"She died," said Pascal, mournfully. - -"Where?" asked Gemma. - -"In the mountains between Pizzo di Goto and Nisi," replied Pascal. - -"Why did she leave Bauso?" inquired the countess. - -"That every time we passed the castle," said Pascal, "she might not see -the head of her husband, nor I that of my father! Yes, she died without -a physician, without a priest--she was buried in unholy ground, and -I dug her grave. There, madame--you will pardon me, I trust--over the -newly-turned earth I swore to avenge the wrongs of my family--of whom I, -alone, remain--upon you, the only survivor of the family of the count. -But I became enamoured of Teresa, and I left the mountains that I might -not see my mother's grave, towards which I felt myself perjured. I came -down to the plain, and went to Bauso. I did more than that, for when I -knew that Teresa had left the village to enter your service, I thought -of entering that of the count. For a long time I felt repugnant at the -idea; but my love for Teresa overcame every other feeling. I made up -my mind to see you--I have seen you; here am I, without arms, and a -suppliant before you, madame--before whom I ought only to appear as an -enemy." - -"You must perceive," said Gemma, "the prince cannot take into his -service the son of a man who was hanged, and whose uncles are at the -galleys." - -"Why not, madame?" asked Bruno, "if that man consents to forget that -those punishments were unjustly inflicted?" - -"Are you mad?" said the countess. - -"Madame la comtesse," said Pascal, "you know what an oath is to a -mountaineer. Well, I have broken my oath. You also know the vengeance of -a Sicilian. Well, I will renounce my vengeance and forget my oath. I -ask only that all may be forgotten, and that you will not force me to -remember it?" - -"But if you should," said the countess, "how would you act?" - -"I do not wish to think upon the subject." - -"Then we must take our measures accordingly," said the countess. - -"I beg of you, madame la comtesse," said Pascal, "to have pity on me; -you see that I am doing all that I can to remain an honest man. Once -engaged by the prince--once Teresa's husband, I can answer for myself: -otherwise I shall never return to Bauso." - -"It is impossible to do as you desire," said the countess, decidedly. - -"Countess," said Pascal, earnestly, "you have loved?" Gemma smiled -disdainfully. "You must know what jealousy is--you must know its -sufferings, its maddening tortures. Well, I love Teresa--I am jealous of -her; and I feel I should lose my senses if this marriage take place; and -then--" - -"Well, then--" said Gemma, in an agitated tone. - -"Then, take heed' I do not remember the galleys where my uncles are, the -cage in which my father's head is placed, and the grave where my mother -sleeps!" At this instant a strange cry, which seemed to be a signal, -was heard outside the window, and almost at the same instant a bell was -rung. - -"There is the prince," said Gemma, regaining her confidence. - -"Yes, yes--I know it," mattered Pascal; "but before he passes through -yonder door, you have time to say 'yes.' I implore you, madame, to grant -me what I ask. Give me Teresa--place me in the prince's service!" - -"Let me pass," said Gemma, imperiously, and advanced towards the door; -but instead of obeying this order, Bruno sprang to the door and bolted -it. "Would you dare to stop me?" cried Gemma, taking hold of the bell. -"Help! help!" - -"Do not call out, madame," said Bruno, still mastering his feelings, -"for I have told you I will do you no harm." - -A second cry, resembling the first, was heard outside the window. - -"It is well--well, Ali; you watch faithfully, my boy," said Bruno. -"Yes, I know the count has arrived; I hear him in the corridor. Madame, -madame! an instant longer remains for you; one second, and all the -misfortunes I foresee may be avoided." - -"Help, Rodolpho! Help!" screamed Gemma. - -"You have, then neither heart, nor soul, nor pity, either for yourself -or others," cried Bruno plunging his hands in his hair and looking at -the door, which was being violently shaken. - -"I am fastened in!" cired the countess, who felt fresh courage from the -assistance which had arrived; "fastened in with a man who is threatening -my life. Help! help! Rodolpho, help!" - -"I do not threaten you," said Pascal, "I am entreating you--I entreat -you still; but since you will--" Bruno, uttering a yell like that of a -tiger, sprang upon Gemma, no doubt with the intention of strangling her, -for (as we have said) he had no arms. At the same instant a small door, -concealed at the extremity of the alcove, opened, the report of a pistol -was heard, the room was filled with smoke, and Gemma fainted: when she -recovered her senses she was in the prince's arms. - -"Where is he? where is he?" she cried, in a terrified accent, and -looking around her. - -"I cannot tell; I suppose I must have missed him," answered the prince; -"for, while I was stepping over the bed, he leaped out of the window; -and, as I saw you insensible, I did not trouble myself about him--I -thought only of you; I must have missed him, and yet it is strange I do -not see the mark of the ball in the hangings." - -"Let them run after him," said Gemma: "show no mercy, no pity, to that -man, my lord, for he was a robber, who would have assassinated me." - -They searched the villa during the whole night, the gardens, and the -shore, but without avail--Pascal Bruno had disappeared. - -The next day a track of blood was discovered, which began at the foot of -the window from which he had leaped and was lost on the sea-shore. - - - - - - -CHAPTER II.--BRUNO AND ALI. - -At daybreak the following morning, the fishermen's boats left the port -as usual and dispersed themselves over the sea. In the meantime, one -of their little fleet, having on board a man, and a boy of twelve or -fourteen years of age, stopped when it came within sight of Palermo, and -lowering its sail, brought to; but as this motionless state, at a spot -little favourable for fishing, might have attracted suspicion, the boy -occupied himself in mending his nets. As to the man, he was lying at the -bottom of the boat, his head resting on the side, and he appeared to -be plunged in a deep reverie, still, as if mechanically, he took up the -sea-water with his right hand, and poured it over his left shoulder, -which was bound up with a bandage stained with blood. - -The man was Pascal Bruno, and the boy the same who, placed beneath the -countess's window, had twice given him the signal for flight: at first -sight, you could see that he was a native of a more ardent clime than -that in which the events we record took place. He was born on the coast -of Africa, and it was in the following manner that Pascal Bruno became -acquainted with him:-- - -About a year before the occurrence of the events we have just narrated, -a party of Algerine pirates, having learned that the Prince of Moncana -Paterno, one of the richest noblemen in Sicily, was returning in a small -vessel from Pantelleria to Catana with an escort of a dozen men only, -lay in ambush behind the island of Porri, distant about two miles from -the coast. The prince's vessel, as the pirates had foreseen, passed -between the island and the shore, but the instant it entered the narrow -strait, the pirates left the creek in which they had been concealed -with three vessels and rowed forward to attack their expected prize, the -prince. The latter, however, immediately perceiving the imminence of his -danger, ordered his crew to turn the boat's head towards the shore, -and run her aground on the beach at Furella. They did not succeed in -reaching the point desired, but the place where the boat grounded had -only about three feet of water, and the pirates were close upon them. -The prince and his followers leaped into the sea, holding their arms -above their heads, trusting to be able to reach a village they saw at -some half a league distance without being obliged to employ them. But -they had scarcely disembarked, when another party of the pirates who, -having foreseen this manouvre, had rowed one of the boats as high as -Bufaidone, issued from the reeds through which the river flowed, and cut -off the retreat of the prince. - -The attack immediately began, but while the followers of the prince were -engaged with the first party, the second came up, and all resistance -becoming evidently useless, the prince surrendered, asking for his life, -and promising to ransom himself and all his followers. Immediately after -the prisoners had laid down their arms, a party of countrymen were seen -approaching, armed with muskets and pitchforks, and the pirates, having -made themselves masters of the prince's person, the only object they -had in view, did not think it worth while waiting for the arrival of -the countrymen, but took to their boats in such haste as to leave behind -them three of their men, whom they believed were either dead or mortally -wounded. - -Among those who had hastened to the scene of conflict, was Pascal Bruno, -whose wandering life led him sometimes to one place and sometimes to -another, his disturbed mind leading him into every kind of adventurous -enterprise. When the countrymen reached the beach where the struggle had -taken place, they found one of the Prince of Paterno's domestics dead, -another slightly wounded in the thigh, and three of the pirates bathed -in their blood, but still breathing. Two blows from the butt-end of -a musket soon made an end of two of the number, and a pistol-ball was -about to send the third to join his comrades, when Bruno perceiving it -was a boy, turned the arm that held the pistol on one side, and declared -that he would take the wounded lad under his own protection. - -There were a few remonstrances against this ill-timed pity as it was -called, but when Bruno had said a thing, he maintained what he had said; -accordingly, he cocked his carbine, and declared that he would blow out -the brains of the first man who should approach his protg, and as they -knew him to be a man who would not hesitate an instant in putting his -threat into execution, they allowed him to take the boy in his arms and -go off with him. Bruno proceeded to the shore, and entered the boat in -which he performed his adventurous excursions, whose qualities he -knew so well that it seemed to obey him like a well-tutored horse, and -spreading his sail, he steered towards Cape Aliga Grande. - -As soon as he saw that the boat was in the right course, and that it no -longer needed a steersman, he attended to the wounded boy, who was still -insensible: he took off the white bournouse in which he was dressed, -loosened the belt to which his yataghan was still attached, and -perceived by the rays of the setting sun the situation of the wound. -Upon examination, he discovered that a musket-ball had entered between -the right hip and the false ribs, and gone out near the spine: the wound -was dangerous, but it was not mortal. - -The evening breeze, and the cool sensation produced by the sea-water -with which Bruno washed the wound, recalled the boy to his senses, and -he uttered a few words in a foreign language, but without opening his -eyes. Bruno, however, knowing that a wound caused by fire-arms produced -a burning thirst, guessed that he was asking for drink, and he placed -a bottle of water to his lips. The boy drank greedily, uttered a few -inarticulate sounds, and fell back in a fainting fit. - -Pascal laid him down as gently as he could at the bottom of the boat, -and, uncovering the wound, he continued, unceasingly, to apply to it his -handkerchief dipped in the sea--a remedy considered infallible in the -case of wounds by every seafaring man in the Mediterranean. - -At length our navigators found themselves at the mouth of the Ragusa, -and the wind setting in from the African coast. Pascal with little -difficulty directed his bark into the stream; and leaving Modica to the -right, he passed the bridge that is thrown across the high-road from -Noto to Chiaramonti. - -He went about half a league further, but there the river became no -longer navigable; he drew his boat up among the shrubs that grew by -the side of the stream, and taking the boy in his arms, he carried -him inland. He soon reached the entrance to a valley, into which -he descended, and presently came to a spot where the mountain was -perpendicular, the smoother side of which was pierced in various places; -for in this valley were to be seen the remains of the habitations of -the dwellers in caves, the first occupants of the country, and who were -afterwards civilised by the Greeks. - -Bruno entered one of these caverns, which communicated by means of a -few steps with an upper story, to which the air was admitted through -a small, square hole that answered the purpose of a window. A bed of -rushes was heaped up in the corner, and on this he spread out the boy's -bournouse; and then having lighted a branch of fir, he fixed it in the -wall, and seating himself on a stone near the bed, he waited until his -protg recovered his senses. - -This was not the first visit Bruno had paid to this retreat, for often -during his travels across the island without any object in view, but -merely for the sake of passing away his solitary time, he had entered -that valley, and rested in that chamber which had been excavated in the -rock three thousand years before. Here it was that he gave himself up -to vague and incoherent reveries, so habitual to imaginative but -uninstructed minds. - -He knew that a race of men had disappeared from the earth which in -former times excavated these retreats; and, deeply tinged with the -popular superstition, he believed, like all the inhabitants of the -locality, that these men were enchanters and dealers in witchcraft; but -this belief, far from driving him from these wild and terror-inspiring -places, irresistibly attracted him to them; for in his youth he had -heard numbers of tales related of enchanted guns, invulnerable men, -and invisible travellers; and his fearless mind, delighting in the -marvellous and the terrible, had but one engrossing desire, that of -meeting with some mysterious being, some sorcerer, enchanter, or -demon who, by means of an infernal compact, would endow him with some -supernatural power, and make him superior to the rest of mankind. But he -had vainly invoked the shades of the ancient inhabitants of the valley -of Modica; no supernatural appearances had visited him, and Pascal Bruno -remained, to his great regret, a man like other men, with the exception -of a degree of strength and skill for which no other mountaineer could -be compared with him. - -Bruno had been wholly absorbed in one of these visionary reveries for -nearly an hour beside the bed of the wounded lad, when the latter awoke -from a species of lethargy into which he had been plunged, opened his -eyes, looked round him with a wandering gaze, and at last fixed his eyes -upon the man who had saved him, but unconscious whether he saw in him -a friend or an enemy. During this examination, and by an indefinite -instinct of self-defence, he put his hand to his waist In search of his -faithful yataghan; but not finding it there, he heaved a deep sigh, and -again closed his eyes. - -"Are you in pain?" said Bruno to him, making use of the Lingua Franca, -a language so well understood on the coast of the Mediterranean, from -Marseilles to Alexandria, from Constantinople to Algiers, and by means -of which you may travel over the whole of the old world. - -"Who are you?" asked the boy. - -"A friend," replied Pascal. - -"I am not a prisoner then?" said the boy. - -"No," answered Pascal. - -"Then how came I here?" asked the boy. - -Pascal told him all that had happened; to which the boy listened -attentively, and when he had finished his tale, he fixed his eyes -gratefully upon Pascal, and said, "Then, since you have saved my life, -you will be a father to me?" - -"Yes," said Bruno, "I will." - -"Father," said the wounded boy, "thy son's name is Ali; what is yours?" - -"Pascal Bruno." - -"May Allah protect thee," said the lad. - -"Are you in want of anything?" asked Bruno. - -"Yes, water," said the boy; "I am thirsty." - -Pascal took up an earthen vessel concealed in a hole in the rock, and -went to a spring that flowed near the cave; on going up again he cast -his eyes on the boy's yataghan, which he had made no attempt to draw -nearer to him. Ali greedily seized the cup, and drank off the water at a -draught. - -"May Allah grant you as many happy years as there were drops of water in -this cup," said the boy, as he gave it back to Pascal. - -"You are a good creature," murmured Bruno; "make haste and get well, and -you shall, if you wish go back to Africa." - -The boy recovered from his wound, but continued to remain in Sicily, for -he became so much attached to Bruno that he would not leave him. Since -that time, he had always remained with him, accompanying him in his -hunting excursions over the mountains; assisting him in the management -of his boat, and ready to sacrifice his life at a sign from the man he -called his father. - -On the previous evening, he had accompanied Pascal to the villa of the -Prince de Carini, and waited for him beneath the windows during the -interview with Gemma; and he it was who had twice given the signal of -alarm; the first time, when the prince rang the bell at the gate, and -again, when he entered the chteau. He was just about to climb into -the window to render Bruno assistance when the latter sprang out; he -followed him in his flight, and when they reached the shore, they both -of them got into their boat which was awaiting them, and as they could -not have put to sea in the evening without creating suspicion, they were -content to remain among the fishing-boats that waited for the break of -day, in order that they might put to sea. - -During the night Ali, in his turn, returned to Pascal the attentions he -had received under similar circumstances, for the Prince of Carini -had taken a good aim, and the ball he had vainly searched for in the -hangings had almost passed through Bruno's shoulder, so that Ali had but -to make a slight incision with his yataghan to extract it from the side -opposite to that at which it entered. All this took place without the -interference of Bruno who appeared scarcely to pay any attention to the -circumstance, and the only care he bestowed on his wound was, as we have -already said, to moisten it, from time to time, with sea-water, while -the boy appeared to be busy mending his nets. - -"Father," said Ali, suddenly interrupting himself in his pretended -occupation, "look towards the shore." - -"Well, what is it?" said Pascal. - -"A number of people?". replied Ali. - -"Where?" asked Pascal. - -"Yonder, on the road leading to the church," replied Ali. - -In fact, a considerable crowd of people were passing along the winding -road that led to the church. Bruno saw that it was a marriage procession -on its way to the chapel of St. Rosalie. - -"Direct the boat's head to the shore, and row quickly," he cried, -starting up and standing in the boat. - -The boy obeyed, seized the oars, and the little vessel seemed to fly -over the surface of the sea; the nearer they approached the shore the -more terrible the features of Bruno became: at length, when they were -within half a mile of the land, he cried out, in an accent of deep -despair-- - -"It is Teresa! They have hurried on the ceremony; they would not wait -until Sunday for fear I should have carried her off. God knows, I have -done all in my power to bring this affair to a happy conclusion--but -they would not have it, so woe betide them!" - -At these words, Bruno, assisted by Ali, hoisted the sail of his little -bark, which, doubling Mount Pellegrino, disappeared at the end of two -hours behind Cape Gollo. - - - - - - -CHAPTER III.--THE FATAL BRIDAL. - -Pascal was not deceived in his conjectures: the countess, afraid of some -attempt on the part of Bruno, had hurried on the marriage three days -before the appointed time without informing Teresa of her interview -with her old lover; and the young people had selected the chapel of St. -Rosalie, the patroness of Palermo, for the celebration of the ceremony. - -This was another of the characteristics of Palermo, that city of love; -it had placed itself under the protection of a young and pretty saint! -Thus, St. Rosalie was at Palermo what St. Januarius is at Naples, the -omnipotent distributor of the blessings of heaven; but superior to -St. Januarius, as she was of a royal French race, being descended from -Charlemagne; this was proved by her genealogical tree, painted above the -door on the exterior of the chapel; a tree whose trunk issues from -the breast of the conqueror of Vitikind, and after dividing into many -branches, it reunites at the summit to give birth to the Prince of -Sinebaldo, the father of St. Rosalie; but her noble birth, the riches of -her house and her own beauty had no effect on the young princess; at the -age of eighteen she quitted the court, and, bent upon living a life of -contemplation, she suddenly disappeared, and no one knew what had become -of her; it was only after her death that she was found, as beautiful and -perfect as if she still lived, in the grotto in which she had taken up -her abode, and in the attitude in which she had fallen asleep. In after -times, a chapel was erected over this grotto, and in this chapel Teresa -and Gaetano were married. - -The ceremony having concluded, the marriage procession returned to -Palermo, where vehicles were in readiness to take the guests to the -village of Carini, the princely fief from which Rodolpho took his title; -there, by the care of the countess, a magnificent repast was prepared. -The country people in the neighbourhood had been invited, and they had -flocked to the feast from four or five leagues round. The tables were -arranged on an esplanade, shaded by the foliage of green oaks and -parasol-like firs, perfumed by orange and lemon trees, and surrounded by -hedges of pomegranate and Indian fig-trees--a double blessing bestowed -by Providence, who, providing for the hunger and thirst of the poor, has -planted these fruitful trees like so much manna over the whole surface -of Sicily. - -This esplanade was reached by a road, the sides of which were planted -with aloes, whose giant blossoms, seen from a distance, resembled the -lances of Arab horsemen; while to the south, the view was bounded by the -palace. Above the terrace, from which the chain of mountains rises -that separate the island into three parts--the eastern, northern, -and western--at the extremity of these three valleys, the magnificent -Sicilian sea was seen in three places; and, by its varying tints, it -might have been taken for three distinct oceans; for, on account of -the varied light produced by the sun just beginning to disappear in -the horizon, on the side of Palermo it was an azure blue, round the -Isoladette Donne it rolled its silvery waves, while it fell in golden -streams against the rocks of St. Vito. - -When the dessert was served, and while the guests were at the height of -their joy, the gates of the chteau opened, and Gemma, leaning on the -prince's arm, preceded by two servants carrying torches, and followed -by a host of attendants, came down the marble staircase of the villa -and went up to the esplanade. The peasants were about to rise, but the -prince made a sign they should not disturb themselves; while Gemma -and himself, having made the tour of the tables, stopped before the -newly-married couple. - -Then a domestic held out a golden cup, which Gaetano filled with -Syracuse wine. The domestic then offered the cup to Gemma, and she -uttered a prayer for the happiness of the bride and bridegroom, touched -the wine with her beauteous lips, and offered it to the prince, who -emptied it at a draught, and pouring into it a purseful of golden -ducats, desired it to be given to Teresa, for whom it was a wedding -gift. At the same instant, loud cries of "Long live the Prince of -Carini! Long live the Countess of Castel Nuovo!" were heard; and at this -moment the esplanade became illuminated as if by magic, and the -noble visitors retired, leaving behind them, like a celestial vision, -happiness and light. - -They had scarcely re-entered the castle along with their suite before -the music struck up, and the younger guests, leaving the table, -proceeded to the place prepared for the dance. According to custom, -Gaetano was about to open the ball with his bride, and for that purpose -was advancing towards her, when a stranger, who had entered by the aloe -walk, appeared on the esplanade--it was Pascal Bruno, in the Calabrian -costume we have already described, excepting that he had a pair of -pistols and a dagger at his girdle, and that his jacket, which was -thrown over his right shoulder like that of a Hussar, exposed his shirt, -stained with blood. - -Teresa was the first who noticed him; she screamed, and fixing her -terrified eyes upon him, remained pale and erect, as if she had seen a -spectre; every one turned towards the new comer, and all were silent, -anticipating some dreadful event. - -Pascal Bruno went straight up to Teresa, and stopping before her, he -folded his arms, and looked fixedly at her. - -"Is it you, Pascal?" stammered Teresa. - -"Yes, it is I," said Bruno, in a hoarse voice; "I heard at Bauso, where -I was waiting for you, that you were about to be married at Carini, and -I have come in time, I hope, to dance the first tarantella with you." - -"It is the right of the bridegroom," observed Gaetano, going up to him -and interfering. - -"It is the right of the lover," replied Bruno. "Come, Teresa, I think it -is the least you can do for me." - -"Teresa is my wife," exclaimed Gaetano, extending his arm towards her. - -"She is my betrothed," cried Pascal, taking her by the hand. - -"Help! help!" exclaimed Teresa. - -Gaetano seized Pascal by the collar, but at the same instant he uttered -a loud cry and fell. Pascal's dagger was buried in his chest up to the -hilt. The men appeared by their actions to be about to seize upon the -murderer, who quietly drew a pistol from his waist and cocked it, then -with the hand that held it, he made a sign to the musicians to play -the tarantella; they obeyed mechanically, while all the guests remained -motionless. - -"Come, Teresa," said Bruno. - -Teresa was no longer an accountable or conscious creature, but an -automaton, whose actions were guided by fear--she mechanically obeyed, -and the horrible dance, in the presence of the corpse of the murdered -man, was danced to the last step. - -At length the musicians stopped, and Teresa, as if the music alone had -supported her, fell senseless on the body of Gaetano. - -"Thanks, Teresa," said her partner, coldly, "that is all I wanted of -thee," and then turning to the spectators, "and now, if any one desires -to know my name, that he may find me elsewhere, I am called Pascal -Bruno." - -"Son of Antonio Bruno, whose head is placed in an iron cage at the -chteau of Bauso?" asked one of the guests. - -"Exactly so," answered Pascal; "but if you wish to see it, you must make -haste, for I swear to you it shall not remain there much longer?" - -At these words Pascal left, and no one felt inclined to follow him; -besides, whether it arose from fear or interest, every one was engaged -about Gaetano and Teresa; one was dead--the other mad! - -The prince was not made acquainted with this terrible tragedy till the -following morning, when every effort was made to capture the murderer, -but in vain; he had escaped, no one knew how or whither. - -The countess, in consequence of this dreadful event, became more alarmed -than ever for her personal safety, particularly when she reflected that -by her duplicity, in concealing from Teresa her extraordinary interview -with Pascal, she herself had been the chief cause of the catastrophe. - -The Sunday after this occurrence there was a fte at Bauso, and the -whole village was full of life; there was drinking in every cabaret, -and broaching of barrels at every corner; the streets were noisy and -decorated with flags, and the chateau was thronged with people who had -gathered together to see the young men fire at the target, an amusement -much encouraged by King Ferdinand the Fourth during his forced sojourn -in Sicily; and many of those who were, at the time we are speaking -of, about to devote themselves to this exercise, had very recently, as -followers of Cardinal Ruffo, had occasion to exhibit their skill against -the patriots of Naples and the French republicans; but on this occasion -it was merely a trial of skill, the prize being a silver cup. - -The target was fixed immediately below the iron cage in which the head -of Antonio Bruno was placed. The latter could only be reached by a -flight of steps in the interior of the fortress, which led to a window, -on the outside of which the cage was fixed. - -The conditions of the shooting-match were simple enough: to become -one of the candidates it was only necessary to subscribe to the common -purse, for the purpose of defraying the expense of the cup--the charge -was two carlins for each shot, for which the party received in exchange -a number, drawn by chance, which fixed the order in which each man was -to fire. The least skilful took as many as ten, twelve, or even fourteen -numbers; and those who reckoned on their superior skill not more than -five or six. - -In the midst of the confusion of drawing the numbers, a hand was -stretched out among the rest which threw down two carlins, and a voice -was heard asking for a single number. Every one turned round, astonished -at this evidence either of poverty or confidence. The man who asked for -a single number was Pascal Bruno. - -Although he had not been seen in the village for four years, every one -knew him, but still no one addressed him; but as he was known to be the -best hunter in the country, they were not astonished at his asking for -one number only--his number was eleven. - -At length the firing commenced. Every shot was greeted by shouts of -laughter or applause; but after the first few shots the laughter was -less violent. As to Pascal, he was leaning sad and pensively on -his English rifle, and seemed to take no part in the enthusiasm and -merriment of his countrymen. At length it was his turn; they called his -name, he started and raised his head as if the call was unexpected; but -recovering himself at once, he took up his position behind a cord that -was stretched across as a kind of barrier. Every one anxiously followed -the direction of his eyes, for none of the marksmen had excited so much -interest or had been watched so silently. - -Pascal himself seemed to feel the importance of the shot he was about to -take, for he fixed himself firmly, his left leg in advance, and resting -his body on his right. He placed his gun carefully to his shoulder, and, -beginning from below, he slowly raised the barrel; every one watched him -with anxiety, and they saw, with astonishment, that his aim was above -the target; but he still continued to raise his rifle, until it was in -the direction of the iron cage. Then the rifle and the marksman remained -for an instant motionless, as if they had been formed of stone; at -length he fired, and the head rolled out of the cage to the bottom of -the target. Every one shuddered, but no sound was heard at this proof of -address. - -In the midst of this silence, Pascal Bruno walked coolly up to the -target, picked up his father's head, and without uttering a word -or looking once behind him, he took the cross road that led to the -mountains. - -The spectators saw Bruno depart without attempting to stop or follow -him; in fact, they commiserated the fate of Antonio Bruno, who was much -respected by his fellow-villagers, and appreciated this act of filial -affection in the son. - - - - - - -CHAPTER IV.--THE PRINCE AND THE BANDIT. - -Scarcely a year had passed after the events we have just related before -all Sicily--from Messina to Palermo--from Cephalu to Cape Passaro--was -filled with reports of the exploits of the bandit Pascal Bruno. -Considering the previous history of his family, his adventurous -character, and the badly-organised state of society in his native -country, it is not astonishing that Pascal Bruno should so rapidly have -become the extraordinary character he desired to be. He had, as it were, -established himself as a judge over justice itself; so that throughout -all Sicily, and particularly at Bauso and its environs, no arbitrary act -could be performed without escaping the notice of his tribunal; and as -most of his judgments affected the powerful only, the weak were almost -always on his side. - -In this manner, when some rich lord imposed a heavy rent on a poor -farmer--when a marriage was about to be broken off though the cupidity -of a family--when an iniquitous sentence was passed on an innocent -man--Bruno, after receiving notice, would shoulder his carbine, let -loose his four Corsican dogs (his only band), mount his Valda Noto -horse--half Arabian and half mountaineer, like himself--leave the little -fortress of Castel Nuovo, where he had taken up his abode, go to the -lord, the father, or the judge, and the rent was reduced, the marriage -took place, or the prisoner was set at liberty. - -From this, it may be very well understood, that all those men to whom he -had thus been a benefactor would pay for the benefits they had received -by devotion to his interests, and that every attempt made to capture -him would be sure to fail, through the grateful watchfulness of the -peasants, who warned him by signals agreed on beforehand of the dangers -that threatened him. - -Then, again, the most strange tales were told of him by everybody; -for the simpler men's minds are, the fonder they are of believing the -marvellous. They said, that on a stormy night, when the whole island -trembled, Pascal Bruno entered into a compact with a sorceress, by which -he obtained from her, giving his soul in exchange, the gift of being -invisible, and the faculty of transporting himself in an instant -from one end of the island to the other; as well as being rendered -invulnerable, either by lead, iron, or fire. The bargain, they said, -was to stand good for three years, Bruno having only signed it for the -purpose of accomplishing an act of vengeance, for which purpose this -term, short as it was, would be sufficient. - -As for Pascal, far from destroying this belief, he perceived it was -beneficial to him, and he endeavoured, on the contrary, to give it the -appearance of truth. These various tales had often afforded him the -means of establishing his invincible nature, by attributing to it a -knowledge of circumstances which it must be imagined would otherwise -have been perfectly unknown to him. The speed of his horse, by whose aid -he could find himself in the morning at incredible distances from the -place where he had been seen at night, convinced them of his locomotive -faculty. A circumstance, also, of which he had taken advantage, like -a skilful man, had left no doubt of his invulnerable nature; it was as -follows:-- - -The murder of Gaetano had produced a great sensation; the Prince of -Carini had given orders to all the commanders of companies to endeavour -to arrest the assassin, who, however, led those who followed him a long -chase through his audacity and cunning; they had, therefore, transmitted -these orders to their agents. - -The chief justice of Spadafora was informed, one morning, that Pascal -Bruno had passed through the village during the night on his way to -Divieto; the two following nights, therefore, he placed men in ambuscade -on the road-side, thinking he would return by the same road he had taken -when going, and take advantage of the night to perform his journey. - -Wearied out by their two nights' watching, the morning of the third day, -which was Sunday, the soldiers had assembled at a drinking-shop -about twenty steps from the road-side: they were about to begin their -breakfast, when some one brought them word that Pascal Bruno was quietly -coming along the road from the direction of Divieto: as they had no time -to conceal themselves, they waited for him where they were, and when he -was within fifty yards of the inn, they sallied out and drew up before -the door, without, however, appearing to notice him. Bruno, on his side, -saw these preparations for the attack without any apparent uneasiness, -and, instead of retracing his steps, an easy task, he put his horse into -a gallop and continued his journey. As soon as the soldiers perceived -his intention, they got their muskets ready, and the moment he passed -before them, the whole company saluted him with a general discharge; -but neither horse nor rider was touched, and they emerged safe and sound -from the cloud of smoke in which they had been for an instant enveloped. -The soldiers looked at them and shook their heads, and proceeded to -recount what had happened to the judge of Spadafora. - -The report of this adventure reached Bauso the same evening; and several -of the inhabitants, whose imagination was more lively than that of their -neighbours, began to think Pascal Bruno was enchanted, and that lead and -iron when they struck him became soft and flattened. The next day this -assertion was proved by incontestable evidence; for they found his -jacket at the justice's door, pierced in thirteen places by bullets, -and the thirteen flattened balls were found in one of the pockets. Some -unbelievers, however, and among them was Caesar Alletto, a notary of -Calvaruso, from whose lips we had these particulars, maintained that the -bandit himself, having miraculously escaped from the volley of musketry, -and wishing to profit by the circumstance, had hung his jacket to a tree -and pierced it with bullets in thirteen places. But, notwithstanding -this opinion, the majority were convinced of his bearing a charmed life, -and the terror Pascal already inspired was considerably increased. - -This dread of Bruno was so great and so well established that, spreading -from the lower orders, it had infected even the higher classes, and -to such an extent that, a few months before the time at which we have -arrived, being in want of two hundred ounces of gold for one of his -philanthropic projects (it was to rebuild an inn which had been burnt -down), he addressed himself to the Prince of Butera to obtain a loan of -the money, describing to him a place in the mountains where he would -go to receive it, and begging of him to bury it at the precise spot, -so that on the night he mentioned he might go and seek it. In case this -request, which, however, more resembled a command, was not attended to, -Bruno warned the prince there would be open war between the king of the -mountains and the king of the plains; but that if, on the contrary, the -prince would be kind enough to lend it to him, the two hundred ounces -of gold would be faithfully returned out of the first money he should be -able to carry off from the royal treasure. - -The prince of Butera was one of those characters which have become -extremely rare in modern times: he was one of the ancient Sicilian -nobility, as adventurous and chivalrous as the Normans, by whom their -constitution and society were formed. His name was Hercules, and he -seemed formed after the model of that ancient hero. He could knock down -a restive horse with a blow of his fist; break a bar of iron, half -an inch thick, on his knee; and bend a piastre with his finger. An -occurrence, in which he had exhibited the greatest presence of mind, -had made him the idol of the people of Palermo. In 1770, there was a -scarcity of bread in the city; a riot was the consequence; the governor -had appealed to the ultima ratio, and the cannon were drawn out in the -Toledo street; the people were moving towards the guns; the gunner, with -match in hand, was in the act of firing on the people, when the Prince -of Butera seated himself over the mouth of a cannon, as coolly as if it -had been a chair, and in that situation made so eloquent and rational -a speech that the mob dispersed of its own accord, and the gunner threw -away the match, and the gun returned into the arsenal innocent of human -blood. But this was not the only cause of his popularity. - -He was in the habit every morning of walking on his terrace, which -overlooked the Place de la Marine, and as the gates of his palace were -open to everybody, at daybreak he always found a number of poor people -assembled; on that account he constantly wore a huge buckskin waistcoat, -whose immense pockets were filled every morning by his servant with -carlins and half-carlins, all of which, to the very last piece, -disappeared during his walk, and that with words and actions that -belonged to himself alone, so that he always seemed as if he was about -to knock down those on whom he was bestowing charity. - -"Your excellency," said a poor woman, surrounded by her family, "have -pity on a poor mother with five children." - -"An excellent reason," replied the prince, in an angry tone; "am I their -father?" and shaking his fist in her face, he dropped a handful of money -into her apron. - -"My lord prince," said another, "I am without food." - -"You fool," replied the prince, giving him a cuff, and at the same time -enough to procure him food for a week; "do I make bread? Why do you not -go to the baker's?" - -On this account, whenever the prince passed along the street every head -was uncovered, and if he had said the word, he might have been made -King of Sicily; but that idea never entered his head, and so he remained -Prince of Butera. - -This liberality of his, however, met with a reprover, and that within -the walls of the prince's palace, and this reprover was his major-domo. -It is clear that a man with a character like that we have endeavoured to -trace must necessarily keep a splendid table; in fact, he kept in -every sense of the word open house, so that every day he had from -five-and-twenty to thirty guests at the least to dine with him; among -these, seven or eight were perfect strangers to him; while, on the other -hand, there were others who seated themselves as regularly as boarders -at a table d'hte. - -Among these last there was a certain Captain Altavilla, who had gained -his epaulettes by following Cardinal Ruffo from Palermo to Naples; and -who returned from Naples to Palermo with a pension of a thousand ducats. -Unfortunately, the captain was somewhat of a gambler, and this would -have caused his pension to be insufficient for his wants, if he had not -discovered two plans by means of which his quarterly pay had become the -least important part of his revenue; the first of these plans, and one, -as I have already said, that was open to all the world, was to dine -every day with the prince; and the second was, every day, with the most -scrupulous regularity, to put the silver cover of the plate off which he -had dined into his pocket. - -The manouvre continued for some time before this daily abstraction was -noticed; but, well furnished as the plate-chests of the prince might -be, they began to exhibit certain vacant spaces. The suspicions of -the major-domo immediately fell on the follower of Cardinal Ruffo; -he, therefore, carefully watched him, and after two or three days his -suspicions were changed into certainty. - -He immediately informed the prince of the discovery he had made, who -reflected for an instant, and then answered, that so long as the captain -merely took his own cover he should take no notice; but that if he put -his neighbour's into his pocket, why then he would consider how he would -act. In consequence of this, Captain Altavilla continued to be one of -the most regular guests of his excellency Prince Hercules de Butera. - -The prince was at Castrogiovanni, where he had a villa, when Bruno's -letter was brought to him. He read it, and asked if the messenger was -waiting for an answer. He was told, "no" and immediately he put the -letter into his pocket, with as much sang froid as if it had merely been -on some trivial subject. - -The night fixed upon by Bruno had arrived; the spot he had indicated -in his letter was on the southern ridge of mount Etna, near one of the -numerous extinct volcanoes that were indebted for their existence of a -day to its eternal fires--an existence, nevertheless, sufficient for the -destruction of cities. The volcano in question was called Montebaldo; -for each of these terrible hills received a name at the time it was -raised up from the earth. Ten minutes' walk from its base a colossal -and isolated tree arose, called the chesnut of a hundred horses, because -around its trunk, the circumference of which is equal to 178 feet, and -beneath its foliage, which of itself forms a forest, a hundred horsemen -and their steeds can take shelter. - -It was at the root of this tree Bruno was to seek the money he wished to -borrow of the prince; consequently, about eleven o'clock in the evening -he left Centorbi, and towards midnight he began to discern by the light -of the moon the gigantic tree, and the small house built between its -stems, in which its immense produce is harvested. As he drew near, -Pascal thought he could distinguish a shadow cast upon one of the -five trunks which arose from the same root. Soon afterwards the shade -appeared a reality; the bandit stopped, cocked his carbine, and cried, -"Who goes there?" - -"A man, to be sure!" exclaimed a powerful voice. "Why, zounds! you did -not expect the money could come alone?" - -"No, certainly not," said Bruno; "but I did not think the man who -brought it would have been bold enough to wait for my coming." - -"Then you are not acquainted with Prince Hercules de Butera? that is -all." - -"How! yourself my lord?" said Bruno, throwing his carbine over his -shoulder and advancing hat in hand to the prince. - -"Yes, it is I, you rogue," replied the prince; "I, who thought a bandit -might be in want of money the same as any other man; and I did not wish -to refuse my purse even to a bandit, only I took the fancy of bringing -it myself for fear he should imagine I was afraid of him." - -"Your excellency is worthy of your high reputation," said Bruno. - -"And you, are you deserving of yours?" asked the prince. - -"It depends upon how I have been spoken of to your excellency," said -Bruno, "for I have more than one reputation." - -"Good," continued the prince; "I see you are not deficient in ability -or resolution; I admire brave men, let me meet with them where I will. -Listen to me; will you change your Calabrian dress for the uniform of a -captain and fight against the French? I will raise a company for you on -my own estates, and purchase your epaulettes." - -"Thank you, my lord, thank you," said Bruno, "your offer is like that -of a magnificent prince; but I have a certain act of vengeance to -accomplish that will keep me for some time longer in Sicily; after that -we shall see." - -"Well," said the prince, "you are free; but, believe me, you had better -accept my offer." - -"I cannot, your excellency," said Bruno. - -"Well then," said the prince, "here is the money you asked for; go to -the devil with it, and take care you don't get yourself hanged on the -gibbet opposite my door on the Place de la Marine." - -Bruno balanced the purse in his hand. - -"It seems to me that the purse is very heavy, my lord," said he. - -"That is because I did not wish a fellow like you should be able to brag -that he had fixed a limit to the liberality of the Prince of Butera; -so, instead of the two hundred ounces of gold you asked for, I have put -three hundred in the purse." - -"Whatever sum you have been pleased to bring, my lord, it shall be -faithfully returned to you," said Bruno. - -"I give; I never lend," said the prince. - -"And I borrow or I steal--I never beg," replied Bruno; "take back your -purse, my lord, I shall address myself to Prince Ventimille, or to -Prince de la Cattolica." - -"Well, let it be so," said the prince; "I never met with a more -capricious bandit: four rascals like you would drive me mad; so I shall -leave. Farewell!" - -"Adieu, my lord!" said Bruno, "and may St Rosalie protect you." - -The prince departed, with his hands in the pockets of his buckskin -waistcoat, and whistling a favourite air; Bruno remained motionless -watching his departure, and it was not until he had lost sight of him -that he, on his side, retired, heaving a deep sigh. - -The next day, the innkeeper whose house had been burned down received, -by the hands of Ali, the Prince of Butera's three hundred ounces of -gold. - - - - - - -CHAPTER IV.--THE ROBBER'S CASTLE. - -Some time after the event we have just related, Bruno learnt that a -convoy of money, escorted by four gens-d'armes and a brigadier was about -to leave Messina for Palermo; it was the ransom of the Prince Moncada -Paterno; which, in consequence of a financial operation, which did great -honour to the imagination of Ferdinand the Fourth, had just helped -to swell the Neapolitan budget instead of increasing the treasure of -Casuba, according to its first destination. - -The following is the history of the transaction, as it was told me -in Sicily, and, as it is as curious as it is authentic, we think it -deserves the trouble of being told; besides, it will give some idea of -the simple manner in which taxes are imposed in Sicily. - -We have already related the manner in which the Prince de Moncada -Paterno was made prisoner by the Barbary Corsairs near the little -village of Tugello, on his return from the island of Pantalleria. He was -carried, along with all his followers, to Algiers, and there the price -of his ransom and that of his attendants was modestly fixed at the sum -of five hundred thousand piastres (about one hundred thousand pounds -sterling), half to be paid before his departure, and the other half -after his return to Sicily. - -The prince wrote to his steward to inform him of the situation in -which he found himself placed, and desired him to send, as quickly as -possible, the two hundred and fifty thousand piastres in exchange for -which he was to be liberated. As the Prince of Moncada Paterno was one -of the richest noblemen in Sicily, the sum was easily made up and sent -to Africa; and faithful to his promise, like a true follower of the -prophet, the Dey released the Prince of Paterno, taking his word of -honour that before a year had passed by he would remit the remaining two -hundred and fifty thousand piastres. - -The prince returned to Sicily and endeavoured to collect the -sum necessary for the second instalment of his ransom in his own -principality, when an order came from Ferdinand IV., who, seeing that he -was at war with the regency, had no wish that his subjects should enrich -his enemies; he therefore opposed the proceedings of the prince, and -ordered the two hundred and fifty thousand piastres in question to be -paid into the treasury at Messina. - -The Prince of Paterno, who was a man of honour a well as a faithful -subject, obeyed the order of his sovereign and the voice of his -conscience at the same time, so that his ransom cost him seven hundred -and fifty thousand piastres, two-thirds of which were sent to the -infidel Corsair, and the other third placed at Messina in the hands of -the Prince de Carini, the agent of the Christian pirate. This was the -sum the viceroy was sending to Palermo, the seat of government, under -the escort of four gens-d'armes and a brigadier; the last being likewise -charged with the duty of delivering a letter from the prince to his dear -Gemma, whom he requested to join him at Messina, where the business of -government would still detain him for several months. - -On the evening when the convoy would have to pass near Bauso, Bruno -unfastened his four Corsican dogs, crossed the village, of which he had -become the lord, in their company, and placed himself in ambuscade on -the road between Divieto and Spadafora. He had remained there about an -hour, when he heard the wheels of a waggon and the tramp of horsemen. He -looked to the priming of his carbine, satisfied himself that his dagger -was not fixed in its sheath, whistled to his dogs, who laid themselves -down at his feet, and remained standing upright in the middle of the -road. - -A few minutes afterwards, the convoy appeared at a turning in the road, -and advanced to within fifty paces of the man who was waiting for its -coming up. When the gens-d'armes perceived him, they hailed him with, -"Who goes there?" - -"Pascal Bruno," replied the bandit; and, at the sound of a peculiar -whistle, his powerful dogs, trained for the purpose, fiercely attacked -the little troop. - -At the name of Pascal Bruno, the four gens-d'armes had taken to their -heels, and the dogs by natural instinct pursued the runaways. The -brigadier, who remained alone by the waggon, drew his sabre and rushed -at the bandit. Pascal raised his carbine to his shoulder as coolly and -slowly as if he were about to shoot at a mark, determining not to fire -until the horseman was within ten paces of him; but the instant he -placed his finger on the trigger, and before he had time to fire, both -horse and man rolled in the dust. Ali had stealthily followed without -saying a word to Bruno, and seeing the brigadier about to charge him, he -had crawled along the road like a serpent and cut the horse's hamstrings -with his yataghan. As to the brigadier, his fall was so rapid and -unexpected that his head struck against the stones, and he was rendered -totally insensible. - -Bruno went up to him, after satisfying himself that there was no feint -attempted to be practised upon him, and with the assistance of Ali he -placed him in the waggon he had so lately escorted; then placing the -reins in the hands of the young Arab, he desired him to take the waggon -and the brigadier to the fortress. Bruno himself then went up to the -wounded horse, took the brigadier's carbine from the saddle, to which it -was attached, and searched in the holsters and took out a roll of paper -which he found there; he then whistled to his dogs, who returned with -their mouths covered with blood, and followed the capture he had just -made. - -When he arrived in the court-yard of his little fortress, he closed the -gate behind him, took the brigadier (who was still insensible) on his -shoulder, carried him into a room, and placed him on a mattress on which -he was in the habit of throwing himself with all his clothes on; then, -whether through forgetfulness or imprudence, he placed the carbine he -had taken from the saddle in a corner, and left the room. - -Five minutes afterwards the brigadier opened his eyes, looked round, -and found himself in a place that was completely unknown to him; and, -believing he was under the influence of a dream, he felt round him to -ascertain whether he was really awake. It was then that he felt a pain -in his forehead, and placing his hand on it, he withdrew it covered -with blood: he found that he was wounded. The wound brought back his -recollection, and he remembered he had been stopped on the road by a -single man, deserted in a most cowardly manner by the gens-d'armes who -accompanied him, and that at the instant he was about to attack that -man his horse suddenly fell; beyond that he could recall nothing to his -mind. - -The brigadier was a brave man, but he felt that the responsibility of -this disastrous adventure rested on him, and his heart was filled with -shame and rage at the disgraceful conduct of his men. He looked round -the room to discover if possible where he was; but everything was -strange to him. He rose, went to the window, and saw that it overlooked -the country. It was then that a ray of hope entered his breast, for he -could easily leap out of the window, go in search of assistance, and -return and avenge himself upon his captor. - -He had just opened the window for the purpose of executing his project -when, casting a parting glance into the chamber, he perceived his -carbine standing near the head of the bed; at this unexpected sight -his heart beat violently, for other thoughts besides those of flight -instantly took possession of his mind. He looked round to ascertain -whether he was really alone, and when he was satisfied that no one had -seen or could see him, he seized the weapon, in which he saw a more -hazardous means of safety, but a speedier vengeance. After having -ascertained that the priming was safe, and finding, by passing the -ramrod down the barrel, that it was loaded, he replaced it where he had -found it, and lay down as if he had not as yet recovered his senses; -but he had scarcely stretched himself out on the mattress before Bruno -entered the room. - -He had a piece of lighted fir in his hand, which he threw into the -fire-place, where he set fire to the wood already placed there for the -purpose; then he went to a cupboard formed in the wall, and took out two -plates, two glasses, two flasks of wine, and a roast shoulder of mutton, -which he placed on the table, and appeared to be waiting until the -brigadier recovered his consciousness that he might do the honours of -the repast. - -The room in which the scene we are narrating took place was longer than -it was wide, having a single window at one end, a single door at the -other, and the chimney between the two. The brigadier, now a captain of -the gens-d'armes at Messina, who has given us all these particulars, was -lying down, as we have said, parallel to the window; Bruno was standing -before the fire-place, with his eyes vaguely fixed on the door, and he -appeared to become every instant more and more thoughtful. - -This was the moment for which the brigadier was waiting--the decisive -moment when he must stake everything for one object--life against life, -head against head. He rose, resting upon his left hand, and stretched -out his other slowly towards his carbine, but without taking his eye off -Bruno; he took hold of it between the lock and the butt-end, and then -remained an instant in that position without daring to make another -movement, alarmed even at the beating of his own heart, which was so -violent that the bandit might almost have heard it had he not been so -entirely lost in thought; then, seeing that he gave himself up to his -fate as it were, he resumed his confidence, rose on one knee, looked -once more at the window, his only means of retreat, placed the carbine -to his shoulder, took aim at Bruno like a man who knew that his life -depended on his self-possession, and fired. - -Bruno quietly stooped down, picked up something that lay at his feet, -held the object to the light, and, turning towards the brigadier, who -remained mute with astonishment-- - -"Comrade," he said, "when next you attempt to shoot me let your balls be -of silver, for unless they are they will be only flattened against me in -this manner. However, I am happy you have so far recovered yourself, for -I begin to feel hungry; we will, therefore, if it is agreeable, sit down -to our supper." - -The brigadier remained in the same attitude in which he had fired, his -hair bristling on his head, and the perspiration standing in thick drops -on his forehead. The next instant the door opened, and Ali, yataghan in -hand, rushed into the room. - -"It is nothing, my boy, nothing," said Bruno; "the brigadier discharged -his carbine, that is all; make yourself easy, and go to rest; have no -fear for me." - -Ali left the room without answering, and went and laid himself down -across the first door-way upon the panther's skin that served him for a -bed. - -"Well," continued Bruno, turning towards the brigadier and filling the -two glasses with wine, "did you not hear me?" - -"I did," replied the brigadier, rising, "and since I have not been able -to kill you, were you the very devil himself, I would drink with you." - -Uttering these words, he walked boldly up to the table, took up the -glass, touched the brim of Bruno's, and drank off the wine at a draught. - -"What is your name?" asked Bruno. - -"Paolo Tommassi, brigadier of gens-d'armerie, at your service," was the -reply. - -"Well, Paolo Tommassi," continued Bruno, placing his hand on his -shoulder, "you are a brave fellow, and I have a great inclination to -make you a promise." - -"What is it?" asked the brigadier. - -"To let no one but you," said Bruno, "obtain the reward of three -thousand ducats that is set upon my head." - -"That is an excellent idea," observed the brigadier. - -"Truly so; but it must first come to maturity," said Bruno; "in the -meantime, as I am not yet tired of my life, take a seat, and let us sup; -and we will talk the matter over by-and-by." - -"May I cross myself before I eat?" said Tommassi. "Certainly," replied -Bruno. - -"I thought it might, perhaps, be unpleasant to you," said the brigadier; -"we are not always sure." - -"Anything you like," said Bruno. - -The brigadier made the sign of the cross, seated himself at the table, -and attacked the shoulder of mutton like a man whose conscience was -perfectly at ease, and who knew that he had done, under very difficult -and trying circumstances, all that a brave soldier could do. Bruno kept -him nobly in countenance; and, certainly, to see these two men seated at -the same table, drinking out of the same bottle, and helping themselves -from the same dish, no one would have imagined that each in his turn -had, within the last hour, done all he could to kill the other. - -For an instant they were both silent, partly on account of the important -business in which they were engaged, and partly from the preoccupation -of their minds. Paolo Tommassi was the first to give utterance to the -double idea on which his mind was engaged. - -"Comrade," he said, "you live well here; it must be allowed you have -excellent wine, certainly, and you do the honours of the table like a -right-good fellow; but I acknowledge I should enjoy all this much better -if I knew when I was to leave here." - -"To-morrow morning, I presume," replied Bruno. "You will not keep me -here as a prisoner, then?" asked the brigadier, eagerly. - -"A prisoner! why what the devil should I do with you here?" asked Bruno. - -"Hem!" said the brigadier, "so far it is not so bad; but--" he -continued, evidently embarrassed, "that is not all." - -"What else is there?" said Bruno, filling the brigadiers glass. - -"Why--is--" said the brigadier, holding his glass up before the lamp; -"it is rather a delicate question, you see." - -"Go on," said Bruno; "I am listening." - -"You will not be angry, I hope, at what I am about to say?" - -"I think you ought to know my character better by this time," said -Bruno. - -"True, true, you are not irritable, I know that well," said the -brigadier. "I am speaking about a certain waggon--there, now its out." - -"That is down in the court-yard," observed Bruno, holding his glass up -to the light in his turn. - -"I am rather doubtful," replied the brigadier; "but you understand me, I -cannot go without my waggon." - -"Very well, then, you shall take it with you," said Bruno. - -"Untouched?" - -"Hum!" said Bruno; "it will not be much short, considering the sum it -contains. I shall only take what I am absolutely in need of." - -"Are you in want of much?" asked the brigadier, with anxiety. - -"I want three thousand ounces," said Bruno. - -"Well, that is reasonable enough," said the brigadier; "a good many -people would not be so delicate as you are." - -"You may make yourself quite easy in the matter, for I will give you a -receipt for what I take," said Bruno. - -"Talking of receipts," said the brigadier, rising, "that's well thought -of, for it reminds me of some papers I had in my holsters." - -"Don't make yourself uneasy about them," observed Bruno; "here they -are." - -"You will do me the greatest service by returning them to me," said the -brigadier. - -"I know that," said Bruno, "for I have satisfied myself of their -importance; the first is your brigadier's commission; I have made a note -at the foot of that, declaring that you have conducted yourself so -well that you deserve to be made a quarter-master. The second is -my description, and I have taken the liberty to make a few small -corrections as to particular signs; for instance, I have added charmed: -the third paper is a letter from his excellency the viceroy to the -Countess Gemma, of Castel Nuovo; and I have too much gratitude for this -lady, who has lent me this castle of hers, to place any restraint on her -loving correspondence. Here are your papers, my brave fellow; one more -glass to your health, and sleep tranquilly. To-morrow, at five o'clock, -we will put you on your road; it is much more prudent, I can assure you, -to travel by day than by night, for perhaps you may not always have the -good fortune of falling into such good hands." - -"I think you are right," said Tommassi, rolling up his papers, "and you -appear to me to be an honester fellow than many more apparently honest -folks of my acquaintance." - -"I am happy to leave you with such favourable impressions on your mind," -said Bruno, "you will sleep the more pleasantly; by-the-by, I must give -you one caution, do not go down into the court-yard, or my dogs might by -chance make a meal of you." - -"Thank you for the caution," said the brigadier. "Good-night," exclaimed -Bruno, and he went out of the room, leaving the brigadier to continue -his supper, or go to sleep till the hour appointed for his departure. - -Next morning at five o'clock, according to agreement, Bruno entered his -guest's chamber, whom he found up and ready to start, he conducted him -down stairs, and led him to the gate; there was the waggon, together -with a magnificent horse, and all the harness that belonged to the -animal Ali's yataghan had rendered unserviceable. Bruno begged of his -friend, Tommassi, to accept of this present as a keepsake. The brigadier -was too well pleased to allow the offer to be made twice; he therefore -mounted his new steed, started the team in the waggon, and left quite -delighted with his new acquaintance. - -Bruno watched his departure, and when he was about twenty paces off, -he cried out, "Above all, do not forget to give the beautiful Countess -Gemma the Prince of Carini's letter." - -Tommassi made a sign with his head and disappeared round the corner of -the road. - -And now, if our readers wish to know how Pascal Bruno was not killed -by the discharge of Tommassi's carbine, we will give them the answer we -received from Signor Caesar Aletto, the notary of Calvaruso: it is, that -it is probable that on the road to the fortress, the bandit took the -precaution of removing the bullet from the carbine. But Paolo Tommassi -always considered that it was a much simpler explanation to attribute it -to magic. - -We give our readers both these opinions, and they are at perfect liberty -to adopt that which suits them best. - - - - - - -CHAPTER VI.--A BANDIT'S GRATITUDE. - -It may well be imagined that the report of exploits like these were not -confined to the little village of Bauso: it was the general theme of -conversation among all classes. Nothing was talked of in all Sicily but -the brave brigand who had taken possession of the Castel Nuovo, and who, -from thence, like an eagle from his eyry, swooped down upon the plain, -sometimes to attack the great, and at others to assist the weak: thus -he was always on the popular side. Our readers will, therefore, not be -astonished that our hero's name was heard pronounced at the palace of -Prince Butera, who had given a splendid entertainment at his mansion, -the Place de la Marine. - -Knowing the character of this prince, we can easily guess what a fte -must be when given by him. The one in question, however, exceeded in -splendour the ideas of the most fertile imagination. It was like an -Arabian Nights' dream, and the remembrance of it is perpetuated in -Palermo, although Palermo is a fairy city, and is still celebrated for -its unsurpassed magnificence. - -Imagine the most splendid saloons lined with mirrors from the ceiling to -the floor, some leading to trellised walks, from the summit of which -the richest grapes of Syracuse and Lipari were hanging; others to ample -square spaces, surrounded by beautiful orange and pomegranate trees, -covered with blossoms and fruit at the same time: these spaces were -devoted to dancing English and French dances. As to the waltzers, they -wound their mazy career round two immense marble reservoirs, from each -of which sprang up beautiful jets of water, which, from the reflection -of many-coloured lamps, by which the whole was illuminated, fell like -glittering showers of diamonds. From these delightful spots long alleys -issued, sprinkled with golden-coloured sand, and leading to a little -hill, surrounded with silver vessels, containing every refreshment that -could be desired, and overhung by trees covered with crystal instead -of natural fruits: finally, on the summit of this hill, and facing -the paths that led to it, was a buffet in four divisions, constantly -replenished by means of some internal mechanism. To render the whole -more fairylike and enchanting, the musicians were invisible, and the -sound alone of their instruments reached the ears of the guests. It -might indeed have been supposed to be a fte given by the genii of the -air. - -At the same time, to animate these magical decorations, you must imagine -the most beautiful women and the most elegant cavaliers of Palermo -dressed in costumes each exceeding its neighbour in splendour and -singularity--each with a mask on the face or in the hand, breathing -the balmy air, intoxicated with the invisible harmony, and dreaming or -talking of love; but even then, you would be far from drawing a picture -of this night equal to that preserved in the memories of those that were -present when I passed through Palermo thirty-two years after it took -place. - -Among the groups that wandered through the alleys and saloons, there was -one beyond all others which attracted the attention of the crowds; it -was that which followed in the train of the beautiful Countess Gemma, -and which she drew after her as a planet does its satellites. She had -but that instant entered, accompanied by five others, who, like herself, -had assumed the costume of the thirteenth century--a dress so simple and -elegant, and which, at the same time, appeared to be expressly chosen -to set off the figure to advantage, and she advanced in the midst of -a murmur of admiration, led by the Prince de Butera himself, who, -disguised as a mandarin, received her at the entrance, and preceded her -to present her, as he said, to the daughter of the Emperor of China. - -As it was imagined that our Amphytrion intended some new surprise, they -all followed the prince eagerly, and the cortge increased at every step -it took. - -He stopped at length at the entrance of a pagoda guarded by two Chinese -soldiers, who, at a given signal, opened the door of an apartment -entirely furnished with foreign objects, in the midst of which seated -on a kind of chair, and dressed in a magnificent Chinese costume, which -alone had cost thirty thousand francs, was the Princess de Butera, who -rose as soon as she saw the countess approach, followed by a cloud of -officers, mandarins, and attendants, each more dazzling, fierce-looking, -or droll than his neighbour. This apparition had something so Eastern -and fantastic in it, that the whole assemblage, accustomed as they were -to luxury and magnificence, uttered an exclamation of astonishment. They -surrounded the princess, touched her robe, embroidered with precious -stones, shook the golden bells in her pointed hat, and for an instant -the attention of the assembly was withdrawn from the beautiful Gemma and -entirely centred in the lady of the house. Every one complimented and -admired her, and among those who uttered the most exaggerated praise -was Captain Altavilla, whom the prince had continued to receive at his -dinner parties, to the great discomfiture of his major-domo, and who had -dressed himself in full uniform for the purpose, it may be, of disguise. - -"Well," said the Prince of Butera to the Countess of Castel Nuovo; "what -do you think of the daughter of the Emperor of China?" - -"I must say," replied Gemma, "that it is a happy thing for His Majesty, -Ferdinand IV., that the Prince of Carini is at Messina at this moment, -for he might be induced, with a heart like his, out of regard for the -daughter, to give up Sicily to the father, and we should be obliged to -have another Sicilian Vespers against the Chinese." - -At this instant, the Duke of Moncada Paterno, in the dress of a -Calabrian bandit, went up to the princess. - -"Will her highness permit me," said the duke, "as a connoisseur, to -examine her magnificent costume?" - -"Sublime daughter of the sun," said Captain Altavilla, pointing to the -prince, "take care of your golden bells, for I warn you, that you have -to do with Pascal Bruno." - -"The princess," exclaimed a voice, "would be safer in the company of -Pascal Bruno than in that of a certain follower of Cardinal Ruffo of my -acquaintance; Pascal Bruno is a murderer, not a thief--a bandit, and not -a cutpurse." - -"Well answered," observed the Prince of Butera. - -The captain bit his lips. - -"By-the-by," said the Prince de la Cattolica, "have you heard of his -last exploit?" - -"Whose?" asked the Duke of Moncada. - -"Pascal Bruno's," said the prince. - -"No; what has he done?" asked the duke. - -"He has stopped a convoy of money sent by the Prince of Carini to -Palermo," replied the prince. - -"My ransom!" exclaimed the duke. - -"By heaven!" said the prince, "your excellency will, after all, be -sacrificed to the infidels." - -"Zounds! the king will surely not require me to have a second reckoning -with him," replied Moncada. - -"Let your excellency be reassured," said the voice which had just before -addressed Altavilla; "Pascal Bruno only took three thousand ounces from -the two hundred and fifty thousand piastres belonging to King Ferdinand -IV." - -"And how do you know that, my young Albanian?" said the Prince de la -Cattolica, who was close by the speaker--a handsome young man, from -twenty-six to twenty-eight years of age, and dressed in the costume of -Vina. - -"I have heard it reported," said the Greek, carelessly, and playing with -his yataghan; "besides, if your excellency wishes for particulars, here -is a person who can give them to you." - -The party thus pointed out to public curiosity was no other than our -old acquaintance, Paolo Tommassi, who, strict in the performance of his -duty, had immediately on his arrival repaired to the Countess de Castel -Nuovo's residence; but not finding her there, and hearing of the fete, -he took advantage of his situation as envoy from the viceroy to enable -him to gain admission to the gardens of the Duke de Butera. - -In an instant he found himself in the centre of an immense circle and -subjected to a thousand questions; but Paolo Tommassi was, as we have -seen, a bold fellow, and was not easily put out of countenance: he, -therefore, commenced by delivering the prince's letter to the countess. - -"Prince," said Gemma, after having read the missive she had received, -"you never suspected you were giving me a farewell fte; the viceroy -orders me to proceed to Messina, and being a faithful subject, I shall -begin my journey to-morrow. Thanks, my friend!" she continued, turning -to Paolo Tommassi and handing him her purse; "you may now retire." - -Tommassi endeavoured to take advantage of this permission of the -countess, but he was too closely surrounded to make good his retreat -easily; he was, consequently, obliged to surrender at discretion--the -condition of his liberty being an exact account of his recent encounter -with Pascal Bruno. - -He related it, it must be acknowledged, with all the simplicity of real -courage; he told his auditors, without any superfluous addition, how -he had been made prisoner; how he was taken to the fortress of Castel -Nuovo; how he fired at the bandit without the ball taking any effect; -and how, finally, the latter sent him away, making him a present of a -magnificent horse in exchange for that which he had lost. - -Everybody listened to this tale, which bore the impress of truth, with -the silent attention of belief, with the exception of Captain Altavilla, -who raised some doubts as to the veracity of the honest brigadier; but, -luckily for Paolo Tommassi, the Prince de Butera himself came to his -assistance. - -"I will lay a wager," he said, "that nothing can be more true than -what the brigadier has told us, for all the details appear to me to be -perfectly in accordance with the character of Pascal Bruno." - -"You know him, then?" said the Prince de Moncada Paterno. - -"I do. I was in his company one night," replied the Prince de Butera. - -"And where was that?" - -"On your estates." - -It was now the prince's turn; he related how Pascal and he had met -at the chesnut of a hundred horses; how he, the Prince of Butera, had -offered him a company, which he had refused; and, finally, how he had -lent him three hundred ounces of gold. - -At this last information, Altavilla could not restrain his mirth. - -"And you think, my lord," said he, "that Bruno will bring them back?" - -"I am certain of it," replied the prince. - -"Now we are on this subject," interrupted the Princess of Butera, "is -there any one else in this company who has seen Pascal Bruno, and who -has spoken to him? I dote upon tales of brigands, they make me ready to -die with fright." - -"There is the Countess of Castel Nuovo," observed the Albanian; "she has -seen him." - -Gemma started, and every one looked at her as if to interrogate her. - -"Can it be true?" said the prince, turning towards her. - -"Yes," said Gemma, trembling; "but I had forgotten it." - -"He remembers it," muttered the young man. - -All the company pressed round the princess, who in vain endeavoured to -make excuses; she in her turn was obliged to relate the scene with -which we opened this tale to tell how Bruno entered her chamber; how the -prince fired at him; and how the bandit, to avenge himself, entered the -villa on the nuptial day and killed Teresa's husband. This history was -the most terrible of all, and it produced a deep sensation in the -minds of the listeners; something like a shudder ran through the whole -assembly, and had it hot been for the dresses of the guests, you would -hardly have thought you were present at a fte. - -"On my honour," said Captain Altavilla, who was the first to break -silence, "the greatest crime the bandit has committed is in rendering -this fte so melancholy; I could have pardoned him all his other -misdeeds; but for this I swear, by my epaulettes, I will have vengeance; -and from this moment I devote myself to his pursuit." - -"Do you speak seriously, Captain Altavilla?" said the Albanian. - -"Yes, on my honour!" replied the captain; "and I here declare there is -nothing I so much wish for as to meet him face to face." - -"That is not impossible," observed the Albanian, coolly. - -"To the man who will render me that service," said the captain, "I will -give--" - -"It is useless to offer a reward, captain," interrupted the young man; -"I know a man who will render you that service for nothing." - -"And when can I meet with this man?" repeated Altavilla, affecting a -smile of doubt. - -"If you will follow me, I will tell you," replied the stoical Albanian. - -With these words the Albanian withdrew, as if he were inviting the -captain to follow him. - -The captain hesitated for an instant, but he had said too much to draw -back; all eyes were turned upon him, and he saw that the least show -of timidity would ruin his reputation; and besides, he considered the -proposal was a joke. - -"Come on," he cried, "for the honour of the ladies and he followed the -Albanian. - -"Do you know who that young lord disguised as a Greek is?" said the -countess, with a trembling voice, and addressing the Prince de Butera. - -"No, on my soul, I do not," said he. "Does any one here know him?" - -Everybody looked, but no one answered. - -"With your permission," said Paolo Tommassi, carrying his hand to his -hat; "I know him." - -"And who is he, my brave brigadier?" - -"Pascal Bruno, my lord," replied Tommassi. - -The countess screamed and fainted away; and this incident put a sudden -end to the fte. - -An hour afterwards, the Prince de Butera had retired to his chamber, -and, seated in front of his desk, was arranging some papers, when his -major-domo entered. - -"What's the matter, Jacomo?" asked the prince. - -"I always told you so, my lord," said the major-domo. - -"Well, what have you always told me?" asked the prince. - -"That your goodness would only encourage him," replied Jacomo. - -"Who do you mean?" asked the prince. - -"Captain Altavilla," replied Jacomo. - -"What has he done?" asked the prince. - -"What has he done, my lord?" said Jacomo. "First, your excellency will -recollect I apprised you of his regularly putting his silver cover in -his pocket." - -"Well, go on," said the prince. - -"I beg your pardon," said Jacomo; "but your excellency answered, that so -long as he only pocketed his own, nothing was to be said." - -"I recollect I said so perfectly well," said the prince. - -"Well, my lord," said Jacomo, "to-day, it seems that he has not only -taken his own, but his neighbours' also, for there are eight missing." - -"Ha! that's quite another affair," said the prince; "I must communicate -with him on the matter." - -He took a sheet of paper, and wrote the following note:-- - -"Prince Hercules de Butera has the honour of informing Captain -Altavilla, that as he no longer dines at home, and being by this -fortuitous circumstance deprived of the pleasure of seeing him as -previously, he begs he will accept the trifle he sends herewith as -a small indemnity for the change this determination must make in his -arrangements." - -"Stay," continued the prince, giving the major-domo fifty ounces -(twenty-six pounds sterling), "take this money, and deliver it and the -letter to-morrow to Captain Altavilla." - -Jacomo, who knew it was no use speaking after the prince had decided, -bowed and left the room. The prince continued quietly arranging his -papers when, at the end of about ten minutes, hearing a noise at -the door of his room, he raised his head, and saw a man dressed as a -Calabrian peasant standing on the threshold, with his hat in one hand -and a bundle in the other. - -"Who is there?" said the prince. - -"I, my lord," replied the peasant. - -"And who are you?" asked the prince. - -"Pascal Bruno," replied the visitor. - -"And what do you come for?" asked the prince. - -"First, my lord," said Pascal Bruno, advancing and emptying his hat full -of gold on the desk; "first, I have brought you the three hundred ounces -you so kindly lent me: they were employed for the purpose I mentioned to -you--the inn that was burnt down has been rebuilt." - -"Ah, ah! you are a man of your word," said the prince; "well, I am glad -of it." - -Pascal inclined his head. - -"Then," he added, after a short pause, "I have brought you back eight -silver covers, with your arms and cypher on them, which I found in the -pocket of a certain captain who, most likely, robbed you of them." - -"Zounds," said the prince, "it's singular they should be brought back by -you; and now, what have you in that bundle?" - -"In this bundle," said Bruno, "is the head of a wretch who abused -your hospitality, and which I have brought you as a proof of my sworn -devotion to your service." - -Saying this, Pascal Bruno untied the handkerchief, and taking the head -of Captain Altavilla by the hair, he placed it, all bleeding as it was, -on the duke's desk. - -"What the devil am I to do with such a present as this?" said the -prince. - -"What you please, my lord," replied Pascal Bruno, who bowed and left the -room. - -The Prince of Butera remained alone for an instant with his eyes fixed -on the head, balancing himself in his arm-chair, and whistling his -favourite tune; he then, after an instant, rang the bell, and his -major-domo made his appearance. - -"Jacomo," said the prince, "it is of no use going to Captain Altavilla's -to-morrow morning; tear up the letter; keep the fifty ounces, and throw -this carrion on the dung-heap." - - - - - - -CHAPTER VII.--A BRIGAND'S VENGEANCE. - -At the time of which we are speaking--that is, about the beginning of -the year 1804, Sicily was almost in an uncivilised state, from which -the return of King Ferdinand and its occupation by the English have -partially emancipated it. At the present day, the road which now leads -from Palermo to Messina, passing through Taormina and Catana, was -not formed, and the only one that existed, we do not say good, but -practicable to go from one capital to the other, was that which, passing -along the sea-coast, went through Termini and Cephalu; abandoned for its -new rival, it is at present scarcely frequented, except by artists in -search of the magnificent prospects it discloses at every turn. The only -mode of travelling on this road, on which no post was established, was -formerly, as at present, on the back of a mule, in a litter carried -by two horses, or in your own carriage, relays of horses being sent on -before, and placed at every fifteen leagues. - -So that the Countess Gemma de Castel Nuovo, when about to leave for -Messina, at which place the Prince of Carini had written to her to join -him, was obliged to choose one of these three modes. Travelling on a -mule was too fatiguing for her, and a journey in a litter, besides the -inconveniences of this mode of transport, the principal of which was -its slow progress, was apt to produce a feeling like sea-sickness. The -countess therefore decided, without any hesitation, in favour of the -carriage, and sent forward relays of horses to four stations on the -road, that is, to Termini, Cephalu, Saint Agatha, and Melazzo. - -Besides these precautions, the courier was ordered to lay in a store -of provisions at each of these spots, for the inns are so notoriously -deficient in the necessaries of life, that every traveller is advised -when he leaves Messina to provide himself for the journey--to purchase -cooking utensils, and to hire a cook; to these preparations an -experienced Englishman on one occasion added a tent, on account of the -deplorable state of the houses of entertainment. - -I know not whether it was a learned man, acquainted with ancient Sicily, -or a shrewd observer who thoroughly understood modern Sicily, for whom -they were at this instant preparing supper at the sign of the Cross, -the inn which had been rebuilt with the Prince of Butera's three hundred -ounces, and situated on the road from Palermo to Messina, between Ficara -and Patti. - -The activity of the innkeeper and his wife, who, under the directions -of a foreign cook, were at the same time engaged upon fish, flesh, -and fowl, proved that the man for whom the culinary apparatus was in -requisition was determined not only to have enough, but had no objection -to a superfluity. - -He came from Messina, travelling in a carriage, and with his own horses. -He had stopped because the situation of the inn pleased him, and having -extracted from his trunk everything the most experienced traveller could -require--linen, plate, even bread and wine--he was led into the best -room, where he lighted some perfumed pastilles in a silver vase, and -waited till his dinner was ready, seated on a rich Turkey carpet, and -smoking the finest Mount Sinai tobacco in his amber chibouk, carelessly -caressing at the same time a magnificent Corsican dog of the largest -size that was lying at his feet. - -He was attentively observing the wreaths of sweet-scented smoke as they -escaped from his lips and condensed themselves on the ceiling, when the -door of the apartment opened, and the host, followed by a domestic in -the countess's livery, appeared on the threshold. - -"Your excellency," said the worthy man, bowing to the ground. - -"What's the matter?" asked the traveller, but without turning his head, -and in a decided Maltese accent. - -"Your excellency," said the host, "it is the Countess Gemma, of Castel -Nuovo." - -"Well!" replied the traveller. - -"Her carriage has been obliged to stop at my poor inn," said the -host, "because one of her horses became so lame that she is unable to -proceed." - -"Well, go on," said the traveller. - -"She had calculated," said the host, "having no expectation of this -accident when she left St. Agatha this morning, on sleeping at Melazzo -this evening, where she has relays, so that she is entirely unprovided -with everything." - -"Tell the countess that my cook and larder are at her service," said the -traveller. - -"A thousand thanks in my mistress's name," said the servant; "but as the -countess will, no doubt, be obliged to pass the night in this inn, while -a relay of horses is brought hither from Melazzo, and as she is equally -unprovided for night as for day, she would be glad to know if your -excellency would have the gallantry to--" - -"More than that," said the traveller; "let the countess occupy my -apartment--this room will do for her lady's-maid, whom she will not be -sorry to have near her. As for myself, I am a man accustomed to fatigue -and privations; I will content myself with the first room that is -disengaged; go, therefore, and tell the countess she can step up at -once--the room is at liberty, and our worthy host will do the best he -can for me." - -Speaking thus, the traveller rose, whistled to his dog, and followed the -host; and the servant at once descended to accomplish his mission. - -Gemma accepted the traveller's offer as a queen would the homage of a -subject, and not as a woman who accepts a service from a stranger; she -was so accustomed to see everything submit to her will, and everybody -obey her voice, and even her look, that she saw nothing striking in the -extreme gallantry of the traveller. - -It is true she looked so beautiful as she moved towards the apartment, -resting on the arm of her attendant, that every one bent before her. -She was dressed in a most elegant riding-habit, fitting tightly over the -arms and bust, and ornamented with silk braiding. For fear of the cold -air of the mountains, she wore round her neck a beautiful sable boa, -purchased by the Prince Carini of a Maltese merchant who had brought it -from Constantinople. On her head she wore a little black velvet hat, of -a fanciful shape, like the head-dresses worn in the middle ages; and -her long and magnificent tresses hung down in ringlets after the English -fashion. But, prepared as she was to find a room ready to receive her, -she could not avoid being astonished when she entered at the elegant -manner in which the traveller had concealed the poor appearance of the -apartment. - -All the utensils of the toilet were of silver, the cloth that covered -the table was of the finest texture, and the oriental perfumes burning -on the mantelpiece seemed fit for a harem. - -"See, Gidsa, am I not predestined?" said the countess; "an awkward -servant shoes my horses badly, I am obliged to stop, and my good genius, -who finds me in this state of embarrassment, builds a fairy palace for -me on the road." - -"Has madame la comtesse," said Gidsa, "no suspicion who this good genius -may be?" - -"Really none," said the countess. - -"It seems to me," said the waiting-maid, significantly, "that madame la -comtesse ought to be able to guess!" - -"I swear to you, Gidsa," said the countess, falling into a chair, "that -I am in a state of perfect ignorance. Come, what are your ideas on the -subject?" - -"My ideas?" said the girl. "Madame, I trust you will pardon me, although -my ideas are very natural." - -"Oh! certainly," replied the countess; "speak as you think." - -"I think," said the girl, "that perhaps his highness the viceroy, -knowing that your ladyship was on the road, had not patience to wait for -your arrival, and"-- - -"Your idea," said the countess, "is amazingly good; indeed, it is more -than probable. Besides, who, if it were not he, would have arranged a -room like this for the purpose of giving it up to me? Now listen, you -must say nothing if Rodolpho is preparing a surprise for me. I would -give myself up entirely to it; I would not lose one of the emotions his -unexpected presence would occasion me. It is agreed, therefore, that it -is not the viceroy, but that the stranger is an unknown traveller; so -keep your probabilities to yourself, and leave me in my state of doubt; -besides, if it should be him, I shall have divined his presence, not -you. How kind my dear Rodolpho is to me! how he foresees everything! Oh! -how much he loves me!" - -"And the dinner," said Gidsa, "that has been prepared with so much care; -do you believe that the result of mere accident?" - -"Chut! I believe nothing; I profit by the good things heaven has sent -me, and I thank God for them. See what a lucky thing it is that this -plate is here! if I had not met with this noble traveller, how should I -have been able to eat off anything else? Look at this silver goblet, you -might say it was engraved by Benvenuto. Give me some drink, Gidsa." - -The attendant filled the goblet with water, and then added a few drops -of Lipari malvoisie, and the countess sipped it, apparently more for the -purpose of carrying the cup to her lips than because she was thirsty; it -seemed as though, by the sympathetic touch of her lips, she endeavoured -to discover whether it really was the man who loved her who had thus -provided for the wants of a woman accustomed to all that luxury and -magnificence which becomes almost an essential necessary to those who -have been used to it from infancy. - -Supper was served, and the countess ate like a fine lady, that is, -tasting of all, like the humming-bird, the bee, or the butterfly; but, -full of thought and anxiety, while she was eating, she kept her eyes -constantly fixed on the door, and started every time it opened--her -bosom was oppressed and her eyes moist; at length, she fell by degrees -into a delicious state of languor for which she herself could not -account. Gidsa perceived it and became uneasy. - -"Is your ladyship unwell?" asked the anxious attendant. - -"No," replied Gemma, in a feeble voice; "but do you not find these -perfumes extremely oppressive?" - -"Does your ladyship wish me to open the window?" asked Gidsa. - -"No, no," replied the countess, "pray do not; I seem as if I should die, -but death appears to be so sweet. Take off my hat, it feels so heavy, I -cannot bear it." - -Gidsa obeyed, and Gemma's long hair hung down in ringlets nearly to the -ground. - -"Do you feel like me, Gidsa," asked the countess, "an incomprehensible -feeling of pleasure? A kind of heavenly sensation flows through my -veins: I must have drank a charmed philter; help me to rise, and lead me -to the mirror." - -Gidsa supported the countess and led her towards the mantelpiece; when -she reached it, she rested both elbows upon it, placed her head in her -hands, and looked at her beautiful face in the glass. - -"Now, let everything be taken away, then undress me, and leave me -alone." - -The attendant obeyed her mistress; the servants of the countess cleared -the table, and when they had left, Gidsa performed the second part -of her mistress's orders, who still remained before the glass, merely -raising her arms languidly one after the other, to make it just possible -for her maid to perform the necessary duties, which were in a short time -accomplished--the countess still remaining in the species of ecstacy -into which she was plunged; then, as her mistress had directed her, she -went out and left her alone. - -The countess completed the remainder of her toilet in a state resembling -somnambulism; she retired to rest, and remained for an instant leaning -on her elbow, with her eyes fixed on the door; then by degrees, and -notwithstanding all her efforts to keep awake, her eyelids became heavy, -her eyes closed, and she sank upon her pillow, heaving a long deep sigh, -and murmuring Rodolpho's name. - -The next morning, when she awoke, Gemma stretched out her hand as if she -expected to find some one by her side; but she was alone, and for a few -minutes her eyes wandered round the chamber, and then turned and fixed -themselves on the table by the bedside. An open letter lay upon it, she -took it up and read:-- - - - "<i>Madame la Comtesse</i>,--I could have taken the vengeance of - a brigand upon you; I preferred to indulge myself in the - pleasure of a prince! but that, when you awake, you may not - imagine you have been in a dream, I have left you a proof of - the reality; look in your mirror. - - "Pascal Bruno." - -Gemma's whole frame shuddered, and a cold perspiration covered her -forehead; she stretched out her arm towards the bell-rope that she -might call for assistance, but womanly instinct arrested her arm, and -collecting all her strength, she sprang out of bed, ran to the glass, -and uttered a cry of horror. Her hair and eyebrows were completely -shorn! - -She hastily dressed herself, and enveloping her head in her veil, threw -herself into her carriage, and ordered it to be driven back to Palermo. - -The instant she arrived there, she wrote to Prince Carini, telling him -that her confessor, as an expiation for her sins, had ordered her to -shave off her eyebrows and hair, and retire for twelve months to a -convent. - - - - - - -CHAPTER VIII.---TREACHERY. - -On the 1st of May, 1805, there was a high festival at Castel Nuovo: -Pascal Bruno was in excellent humour, and gave a supper to one of -his best friends, Placido Tomaselli, an honest dealer in contraband, -belonging to the village of Gesso, and to two females the latter had -brought with him from Messina. This delicate attention sensibly effected -Bruno, and that he might not be behindhand in politeness with so -provident a comrade, he determined to perform the honours of his -domicile after the fashion of the best society. Accordingly, the finest -wines of Sicily and Calabria were selected from the cellars of the -fortress, the most noted cooks of Bauso were placed in requisition, and -all that singular luxury was displayed to which at times it pleased the -hero of our history to resort. - -The guests had only just begun dinner when Ali brought Placido Tomaselli -a letter, which a countryman from Gesso had placed in his hands. Placido -read it, and crumbling it up in a violent passion, exclaimed-- - -"Upon my word he has chosen his time very nicely." - -"What is it, comrade?" said Bruno. - -"Perdition! why, a summons from Captain Luigi Cama, of Villa San -Giovanni." - -"What, our purveyor of rum?" asked Bruno. - -"Yes," replied Placido; "he informs me he is off the shore, and has -a full cargo which he wishes to dispose of before the custom-house -officers hear of his arrival." - -"Business before all things," replied Bruno. "I'll wait for you. I am in -very good company, so make yourself easy; if you are not too long gone, -you will find everything you leave, and more than you can take away." - -"It is only an hour's work," replied Placido, appearing to yield to the -reasoning of his host; "the beach is only about five hundred yards from -this spot." - -"And there is the whole night before us," observed Pascal. - -"A good appetite, comrade," said Placido. "A successful expedition, -master," said Bruno. Placido left the castle, and Bruno remained with -the two women, and, as he had promised his guest, proceedings did not -suffer by his absence. Bruno was amiable enough for any two, and the -conversation began to assume the most animated character, when the door -opened, and a new actor appeared on the scene. Pascal turned round and -recognised the Maltese merchant we have already spoken of several times, -of whom he was one of the best customers. - -"By St. Gregory!" he exclaimed, "you are welcome; and the more so, if -you have brought any of those Turkish pastilles, a packet of Latakia -tobacco, and a few Tunisian shawls; by-the-by, your opium acted -admirably." - -"I am glad of it," replied the Maltese; "but on this occasion, I have -come on quite another business." - -"Ah! you have come to sup with me, is that it?" asked Bruno. "Pray sit -down, sit down, and once again you are welcome; there, that is a seat -fit for a king." - -"Your wine is excellent, I know, and these ladies are charming," replied -the Maltese; "but I have something very important to speak to you -about." - -"To me?" asked Bruno. - -"Yes, to you," replied the Maltese. - -"Well go on," said Bruno. - -"I must speak to you alone," said the Maltese. - -"Well, then," said Bruno, "I'll hear you tomorrow, my worthy captain." - -"But I must inform you immediately," said the Maltese. - -"Well, then, speak before the company," said Bruno; "we have not too -many here, and I make it a rule when I feel comfortable never to disturb -myself, even if my life were at stake." - -"That is the very subject I wish to allude to," said the Maltese. - -"Bah!" replied Bruno; "heaven looks after honest men; here's to your -health, captain." - -The Maltese emptied his glass. - -"That's right; now sit down and let me hear your sermon, we'll listen to -you with proper attention." - -The merchant perceived he must give in to the whim of his host, and he -consequently obeyed him. - -"Well, now then, what is it?" said Bruno. - -"First, then," continued the Maltese, "you know that the justices of -Calvaruso, Spadafora, Bauso, Saponara, Divito, and Domita have been -arrested." - -"I have heard something about it," said Pascal Bruno, carelessly, at the -same time emptying his glass of Marsala, the best wine in Sicily. - -"But do you know the cause of their arrest?" inquired the merchant. - -"I guess at it," said Bruno; "is it not because the Prince of Carini, -being in an extremely ill-humour on account of his mistress having -retired to a convent, has taken it into his head that they have been -too slow, and have shown too little skill in their attempts to arrest a -certain Pascal Bruno, whose head is worth two thousand ducats?" - -"Exactly so," said the merchant. - -"You see," said Bruno, "I am quite aware of what is going on." - -"Yet, for all that," said the Maltese, "there may be some circumstances -of which you are still ignorant." - -"God is great! as Ali says," replied Bruno; "but go on, and I will -acknowledge my ignorance; I wish for nothing so much as instruction." - -"Well," said the Maltese, "the six judges have met together, and each -has put down twenty-five ounces--that makes one hundred and fifty -ounces." - -"Or, in other words," replied Bruno, in the same careless tone, -"eighteen hundred and ninety livres. You see, if my books are not well -regulated, it is not for want of arithmetic. Well, what next?" - -"After that," continued the merchant, "they offered this sum to two or -three men, known as your common associates, if they would assist them in -capturing you." - -"Let them offer it," said Bruno; "I am quite certain they will not meet -with a traitor within ten leagues." - -"You deceive yourself," answered the Maltese; "the traitor is found." - -"Ha!" exclaimed Bruno, knitting his brow and grasping his dagger; "and -how do you know that?" - -"Why, my good fellow," said the merchant, "in the simplest way in the -world; yesterday I was at the house of the Prince de Goto, governor -of Messina, who sent for me for the purpose of purchasing some Turkish -goods, when a servant entered the room and whispered a few words in his -ear. 'Very well,' said the prince, 'let him come in.' He then made a -sign to me to go into an adjoining room for a short time; I obeyed, -and as he never suspected that I was acquainted with you, I overheard a -conversation that concerned you." - -"Well," said Bruno. - -"It was the traitor," said the Maltese; "he undertook to open the doors -of your fortress, and to place you in their hands unarmed while you were -at supper; and he himself engaged to conduct the gens-d'armes to your -dining-room." - -"And do you know who this man is?" demanded Bruno. - -"Yes," said the merchant. - -"His name?" said Bruno. - -"Placido Tomaselli." - -"Confusion!" exclaimed the bandit; "he was here but an instant ago." - -"And has he left the castle?" inquired the merchant. - -"Just before you came in," replied Bruno. - -"Then," said the merchant, "he has gone after the police and the -soldiers; for, as far as I can see, you were about to sit down to -supper." - -"You see I was," said Bruno. - -"Then I am right; and if you wish to escape, you have not a minute to -lose." - -"I fly!" cried Bruno, laughing. "Ali! Ali!" and Ali entered the room. - -"Close the gates of the castle, my lad, and turn three of my dogs loose -in the court-yard, and send the fourth, Lionna, upstairs, and get the -ammunition ready." - -The women began to scream. - -"My goddesses, you must be quiet," observed Bruno, with an imperative -look; "we must have no singing here; silence, and instantly, if you -please." - -And the women were silent. - -"Captain, you must keep these ladies company; for my part, I must go my -rounds." - -Bruno seized his carbine, buckled on his cartouche-box, and went towards -the door; but as he was about to leave the room he stood still and -listened. - -"What is the matter?" said the Maltese. - -"Do you not hear my dogs bark? The enemy is close at hand; they were -not long behind you;--are they not fine beasts? Silence, my tigers!" -continued Bruno, opening one of the windows and giving a peculiar -whistle; "all right, all right, I am on my guard." - -The dogs gave a low growl and were then silent. - -The women and the Maltese trembled with terror, expecting something -dreadful was about to happen, and at the same moment Ali entered the -room with Pascal's favourite bitch, Lionna: the noble creature went -straight up to her master, reared up on her hind legs, and placing her -paws on his shoulders, she looked intelligently at him and gave a short -bark. - -"Yes, yes, Lionna, you are a fine beast," said Bruno, patting the dog -fondly on the head; "come on, my beauty, come along." - -And he went out, leaving the Maltese and the two women in the supper -apartment. - -Pascal went down into the court-yard, where he found the three dogs -evincing great uneasiness, but without giving any indication that the -danger was very pressing; he then opened the garden door and began to -walk round its bounds. Suddenly Lionna stopped, snuffed the air, and -walked straight up to one part of the enclosure: as soon as she reached -the wall, she reared up on her hind legs, as if she intended to scale -it, grinding her teeth, and uttering a low growl, at the same time -looking back at her master: Pascal Bruno was close behind her. - -He was at once aware that an enemy was concealed, and that at no great -distance, and recollecting that the window of the room in which Paoli -Tomassi had been confined directly overlooked this spot, he ran quickly -up stairs, followed by Lionna, who with open throat and fiery eyes -seemed to guess her master's intention; and crossing the room in which -the two women and the Maltese were anxiously awaiting the end of the -adventure, she went into an adjoining chamber, in which there was no -light and the window was open. She had scarcely entered when, crouching -quietly on the ground, she crawled like a serpent towards the window, -and when within a few feet of the casement, before Bruno could prevent -her, she sprang through the opening like a panther, and alighted on the -ground without injury, although the height was at least twenty feet. - -Pascal was at the window nearly as soon as the dog; he saw her make -three bounds towards an olive-tree, and then heard a cry of agony: -Lionna had seized a man by the throat, who was concealed behind the -tree. - -"Help! help!" exclaimed a voice, which Pascal recognised as that of -Placido. "Help, it is I! Call off your dog, or she will tear me to -pieces." - -"Hold him, Lionna!" exclaimed Bruno, "kill him, my good dog! Death to -the traitor!" - -Placido at once saw that Bruno had discovered all, and uttering a cry -of pain and rage, a mortal combat ensued between the dog and the man. -Bruno, resting on his carbine, calmly contemplated this singular duel -by the uncertain light of the moon. He could perceive two bodies, whose -forms were indistinct, struggling, rolling on the ground, and rising -again, and seeming as if they were but one: for the space of ten minutes -he heard their confused cries, but could not distinguish those of the -dog from the man. At the end of that time a dreadful cry was heard, and -one of them fell to rise no more--it was the man. - -Bruno whistled to Lionna, again crossed the supper-room, without -uttering a word, and went rapidly down stairs to open the door to his -favourite bitch; but at the very instant she entered, bleeding -from wounds inflicted with a knife, and even from the bites of her -antagonist, he saw the musket-barrels of soldiers glittering in the rays -of the moon, and advancing up the road that led from the village to the -fortress. He at once barricaded the door, and again entered the room in -which he had left his trembling guests. The Maltese was drinking, and -the women saying their prayers. - -"Well!" said the Maltese. - -"Well, captain?" answered Bruno. - -"What has become of Placido Tomaselli?" asked the merchant. - -"His business is settled," replied Bruno; "but there is another legion -of devils coming upon us." - -"And what do you mean next to do?" asked the merchant. - -"Kill as many as I can in the first instance," said Bruno. - -"And then?" inquired the merchant. - -"Fire the fortress," said Bruno, coolly, "and then--blow myself up along -with the rest." - -The women hearing this began to scream most lustily. - -"Ali," said Pascal, "take these ladies into the vaults, and give them -all they ask for except a candle, for fear they should set fire to the -powder before the proper time." - -The poor terrified creatures fell on their knees. - -"Come, make haste!" cried Bruno, stamping his feet; "do as I order you." - -And he uttered these words with such a look and accent, that the two -girls rose and followed Ali without daring to utter another word of -complaint. - -"And now, captain," said Bruno, as soon as they were gone, "put out the -lights, and get into some corner where the bullets cannot reach you; for -the musicians have arrived and the ball is about to begin." - - - - - - -CHAPTER IX.--THE SIEGE. - -A few moments after, Ali again entered the room, carrying on his -shoulders two or three muskets of the same calibre, and a basket full of -cartridges. Pascal Bruno opened all the windows, that he might be able -to face in any direction, and Ali, taking a musket in his hand, was -about to place himself at one of them. - -"No, my boy," said Pascal, in an affectionate and parental tone of -voice, "that is no one's duty but mine; I have no wish to attach your -fate to mine; I do not wish to drag you into the surf along with me; -you are young; nothing, as yet, has removed your life out of the beaten -track; take my advice, continue to live like the rest of the world." - -"Father," replied the youth, with his gentle voice, "why do you not wish -me to defend you as Lionna did? You know I have none to look to but you -in the world, and that, if you die, I must die with you!" - -"No, Ali," said Bruno, "if I die, I shall perhaps leave behind me some -mysterious and terrible mission to be accomplished, which I can trust to -no one but my child; my boy, therefore, must live to do what his father -commands him." - -"It is right," said Ali; "the father is the master, and the child must -obey." - -Ali seized Pascal's hand, and kissed it. - -"Can I be of no service to you, father?" observed the lad. - -"Yes; load the guns," said Bruno, and Ali addressed himself to the task, - -"And what can I do?" said the Maltese, from the corner in which he had -ensconced himself. - -"You, captain? you shall have the task of carrying the flag of truce if -it be needful." - -At this instant Pascal Bruno saw the muskets of a second troop -descending the mountain: they advanced in so direct a line towards the -isolated olive-tree, at the foot of which lay the body of Placido, that -it was evident it was the appointed place of rendezvous. - -Those who marched first stumbled over the corpse. Upon this they formed -a circle round it; but no one could recognise it, the teeth of Lionna -had so much disfigured it; however, as it was at this olive-tree Placido -had appointed a meeting, and as the body was at its foot, and no other -living being in the neighbourhood, it was evident that the dead man was -Placido himself. - -The soldiers accordingly guessed that their plot had been discovered, -and, consequently, that Bruno was on his guard; they, therefore, began -to consider how they should act. - -Pascal, standing at the window, watched all their movements; but the -moon issuing suddenly from behind a cloud, a ray of light fell upon -his figure, and one of the soldiers seeing him, pointed him out to his -comrades. - -"The bandit! the bandit!" was heard from all the troops, and a volley of -shot was instantly poured in at the window. - -A few of the balls flattened themselves against the wall, others -whistled past the ears and over the head of the party at whom they were -directed, and lodged in the mouldings of the ceiling. - -Pascal replied by discharging four muskets in succession as they were -handed to him by Ali: four men fell. - -The soldiers, who were not troops of the line, but a kind of national -guard organised for the protection of the high road, hesitated a -little when they saw death pay them so sudden a visit; for all the men, -reckoning on Placido's treason, had entertained the hope of making -an easy capture: instead of which, it was now evident that it was an -absolute siege they were about to undertake, and they were in want of -everything necessary for that purpose. - -The walls of the little fortress were lofty, and the gates strong--they -had neither ladders nor hatchets. There was, however, the possibility of -killing Pascal while at the window levelling his musket; but this seemed -but a poor chance to men who believed their adversary was invulnerable. - -Accordingly, the most prudent manouvre seemed to be to retire out of -gunshot and deliberate on their future proceedings; but their retreat -was not rapid enough to prevent Pascal Bruno despatching two more -messengers of death after them. - -Pascal, perceiving that the siege was raised for an instant, went to -the opposite window that overlooked the village: the discharge of the -muskets had attracted the attention of the first party, so that he had -scarcely shown himself at the opening when he was saluted with a shower -of bullets; but the same miraculous good luck again preserved him. It -seemed like enchantment: while, on his side, every shot he fired told -upon the soldiers, and Pascal was made aware of his success by the oaths -they uttered. - -A similar occurrence happened to this troop as to the other; its ranks -were thrown into disorder, but, instead of taking to flight, they stood -up close against the walls of the fortress, and by this manouvre they -made it impossible for Bruno to fire without thrusting half his body out -of the window; and, as the bandit thought it impolitic to expose himself -to unnecessary danger, the firing in consequence of this mutual act of -prudence ceased for an instant. - -"Have we got rid of them?" asked the Maltese; "may we cry Victory!" - -"Not yet," observed Bruno, "it is only a suspension of arms; the enemy -have, no doubt, gone to the village to procure ladders and hatchets; -we shall, no doubt, soon have news of them. But make yourself easy," -continued the bandit, filling two glasses; "as we cannot remain quiet -with them, we must give them something in return. Ali, go and fetch a -barrel of powder.--Here's to your health, captain!" - -"What are you going to do with the powder?" asked the Maltese, with an -uneasy look. - -"Oh! not much; but you shall see!" replied Bruno. Ali entered the room, -bearing on his shoulder the barrel of gunpowder. - -"That's right," said Bruno; "now take a gimlet and make a hole in the -barrel." - -Ali obeyed with the passive readiness that was the distinctive mark of -his devotion to Bruno. - -While this was going on, Pascal tore up a napkin into strips, which he -tied together, and rolled them in the powder he took out of a cartridge; -he then put this match into the hole Ali had made in the barrel, and -closed it with wet powder, which had the effect also of keeping the -match in its place. He had scarcely finished his preparations when the -sound of a hatchet was heard at the gate. - -"Am I a good prophet?" said Bruno, as he rolled the barrel towards the -door of the chamber which overlooked a staircase leading to the castle -court, and then going back to fetch a piece of lighted fir from the -fire. - -"Ah!" said the Maltese, "now I begin to understand what you are going to -do." - -"Father," said Ali, "they are coming from the mountain with ladders." - -Bruno ran to the window from which he had fired in the first instance -and plainly saw his adversaries, who had procured the scaling implement -they so much needed, and, ashamed of their first retreat, were returning -to the charge with renewed confidence. - -"Are the guns loaded?" asked Bruno. - -"Yes, father," replied Ali, handing him a carbine. - -Bruno, without looking back, took the gun the boy offered him, slowly -brought it to his shoulder, and levelled with more care than he had yet -exhibited; he fired, and one of the two men who carried the ladder fell. - -Another man took his place, and Bruno took a second musket: the other -soldier fell by the side of his comrade. - -Two other men succeeded those who were killed and fell in their turn; -upon this the scaling party, leaving their ladder, retired a second -time, after firing another volley as useless as their previous -discharges. - -In the meantime, those who were besieging the gate redoubled their -blows, and the dogs on their side barked furiously; every moment the -blows became more violent and the barking fiercer. At length, one side -of the gate was forced in and two or three men entered by the opening; -and by the cries of distress they uttered, their comrades judged that -they had fallen into the hands of more terrible enemies than they had -calculated on; but they could not fire upon the dogs without the risk of -killing the men. - -After a short time, one party of the besiegers had entered through the -door one after the other; the court was soon filled, and then began a -combat, like one of those that were exhibited in the ancient circus, -between the soldiers and the four monstrous dogs, who fiercely defended -the narrow staircase that led to the first floor of the fortress. -Suddenly, the door at the top of the staircase opened, and the barrel of -powder Bruno had prepared bounded from stair to stair and exploded like -a bombshell in the midst of the combatants. - -The explosion was terrible; one of the walls fell in ruins, and -everything in the court-yard was blown to atoms. - -The besiegers were for an instant stupefied; but in the meantime the two -troops had united themselves, and presented an effective force of more -than 300 men. A deep feeling of shame overwhelmed the multitude when -they saw themselves kept in check by a single man. - -The leaders took advantage of this feeling to encourage them, and a -breach having been made by the fall of the wall, they marched up to it -in a body in good order, and having cleared every obstacle, they spread -themselves over the whole of the court-yard and were soon before the -staircase. - -When they reached this spot, there was another moment of hesitation: at -length some of them, encouraged by their comrades, began to ascend the -stairs, the rest of the party following. The staircase was soon carried; -but those who were at the head would soon have felt an inclination -to retreat if it had been possible; this, however, was no longer the -case--they were obliged, therefore, to attempt the door, which yielded -without resistance. - -The besiegers, uttering shouts of triumph, ran round the first chamber; -but at that instant the door of the second room opened, and the soldiers -perceived Bruno seated on a barrel of gunpowder, a pistol in each hand, -while the terrified Maltese rushed through the open, doorway crying -out, in accents so full of truth and terror as to leave no doubt on the -subject:-- - -"Stand back! stand back!" he cried, "the fortress is mined; if you -advance another step we shall all be blown to atoms!" - -The door was closed as if by enchantment, and the shouts of victory were -changed into cries of terror. The whole body of the besiegers might have -been seen precipitating themselves down the narrow staircase that led to -the court-yard--some among them leaped through the windows--it seemed as -if every man felt the ground tremble beneath his feet, and at the end of -five minutes Bruno was again master of his fortress. - -As to the Maltese, he took advantage of the opportunity and left the -castle. - -Pascal, no longer hearing any sound, arose and went to the window. The -siege had been converted into a blockade; a guard was placed at every -opening, and the men who performed this duty had sheltered themselves -from the bandit's fire behind carts and barrels. It was evident that a -new plan for carrying on the campaign had been adopted. - -"So it seems they intend to starve us out," observed Bruno. - -"The dogs!" exclaimed Ali. - -"Do not insult the poor beasts who died while defending us, call them -men--men!" said Bruno, smiling sarcastically. - -"Father!" said Ali. - -"Well, my boy," said Bruno, kindly. - -"Do you not see?" said Ali. - -"What?" asked Bruno. - -"That light!" - -"Ay, truly," said Bruno; "what can it mean? It cannot be daybreak yet; -and, besides, it comes from the north, and not the east." - -"The village is on fire!" exclaimed Ali. - -"By heavens you are right!" said Bruno. - -At that instant loud cries of distress were heard; Bruno rushed to the -door and found himself face to face with the Maltese. - -"Is that you, captain?" said Pascal. - -"Yes, it is I--I myself, don't deceive yourself and take me for another; -I come as a friend." - -"You are welcome," said Bruno; "but what has taken place?" - -"That which has taken place is," said the Maltese, "that, in utter -despair at not having taken you, the soldiers set fire to the village, -and refuse to assist in extinguishing it unless the villagers will -consent to march against you, as they have had enough of it themselves." - -"And the peasants?" asked Bruno. - -"Have refused," said the Maltese. - -"Ay, ay--I knew that beforehand," said Bruno; "they had rather that -all their houses should be burned to the ground than touch a hair of -my head. Well, captain, go back to those who sent you, and tell them to -extinguish the flames." - -"What do you mean?" asked the Maltese. - -"I will give myself up," said Bruno. - -"Give yourself up, father?" cried Ali. - -"Yes, but I promised to surrender to one man alone, and I will only give -myself up to him. Let them, therefore, as I have said--let them put out -the flames, and then send to Messina in search of the man I shall name." - -"And who is this man?" asked the Maltese. - -"Paolo Tomassi, a brigadier in the gendarmerie," replied Bruno. - -"Have you any other request to make?" asked the Maltese. - -"One only," replied Bruno, and he spoke to the Maltese in a whisper. - -"I hope you are not asking for my life?" said Ali. - -"Have I not told you I should perhaps require your assistance after my -death?" said Bruno. - -"Pardon me, father," said Ali, "I had forgotten that." - -"Away, captain, and do as I have said," said Bruno; "when I see the -flames extinguished I shall know my terms are accepted." - -"Do you not wish me to be the bearer of the news?" asked the merchant. - -"Did I not say you should be my negociator? By-the-by," continued -Pascal, "how many houses are burnt?" - -"Two when I came away," replied the Maltese. - -"There are three hundred and fifteen ounces in this purse, distribute -them among the sufferers." - -"Adieu!" said the Maltese, shaking Bruno by the hand. - -Bruno threw his pistol away, again seated himself on his powder barrel -and fell into a deep reverie. - -The young Arab extended himself on his tiger's skin, and remained -motionless, closing his eyes as if he slept. By degrees the light of the -fire expired--Bruno's conditions had been accepted. - -At the expiration of about an hour, the door of the room opened, and a -man appeared on the threshold, who, perceiving that neither Bruno nor -Ali noticed him, gave an affected cough. - -Bruno turned round and perceived Paolo Tomassi. - -"Ah! is that you, brigadier?" said he, smiling; "it is a pleasure to -send for you--you have not kept us waiting long." - -"Why, no," replied the brigadier, "they met me on the road about a -quarter of an hour ago as I was bringing up my party, and they said that -you wanted to see me." - -"It is true," said Bruno; "I wanted to show you that I am a man of my -word." - -"Zounds, I know that well enough," said the brigadier. - -"And as I promised that you should receive the three thousand ducats in -question," said Bruno, "I wish to keep my word." - -"Perdition!" said the brigadier, with great energy. - -"What do you mean, comrade?" said Bruno. - -"I mean," said the brigadier, "that I would rather gain three thousand -ducats in any other manner--in the lottery, for instance." - -"And why so?" asked Bruno. - -"Because you are a fine fellow, and men like you are scarce," was the -brigadier's reply. - -"Bah! what's that to you?" said Bruno; "it will be promotion for you, -brigadier." - -"I know it," replied Paolo, with a look of despair. "And so you mean to -deliver yourself up?" - -"I surrender," said Bruno. - -"On your honour?" said Paolo. - -"On my honour," replied Bruno; "therefore, you may send all those -rascals away. I wish to have nothing more to do with them." - -Paolo Tomassi went to the window. - -"You may all of you retire," he cried; "I will answer for the prisoner: -go and report his capture at Messina." The soldiers shouted for joy. - -"And now," said Bruno to the brigadier, "we will finish the supper these -fools interrupted." - -"With all my heart," replied Paolo, "for I have come eight leagues in -three hours, and I am dying with hunger and thirst." - -"Well," said Bruno, "since you are so well inclined, and as we have but -one night to spend in each other's company, let us pass it merrily. -Ali, go and fetch the ladies out of the cellar, if they have not been -frightened to death." - -Ali performed his mission, and the party enjoyed themselves as best -they could. In the morning, the brigadier and his prisoner set out for -Messina. - -Five days after the events we have just related, the Prince of Carini -was informed, in the presence of the beautiful Gemma, who had just ended -her penance at the Convent of the Visitation, and who had only eight -days previously returned to the world, that at length his orders had -been executed, and that Pascal Bruno was taken and placed in one of the -prisons of Messina. - -"In that case, the Prince of Goto will pay the three thousand ducats -promised for his capture; see that the brigand is tried and afterwards -executed." - -"Dear prince," said Gemma, in that gentle voice to whose appeal the -count could refuse nothing, "I have always been curious to see this man -of whom I have heard so much." - -"Your wish shall be gratified, my dear angel; he shall be hanged at -Palermo." - - - - - - -CHAPTER X.--THE CHAPELLE ARDENTE. - -According to the promise he had made his favourite, the Prince of -Carini ordered the condemned man to be sent from Messina to Palermo; and -Pascal, under a large escort of gendarmerie, was conveyed to the prison -of that city, situated behind the royal palace, and near to the asylum -for lunatics. - -Towards the evening of the second day, a priest entered his dungeon. -Pascal rose when he saw the holy man: but, notwithstanding all the -entreaties of the priest, Pascal resolutely refused to confess. The -priest continued to exhort him to unburden his guilty mind; but nothing -could induce Pascal to perform this last office of religion. And the -priest, perceiving he could not overcome his obstinacy, asked him the -reason. - -"The reason," said Bruno, "is, that I do not wish to commit a -sacrilegious act." - -"In what manner, my son?" inquired the priest. - -"Is not the first condition of a good confession," said Bruno, "not only -the acknowledgment of your own sins, but the forgiveness of those of -your neighbour?" - -"Certainly," said the priest, "there can be no complete confession -without that." - -"Well," said Bruno, "I have not forgiven; my confession would therefore -be imperfect, and I have no inclination to make a bad confession." - -"Is it not," said the priest, "more likely that you have such enormous -crimes to acknowledge that you fear they will be too great to expect -pardon? But comfort yourself, God is merciful; and where there is -repentance there is always hope." - -"Nevertheless, my father," said Bruno', "if between your absolution and -my death, a wicked thought I have not the power to control should--" - -"The benefit of your confession would be lost," said the priest. - -"It is useless then for me to confess," observed Pascal, "for this -wicked thought will rise." - -"Cannot you drive it from your mind?" asked the priest. - -Pascal smiled. - -"It is that thought," said he, "that has kept me alive, father; without -that one infernal thought, without that last hope of vengeance, do you -think I would have allowed myself to be dragged forward as a disgraceful -spectacle to the multitude? No! I would have strangled myself with the -chain that binds me. At Messina, I had made up my mind to do so; and I -was about carrying my intention into effect when an order came to convey -me to Palermo--I thought she would wish to see me die." - -"Whom do you mean?" asked the priest. - -"She," said Bruno, with bitter emphasis. - -"But if you die in this manner," said the priest, "without repenting, -heaven, will show you no mercy." - -"Father," said Bruno, "she, also, shall die without repenting, for -she shall die at the moment she least expects it; she, also, shall die -without a priest, and without confession; she, also, shall find, like -me, heaven without mercy, and we shall sink to perdition together." - -At this instant the gaoler entered. - -"Father," he said, "the chapelle ardente is prepared." - -"Do you still persist in your refusal to confess, my son?" said the -priest. - -"I do persist," said Bruno, quietly. - -"Then I shall no longer delay the mass for the dead," said the priest, -"which I will repeat without pressing you any further; and I trust that, -while you listen, the Heavenly Spirit will visit you and inspire you -with better thoughts." - -"It may be so, father," said Bruno; "but I have no reason to believe it -will." - -The gens-d'armes entered, unbound Bruno, and led him to the church of -St. Franois de Sales, facing the prison, and at that moment brilliantly -illuminated, for, according to custom, he was there to hear the mass -for the dead and pass the night in prayer, the execution being fixed for -eight o'clock the following morning. - -An iron ring was fixed in a pillar in the choir, and Pascal was secured -to this ring by means of a chain that went round his body, but which -was sufficiently long to enable him to reach the balustrades where the -communicants knelt. - -The instant mass commenced, the officers of the lunatic asylum brought -in a coffin, which they placed in the centre of the church: it contained -the remains of an insane person who had died during the day, and the -director thought the deceased might as well receive the benefit of the -mass that was about to be celebrated for the condemned criminal who was -to die. - -Besides, there was an economy in this arrangement, both of time and -labour for the priest; and as it accommodated all parties, no objection -was made. - -The sacristan lighted two tapers, one for the head and the other for the -foot of the coffin, and the mass began. - -Pascal listened attentively during the whole service, and when it was -over, the priest went up to him and asked him if he was in a better -frame of mind; but the condemned man answered that, notwithstanding the -mass to which he had listened,--notwithstanding the prayers with which -he had accompanied it, his feelings of hatred and desire for vengeance -were still the same. - -The priest told him that at seven o'clock on the following morning -he would return and ascertain whether a night of solitude and -contemplation, passed in a church and in presence of the crucifix, had -produced any change in his feelings of vengeance. - -Bruno, as may be imagined, when left alone fell into a deep reverie. The -whole of the varied transactions of his life passed in review before his -eyes, from the days of his earliest infancy to that moment; and in vain -he endeavoured to discover in those early days of his life anything that -deserved the terrible fate that awaited his youth. He remembered only a -filial and sacred obedience towards the kind parents the Lord had given -him. He remembered his father's abode---so quiet, so innocent, and happy -at one time--which suddenly, became, without his being aware of the -cause, full of tears and sorrow. He remembered the day when his father -went out, carrying with him a dagger, which on his return was covered -with blood. He remembered the night on which the author of his being was -arrested as a murderer; when they carried himself, still a child, into a -chapelle ardente like that in which he was now confined, where he saw a -man chained as he was now. - -It seemed to him as if it were some fatal influence, some capricious -chance, some victorious superiority of evil over good, through the means -of which all the prospects of his devoted and once virtuous family had -been so utterly ruined. - -And then he even doubted the truth of the promises of happiness which -heaven had made to man; he sought through his own distorted vision -for the interference of that Providence of which so much was said; -and fancying that in this, his extremity, some portion of this eternal -secret would perhaps be revealed to him, he bowed his forehead to the -earth and prayed--conjured the Deity, with all the fulness of his soul, -to interpret to him this terrible enigma--to raise the corner of that -mysterious veil which enshrouded his mind--to dispel his doubts and give -him confidence here and hopes for hereafter. - -His hopes were vain; all was silent excepting that internal voice which -still continued to exclaim--"Vengeance! vengeance! vengeance!" - -Then he thought the dead were charged to answer him, and that to that -end a corpse had been placed near him: so true it is that the most -insignificant amongst us all considers his own existence as the centre -of the creation, imagines everything is connected with his being, and -that his miserable body is the pivot on which the whole universe turns. - -He, therefore, slowly raised himself, paler from the struggle he had had -with his mind than from any fear of the scaffold, and he turned his eyes -towards the corpse--it was that of a female. - -Pascal shuddered without knowing why; he endeavoured to trace the -features of that woman--(the coffin in Italy is only closed at the -instant of interment)--but a corner of the winding-sheet had fallen over -the face and concealed it. Suddenly, an instinctive maddening feeling -reminded him of Teresa--Teresa, whom he had not seen since the day when -he first broke the bonds of God and man--Teresa, who had become mad, and -for three years had been confined in the lunatic asylum from whence -the coffin and the corpse had been brought--Teresa, his betrothed, with -whom, perhaps, he now found himself at the foot of that altar to which -he had so long hoped to have conducted her while living, and where, at -length, he had been brought by the bitter mockery of fate to rejoin her: -she dead--himself about ignominiously to die! - -To remain longer in doubt was insupportable; he rushed towards the -coffin to satisfy himself, but he was suddenly dragged back by the -waist, his chain not being long enough to enable him to reach the -corpse, and it held him fast to the pillar; he stretched out his arms -towards the coffin, but he was still several feet away from the object -he sought to reach. - -He then looked round in search of something by means of which he might -be able to remove the corner of the veil, but he could discover nothing; -he exerted all the power of his lungs in his endeavour to raise the -corner of the cloth, but it remained as motionless as marble. - -He then turned round with a look of concentrated rage it would be -impossible to describe, seized his chain with both hands, and collecting -all his strength for the effort, he strove to break it; but the links -were too firmly-attached to each other and resisted all his efforts. - -The cold perspiration of rage stood on his forehead; he threw himself -at the foot of the pillar, placed his head in his hands, and remained -motionless and mute as the statue of despair; and when the priest came -in the morning he found him still in the same position. - -The reverend man approached him quietly and calmly, as became his -mission of peace and his office as a minister of reconciliation. -He thought that Pascal slept, but when he placed his hand upon his -shoulder, the bandit started and raised his head. - -"Well, my son," said the priest, "are you prepared for confession? I am -ready to absolve you?" - -"I will answer you presently, father; but first render me a last -service," said Bruno. - -"What is it?" said the priest. "Speak!" - -"Father," said Bruno, "will you raise the corner of the cloth that hides -the features of that woman?" - -The priest raised the corner of the winding-sheet. Pascal had not -deceived himself, that woman was Teresa! - -He looked upon her for an instant with the deepest sorrow, and then made -a sign to the priest to let the linen fall: the priest obeyed him. - -"Well, my son," he said, "has the sight of death inspired you with any -pious thoughts?" - -"Father," said Bruno, "that woman and I were born to be happy and -innocent; but she perjured herself, and I became a murderer. She has -conducted this woman through madness, and me, through despair, to the -tomb into which we are both about to descend to-day. Let heaven pardon -her, if it can--I cannot!" - -At this instant the guards entered the church to lead Pascal to the -scaffold. - - - - - - -CHAPTER XI.--DEATH OF THE BANDIT. - -The sky was magnificent, the air pure and transparent; the inhabitants -of Palermo awoke as if it had been a holiday--the scholars at the -colleges and schools had a holiday, and the whole population seemed to -have assembled in the Rue de Toledo, through the whole length of which -the condemned man would have to pass to go from the church of Saint -Franois de Sales, where He had passed the night, to the Place de la -Marine, where the execution was to take place. - -The windows of the houses were filled with women, whose curiosity had -roused them from their beds before their usual time, and the nuns of the -various convents in Palermo and its environs might be seen moving like -shadows behind the gratings of the galleries; while on the flat roofs of -the houses throngs of people waved to and fro like a field of grain. - -The condemned man was at the gates of the church placed in a cart drawn -by mules, and preceded by a number of White Penitents, the first of whom -carried the cross and the four last the coffin. The executioner followed -on horseback, bearing a red flag; his two assistants on foot, one on -each side. Behind these came a body of Black Penitents, who closed the -procession, which advanced in the midst of a double rank of militia and -regular troops, while, on the outskirts of the crowd, men were running -along clothed in long gray dresses, with their heads covered with hoods, -having openings for the eyes and mouth, holding in one hand a bell, and -in the other a large purse or bag, collecting alms for the deliverance -of the soul of the criminal from purgatory. - -It was reported also among the crowd that the criminal had refused to -confess, and this deviation from the religious ideas entertained by all -gave more weight to the rumours which had been spread abroad since the -very beginning of his career, of an infernal compact between Bruno -and the enemy of mankind. A feeling of terror, therefore, sat upon the -curious yet mute population, and no shouts, no cries, not even a murmur, -disturbed the dirge of death as it was chanted by the White Penitents at -the head of the procession and the Black Penitents in the rear. Behind -these last, and as fast as the culprit advanced along the Rue de Toledo, -the spectators joined the procession and accompanied it towards the -Place de la Marine. - -As to Pascal, he was the only one who appeared perfectly calm in the -midst of this agitated mass of people, and he looked upon the crowd that -surrounded him without humility and without ostentation, like a man who, -understanding the duties of individuals towards society in general and -the rights of society in respect to individuals, did not repent that he -had forgotten the last, nor complained that it avenged the first. - -The procession stopped for an instant at the Place des Quatre Cantons, -which forms the centre of the city, for so great a crowd were pressing -forward from either side of the Rue de Cassero, that the line of troops -was broken, and the centre of the road being crowded with people, the -Penitents were unable to proceed. - -Pascal took advantage of this sudden halt to stand up in the cart and -look round him, like one about to give a final order or make a last -sign; but after a long examination of the crowd, and not seeing that of -which he was in search, he fell back on the truss of straw that answered -the purpose of a seat, and a cloud spread over his face which seemed -to increase until the procession reached the Place de la Marine; then a -second stoppage occurred, and Pascal a second time stood up. - -At first, he cast a careless glance to the extremity of the place -opposite the gibbet, and then his looks ran over the immense crowd that -filled the extensive area of the place of execution, and which appeared -paved with human heads, with the exception of the terrace of the palace -of the Prince de Butera, which was completely deserted. He fixed his -eyes upon a rich balcony covered with damask, embroidered with gold, -and sheltered from the sun by purple awnings. There, on a species of -platform, and surrounded by the most elegant women, and the noblest -lords of Palermo, the beautiful Gemma of Castel Nuova was seated, who, -anxious to witness the last agony of her enemy, had caused her throne to -be raised facing the scaffold. - -The looks of Pascal Bruno and the counters met, and seemed to dart -flashes of hatred and vengeance: they were still gazing on each other -when a strange cry arose among the crowd that surrounded the cart. -Pascal started, and turning quickly to the spot from whence the sound -came, his features not only resumed their wonted expression of calmness, -but a look of joy spread over them. - -At this, instant the procession was again about to move on, when Bruno, -with a loud voice, exclaimed-- - -"Stop!" - -The word had a magical effect, the whole of the crowd seemed for an -instant nailed to the earth, every face was turned to the condemned man, -and a thousand eager looks were fixed upon him. - -"What is it you want?" said the executioner, - -"My confessor," said Pascal. - -"The priest is gone," said the executioner; "you sent him away." - -"My usual confessor is the monk on my left hand in the crowd," said -Bruno. "I did not want the other; but I wish to confess to this man." - -The executioner gave a look of impatience and denial; but at the same -instant the people, who had heard the request of the condemned man, -cried out-- - -"The confessor! the confessor!" - -The executioner was obliged to submit, and the crowd made way for the -monk: he was a tall young man, of a swarthy complexion, and seemed as if -he were exhausted by the austerities of the cloister; he went up to the -cart and climbed into it. - -At the same instant Bruno fell on his knees--this was a general signal; -on the pavement, in the street, on the balconies at the windows, on the -roofs of the houses, every one knelt; all excepting the executioner, who -remained on horseback, and his assistants, who stood by his side. At the -same instant the Penitents began to chant the prayers for the dying, to -conceal by the voices the words of the confession. - -"I have been long expecting you," observed Bruno. "I was waiting here -for you," replied Ali, for he it was. - -"I was afraid they would not keep the promise they made me," said Bruso; -"and that you would meet the same fate as myself." - -"No," said Ali, "they have kept their promise; I am at liberty." - -"Listen then," said Bruno. - -"I am attentive," replied Ali. - -"There, on my right hand--" Bruno turned in that direction, for his -hands were bound, and he had no other means of pointing--"you see a -balcony covered with gold embroidery." - -"Yes," said Ali. - -"On that balcony is a young and beautiful woman, with flowers in her -hair--" - -"I see her," interrupted Ali; "she is on her knees at prayers like the -rest." - -"That woman," said Bruno, "is the Countess Gemma, of Castel Nuova." - -"Beneath whose window I was waiting when you were wounded in the -shoulder?" asked Ali. - -"Yes," replied Bruno, "that woman is the cause of all my misfortunes; -she forced me to commit my first crime; she has brought me here!" - -"Well," said Ali. - -"I should not die in peace if I knew that she would survive me happy and -honoured," continued Bruno. "You may die in peace," said the youth. - -"Thanks, thanks, Ali!" said Bruno, impressively. - -"Let me embrace you once more father," said Ali. - -"Adieu!" said Bruno. - -"Farewell for ever!" said Ali. - -The young monk embraced the culprit as a priest is in the habit of doing -when he gives absolution to the sinner, and he then alighted from the -cart and mingled with the crowd. - -"Go on," said Bruno, imperatively; and the procession again obeyed him, -as if the speaker had the right to command. - -Every one arose; Gemma reseated herself, and the procession moved on -towards the scaffold. - -When it arrived at the foot of the gibbet, the executioner descended -from his horse, mounted the scaffold, climbed up the ladder, and fixed -his blood-coloured flag on the cross-piece above, satisfied himself that -the cord was well fastened, and threw off his coat that he might have -more freedom of action. - -Pascal immediately sprang out of the cart, thrust aside with his -shoulders the hangmen's men, who wished to assist him, rapidly mounted -the scaffold, and placed himself against the ladder which he had to -climb backwards. At the same instant, the Penitent who carried the cross -placed it in front of the bandit, so that he might see it in its dying -moments. The Penitents who carried the coffin seated themselves upon it, -and the troops formed themselves into a semicircle round the scaffold, -leaving in the centre the two bands of Penitents, the executioner, his -assistants, and their victim, Pascal mounted the ladder, refusing all -assistance, with the calmness he had hitherto displayed, and as Gemma's -balcony was facing him, it was even observed that he cast his eyes in -that direction and smiled. At the same instant, the executioner passed -the cord round his neck, seized him by the middle of his body, and cast -him off the ladder; he then slipped down the cord, and pressed with -his whole weight on the shoulders of the culprit, while the assistants, -clinging to his legs, pulled at the lower part of his body; but suddenly -the rope broke, not being able to bear the weight of four persons, and -the whole party, the executioner, his assistants, and their victim, were -rolling on the scaffold. - -One man arose before the rest--it was Pascal Bruno, whose hands had -burst the cords with which they were tied; he stood up in the midst of a -general silence, having in his right side a knife the executioner had in -his rage at the accident plunged into it the whole length of its blade. - -"Wretch!" cried the bandit, addressing the hangman, "you are neither fit -for an executioner nor a bandit; you can neither hang nor assassinate." - -With these words, he drew out the reeking knife from his right side, and -plunging it into his left side near his heart fell dead. - -Then there arose a terrific shout and a wild tumult in the crowd, some -rushed away from the spot, while others attacked the scaffold. - -The body of the condemned man was carried away by the Penitents, and the -executioner was nearly torn in pieces by the people. - - - - - - -CHAPTER XII.--CONCLUSION. - -The evening after the execution, the Prince of Carini dined with the -Archbishop of Montreal, while Gemma, who was not admissible into the -society of the prelate, remained at the Villa Carini. - -The evening was as delightful as the morning had been. From one of the -windows of the room which was hung with blue satin, the room in which -the first scene of our history took place, Alicudi might plainly be -seen, and behind it, like a vapour floating on the sea, the isles of -Filicudi and Salina. The other window overlooked a beautiful park, -filled with orange trees and pomegranates; on the right, might be seen -Mount Pellegrino from its base to its very summit, and on the left the -view extended as far as Montreal. - -The beautiful Countess Gemma, of Castel Nuovo, had remained for some -time at this window, her eyes fixed on the ancient residence of the -Norman kings, and seeking in every carriage as it came towards Palermo -for the equipage of the viceroy. But at length the darkness of the -evening increased, and distant objects becoming indistinct, she entered -her chamber and rang for her maid, and, fatigued as she had been by the -emotions of the day, she retired to rest. - -It was late before the prince was able to relieve himself from the -kind attentions of his host, and eleven o'clock struck by the cathedral -(built by William the Good) before the viceroy's carriage, drawn by four -splendid horses, departed at a gallop. Half an hour was sufficient to -enable him to reach Palermo, and in five minutes afterwards, he had -cleared the distance between the city and his villa. - -The prince hastily proceeded to Gemma's chamber, he attempted to enter -the door, but it was fastened on the inside: he then went to the secret -door that opened on the other side of the bed, close to the recess in -which Gemma reposed. Having opened it softly, that he might not awake -the charming sleeper, he stood a moment to gaze upon her in the sweet -and beautiful abandonment of repose. - -An elaborate lamp, suspended from the ceiling by three strings of -pearls, was the only light in the room, and its light was arranged in -such a manner as to prevent its dazzling the eyes of the sleeper. The -prince, therefore, leaned over the bed that he might see better. - -Gemma was lying with her chest almost entirely uncovered, and her boa, -rolled round her neck, contrasted beautifully by its dark colour with -the whiteness of her skin. - -The prince for an instant gazed on the enchanting statue, but its want -of animation soon astonished him; he drew closer, and perceived that a -strange paleness overspread her features. He bent his ear over her, but -could not hear her respiration; he seized her hand, it was cold. Then he -placed his arm beneath the form he loved so well, that he might warm it -by pressing it to his breast; but he suddenly allowed it again to fall, -and uttered a cry of anguish and horror. Gemma's head had fallen from -her shoulders and rolled upon the carpet. - -The next morning the yataghan of Ali was found beneath the window! - -THE END. - - - - - - - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Sicilian Bandit, by Alexandre Dumas, pere - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SICILIAN BANDIT *** - -***** This file should be named 41224-8.txt or 41224-8.zip ***** This -and all associated files of various formats will be found in: http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/2/2/41224/ - -Produced by David Widger - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will be -renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. 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-The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Sicilian Bandit, by Alexandre Dumas, pere
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-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
-almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
-re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
-with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
-
-
-Title: The Sicilian Bandit
- From the Volume "Captain Paul"
-
-Author: Alexandre Dumas, pere
-
-Release Date: October 29, 2012 [EBook #41224]
-Last Updated: November 21, 2016
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: UTF-8
-
-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SICILIAN BANDIT ***
-
-
-
-
-Produced by David Widger
-
-
-
-
-
-</pre>
-
- <div style="height: 8em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h1>
- THE SICILIAN BANDIT
- </h1>
- <h3>
- From the Volume “Captain Paul”
- </h3>
- <p>
- <br />
- </p>
- <h2>
- By Alexandre Dumas, pere
- </h2>
- <p>
- <br /> <br />
- </p>
- <hr />
- <p>
- <br /> <br />
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <big><b>CONTENTS</b></big>
- </p>
- <p>
- <br />
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0001"> CHAPTER I.—INTRODUCTION—PALERMO. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0002"> CHAPTER II.—BRUNO AND ALI. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0003"> CHAPTER III.—THE FATAL BRIDAL. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0004"> CHAPTER IV.—THE PRINCE AND THE BANDIT. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0005"> CHAPTER IV.—THE ROBBER’S CASTLE. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0006"> CHAPTER VI.—A BANDIT’S GRATITUDE. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0007"> CHAPTER VII.—A BRIGAND’S VENGEANCE. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0008"> CHAPTER VIII.—-TREACHERY. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0009"> CHAPTER IX.—THE SIEGE. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0010"> CHAPTER X.—THE CHAPELLE ARDENTE. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0011"> CHAPTER XI.—DEATH OF THE BANDIT. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0012"> CHAPTER XII.—CONCLUSION. </a>
- </p>
- <p>
- <br /> <br />
- </p>
- <hr />
- <p>
- <br /> <br /> <a name="link2HCH0001" id="link2HCH0001">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER I.—INTRODUCTION—PALERMO.
- </h2>
- <p>
- It is with cities as with men—chance presides over their foundation;
- and the topographical situation of the first, and the social position of
- the latter, exercise a beneficial or an evil influence over their entire
- existence.
- </p>
- <p>
- There are noble cities which, in their selfish pride of place, have
- refused to permit the erection even of a few humble cottages on the
- mountain on which their foundations rested: their domination must be
- exclusive and supreme; consequently they have remained as poor as they are
- proud.
- </p>
- <p>
- There are villages so humble as to have taken refuge in the recesses of
- the valley—have built their farmsteads, mills, and cottages on the
- margin of a brook, and, protected by the hills that sheltered them from
- heat and cold, have passed an almost unknown and tranquil life, like that
- of men without ardour and without ambition—terrified by every sound,
- dazzled by every blaze of light, and whose whole happiness consists in
- shade and silence.
- </p>
- <p>
- There are, again, others that have commenced their existence as paltry
- hamlets on the sea-shore, and which, by degrees, have seen sailing vessels
- succeed the simple boat, and noble ships the tiny barque—whose
- modest huts have given place to lordly palaces, while the gold of Potosi
- and the wealth of the Indies flow into their ample ports.
- </p>
- <p>
- It is for these reasons that we give to cold, inanimate nature epithets
- that truly belong to man’s nobility alone. Thus we say, Messina the noble,
- Syracuse the faithful, Girgenti the magnificent, Trapani the invincible,
- and Palermo the blessed.
- </p>
- <hr />
- <p>
- If ever there was a city predestined to be blessed—that city is
- Palermo. Situated beneath a cloudless sky, on a luxuriously fertile plain,
- and sheltered by a belt of mountains, in the centre of a picturesquely
- beautiful country, its ample ports open to receive the gentle flow of the
- azure sea.
- </p>
- <p>
- There is nothing more beautiful than the days at Palermo, except it be the
- nights—those eastern nights, so clear and balmy, in which the murmur
- of the sea, the rustling of the breeze, and the busy hum of the town seem
- like a universal concert of love, during which all created things, from
- the wave to the tree, from the tree to man himself, breathe a mysterious
- sigh.
- </p>
- <p>
- At times, however, the sea suddenly assumes a livid tint; the wind drops,
- the noise of the city is hushed; a few bloodied clouds travel rapidly from
- the south to the north; these clouds foretell the coming of the dread
- sirocco, that scorching blast, borne in the sands of Libya and carried to
- Europe by the southerly gales: immediately everything animate droops and
- becomes oppressed and suffering, and the whole island feels as when Etna
- threatens. Animals and men alike seek shelter, and when they have found
- it, they crouch in breathless fear, for the blast has taken away all
- courage, paralysed the strength, and deadened every faculty; and this
- lasts until a purer air from the Calabrian hills restores the strength and
- appears to renew their existence, and on the morrow all again is pleasure
- and mirth.
- </p>
- <p>
- It was the evening of the month of September, 1803, when the sirocco had
- lasted throughout the entire day; but at sunset the sky became clear, the
- sea resumed its azure tint, and a few blasts of cool air blew over the
- Liparian Archipelago. This atmospheric change had such an influence on all
- animated beings, that they gradually revived from their state of torpor,
- and you might have imagined you were present at a second creation, the
- more so from the fact of Palermo being, as we have already said, a perfect
- garden of Eden.
- </p>
- <p>
- Among all the daughters of Eve who, in the paradise they inhabit, make
- love their principal occupation, there was one who will play a very
- important part in the course of this history. That we may direct the
- attention of our readers to her, and to the place in which she dwelt, let
- them leave Palermo by the San-Georgio gate along with us, leaving the
- castle of St Mark on the right, and, reaching the Mole, they will follow
- the course of the sea-shore for some distance, and stop before the
- delightful villa of the Prince of Carini, the Viceroy of Sicily under
- Ferdinand the Fourth, who had just returned from Naples to take up his
- abode in it.
- </p>
- <p>
- On the first floor of this elegant villa, in a chamber tapestried with
- azure-blue silk, the ceiling of which was ornamented with fresco painting,
- a female, simply attired in a snow-white morning dress, was reclining on a
- sofa, her arms hung listlessly, her head was thrown back, and her hair
- dishevelled; for an instant she might have been taken for a marble statue,
- but a gentle tremor ran through her frame, colour gradually came to her
- cheeks, her eyes began to open, the beautiful statue became animated,
- sighed, stretched out its hand to a little silver bell placed on a table
- of peliminta marble, rang it lazily, and, as if fatigued with the effort
- she had made, fell back again on the sofa.
- </p>
- <p>
- The silvery sound, however, had been heard, the door opened, and a young
- and pretty waiting-maid, whose disordered toilet declared that she, as
- well as her mistress, had felt the influence of the African wind, appeared
- on the threshold.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Is it you, Teresa?” said her mistress, languidly, and turning her head.
- “It is enough to kill one: is the sirocco still blowing?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “No, signora, it has quite passed over, and we begin to breathe again.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Bring me some iced fruit, and let me have a little air.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Teresa obeyed these orders with as much promptitude as the remains of her
- languor would allow; she placed the refreshments on the table, and opened
- the window that looked out on the sea.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Look, madame la comtesse,” she said, “we shall have a magnificent day
- to-morrow; and the air is so clear that you can plainly see the island of
- Alicari, although the day is drawing to a close.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, yes, the air is refreshing; give me your arm, Teresa; I will try if
- I can drag myself as far as the window.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The attendant approached her mistress, who replaced on the table the
- refreshment her lips had scarcely touched, and, resting on Teresa’s
- shoulder, walked languidly towards the balcony.
- </p>
- <p>
- “How this delightful breeze revives one,” she observed, as she inhaled the
- evening air; “bring me my chair, and open the other window that looks into
- the garden,—that will do. Has the prince returned from Montreal?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Not yet, my lady,” replied Teresa.
- </p>
- <p>
- “So much the better; I would not have him see me in this wretched state,
- so pale and weak: I must look dreadfully.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Madame la comtesse never looked more beautiful than at this moment, and I
- am certain that in the whole city we see from this window, there is not a
- woman who would not be jealous of your ladyship.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you include the Marchioness of Rudini and the Princess of Butera?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I except no one,” replied the attendant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ah, I see the prince has been bribing you to flatter me, Teresa.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I assure you, madame, I only tell you what I think.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Oh, what a delightful place Palermo is!” said the countess, taking a deep
- inspiration.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Especially when one is two-and-twenty years of age, and rich and
- beautiful,” continued Teresa, smiling.
- </p>
- <p>
- “You have but completed my thoughts, and on that account I wish to see
- every one about me cheerful and happy. When is your marriage to take
- place, Teresa?” Teresa made no answer. “Is not Sunday the day fixed upon?”
- continued the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, signora,” answered her attendant with a sigh.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Why do you sigh? Have you not made up your mind?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Oh, yes, certainly.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Have you any dislike to the marriage!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “No; I believe Gaetano is a good lad, and that he will make me happy.
- Besides, this marriage will enable me to remain with madame la comtesse,
- and that is my most earnest wish.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then why did you sigh?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Pray pardon me, my lady, but I was thinking of our native country.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Our native country!” echoed the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes; madame la comtesse may remember, while at Palermo, that she had left
- a foster sister at the village of which her father was the signor; and
- when she wrote for me to come to her, I was about to be married to a young
- man belonging to Bauso.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Why did you not tell me of that? The prince, at my recommendation, would
- have taken him into his service.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Oh, he would not become a <i>servant</i>,” said Teresa; “he was too proud
- for that.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Indeed!” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes; he had before then refused the situation of shepherd to the Prince
- of Goto.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “He was a gentleman, then, this young man?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “No, madame la comtesse; he was but a simple mountaineer,” said Teresa, in
- a melancholy tone.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What was his name?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Oh, I do not think that your ladyship would recollect it,” said Teresa,
- eagerly.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And do you then regret his loss?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I cannot tell; I only know that if I were to become his wife instead of
- Gaetano’s, I should be obliged to work for my living; and that would be a
- laborious task for me, after leading so easy and pleasant a life under
- madame la comtesse.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And yet, Teresa, is it not true that people accuse me of pride and
- violence?” asked the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Madame is very good to me, that is all I can say,” replied Teresa.
- </p>
- <p>
- “The nobles of Palermo say so, because the Counts of Castel Nuovo were
- ennobled by Charles the Fifth, while the Ventimillas and the Partanas
- descend, as they pretend, from Tancred and Rogero: but that is not the
- reason the women hate me; they conceal their hatred under the cloak of
- disdain, and they neglect me because Rodolpho loves me, and they are
- jealous of the viceroy’s love; they do all they can to seduce him from me;
- but they will never succeed, for my beauty is greater than theirs—Carini
- tells me so every day, and so do you, story-teller.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You have here a greater flatterer than either his excellency or myself,”
- said Teresa, archly.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Who is that?” asked the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “The countess’s mirror.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Foolish girl!” said the countess, with a gratified smile. “There, go and
- light the tapers of the Psyche.” The attendant obeyed her mistress’s
- orders. “Now shut that window, and leave me; there will be sufficient air
- from the garden.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Teresa obeyed, and left the room. Scarcely did the countess perceive that
- she was gone, than she seated herself before the Psyche, and smiled as she
- looked at and admired herself in the glass.
- </p>
- <p>
- A wonderful creature was the Countess Emma, or rather Gemma, for, from her
- very infancy, her parents had added a G to her baptismal name; and, on
- account of this addition, she called herself <i>Diamond</i>. She was
- certainly wrong in confining her origin to the signature of Charles the
- Fifth, for in her slight and pliant form, you might recognise an Ionian
- origin; in her black and expressive eyes, a descendant of the Arabs; and
- in her fair and vermilion skin, a daughter of Gaul. She could equally
- boast of her descent from an Athenian archon, a Saracen emir, and a Norman
- chieftain; she was one of those beauties that in the first instance were
- found in Sicily alone, at a later time in one town alone in the world—Arles.
- So that, instead, of calling the artifices of the toilet to her
- assistance, as she intended in the first instance, Gemma found herself
- more charming in her partial dishabille.
- </p>
- <p>
- The glass, being placed before the window that was left open, reflected
- the sky from its surface, and Gemma, without intention or thought, wrapt
- herself up in a vague and delicious pleasure, counting in the glass the
- images of the stars as they each appeared in their turn, and giving them
- names as they successively appeared in the heavens.
- </p>
- <p>
- Suddenly it appeared as if a rising shadow placed itself before the stars,
- and that a face appeared behind her; she turned herself quickly round and
- beheld a man standing at the window. Gemma rose and opened her mouth with
- the intention of screaming for assistance, when the stranger, springing
- into the chamber, clasped his hands, and said in supplicating accents—
- </p>
- <p>
- “In the name of heaven do not call out, madame! for on my honour, you have
- nothing to fear: I will do you no harm.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Gemma fell back into her chair, and the apparition and words of the
- stranger were succeeded by a moment’s silence, during which she had time
- to cast a rapid glance at the person who had introduced himself into her
- room in this extraordinary manner.
- </p>
- <p>
- He was a young man, some twenty-five or twenty-six years of age, and
- appeared to belong to the ranks of the people; he wore a Calabrian hat,
- round which a piece of velvet was tied, the ends of which fell loosely on
- his shoulders, a velvet vest with silver buttons, breeches of the same
- material, and ornamented in a similar manner; round his waist he wore a
- red silk belt with green fringe; shoes and leather gaiters completed his
- costume, which appeared to have been selected to set off his fine figure
- to advantage. His features possessed a kind of savage beauty, his look was
- bold and proud, his beard black, his teeth sharp and white, and his nose
- aquiline.
- </p>
- <p>
- For a certainty, Gemma was not a whit the more easy by her examination,
- for the stranger, when he saw her stretch out her hand towards the table,
- as if to take hold of the silver bell, said—
- </p>
- <p>
- “Did you not hear me, madame?” giving his voice that gentle expression so
- peculiar to the Sicilian dialect. “I wish you no harm—far from it.
- If you will grant me the request I am about to make, I will adore you as
- if you were a Madonna. You are already as beautiful; be as good as one.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “But what is it you require?” said Gemma, her voice still trembling; “and
- why did you come here in this manner, and at such an hour?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Had I requested the favour of an interview with one so noble, so rich,
- and so much loved by a man who is almost a king, is it probable that you
- would have granted it to me, so poor and unknown? Tell me, madame. But
- even if you had been so condescending, you might have delayed your answer,
- and I have no time to wait.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “What, then, can I do for you?” said Gemma, recovering herself by degrees.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Everything, madame; for you hold in your hands my despair or my happiness—my
- death or my life.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I do not understand you; explain yourself,” faltered out the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “You have,” said the stranger, “a young woman from Bauso in your service.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Teresa?” asked the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, Teresa,” replied the young man in trembling accents. “Now, this
- young woman is to be married to a valet de chambre of the Prince de
- Carini, and she is betrothed to me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ah! it is you, then?” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, it was I she was about to marry when she received your letter
- desiring her to come to you. She promised to remain faithful to me—to
- mention me to you, and if you refused her request, she pledged her word to
- return to me. I continued to expect her; but three years passed by, and
- yet I saw her not; and as she has not returned to me, I have come to seek
- her. On my arrival I learnt all, and then I thought I would throw myself
- on my knees before you, and ask Teresa of you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Teresa is a girl I am partial to,” said the countess, “and I do not wish
- her to leave me. Gaetano is the prince’s valet de chambre, and by marrying
- him she will still remain near me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “If that is one of the conditions, I will enter the prince’s service,”
- said the young man, evidently suppressing his feelings.
- </p>
- <p>
- “But Teresa told me you would not enter into service.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “That is true,” replied the stranger; “but if it is necessary, I will make
- any sacrifice for her; only, if it were possible, I would be one of the
- huntsmen rather than a domestic servant.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said the countess, “I will speak of it to the prince, and if he
- consents—”
- </p>
- <p>
- “The prince will do all that you wish, madame,” interrupted the young man.
- “You do not ask, you order; I know that well.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “But what guarantee have I for your good conduct?” asked the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “My eternal gratitude, madame,” said the young man.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Still I must know who you are,” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am a man,” said the stranger, “whom you can make miserable or happy;
- that is the sum of all.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “The prince will ask me your name,” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What is my name to him?” asked the stranger. “Is he acquainted with it?
- Has the name of a poor peasant of Bauso ever reached the prince’s ears?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “But I belong to the same country as yourself,” said the countess; “my
- father was Count of Castel Nuovo, and lived in a little fortress a quarter
- of a league from the village.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I know it, madame,” said the young man, in a low hoarse voice.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, I ought to know your name,” said the countess. “Tell me, then, and
- I will see what I can do for you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Believe me, madame la comtesse,” said the stranger, “it would be better
- for you to remain ignorant of it. What does my name signify? I am an
- honest man. I would make Teresa happy; and if it were necessary, I would
- sacrifice my life for you or the prince.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your obstinacy is very strange,” said the countess, “and I have a greater
- desire to know your name than ever, for when I asked Teresa what it was,
- she, like you, refused to tell me. In the meantime, I warn you that I will
- not consent to your wishes except on that condition.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You wish to know it then, madame?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I insist upon it!” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “For the last time,” said the stranger, “I beg, I implore you, not to
- insist upon it.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Either name it,” said the countess, in an imperative tone, “or leave me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am called Pascal Bruno,” said the young man, in so calm a voice that
- you might have imagined every emotion had passed away if the paleness of
- his features had not been evidence of the internal struggle.
- </p>
- <p>
- “<i>Pascal Bruno!</i>” cried the countess, drawing back in her chair in
- terror. “<i>Pascal Bruno!</i> You, the son of Antonio Bruno, whose head is
- placed in an iron cage at the Château de Bauso?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am his son,” coolly replied the young man.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And do you not know,” asked the countess, “why your father’s head is
- placed there? Speak!” Pascal remained silent. “Well,” continued the
- countess, “it was because <i>your</i> father attempted to assassinate <i>mine</i>.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I know all that, madame,” replied Pascal, calmly; “and I know, besides,
- that when you, then a child, was taken into the village, your attendants
- showed you that head, and told you it was my father’s head; but they did
- not tell you, madame, that <i>your</i> father dishonoured <i>mine</i>.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Thou liest!” passionately exclaimed the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “May God punish me if I tell not the truth. Madame, my mother was
- beautiful and virtuous; your father, the count, became enamoured of her:
- but she resisted all his importunities, all his promises, and all his
- threats; but one day, when my father had gone to Taormina, the count
- caused her to be carried off by four men, taken to a small house that
- belonged to him between Limero and Furnari (it is now a tavern), and there—madame—he
- violated her!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “The count was lord and master of the village of Bauso,” said Gemma,
- proudly. “Both the property and the persons of its inhabitants belonged to
- him, and he did your mother much honour by admiring her.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “My father did not think so it appears,” said Pascal, knitting his brow.
- “That, perhaps, was because he was born at Stilla, on the lands of the
- Prince de Moncada Paterno; and on that account he struck the count. The
- wound was not mortal; so much the better. For a long time I deeply
- regretted it; but now, to my shame, I congratulate myself on it.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “If my memory be correct,” said the countess, “not only was your father
- put to death as murderer, but your uncles are still at the galleys.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your memory is good,” said Pascal. “My uncles gave an asylum to the
- assassin, and defended him when the officers came to arrest him: they
- were, therefore, looked upon as accomplices, and sent, my uncle Placido,
- to Favignana; my uncle Pietro, to Lipari; and my uncle Pépe, to Vulcano.
- As for myself, I was too young; and, although I was arrested, they gave me
- up again to my mother.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And what became of your mother?” asked Gemma.
- </p>
- <p>
- “She died,” said Pascal, mournfully.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Where?” asked Gemma.
- </p>
- <p>
- “In the mountains between Pizzo di Goto and Nisi,” replied Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Why did she leave Bauso?” inquired the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “That every time we passed the castle,” said Pascal, “she might not see
- the head of her husband, nor I that of my father! Yes, she died without a
- physician, without a priest—she was buried in unholy ground, and I
- dug her grave. There, madame—you will pardon me, I trust—over
- the newly-turned earth I swore to avenge the wrongs of my family—of
- whom I, alone, remain—upon <i>you</i>, the only survivor of the
- family of the count. But I became enamoured of Teresa, and I left the
- mountains that I might not see my mother’s grave, towards which I felt
- myself perjured. I came down to the plain, and went to Bauso. I did more
- than that, for when I knew that Teresa had left the village to enter your
- service, I thought of entering that of the count. For a long time I felt
- repugnant at the idea; but my love for Teresa overcame every other feeling.
- I made up my mind to see you—I have seen you; here am I, without
- arms, and a suppliant before you, madame—before whom I ought only to
- appear as an enemy.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You must perceive,” said Gemma, “the prince cannot take into his service
- the son of a man who was hanged, and whose uncles are at the galleys.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Why not, madame?” asked Bruno, “if that man consents to forget that those
- punishments were unjustly inflicted?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Are you mad?” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Madame la comtesse,” said Pascal, “you know what an oath is to a
- mountaineer. Well, I have broken my oath. You also know the vengeance of a
- Sicilian. Well, I will renounce my vengeance and forget my oath. I ask
- only that all may be forgotten, and that you will not force me to remember
- it?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “But if you should,” said the countess, “how would you act?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I do not wish to think upon the subject.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then we must take our measures accordingly,” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I beg of you, madame la comtesse,” said Pascal, “to have pity on me; you
- see that I am doing all that I can to remain an honest man. Once engaged
- by the prince—once Teresa’s husband, I can answer for myself:
- otherwise I shall never return to Bauso.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is impossible to do as you desire,” said the countess, decidedly.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Countess,” said Pascal, earnestly, “you have loved?” Gemma smiled
- disdainfully. “You must know what jealousy is—you must know its
- sufferings, its maddening tortures. Well, I love Teresa—I am jealous
- of her; and I feel I should lose my senses if this marriage take place;
- and then—”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, then—” said Gemma, in an agitated tone.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then, take heed’ I do not remember the galleys where my uncles are, the
- cage in which my father’s head is placed, and the grave where my mother
- sleeps!” At this instant a strange cry, which seemed to be a signal, was
- heard outside the window, and almost at the same instant a bell was rung.
- </p>
- <p>
- “There is the prince,” said Gemma, regaining her confidence.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, yes—I know it,” mattered Pascal; “but before he passes through
- yonder door, you have time to say ‘yes.’ I implore you, madame, to grant
- me what I ask. Give me Teresa—place me in the prince’s service!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Let me pass,” said Gemma, imperiously, and advanced towards the door; but
- instead of obeying this order, Bruno sprang to the door and bolted it.
- “Would you dare to stop me?” cried Gemma, taking hold of the bell. “Help!
- help!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do not call out, madame,” said Bruno, still mastering his feelings, “for
- I have told you I will do you no harm.”
- </p>
- <p>
- A second cry, resembling the first, was heard outside the window.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is well—well, Ali; you watch faithfully, my boy,” said Bruno.
- “Yes, I know the count has arrived; I hear him in the corridor. Madame,
- madame! an instant longer remains for you; one second, and all the
- misfortunes I foresee may be avoided.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Help, Rodolpho! Help!” screamed Gemma.
- </p>
- <p>
- “You have, then neither heart, nor soul, nor pity, either for yourself or
- others,” cried Bruno plunging his hands in his hair and looking at the
- door, which was being violently shaken.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am fastened in!” cired the countess, who felt fresh courage from the
- assistance which had arrived; “fastened in with a man who is threatening
- my life. Help! help! Rodolpho, help!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I do not threaten you,” said Pascal, “I am entreating you—I entreat
- you still; but since you will—” Bruno, uttering a yell like that of
- a tiger, sprang upon Gemma, no doubt with the intention of strangling her,
- for (as we have said) he had no arms. At the same instant a small door,
- concealed at the extremity of the alcove, opened, the report of a pistol
- was heard, the room was filled with smoke, and Gemma fainted: when she
- recovered her senses she was in the prince’s arms.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Where is he? where is he?” she cried, in a terrified accent, and looking
- around her.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I cannot tell; I suppose I must have missed him,” answered the prince;
- “for, while I was stepping over the bed, he leaped out of the window; and,
- as I saw you insensible, I did not trouble myself about him—I
- thought only of you; I must have missed him, and yet it is strange I do
- not see the mark of the ball in the hangings.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Let them run after him,” said Gemma: “show no mercy, no pity, to that
- man, my lord, for he was a robber, who would have assassinated me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- They searched the villa during the whole night, the gardens, and the
- shore, but without avail—Pascal Bruno had disappeared.
- </p>
- <p>
- The next day a track of blood was discovered, which began at the foot of
- the window from which he had leaped and was lost on the sea-shore.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0002" id="link2HCH0002">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER II.—BRUNO AND ALI.
- </h2>
- <p>
- At daybreak the following morning, the fishermen’s boats left the port as
- usual and dispersed themselves over the sea. In the meantime, one of their
- little fleet, having on board a man, and a boy of twelve or fourteen years
- of age, stopped when it came within sight of Palermo, and lowering its
- sail, brought to; but as this motionless state, at a spot little
- favourable for fishing, might have attracted suspicion, the boy occupied
- himself in mending his nets. As to the man, he was lying at the bottom of
- the boat, his head resting on the side, and he appeared to be plunged in a
- deep reverie, still, as if mechanically, he took up the sea-water with his
- right hand, and poured it over his left shoulder, which was bound up with
- a bandage stained with blood.
- </p>
- <p>
- The man was Pascal Bruno, and the boy the same who, placed beneath the
- countess’s window, had twice given him the signal for flight: at first
- sight, you could see that he was a native of a more ardent clime than that
- in which the events we record took place. He was born on the coast of
- Africa, and it was in the following manner that Pascal Bruno became
- acquainted with him:—
- </p>
- <p>
- About a year before the occurrence of the events we have just narrated, a
- party of Algerine pirates, having learned that the Prince of Moncana
- Paterno, one of the richest noblemen in Sicily, was returning in a small
- vessel from Pantelleria to Catana with an escort of a dozen men only, lay
- in ambush behind the island of Porri, distant about two miles from the
- coast. The prince’s vessel, as the pirates had foreseen, passed between
- the island and the shore, but the instant it entered the narrow strait,
- the pirates left the creek in which they had been concealed with three
- vessels and rowed forward to attack their expected prize, the prince. The
- latter, however, immediately perceiving the imminence of his danger,
- ordered his crew to turn the boat’s head towards the shore, and run her
- aground on the beach at Furella. They did not succeed in reaching the
- point desired, but the place where the boat grounded had only about three
- feet of water, and the pirates were close upon them. The prince and his
- followers leaped into the sea, holding their arms above their heads,
- trusting to be able to reach a village they saw at some half a league
- distance without being obliged to employ them. But they had scarcely
- disembarked, when another party of the pirates who, having foreseen this
- manouvre, had rowed one of the boats as high as Bufaidone, issued from the
- reeds through which the river flowed, and cut off the retreat of the
- prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- The attack immediately began, but while the followers of the prince were
- engaged with the first party, the second came up, and all resistance
- becoming evidently useless, the prince surrendered, asking for his life,
- and promising to ransom himself and all his followers. Immediately after
- the prisoners had laid down their arms, a party of countrymen were seen
- approaching, armed with muskets and pitchforks, and the pirates, having
- made themselves masters of the prince’s person, the only object they had
- in view, did not think it worth while waiting for the arrival of the
- countrymen, but took to their boats in such haste as to leave behind them
- three of their men, whom they believed were either dead or mortally
- wounded.
- </p>
- <p>
- Among those who had hastened to the scene of conflict, was Pascal Bruno,
- whose wandering life led him sometimes to one place and sometimes to
- another, his disturbed mind leading him into every kind of adventurous
- enterprise. When the countrymen reached the beach where the struggle had
- taken place, they found one of the Prince of Paterno’s domestics dead,
- another slightly wounded in the thigh, and three of the pirates bathed in
- their blood, but still breathing. Two blows from the butt-end of a musket
- soon made an end of two of the number, and a pistol-ball was about to send
- the third to join his comrades, when Bruno perceiving it was a boy, turned
- the arm that held the pistol on one side, and declared that he would take
- the wounded lad under his own protection.
- </p>
- <p>
- There were a few remonstrances against this ill-timed pity as it was
- called, but when Bruno had said a thing, he maintained what he had said;
- accordingly, he cocked his carbine, and declared that he would blow out
- the brains of the first man who should approach his <i>protégé</i>, and as
- they knew him to be a man who would not hesitate an instant in putting his
- threat into execution, they allowed him to take the boy in his arms and go
- off with him. Bruno proceeded to the shore, and entered the boat in which
- he performed his adventurous excursions, whose qualities he knew so well
- that it seemed to obey him like a well-tutored horse, and spreading his
- sail, he steered towards Cape Aliga Grande.
- </p>
- <p>
- As soon as he saw that the boat was in the right course, and that it no
- longer needed a steersman, he attended to the wounded boy, who was still
- insensible: he took off the white bournouse in which he was dressed,
- loosened the belt to which his yataghan was still attached, and perceived
- by the rays of the setting sun the situation of the wound. Upon
- examination, he discovered that a musket-ball had entered between the
- right hip and the false ribs, and gone out near the spine: the wound was
- dangerous, but it was not mortal.
- </p>
- <p>
- The evening breeze, and the cool sensation produced by the sea-water with
- which Bruno washed the wound, recalled the boy to his senses, and he
- uttered a few words in a foreign language, but without opening his eyes.
- Bruno, however, knowing that a wound caused by fire-arms produced a
- burning thirst, guessed that he was asking for drink, and he placed a
- bottle of water to his lips. The boy drank greedily, uttered a few
- inarticulate sounds, and fell back in a fainting fit.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal laid him down as gently as he could at the bottom of the boat, and,
- uncovering the wound, he continued, unceasingly, to apply to it his
- handkerchief dipped in the sea—a remedy considered infallible in the
- case of wounds by every seafaring man in the Mediterranean.
- </p>
- <p>
- At length our navigators found themselves at the mouth of the Ragusa, and
- the wind setting in from the African coast. Pascal with little difficulty
- directed his bark into the stream; and leaving Modica to the right, he
- passed the bridge that is thrown across the high-road from Noto to
- Chiaramonti.
- </p>
- <p>
- He went about half a league further, but there the river became no longer
- navigable; he drew his boat up among the shrubs that grew by the side of
- the stream, and taking the boy in his arms, he carried him inland. He soon
- reached the entrance to a valley, into which he descended, and presently
- came to a spot where the mountain was perpendicular, the smoother side of
- which was pierced in various places; for in this valley were to be seen
- the remains of the habitations of the dwellers in caves, the first
- occupants of the country, and who were afterwards civilised by the Greeks.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno entered one of these caverns, which communicated by means of a few
- steps with an upper story, to which the air was admitted through a small,
- square hole that answered the purpose of a window. A bed of rushes was
- heaped up in the corner, and on this he spread out the boy’s bournouse;
- and then having lighted a branch of fir, he fixed it in the wall, and
- seating himself on a stone near the bed, he waited until his <i>protégé</i>
- recovered his senses.
- </p>
- <p>
- This was not the first visit Bruno had paid to this retreat, for often
- during his travels across the island without any object in view, but
- merely for the sake of passing away his solitary time, he had entered that
- valley, and rested in that chamber which had been excavated in the rock
- three thousand years before. Here it was that he gave himself up to vague
- and incoherent reveries, so habitual to imaginative but uninstructed
- minds.
- </p>
- <p>
- He knew that a race of men had disappeared from the earth which in former
- times excavated these retreats; and, deeply tinged with the popular
- superstition, he believed, like all the inhabitants of the locality, that
- these men were enchanters and dealers in witchcraft; but this belief, far
- from driving him from these wild and terror-inspiring places, irresistibly
- attracted him to them; for in his youth he had heard numbers of tales
- related of enchanted guns, invulnerable men, and invisible travellers; and
- his fearless mind, delighting in the marvellous and the terrible, had but
- one engrossing desire, that of meeting with some mysterious being, some
- sorcerer, enchanter, or demon who, by means of an infernal compact, would
- endow him with some supernatural power, and make him superior to the rest
- of mankind. But he had vainly invoked the shades of the ancient
- inhabitants of the valley of Modica; no supernatural appearances had
- visited him, and Pascal Bruno remained, to his great regret, a man like
- other men, with the exception of a degree of strength and skill for which
- no other mountaineer could be compared with him.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno had been wholly absorbed in one of these visionary reveries for
- nearly an hour beside the bed of the wounded lad, when the latter awoke
- from a species of lethargy into which he had been plunged, opened his
- eyes, looked round him with a wandering gaze, and at last fixed his eyes
- upon the man who had saved him, but unconscious whether he saw in him a
- friend or an enemy. During this examination, and by an indefinite instinct
- of self-defence, he put his hand to his waist In search of his faithful
- yataghan; but not finding it there, he heaved a deep sigh, and again
- closed his eyes.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Are you in pain?” said Bruno to him, making use of the Lingua Franca, a
- language so well understood on the coast of the Mediterranean, from
- Marseilles to Alexandria, from Constantinople to Algiers, and by means of
- which you may travel over the whole of the old world.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Who are you?” asked the boy.
- </p>
- <p>
- “A friend,” replied Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am not a prisoner then?” said the boy.
- </p>
- <p>
- “No,” answered Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then how came I here?” asked the boy.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal told him all that had happened; to which the boy listened
- attentively, and when he had finished his tale, he fixed his eyes
- gratefully upon Pascal, and said, “Then, since you have saved my life, you
- will be a father to me?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes,” said Bruno, “I will.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” said the wounded boy, “thy son’s name is Ali; what is yours?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Pascal Bruno.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “May Allah protect thee,” said the lad.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Are you in want of anything?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, water,” said the boy; “I am thirsty.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal took up an earthen vessel concealed in a hole in the rock, and went
- to a spring that flowed near the cave; on going up again he cast his eyes
- on the boy’s yataghan, which he had made no attempt to draw nearer to him.
- Ali greedily seized the cup, and drank off the water at a draught.
- </p>
- <p>
- “May Allah grant you as many happy years as there were drops of water in
- this cup,” said the boy, as he gave it back to Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “You are a good creature,” murmured Bruno; “make haste and get well, and
- you shall, if you wish go back to Africa.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The boy recovered from his wound, but continued to remain in Sicily, for
- he became so much attached to Bruno that he would not leave him. Since
- that time, he had always remained with him, accompanying him in his
- hunting excursions over the mountains; assisting him in the management of
- his boat, and ready to sacrifice his life at a sign from the man he called
- his father.
- </p>
- <p>
- On the previous evening, he had accompanied Pascal to the villa of the
- Prince de Carini, and waited for him beneath the windows during the
- interview with Gemma; and he it was who had twice given the signal of
- alarm; the first time, when the prince rang the bell at the gate, and
- again, when he entered the château. He was just about to climb into the
- window to render Bruno assistance when the latter sprang out; he followed
- him in his flight, and when they reached the shore, they both of them got
- into their boat which was awaiting them, and as they could not have put to
- sea in the evening without creating suspicion, they were content to remain
- among the fishing-boats that waited for the break of day, in order that
- they might put to sea.
- </p>
- <p>
- During the night Ali, in his turn, returned to Pascal the attentions he
- had received under similar circumstances, for the Prince of Carini had
- taken a good aim, and the ball he had vainly searched for in the hangings
- had almost passed through Bruno’s shoulder, so that Ali had but to make a
- slight incision with his yataghan to extract it from the side opposite to
- that at which it entered. All this took place without the interference of
- Bruno who appeared scarcely to pay any attention to the circumstance, and
- the only care he bestowed on his wound was, as we have already said, to
- moisten it, from time to time, with sea-water, while the boy appeared to
- be busy mending his nets.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” said Ali, suddenly interrupting himself in his pretended
- occupation, “look towards the shore.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, what is it?” said Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “A number of people?”. replied Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Where?” asked Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yonder, on the road leading to the church,” replied Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- In fact, a considerable crowd of people were passing along the winding
- road that led to the church. Bruno saw that it was a marriage procession
- on its way to the chapel of St. Rosalie.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Direct the boat’s head to the shore, and row quickly,” he cried, starting
- up and standing in the boat.
- </p>
- <p>
- The boy obeyed, seized the oars, and the little vessel seemed to fly over
- the surface of the sea; the nearer they approached the shore the more
- terrible the features of Bruno became: at length, when they were within
- half a mile of the land, he cried out, in an accent of deep despair—
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is Teresa! They have hurried on the ceremony; they would not wait
- until Sunday for fear I should have carried her off. God knows, I have
- done all in my power to bring this affair to a happy conclusion—but
- they would not have it, so woe betide them!”
- </p>
- <p>
- At these words, Bruno, assisted by Ali, hoisted the sail of his little
- bark, which, doubling Mount Pellegrino, disappeared at the end of two
- hours behind Cape Gollo.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0003" id="link2HCH0003">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER III.—THE FATAL BRIDAL.
- </h2>
- <p>
- Pascal was not deceived in his conjectures: the countess, afraid of some
- attempt on the part of Bruno, had hurried on the marriage three days
- before the appointed time without informing Teresa of her interview with
- her old lover; and the young people had selected the chapel of St.
- Rosalie, the patroness of Palermo, for the celebration of the ceremony.
- </p>
- <p>
- This was another of the characteristics of Palermo, that city of love; it
- had placed itself under the protection of a young and pretty saint! Thus,
- St. Rosalie was at Palermo what St. Januarius is at Naples, the omnipotent
- distributor of the blessings of heaven; but superior to St. Januarius, as
- she was of a royal French race, being descended from Charlemagne; this was
- proved by her genealogical tree, painted above the door on the exterior of
- the chapel; a tree whose trunk issues from the breast of the conqueror of
- Vitikind, and after dividing into many branches, it reunites at the summit
- to give birth to the Prince of Sinebaldo, the father of St. Rosalie; but
- her noble birth, the riches of her house and her own beauty had no effect
- on the young princess; at the age of eighteen she quitted the court, and,
- bent upon living a life of contemplation, she suddenly disappeared, and no
- one knew what had become of her; it was only after her death that she was
- found, as beautiful and perfect as if she still lived, in the grotto in
- which she had taken up her abode, and in the attitude in which she had
- fallen asleep. In after times, a chapel was erected over this grotto, and
- in this chapel Teresa and Gaetano were married.
- </p>
- <p>
- The ceremony having concluded, the marriage procession returned to
- Palermo, where vehicles were in readiness to take the guests to the
- village of Carini, the princely fief from which Rodolpho took his title;
- there, by the care of the countess, a magnificent repast was prepared. The
- country people in the neighbourhood had been invited, and they had flocked
- to the feast from four or five leagues round. The tables were arranged on
- an esplanade, shaded by the foliage of green oaks and parasol-like firs,
- perfumed by orange and lemon trees, and surrounded by hedges of
- pomegranate and Indian fig-trees—a double blessing bestowed by
- Providence, who, providing for the hunger and thirst of the poor, has
- planted these fruitful trees like so much manna over the whole surface of
- Sicily.
- </p>
- <p>
- This esplanade was reached by a road, the sides of which were planted with
- aloes, whose giant blossoms, seen from a distance, resembled the lances of
- Arab horsemen; while to the south, the view was bounded by the palace.
- Above the terrace, from which the chain of mountains rises that separate
- the island into three parts—the eastern, northern, and western—at
- the extremity of these three valleys, the magnificent Sicilian sea was
- seen in three places; and, by its varying tints, it might have been taken
- for three distinct oceans; for, on account of the varied light produced by
- the sun just beginning to disappear in the horizon, on the side of Palermo
- it was an azure blue, round the Isoladette Donne it rolled its silvery
- waves, while it fell in golden streams against the rocks of St. Vito.
- </p>
- <p>
- When the dessert was served, and while the guests were at the height of
- their joy, the gates of the château opened, and Gemma, leaning on the
- prince’s arm, preceded by two servants carrying torches, and followed by a
- host of attendants, came down the marble staircase of the villa and went
- up to the esplanade. The peasants were about to rise, but the prince made
- a sign they should not disturb themselves; while Gemma and himself, having
- made the tour of the tables, stopped before the newly-married couple.
- </p>
- <p>
- Then a domestic held out a golden cup, which Gaetano filled with Syracuse
- wine. The domestic then offered the cup to Gemma, and she uttered a prayer
- for the happiness of the bride and bridegroom, touched the wine with her
- beauteous lips, and offered it to the prince, who emptied it at a draught,
- and pouring into it a purseful of golden ducats, desired it to be given to
- Teresa, for whom it was a wedding gift. At the same instant, loud cries of
- “Long live the Prince of Carini! Long live the Countess of Castel Nuovo!”
- were heard; and at this moment the esplanade became illuminated as if by
- magic, and the noble visitors retired, leaving behind them, like a
- celestial vision, happiness and light.
- </p>
- <p>
- They had scarcely re-entered the castle along with their suite before the
- music struck up, and the younger guests, leaving the table, proceeded to
- the place prepared for the dance. According to custom, Gaetano was about
- to open the ball with his bride, and for that purpose was advancing
- towards her, when a stranger, who had entered by the aloe walk, appeared
- on the esplanade—it was Pascal Bruno, in the Calabrian costume we
- have already described, excepting that he had a pair of pistols and a
- dagger at his girdle, and that his jacket, which was thrown over his right
- shoulder like that of a Hussar, exposed his shirt, stained with blood.
- </p>
- <p>
- Teresa was the first who noticed him; she screamed, and fixing her
- terrified eyes upon him, remained pale and erect, as if she had seen a
- spectre; every one turned towards the new comer, and all were silent,
- anticipating some dreadful event.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal Bruno went straight up to Teresa, and stopping before her, he
- folded his arms, and looked fixedly at her.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Is it you, Pascal?” stammered Teresa.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, it is I,” said Bruno, in a hoarse voice; “I heard at Bauso, where I
- was waiting for you, that you were about to be married at Carini, and I
- have come in time, I hope, to dance the first tarantella with you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is the right of the bridegroom,” observed Gaetano, going up to him and
- interfering.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is the right of the lover,” replied Bruno. “Come, Teresa, I think it
- is the least you can do for me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Teresa is my wife,” exclaimed Gaetano, extending his arm towards her.
- </p>
- <p>
- “She is my betrothed,” cried Pascal, taking her by the hand.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Help! help!” exclaimed Teresa.
- </p>
- <p>
- Gaetano seized Pascal by the collar, but at the same instant he uttered a
- loud cry and fell. Pascal’s dagger was buried in his chest up to the hilt.
- The men appeared by their actions to be about to seize upon the murderer,
- who quietly drew a pistol from his waist and cocked it, then with the hand
- that held it, he made a sign to the musicians to play the tarantella; they
- obeyed mechanically, while all the guests remained motionless.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Come, Teresa,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- Teresa was no longer an accountable or conscious creature, but an
- automaton, whose actions were guided by fear—she mechanically
- obeyed, and the horrible dance, in the presence of the corpse of the
- murdered man, was danced to the last step.
- </p>
- <p>
- At length the musicians stopped, and Teresa, as if the music alone had
- supported her, fell senseless on the body of Gaetano.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Thanks, Teresa,” said her partner, coldly, “that is all I wanted of
- thee,” and then turning to the spectators, “and now, if any one desires to
- know my name, that he may find me elsewhere, I am called Pascal Bruno.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Son of Antonio Bruno, whose head is placed in an iron cage at the château
- of Bauso?” asked one of the guests.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Exactly so,” answered Pascal; “but if you wish to see it, you must make
- haste, for I swear to you it shall not remain there much longer?”
- </p>
- <p>
- At these words Pascal left, and no one felt inclined to follow him;
- besides, whether it arose from fear or interest, every one was engaged
- about Gaetano and Teresa; <i>one was dead—the other mad!</i>
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince was not made acquainted with this terrible tragedy till the
- following morning, when every effort was made to capture the murderer, but
- in vain; he had escaped, no one knew how or whither.
- </p>
- <p>
- The countess, in consequence of this dreadful event, became more alarmed
- than ever for her personal safety, particularly when she reflected that by
- her duplicity, in concealing from Teresa her extraordinary interview with
- Pascal, she herself had been the chief cause of the catastrophe.
- </p>
- <p>
- The Sunday after this occurrence there was a fête at Bauso, and the whole
- village was full of life; there was drinking in every cabaret, and
- broaching of barrels at every corner; the streets were noisy and decorated
- with flags, and the chateau was thronged with people who had gathered
- together to see the young men fire at the target, an amusement much
- encouraged by King Ferdinand the Fourth during his forced sojourn in
- Sicily; and many of those who were, at the time we are speaking of, about
- to devote themselves to this exercise, had very recently, as followers of
- Cardinal Ruffo, had occasion to exhibit their skill against the patriots
- of Naples and the French republicans; but on this occasion it was merely a
- trial of skill, the prize being a silver cup.
- </p>
- <p>
- The target was fixed immediately below the iron cage in which the head of
- Antonio Bruno was placed. The latter could only be reached by a flight of
- steps in the interior of the fortress, which led to a window, on the
- outside of which the cage was fixed.
- </p>
- <p>
- The conditions of the shooting-match were simple enough: to become one of
- the candidates it was only necessary to subscribe to the common purse, for
- the purpose of defraying the expense of the cup—the charge was two
- carlins for each shot, for which the party received in exchange a number,
- drawn by chance, which fixed the order in which each man was to fire. The
- least skilful took as many as ten, twelve, or even fourteen numbers; and
- those who reckoned on their superior skill not more than five or six.
- </p>
- <p>
- In the midst of the confusion of drawing the numbers, a hand was stretched
- out among the rest which threw down two carlins, and a voice was heard
- asking for a single number. Every one turned round, astonished at this
- evidence either of poverty or confidence. The man who asked for a single
- number was Pascal Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- Although he had not been seen in the village for four years, every one
- knew him, but still no one addressed him; but as he was known to be the
- best hunter in the country, they were not astonished at his asking for one
- number only—his number was eleven.
- </p>
- <p>
- At length the firing commenced. Every shot was greeted by shouts of
- laughter or applause; but after the first few shots the laughter was less
- violent. As to Pascal, he was leaning sad and pensively on his English
- rifle, and seemed to take no part in the enthusiasm and merriment of his
- countrymen. At length it was his turn; they called his name, he started
- and raised his head as if the call was unexpected; but recovering himself
- at once, he took up his position behind a cord that was stretched across
- as a kind of barrier. Every one anxiously followed the direction of his
- eyes, for none of the marksmen had excited so much interest or had been
- watched so silently.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal himself seemed to feel the importance of the shot he was about to
- take, for he fixed himself firmly, his left leg in advance, and resting
- his body on his right. He placed his gun carefully to his shoulder, and,
- beginning from below, he slowly raised the barrel; every one watched him
- with anxiety, and they saw, with astonishment, that his aim was above the
- target; but he still continued to raise his rifle, until it was in the
- direction of the iron cage. Then the rifle and the marksman remained for
- an instant motionless, as if they had been formed of stone; at length he
- fired, and the head rolled out of the cage to the bottom of the target.
- Every one shuddered, but no sound was heard at this proof of address.
- </p>
- <p>
- In the midst of this silence, Pascal Bruno walked coolly up to the target,
- picked up his father’s head, and without uttering a word or looking once
- behind him, he took the cross road that led to the mountains.
- </p>
- <p>
- The spectators saw Bruno depart without attempting to stop or follow him;
- in fact, they commiserated the fate of Antonio Bruno, who was much
- respected by his fellow-villagers, and appreciated this act of filial
- affection in the son.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0004" id="link2HCH0004">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER IV.—THE PRINCE AND THE BANDIT.
- </h2>
- <p>
- Scarcely a year had passed after the events we have just related before
- all Sicily—from Messina to Palermo—from Cephalu to Cape
- Passaro—was filled with reports of the exploits of the bandit Pascal
- Bruno. Considering the previous history of his family, his adventurous
- character, and the badly-organised state of society in his native country,
- it is not astonishing that Pascal Bruno should so rapidly have become the
- extraordinary character he desired to be. He had, as it were, established
- himself as a judge over justice itself; so that throughout all Sicily, and
- particularly at Bauso and its environs, no arbitrary act could be
- performed without escaping the notice of his tribunal; and as most of his
- judgments affected the powerful only, the weak were almost always on his
- side.
- </p>
- <p>
- In this manner, when some rich lord imposed a heavy rent on a poor farmer—when
- a marriage was about to be broken off though the cupidity of a family—when
- an iniquitous sentence was passed on an innocent man—Bruno, after
- receiving notice, would shoulder his carbine, let loose his four Corsican
- dogs (his only band), mount his Valda Noto horse—half Arabian and
- half mountaineer, like himself—leave the little fortress of Castel
- Nuovo, where he had taken up his abode, go to the lord, the father, or the
- judge, and the rent was reduced, the marriage took place, or the prisoner
- was set at liberty.
- </p>
- <p>
- From this, it may be very well understood, that all those men to whom he
- had thus been a benefactor would pay for the benefits they had received by
- devotion to his interests, and that every attempt made to capture him
- would be sure to fail, through the grateful watchfulness of the peasants,
- who warned him by signals agreed on beforehand of the dangers that
- threatened him.
- </p>
- <p>
- Then, again, the most strange tales were told of him by everybody; for the
- simpler men’s minds are, the fonder they are of believing the marvellous.
- They said, that on a stormy night, when the whole island trembled, Pascal
- Bruno entered into a compact with a sorceress, by which he obtained from
- her, giving his soul in exchange, the gift of being invisible, and the
- faculty of transporting himself in an instant from one end of the island
- to the other; as well as being rendered invulnerable, either by lead,
- iron, or fire. The bargain, they said, was to stand good for three years,
- Bruno having only signed it for the purpose of accomplishing an act of
- vengeance, for which purpose this term, short as it was, would be
- sufficient.
- </p>
- <p>
- As for Pascal, far from destroying this belief, he perceived it was
- beneficial to him, and he endeavoured, on the contrary, to give it the
- appearance of truth. These various tales had often afforded him the means
- of establishing his invincible nature, by attributing to it a knowledge of
- circumstances which it must be imagined would otherwise have been
- perfectly unknown to him. The speed of his horse, by whose aid he could
- find himself in the morning at incredible distances from the place where
- he had been seen at night, convinced them of his locomotive faculty. A
- circumstance, also, of which he had taken advantage, like a skilful man,
- had left no doubt of his invulnerable nature; it was as follows:—
- </p>
- <p>
- The murder of Gaetano had produced a great sensation; the Prince of Carini
- had given orders to all the commanders of companies to endeavour to arrest
- the assassin, who, however, led those who followed him a long chase
- through his audacity and cunning; they had, therefore, transmitted these
- orders to their agents.
- </p>
- <p>
- The chief justice of Spadafora was informed, one morning, that Pascal
- Bruno had passed through the village during the night on his way to
- Divieto; the two following nights, therefore, he placed men in ambuscade
- on the road-side, thinking he would return by the same road he had taken
- when going, and take advantage of the night to perform his journey.
- </p>
- <p>
- Wearied out by their two nights’ watching, the morning of the third day,
- which was Sunday, the soldiers had assembled at a drinking-shop about
- twenty steps from the road-side: they were about to begin their breakfast,
- when some one brought them word that Pascal Bruno was quietly coming along
- the road from the direction of Divieto: as they had no time to conceal
- themselves, they waited for him where they were, and when he was within
- fifty yards of the inn, they sallied out and drew up before the door,
- without, however, appearing to notice him. Bruno, on his side, saw these
- preparations for the attack without any apparent uneasiness, and, instead
- of retracing his steps, an easy task, he put his horse into a gallop and
- continued his journey. As soon as the soldiers perceived his intention,
- they got their muskets ready, and the moment he passed before them, the
- whole company saluted him with a general discharge; but neither horse nor
- rider was touched, and they emerged safe and sound from the cloud of smoke
- in which they had been for an instant enveloped. The soldiers looked at
- them and shook their heads, and proceeded to recount what had happened to
- the judge of Spadafora.
- </p>
- <p>
- The report of this adventure reached Bauso the same evening; and several
- of the inhabitants, whose imagination was more lively than that of their
- neighbours, began to think Pascal Bruno was enchanted, and that lead and
- iron when they struck him became soft and flattened. The next day this
- assertion was proved by incontestable evidence; for they found his jacket
- at the justice’s door, pierced in thirteen places by bullets, and the
- thirteen flattened balls were found in one of the pockets. Some
- unbelievers, however, and among them was Caesar Alletto, a notary of
- Calvaruso, from whose lips we had these particulars, maintained that the
- bandit himself, having miraculously escaped from the volley of musketry,
- and wishing to profit by the circumstance, had hung his jacket to a tree
- and pierced it with bullets in thirteen places. But, notwithstanding this
- opinion, the majority were convinced of his bearing a charmed life, and
- the terror Pascal already inspired was considerably increased.
- </p>
- <p>
- This dread of Bruno was so great and so well established that, spreading
- from the lower orders, it had infected even the higher classes, and to
- such an extent that, a few months before the time at which we have
- arrived, being in want of two hundred ounces of gold for one of his
- philanthropic projects (it was to rebuild an inn which had been burnt
- down), he addressed himself to the Prince of Butera to obtain a loan of
- the money, describing to him a place in the mountains where he would go to
- receive it, and begging of him to bury it at the precise spot, so that on
- the night he mentioned he might go and seek it. In case this request,
- which, however, more resembled a command, was not attended to, Bruno
- warned the prince there would be open war between the king of the
- mountains and the king of the plains; but that if, on the contrary, the
- prince would be kind enough to lend it to him, the two hundred ounces of
- gold would be faithfully returned out of the first money he should be able
- to carry off from the royal treasure.
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince of Butera was one of those characters which have become
- extremely rare in modern times: he was one of the ancient Sicilian
- nobility, as adventurous and chivalrous as the Normans, by whom their
- constitution and society were formed. His name was Hercules, and he seemed
- formed after the model of that ancient hero. He could knock down a restive
- horse with a blow of his fist; break a bar of iron, half an inch thick, on
- his knee; and bend a piastre with his finger. An occurrence, in which he
- had exhibited the greatest presence of mind, had made him the idol of the
- people of Palermo. In 1770, there was a scarcity of bread in the city; a
- riot was the consequence; the governor had appealed to the <i>ultima ratio</i>,
- and the cannon were drawn out in the Toledo street; the people were moving
- towards the guns; the gunner, with match in hand, was in the act of firing
- on the people, when the Prince of Butera seated himself over the mouth of
- a cannon, as coolly as if it had been a chair, and in that situation made
- so eloquent and rational a speech that the mob dispersed of its own
- accord, and the gunner threw away the match, and the gun returned into the
- arsenal innocent of human blood. But this was not the only cause of his
- popularity.
- </p>
- <p>
- He was in the habit every morning of walking on his terrace, which
- overlooked the Place de la Marine, and as the gates of his palace were
- open to everybody, at daybreak he always found a number of poor people
- assembled; on that account he constantly wore a huge buckskin waistcoat,
- whose immense pockets were filled every morning by his servant with
- carlins and half-carlins, all of which, to the very last piece,
- disappeared during his walk, and that with words and actions that belonged
- to himself alone, so that he always seemed as if he was about to knock
- down those on whom he was bestowing charity.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your excellency,” said a poor woman, surrounded by her family, “have pity
- on a poor mother with five children.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “An excellent reason,” replied the prince, in an angry tone; “am I their
- father?” and shaking his fist in her face, he dropped a handful of money
- into her apron.
- </p>
- <p>
- “My lord prince,” said another, “I am without food.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You fool,” replied the prince, giving him a cuff, and at the same time
- enough to procure him food for a week; “do I make bread? Why do you not go
- to the baker’s?”
- </p>
- <p>
- On this account, whenever the prince passed along the street every head
- was uncovered, and if he had said the word, he might have been made King
- of Sicily; but that idea never entered his head, and so he remained Prince
- of Butera.
- </p>
- <p>
- This liberality of his, however, met with a reprover, and that within the
- walls of the prince’s palace, and this reprover was his major-domo. It is
- clear that a man with a character like that we have endeavoured to trace
- must necessarily keep a splendid table; in fact, he kept in every sense of
- the word open house, so that every day he had from five-and-twenty to
- thirty guests at the least to dine with him; among these, seven or eight
- were perfect strangers to him; while, on the other hand, there were others
- who seated themselves as regularly as boarders at a table d’hôte.
- </p>
- <p>
- Among these last there was a certain Captain Altavilla, who had gained his
- epaulettes by following Cardinal Ruffo from Palermo to Naples; and who
- returned from Naples to Palermo with a pension of a thousand ducats.
- Unfortunately, the captain was somewhat of a gambler, and this would have
- caused his pension to be insufficient for his wants, if he had not
- discovered two plans by means of which his quarterly pay had become the
- least important part of his revenue; the first of these plans, and one, as
- I have already said, that was open to all the world, was to dine every day
- with the prince; and the second was, every day, with the most scrupulous
- regularity, to put the silver cover of the plate off which he had dined
- into his pocket.
- </p>
- <p>
- The manouvre continued for some time before this daily abstraction was
- noticed; but, well furnished as the plate-chests of the prince might be,
- they began to exhibit certain vacant spaces. The suspicions of the
- major-domo immediately fell on the follower of Cardinal Ruffo; he,
- therefore, carefully watched him, and after two or three days his
- suspicions were changed into certainty.
- </p>
- <p>
- He immediately informed the prince of the discovery he had made, who
- reflected for an instant, and then answered, that so long as the captain
- merely took his own cover he should take no notice; but that if he put his
- neighbour’s into his pocket, why then he would consider how he would act.
- In consequence of this, Captain Altavilla continued to be one of the most
- regular guests of his excellency Prince Hercules de Butera.
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince was at Castrogiovanni, where he had a villa, when Bruno’s
- letter was brought to him. He read it, and asked if the messenger was
- waiting for an answer. He was told, “no” and immediately he put the letter
- into his pocket, with as much <i>sang froid</i> as if it had merely been
- on some trivial subject.
- </p>
- <p>
- The night fixed upon by Bruno had arrived; the spot he had indicated in
- his letter was on the southern ridge of mount Etna, near one of the
- numerous extinct volcanoes that were indebted for their existence of a day
- to its eternal fires—an existence, nevertheless, sufficient for the
- destruction of cities. The volcano in question was called Montebaldo; for
- each of these terrible hills received a name at the time it was raised up
- from the earth. Ten minutes’ walk from its base a colossal and isolated
- tree arose, called the chesnut of a hundred horses, because around its
- trunk, the circumference of which is equal to 178 feet, and beneath its
- foliage, which of itself forms a forest, a hundred horsemen and their
- steeds can take shelter.
- </p>
- <p>
- It was at the root of this tree Bruno was to seek the money he wished to
- borrow of the prince; consequently, about eleven o’clock in the evening he
- left Centorbi, and towards midnight he began to discern by the light of
- the moon the gigantic tree, and the small house built between its stems,
- in which its immense produce is harvested. As he drew near, Pascal thought
- he could distinguish a shadow cast upon one of the five trunks which arose
- from the same root. Soon afterwards the shade appeared a reality; the
- bandit stopped, cocked his carbine, and cried, “Who goes there?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “A man, to be sure!” exclaimed a powerful voice. “Why, zounds! you did not
- expect the money could come alone?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “No, certainly not,” said Bruno; “but I did not think the man who brought
- it would have been bold enough to wait for my coming.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then you are not acquainted with Prince Hercules de Butera? that is all.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “How! yourself my lord?” said Bruno, throwing his carbine over his
- shoulder and advancing hat in hand to the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, it is I, you rogue,” replied the prince; “I, who thought a bandit
- might be in want of money the same as any other man; and I did not wish to
- refuse my purse even to a bandit, only I took the fancy of bringing it
- myself for fear he should imagine I was afraid of him.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your excellency is worthy of your high reputation,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And you, are you deserving of yours?” asked the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It depends upon how I have been spoken of to your excellency,” said
- Bruno, “for I have more than one reputation.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Good,” continued the prince; “I see you are not deficient in ability or
- resolution; I admire brave men, let me meet with them where I will. Listen
- to me; will you change your Calabrian dress for the uniform of a captain
- and fight against the French? I will raise a company for you on my own
- estates, and purchase your epaulettes.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Thank you, my lord, thank you,” said Bruno, “your offer is like that of a
- magnificent prince; but I have a certain act of vengeance to accomplish
- that will keep me for some time longer in Sicily; after that we shall
- see.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said the prince, “you are free; but, believe me, you had better
- accept my offer.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I cannot, your excellency,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well then,” said the prince, “here is the money you asked for; go to the
- devil with it, and take care you don’t get yourself hanged on the gibbet
- opposite my door on the Place de la Marine.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno balanced the purse in his hand.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It seems to me that the purse is very heavy, my lord,” said he.
- </p>
- <p>
- “That is because I did not wish a fellow like you should be able to brag
- that he had fixed a limit to the liberality of the Prince of Butera; so,
- instead of the two hundred ounces of gold you asked for, I have put three
- hundred in the purse.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Whatever sum you have been pleased to bring, my lord, it shall be
- faithfully returned to you,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I give; I never lend,” said the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And I borrow or I steal—I never beg,” replied Bruno; “take back
- your purse, my lord, I shall address myself to Prince Ventimille, or to
- Prince de la Cattolica.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, let it be so,” said the prince; “I never met with a more capricious
- bandit: four rascals like you would drive me mad; so I shall leave.
- Farewell!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Adieu, my lord!” said Bruno, “and may St Rosalie protect you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince departed, with his hands in the pockets of his buckskin
- waistcoat, and whistling a favourite air; Bruno remained motionless
- watching his departure, and it was not until he had lost sight of him that
- he, on his side, retired, heaving a deep sigh.
- </p>
- <p>
- The next day, the innkeeper whose house had been burned down received, by
- the hands of Ali, the Prince of Butera’s three hundred ounces of gold.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0005" id="link2HCH0005">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER IV.—THE ROBBER’S CASTLE.
- </h2>
- <p>
- Some time after the event we have just related, Bruno learnt that a convoy
- of money, escorted by four gens-d’armes and a brigadier was about to leave
- Messina for Palermo; it was the ransom of the Prince Moncada Paterno;
- which, in consequence of a financial operation, which did great honour to
- the imagination of Ferdinand the Fourth, had just helped to swell the
- Neapolitan budget instead of increasing the treasure of Casuba, according
- to its first destination.
- </p>
- <p>
- The following is the history of the transaction, as it was told me in
- Sicily, and, as it is as curious as it is authentic, we think it deserves
- the trouble of being told; besides, it will give some idea of the simple
- manner in which taxes are imposed in Sicily.
- </p>
- <p>
- We have already related the manner in which the Prince de Moncada Paterno
- was made prisoner by the Barbary Corsairs near the little village of
- Tugello, on his return from the island of Pantalleria. He was carried,
- along with all his followers, to Algiers, and there the price of his
- ransom and that of his attendants was modestly fixed at the sum of five
- hundred thousand piastres (about one hundred thousand pounds sterling),
- half to be paid before his departure, and the other half after his return
- to Sicily.
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince wrote to his steward to inform him of the situation in which he
- found himself placed, and desired him to send, as quickly as possible, the
- two hundred and fifty thousand piastres in exchange for which he was to be
- liberated. As the Prince of Moncada Paterno was one of the richest
- noblemen in Sicily, the sum was easily made up and sent to Africa; and
- faithful to his promise, like a true follower of the prophet, the Dey
- released the Prince of Paterno, taking his word of honour that before a
- year had passed by he would remit the remaining two hundred and fifty
- thousand piastres.
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince returned to Sicily and endeavoured to collect the sum necessary
- for the second instalment of his ransom in his own principality, when an
- order came from Ferdinand IV., who, seeing that he was at war with the
- regency, had no wish that his subjects should enrich his enemies; he
- therefore opposed the proceedings of the prince, and ordered the two
- hundred and fifty thousand piastres in question to be paid into the
- treasury at Messina.
- </p>
- <p>
- The Prince of Paterno, who was a man of honour a well as a faithful
- subject, obeyed the order of his sovereign and the voice of his conscience
- at the same time, so that his ransom cost him seven hundred and fifty
- thousand piastres, two-thirds of which were sent to the infidel Corsair,
- and the other third placed at Messina in the hands of the Prince de
- Carini, the agent of the Christian pirate. This was the sum the viceroy
- was sending to Palermo, the seat of government, under the escort of four
- gens-d’armes and a brigadier; the last being likewise charged with the
- duty of delivering a letter from the prince to his dear Gemma, whom he
- requested to join him at Messina, where the business of government would
- still detain him for several months.
- </p>
- <p>
- On the evening when the convoy would have to pass near Bauso, Bruno
- unfastened his four Corsican dogs, crossed the village, of which he had
- become the lord, in their company, and placed himself in ambuscade on the
- road between Divieto and Spadafora. He had remained there about an hour,
- when he heard the wheels of a waggon and the tramp of horsemen. He looked
- to the priming of his carbine, satisfied himself that his dagger was not
- fixed in its sheath, whistled to his dogs, who laid themselves down at his
- feet, and remained standing upright in the middle of the road.
- </p>
- <p>
- A few minutes afterwards, the convoy appeared at a turning in the road,
- and advanced to within fifty paces of the man who was waiting for its
- coming up. When the gens-d’armes perceived him, they hailed him with, “Who
- goes there?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Pascal Bruno,” replied the bandit; and, at the sound of a peculiar
- whistle, his powerful dogs, trained for the purpose, fiercely attacked the
- little troop.
- </p>
- <p>
- At the name of Pascal Bruno, the four gens-d’armes had taken to their
- heels, and the dogs by natural instinct pursued the runaways. The
- brigadier, who remained alone by the waggon, drew his sabre and rushed at
- the bandit. Pascal raised his carbine to his shoulder as coolly and slowly
- as if he were about to shoot at a mark, determining not to fire until the
- horseman was within ten paces of him; but the instant he placed his finger
- on the trigger, and before he had time to fire, both horse and man rolled
- in the dust. Ali had stealthily followed without saying a word to Bruno,
- and seeing the brigadier about to charge him, he had crawled along the
- road like a serpent and cut the horse’s hamstrings with his yataghan. As
- to the brigadier, his fall was so rapid and unexpected that his head
- struck against the stones, and he was rendered totally insensible.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno went up to him, after satisfying himself that there was no feint
- attempted to be practised upon him, and with the assistance of Ali he
- placed him in the waggon he had so lately escorted; then placing the reins
- in the hands of the young Arab, he desired him to take the waggon and the
- brigadier to the fortress. Bruno himself then went up to the wounded
- horse, took the brigadier’s carbine from the saddle, to which it was
- attached, and searched in the holsters and took out a roll of paper which
- he found there; he then whistled to his dogs, who returned with their
- mouths covered with blood, and followed the capture he had just made.
- </p>
- <p>
- When he arrived in the court-yard of his little fortress, he closed the
- gate behind him, took the brigadier (who was still insensible) on his
- shoulder, carried him into a room, and placed him on a mattress on which
- he was in the habit of throwing himself with all his clothes on; then,
- whether through forgetfulness or imprudence, he placed the carbine he had
- taken from the saddle in a corner, and left the room.
- </p>
- <p>
- Five minutes afterwards the brigadier opened his eyes, looked round, and
- found himself in a place that was completely unknown to him; and,
- believing he was under the influence of a dream, he felt round him to
- ascertain whether he was really awake. It was then that he felt a pain in
- his forehead, and placing his hand on it, he withdrew it covered with
- blood: he found that he was wounded. The wound brought back his
- recollection, and he remembered he had been stopped on the road by a
- single man, deserted in a most cowardly manner by the gens-d’armes who
- accompanied him, and that at the instant he was about to attack that man
- his horse suddenly fell; beyond that he could recall nothing to his mind.
- </p>
- <p>
- The brigadier was a brave man, but he felt that the responsibility of this
- disastrous adventure rested on him, and his heart was filled with shame
- and rage at the disgraceful conduct of his men. He looked round the room
- to discover if possible where he was; but everything was strange to him.
- He rose, went to the window, and saw that it overlooked the country. It
- was then that a ray of hope entered his breast, for he could easily leap
- out of the window, go in search of assistance, and return and avenge
- himself upon his captor.
- </p>
- <p>
- He had just opened the window for the purpose of executing his project
- when, casting a parting glance into the chamber, he perceived his carbine
- standing near the head of the bed; at this unexpected sight his heart beat
- violently, for other thoughts besides those of flight instantly took
- possession of his mind. He looked round to ascertain whether he was really
- alone, and when he was satisfied that no one had seen or could see him, he
- seized the weapon, in which he saw a more hazardous means of safety, but a
- speedier vengeance. After having ascertained that the priming was safe,
- and finding, by passing the ramrod down the barrel, that it was loaded, he
- replaced it where he had found it, and lay down as if he had not as yet
- recovered his senses; but he had scarcely stretched himself out on the
- mattress before Bruno entered the room.
- </p>
- <p>
- He had a piece of lighted fir in his hand, which he threw into the
- fire-place, where he set fire to the wood already placed there for the
- purpose; then he went to a cupboard formed in the wall, and took out two
- plates, two glasses, two flasks of wine, and a roast shoulder of mutton,
- which he placed on the table, and appeared to be waiting until the
- brigadier recovered his consciousness that he might do the honours of the
- repast.
- </p>
- <p>
- The room in which the scene we are narrating took place was longer than it
- was wide, having a single window at one end, a single door at the other,
- and the chimney between the two. The brigadier, now a captain of the
- gens-d’armes at Messina, who has given us all these particulars, was lying
- down, as we have said, parallel to the window; Bruno was standing before
- the fire-place, with his eyes vaguely fixed on the door, and he appeared
- to become every instant more and more thoughtful.
- </p>
- <p>
- This was the moment for which the brigadier was waiting—the decisive
- moment when he must stake everything for one object—life against
- life, head against head. He rose, resting upon his left hand, and
- stretched out his other slowly towards his carbine, but without taking his
- eye off Bruno; he took hold of it between the lock and the butt-end, and
- then remained an instant in that position without daring to make another
- movement, alarmed even at the beating of his own heart, which was so
- violent that the bandit might almost have heard it had he not been so
- entirely lost in thought; then, seeing that he gave himself up to his fate
- as it were, he resumed his confidence, rose on one knee, looked once more
- at the window, his only means of retreat, placed the carbine to his
- shoulder, took aim at Bruno like a man who knew that his life depended on
- his self-possession, and fired.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno quietly stooped down, picked up something that lay at his feet, held
- the object to the light, and, turning towards the brigadier, who remained
- mute with astonishment—
- </p>
- <p>
- “Comrade,” he said, “when next you attempt to shoot me let your balls be
- of silver, for unless they are they will be only flattened against me in
- this manner. However, I am happy you have so far recovered yourself, for I
- begin to feel hungry; we will, therefore, if it is agreeable, sit down to
- our supper.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The brigadier remained in the same attitude in which he had fired, his
- hair bristling on his head, and the perspiration standing in thick drops
- on his forehead. The next instant the door opened, and Ali, yataghan in
- hand, rushed into the room.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is nothing, my boy, nothing,” said Bruno; “the brigadier discharged
- his carbine, that is all; make yourself easy, and go to rest; have no fear
- for me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Ali left the room without answering, and went and laid himself down across
- the first door-way upon the panther’s skin that served him for a bed.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” continued Bruno, turning towards the brigadier and filling the two
- glasses with wine, “did you not hear me?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I did,” replied the brigadier, rising, “and since I have not been able to
- kill you, were you the very devil himself, I would drink with you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Uttering these words, he walked boldly up to the table, took up the glass,
- touched the brim of Bruno’s, and drank off the wine at a draught.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What is your name?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Paolo Tommassi, brigadier of gens-d’armerie, at your service,” was the
- reply.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, Paolo Tommassi,” continued Bruno, placing his hand on his shoulder,
- “you are a brave fellow, and I have a great inclination to make you a
- promise.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “What is it?” asked the brigadier.
- </p>
- <p>
- “To let no one but you,” said Bruno, “obtain the reward of three thousand
- ducats that is set upon my head.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “That is an excellent idea,” observed the brigadier.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Truly so; but it must first come to maturity,” said Bruno; “in the
- meantime, as I am not yet tired of my life, take a seat, and let us sup;
- and we will talk the matter over by-and-by.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “May I cross myself before I eat?” said Tommassi. “Certainly,” replied
- Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I thought it might, perhaps, be unpleasant to you,” said the brigadier;
- “we are not always sure.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Anything you like,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- The brigadier made the sign of the cross, seated himself at the table, and
- attacked the shoulder of mutton like a man whose conscience was perfectly
- at ease, and who knew that he had done, under very difficult and trying
- circumstances, all that a brave soldier could do. Bruno kept him nobly in
- countenance; and, certainly, to see these two men seated at the same
- table, drinking out of the same bottle, and helping themselves from the
- same dish, no one would have imagined that each in his turn had, within
- the last hour, done all he could to kill the other.
- </p>
- <p>
- For an instant they were both silent, partly on account of the important
- business in which they were engaged, and partly from the preoccupation of
- their minds. Paolo Tommassi was the first to give utterance to the double
- idea on which his mind was engaged.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Comrade,” he said, “you live well here; it must be allowed you have
- excellent wine, certainly, and you do the honours of the table like a
- right-good fellow; but I acknowledge I should enjoy all this much better
- if I knew when I was to leave here.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “To-morrow morning, I presume,” replied Bruno. “You will not keep me here
- as a prisoner, then?” asked the brigadier, eagerly.
- </p>
- <p>
- “A prisoner! why what the devil should I do with you here?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Hem!” said the brigadier, “so far it is not so bad; but—” he
- continued, evidently embarrassed, “that is not all.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “What else is there?” said Bruno, filling the brigadiers glass.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Why—is—” said the brigadier, holding his glass up before the
- lamp; “it is rather a delicate question, you see.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Go on,” said Bruno; “I am listening.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You will not be angry, I hope, at what I am about to say?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I think you ought to know my character better by this time,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “True, true, you are not irritable, I know that well,” said the brigadier.
- “I am speaking about a certain waggon—there, now its out.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “That is down in the court-yard,” observed Bruno, holding his glass up to
- the light in his turn.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am rather doubtful,” replied the brigadier; “but you understand me, I
- cannot go without my waggon.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Very well, then, you shall take it with you,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Untouched?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Hum!” said Bruno; “it will not be much short, considering the sum it
- contains. I shall only take what I am absolutely in need of.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Are you in want of much?” asked the brigadier, with anxiety.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I want three thousand ounces,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, that is reasonable enough,” said the brigadier; “a good many people
- would not be so delicate as you are.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You may make yourself quite easy in the matter, for I will give you a
- receipt for what I take,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Talking of receipts,” said the brigadier, rising, “that’s well thought
- of, for it reminds me of some papers I had in my holsters.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Don’t make yourself uneasy about them,” observed Bruno; “here they are.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You will do me the greatest service by returning them to me,” said the
- brigadier.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I know that,” said Bruno, “for I have satisfied myself of their
- importance; the first is your brigadier’s commission; I have made a note
- at the foot of that, declaring that you have conducted yourself so well
- that you deserve to be made a quarter-master. The second is my
- description, and I have taken the liberty to make a few small corrections
- as to particular signs; for instance, I have added charmed: the third
- paper is a letter from his excellency the viceroy to the Countess Gemma,
- of Castel Nuovo; and I have too much gratitude for this lady, who has lent
- me this castle of hers, to place any restraint on her loving
- correspondence. Here are your papers, my brave fellow; one more glass to
- your health, and sleep tranquilly. To-morrow, at five o’clock, we will put
- you on your road; it is much more prudent, I can assure you, to travel by
- day than by night, for perhaps you may not always have the good fortune of
- falling into such good hands.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I think you are right,” said Tommassi, rolling up his papers, “and you
- appear to me to be an honester fellow than many more apparently honest
- folks of my acquaintance.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am happy to leave you with such favourable impressions on your mind,”
- said Bruno, “you will sleep the more pleasantly; by-the-by, I must give
- you one caution, do not go down into the court-yard, or my dogs might by
- chance make a meal of you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Thank you for the caution,” said the brigadier. “Good-night,” exclaimed
- Bruno, and he went out of the room, leaving the brigadier to continue his
- supper, or go to sleep till the hour appointed for his departure.
- </p>
- <p>
- Next morning at five o’clock, according to agreement, Bruno entered his
- guest’s chamber, whom he found up and ready to start, he conducted him
- down stairs, and led him to the gate; there was the waggon, together with
- a magnificent horse, and all the harness that belonged to the animal Ali’s
- yataghan had rendered unserviceable. Bruno begged of his friend, Tommassi,
- to accept of this present as a keepsake. The brigadier was too well
- pleased to allow the offer to be made twice; he therefore mounted his new
- steed, started the team in the waggon, and left quite delighted with his
- new acquaintance.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno watched his departure, and when he was about twenty paces off, he
- cried out, “Above all, do not forget to give the beautiful Countess Gemma
- the Prince of Carini’s letter.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Tommassi made a sign with his head and disappeared round the corner of the
- road.
- </p>
- <p>
- And now, if our readers wish to know how Pascal Bruno was not killed by
- the discharge of Tommassi’s carbine, we will give them the answer we
- received from Signor Caesar Aletto, the notary of Calvaruso: it is, that
- it is probable that on the road to the fortress, the bandit took the
- precaution of removing the bullet from the carbine. But Paolo Tommassi
- always considered that it was a much simpler explanation to attribute it
- to magic.
- </p>
- <p>
- We give our readers both these opinions, and they are at perfect liberty
- to adopt that which suits them best.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0006" id="link2HCH0006">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER VI.—A BANDIT’S GRATITUDE.
- </h2>
- <p>
- It may well be imagined that the report of exploits like these were not
- confined to the little village of Bauso: it was the general theme of
- conversation among all classes. Nothing was talked of in all Sicily but
- the brave brigand who had taken possession of the Castel Nuovo, and who,
- from thence, like an eagle from his eyry, swooped down upon the plain,
- sometimes to attack the great, and at others to assist the weak: thus he
- was always on the popular side. Our readers will, therefore, not be
- astonished that our hero’s name was heard pronounced at the palace of
- Prince Butera, who had given a splendid entertainment at his mansion, the
- Place de la Marine.
- </p>
- <p>
- Knowing the character of this prince, we can easily guess what a <i>fête</i>
- must be when given by him. The one in question, however, exceeded in
- splendour the ideas of the most fertile imagination. It was like an
- Arabian Nights’ dream, and the remembrance of it is perpetuated in
- Palermo, although Palermo is a fairy city, and is still celebrated for its
- unsurpassed magnificence.
- </p>
- <p>
- Imagine the most splendid saloons lined with mirrors from the ceiling to
- the floor, some leading to trellised walks, from the summit of which the
- richest grapes of Syracuse and Lipari were hanging; others to ample square
- spaces, surrounded by beautiful orange and pomegranate trees, covered with
- blossoms and fruit at the same time: these spaces were devoted to dancing
- English and French dances. As to the waltzers, they wound their mazy
- career round two immense marble reservoirs, from each of which sprang up
- beautiful jets of water, which, from the reflection of many-coloured
- lamps, by which the whole was illuminated, fell like glittering showers of
- diamonds. From these delightful spots long alleys issued, sprinkled with
- golden-coloured sand, and leading to a little hill, surrounded with silver
- vessels, containing every refreshment that could be desired, and overhung
- by trees covered with crystal instead of natural fruits: finally, on the
- summit of this hill, and facing the paths that led to it, was a <i>buffet</i>
- in four divisions, constantly replenished by means of some internal
- mechanism. To render the whole more fairylike and enchanting, the
- musicians were invisible, and the sound alone of their instruments reached
- the ears of the guests. It might indeed have been supposed to be a <i>fête</i>
- given by the genii of the air.
- </p>
- <p>
- At the same time, to animate these magical decorations, you must imagine
- the most beautiful women and the most elegant cavaliers of Palermo dressed
- in costumes each exceeding its neighbour in splendour and singularity—each
- with a mask on the face or in the hand, breathing the balmy air,
- intoxicated with the invisible harmony, and dreaming or talking of love;
- but even then, you would be far from drawing a picture of this night equal
- to that preserved in the memories of those that were present when I passed
- through Palermo thirty-two years after it took place.
- </p>
- <p>
- Among the groups that wandered through the alleys and saloons, there was
- one beyond all others which attracted the attention of the crowds; it was
- that which followed in the train of the beautiful Countess Gemma, and
- which she drew after her as a planet does its satellites. She had but that
- instant entered, accompanied by five others, who, like herself, had
- assumed the costume of the thirteenth century—a dress so simple and
- elegant, and which, at the same time, appeared to be expressly chosen to
- set off the figure to advantage, and she advanced in the midst of a murmur
- of admiration, led by the Prince de Butera himself, who, disguised as a
- mandarin, received her at the entrance, and preceded her to present her,
- as he said, to the daughter of the Emperor of China.
- </p>
- <p>
- As it was imagined that our Amphytrion intended some new surprise, they
- all followed the prince eagerly, and the <i>cortège</i> increased at every
- step it took.
- </p>
- <p>
- He stopped at length at the entrance of a pagoda guarded by two Chinese
- soldiers, who, at a given signal, opened the door of an apartment entirely
- furnished with foreign objects, in the midst of which seated on a kind of
- chair, and dressed in a magnificent Chinese costume, which alone had cost
- thirty thousand francs, was the Princess de Butera, who rose as soon as
- she saw the countess approach, followed by a cloud of officers, mandarins,
- and attendants, each more dazzling, fierce-looking, or droll than his
- neighbour. This apparition had something so Eastern and fantastic in it,
- that the whole assemblage, accustomed as they were to luxury and
- magnificence, uttered an exclamation of astonishment. They surrounded the
- princess, touched her robe, embroidered with precious stones, shook the
- golden bells in her pointed hat, and for an instant the attention of the
- assembly was withdrawn from the beautiful Gemma and entirely centred in
- the lady of the house. Every one complimented and admired her, and among
- those who uttered the most exaggerated praise was Captain Altavilla, whom
- the prince had continued to receive at his dinner parties, to the great
- discomfiture of his major-domo, and who had dressed himself in full
- uniform for the purpose, it may be, of disguise.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said the Prince of Butera to the Countess of Castel Nuovo; “what
- do you think of the daughter of the Emperor of China?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I must say,” replied Gemma, “that it is a happy thing for His Majesty,
- Ferdinand IV., that the Prince of Carini is at Messina at this moment, for
- he might be induced, with a heart like his, out of regard for the
- daughter, to give up Sicily to the father, and we should be obliged to
- have another Sicilian Vespers against the Chinese.”
- </p>
- <p>
- At this instant, the Duke of Moncada Paterno, in the dress of a Calabrian
- bandit, went up to the princess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Will her highness permit me,” said the duke, “as a connoisseur, to
- examine her magnificent costume?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Sublime daughter of the sun,” said Captain Altavilla, pointing to the
- prince, “take care of your golden bells, for I warn you, that you have to
- do with Pascal Bruno.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “The princess,” exclaimed a voice, “would be safer in the company of
- Pascal Bruno than in that of a certain follower of Cardinal Ruffo of my
- acquaintance; Pascal Bruno is a murderer, not a thief—a bandit, and
- not a cutpurse.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well answered,” observed the Prince of Butera.
- </p>
- <p>
- The captain bit his lips.
- </p>
- <p>
- “By-the-by,” said the Prince de la Cattolica, “have you heard of his last
- exploit?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Whose?” asked the Duke of Moncada.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Pascal Bruno’s,” said the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “No; what has he done?” asked the duke.
- </p>
- <p>
- “He has stopped a convoy of money sent by the Prince of Carini to
- Palermo,” replied the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “My ransom!” exclaimed the duke.
- </p>
- <p>
- “By heaven!” said the prince, “your excellency will, after all, be
- sacrificed to the infidels.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Zounds! the king will surely not require me to have a second reckoning
- with him,” replied Moncada.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Let your excellency be reassured,” said the voice which had just before
- addressed Altavilla; “Pascal Bruno only took three thousand ounces from
- the two hundred and fifty thousand piastres belonging to King Ferdinand
- IV.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And how do you know that, my young Albanian?” said the Prince de la
- Cattolica, who was close by the speaker—a handsome young man, from
- twenty-six to twenty-eight years of age, and dressed in the costume of
- Vina.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I have heard it reported,” said the Greek, carelessly, and playing with
- his yataghan; “besides, if your excellency wishes for particulars, here is
- a person who can give them to you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The party thus pointed out to public curiosity was no other than our old
- acquaintance, Paolo Tommassi, who, strict in the performance of his duty,
- had immediately on his arrival repaired to the Countess de Castel Nuovo’s
- residence; but not finding her there, and hearing of the fete, he took
- advantage of his situation as envoy from the viceroy to enable him to gain
- admission to the gardens of the Duke de Butera.
- </p>
- <p>
- In an instant he found himself in the centre of an immense circle and
- subjected to a thousand questions; but Paolo Tommassi was, as we have
- seen, a bold fellow, and was not easily put out of countenance: he,
- therefore, commenced by delivering the prince’s letter to the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Prince,” said Gemma, after having read the missive she had received, “you
- never suspected you were giving me a farewell fête; the viceroy orders me
- to proceed to Messina, and being a faithful subject, I shall begin my
- journey to-morrow. Thanks, my friend!” she continued, turning to Paolo
- Tommassi and handing him her purse; “you may now retire.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Tommassi endeavoured to take advantage of this permission of the countess,
- but he was too closely surrounded to make good his retreat easily; he was,
- consequently, obliged to surrender at discretion—the condition of
- his liberty being an exact account of his recent encounter with Pascal
- Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- He related it, it must be acknowledged, with all the simplicity of real
- courage; he told his auditors, without any superfluous addition, how he
- had been made prisoner; how he was taken to the fortress of Castel Nuovo;
- how he fired at the bandit without the ball taking any effect; and how,
- finally, the latter sent him away, making him a present of a magnificent
- horse in exchange for that which he had lost.
- </p>
- <p>
- Everybody listened to this tale, which bore the impress of truth, with the
- silent attention of belief, with the exception of Captain Altavilla, who
- raised some doubts as to the veracity of the honest brigadier; but,
- luckily for Paolo Tommassi, the Prince de Butera himself came to his
- assistance.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I will lay a wager,” he said, “that nothing can be more true than what
- the brigadier has told us, for all the details appear to me to be
- perfectly in accordance with the character of Pascal Bruno.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You know him, then?” said the Prince de Moncada Paterno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I do. I was in his company one night,” replied the Prince de Butera.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And where was that?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “On your estates.”
- </p>
- <p>
- It was now the prince’s turn; he related how Pascal and he had met at the
- chesnut of a hundred horses; how he, the Prince of Butera, had offered him
- a company, which he had refused; and, finally, how he had lent him three
- hundred ounces of gold.
- </p>
- <p>
- At this last information, Altavilla could not restrain his mirth.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And you think, my lord,” said he, “that Bruno will bring them back?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am certain of it,” replied the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Now we are on this subject,” interrupted the Princess of Butera, “is
- there any one else in this company who has seen Pascal Bruno, and who has
- spoken to him? I dote upon tales of brigands, they make me ready to die
- with fright.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “There is the Countess of Castel Nuovo,” observed the Albanian; “she has
- seen him.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Gemma started, and every one looked at her as if to interrogate her.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Can it be true?” said the prince, turning towards her.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes,” said Gemma, trembling; “but I had forgotten it.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “He remembers it,” muttered the young man.
- </p>
- <p>
- All the company pressed round the princess, who in vain endeavoured to
- make excuses; she in her turn was obliged to relate the scene with which
- we opened this tale to tell how Bruno entered her chamber; how the prince
- fired at him; and how the bandit, to avenge himself, entered the villa on
- the nuptial day and killed Teresa’s husband. This history was the most
- terrible of all, and it produced a deep sensation in the minds of the
- listeners; something like a shudder ran through the whole assembly, and
- had it hot been for the dresses of the guests, you would hardly have
- thought you were present at a fête.
- </p>
- <p>
- “On my honour,” said Captain Altavilla, who was the first to break
- silence, “the greatest crime the bandit has committed is in rendering this
- fête so melancholy; I could have pardoned him all his other misdeeds; but
- for this I swear, by my epaulettes, I will have vengeance; and from this
- moment I devote myself to his pursuit.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you speak seriously, Captain Altavilla?” said the Albanian.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, on my honour!” replied the captain; “and I here declare there is
- nothing I so much wish for as to meet him face to face.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “That is not impossible,” observed the Albanian, coolly.
- </p>
- <p>
- “To the man who will render me that service,” said the captain, “I will
- give—”
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is useless to offer a reward, captain,” interrupted the young man; “I
- know a man who will render you that service for nothing.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And when can I meet with this man?” repeated Altavilla, affecting a smile
- of doubt.
- </p>
- <p>
- “If you will follow me, I will tell you,” replied the stoical Albanian.
- </p>
- <p>
- With these words the Albanian withdrew, as if he were inviting the captain
- to follow him.
- </p>
- <p>
- The captain hesitated for an instant, but he had said too much to draw
- back; all eyes were turned upon him, and he saw that the least show of
- timidity would ruin his reputation; and besides, he considered the
- proposal was a joke.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Come on,” he cried, “for the honour of the ladies and he followed the
- Albanian.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you know who that young lord disguised as a Greek is?” said the
- countess, with a trembling voice, and addressing the Prince de Butera.
- </p>
- <p>
- “No, on my soul, I do not,” said he. “Does any one here know him?”
- </p>
- <p>
- Everybody looked, but no one answered.
- </p>
- <p>
- “With your permission,” said Paolo Tommassi, carrying his hand to his hat;
- “I know him.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And who is he, my brave brigadier?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “<i>Pascal Bruno</i>, my lord,” replied Tommassi.
- </p>
- <p>
- The countess screamed and fainted away; and this incident put a sudden end
- to the fête.
- </p>
- <p>
- An hour afterwards, the Prince de Butera had retired to his chamber, and,
- seated in front of his desk, was arranging some papers, when his
- major-domo entered.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What’s the matter, Jacomo?” asked the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I always told you so, my lord,” said the major-domo.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, what have you always told me?” asked the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “That your goodness would only encourage him,” replied Jacomo.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Who do you mean?” asked the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Captain Altavilla,” replied Jacomo.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What has he done?” asked the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What has he done, my lord?” said Jacomo. “First, your excellency will
- recollect I apprised you of his regularly putting his silver cover in his
- pocket.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, go on,” said the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I beg your pardon,” said Jacomo; “but your excellency answered, that so
- long as he only pocketed his own, nothing was to be said.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I recollect I said so perfectly well,” said the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, my lord,” said Jacomo, “to-day, it seems that he has not only taken
- his own, but his neighbours’ also, for there are eight missing.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ha! that’s quite another affair,” said the prince; “I must communicate
- with him on the matter.”
- </p>
- <p>
- He took a sheet of paper, and wrote the following note:—
- </p>
- <p>
- “Prince Hercules de Butera has the honour of informing Captain Altavilla,
- that as he no longer dines at home, and being by this fortuitous
- circumstance deprived of the pleasure of seeing him as previously, he begs
- he will accept the trifle he sends herewith as a small indemnity for the
- change this determination must make in his arrangements.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Stay,” continued the prince, giving the major-domo fifty ounces
- (twenty-six pounds sterling), “take this money, and deliver it and the
- letter to-morrow to Captain Altavilla.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Jacomo, who knew it was no use speaking after the prince had decided,
- bowed and left the room. The prince continued quietly arranging his papers
- when, at the end of about ten minutes, hearing a noise at the door of his
- room, he raised his head, and saw a man dressed as a Calabrian peasant
- standing on the threshold, with his hat in one hand and a bundle in the
- other.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Who is there?” said the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I, my lord,” replied the peasant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And who are you?” asked the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Pascal Bruno,” replied the visitor.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And what do you come for?” asked the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “First, my lord,” said Pascal Bruno, advancing and emptying his hat full
- of gold on the desk; “first, I have brought you the three hundred ounces
- you so kindly lent me: they were employed for the purpose I mentioned to
- you—the inn that was burnt down has been rebuilt.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ah, ah! you are a man of your word,” said the prince; “well, I am glad of
- it.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal inclined his head.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then,” he added, after a short pause, “I have brought you back eight
- silver covers, with your arms and cypher on them, which I found in the
- pocket of a certain captain who, most likely, robbed you of them.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Zounds,” said the prince, “it’s singular they should be brought back by
- you; and now, what have you in that bundle?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “In this bundle,” said Bruno, “is the head of a wretch who abused your
- hospitality, and which I have brought you as a proof of my sworn devotion
- to your service.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Saying this, Pascal Bruno untied the handkerchief, and taking the head of
- Captain Altavilla by the hair, he placed it, all bleeding as it was, on
- the duke’s desk.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What the devil am I to do with such a present as this?” said the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What you please, my lord,” replied Pascal Bruno, who bowed and left the
- room.
- </p>
- <p>
- The Prince of Butera remained alone for an instant with his eyes fixed on
- the head, balancing himself in his arm-chair, and whistling his favourite
- tune; he then, after an instant, rang the bell, and his major-domo made
- his appearance.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Jacomo,” said the prince, “it is of no use going to Captain Altavilla’s
- to-morrow morning; tear up the letter; keep the fifty ounces, and throw
- this carrion on the dung-heap.”
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0007" id="link2HCH0007">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER VII.—A BRIGAND’S VENGEANCE.
- </h2>
- <p>
- At the time of which we are speaking—that is, about the beginning of
- the year 1804, Sicily was almost in an uncivilised state, from which the
- return of King Ferdinand and its occupation by the English have partially
- emancipated it. At the present day, the road which now leads from Palermo
- to Messina, passing through Taormina and Catana, was not formed, and the
- only one that existed, we do not say good, but practicable to go from one
- capital to the other, was that which, passing along the sea-coast, went
- through Termini and Cephalu; abandoned for its new rival, it is at present
- scarcely frequented, except by artists in search of the magnificent
- prospects it discloses at every turn. The only mode of travelling on this
- road, on which no post was established, was formerly, as at present, on
- the back of a mule, in a litter carried by two horses, or in your own
- carriage, relays of horses being sent on before, and placed at every
- fifteen leagues.
- </p>
- <p>
- So that the Countess Gemma de Castel Nuovo, when about to leave for
- Messina, at which place the Prince of Carini had written to her to join
- him, was obliged to choose one of these three modes. Travelling on a mule
- was too fatiguing for her, and a journey in a litter, besides the
- inconveniences of this mode of transport, the principal of which was its
- slow progress, was apt to produce a feeling like sea-sickness. The
- countess therefore decided, without any hesitation, in favour of the
- carriage, and sent forward relays of horses to four stations on the road,
- that is, to Termini, Cephalu, Saint Agatha, and Melazzo.
- </p>
- <p>
- Besides these precautions, the courier was ordered to lay in a store of
- provisions at each of these spots, for the inns are so notoriously
- deficient in the necessaries of life, that every traveller is advised when
- he leaves Messina to provide himself for the journey—to purchase
- cooking utensils, and to hire a cook; to these preparations an experienced
- Englishman on one occasion added a tent, on account of the deplorable
- state of the houses of entertainment.
- </p>
- <p>
- I know not whether it was a learned man, acquainted with ancient Sicily,
- or a shrewd observer who thoroughly understood modern Sicily, for whom
- they were at this instant preparing supper at the sign of the Cross, the
- inn which had been rebuilt with the Prince of Butera’s three hundred
- ounces, and situated on the road from Palermo to Messina, between Ficara
- and Patti.
- </p>
- <p>
- The activity of the innkeeper and his wife, who, under the directions of a
- foreign cook, were at the same time engaged upon fish, flesh, and fowl,
- proved that the man for whom the culinary apparatus was in requisition was
- determined not only to have enough, but had no objection to a superfluity.
- </p>
- <p>
- He came from Messina, travelling in a carriage, and with his own horses.
- He had stopped because the situation of the inn pleased him, and having
- extracted from his trunk everything the most experienced traveller could
- require—linen, plate, even bread and wine—he was led into the
- best room, where he lighted some perfumed pastilles in a silver vase, and
- waited till his dinner was ready, seated on a rich Turkey carpet, and
- smoking the finest Mount Sinai tobacco in his amber chibouk, carelessly
- caressing at the same time a magnificent Corsican dog of the largest size
- that was lying at his feet.
- </p>
- <p>
- He was attentively observing the wreaths of sweet-scented smoke as they
- escaped from his lips and condensed themselves on the ceiling, when the
- door of the apartment opened, and the host, followed by a domestic in the
- countess’s livery, appeared on the threshold.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your excellency,” said the worthy man, bowing to the ground.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What’s the matter?” asked the traveller, but without turning his head,
- and in a decided Maltese accent.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your excellency,” said the host, “it is the Countess Gemma, of Castel
- Nuovo.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well!” replied the traveller.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Her carriage has been obliged to stop at my poor inn,” said the host,
- “because one of her horses became so lame that she is unable to proceed.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, go on,” said the traveller.
- </p>
- <p>
- “She had calculated,” said the host, “having no expectation of this
- accident when she left St. Agatha this morning, on sleeping at Melazzo
- this evening, where she has relays, so that she is entirely unprovided
- with everything.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Tell the countess that my cook and larder are at her service,” said the
- traveller.
- </p>
- <p>
- “A thousand thanks in my mistress’s name,” said the servant; “but as the
- countess will, no doubt, be obliged to pass the night in this inn, while a
- relay of horses is brought hither from Melazzo, and as she is equally
- unprovided for night as for day, she would be glad to know if your
- excellency would have the gallantry to—”
- </p>
- <p>
- “More than that,” said the traveller; “let the countess occupy my
- apartment—this room will do for her lady’s-maid, whom she will not
- be sorry to have near her. As for myself, I am a man accustomed to fatigue
- and privations; I will content myself with the first room that is
- disengaged; go, therefore, and tell the countess she can step up at once—the
- room is at liberty, and our worthy host will do the best he can for me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Speaking thus, the traveller rose, whistled to his dog, and followed the
- host; and the servant at once descended to accomplish his mission.
- </p>
- <p>
- Gemma accepted the traveller’s offer as a queen would the homage of a
- subject, and not as a woman who accepts a service from a stranger; she was
- so accustomed to see everything submit to her will, and everybody obey her
- voice, and even her look, that she saw nothing striking in the extreme
- gallantry of the traveller.
- </p>
- <p>
- It is true she looked so beautiful as she moved towards the apartment,
- resting on the arm of her attendant, that every one bent before her. She
- was dressed in a most elegant riding-habit, fitting tightly over the arms
- and bust, and ornamented with silk braiding. For fear of the cold air of
- the mountains, she wore round her neck a beautiful sable boa, purchased by
- the Prince Carini of a Maltese merchant who had brought it from
- Constantinople. On her head she wore a little black velvet hat, of a
- fanciful shape, like the head-dresses worn in the middle ages; and her
- long and magnificent tresses hung down in ringlets after the English
- fashion. But, prepared as she was to find a room ready to receive her, she
- could not avoid being astonished when she entered at the elegant manner in
- which the traveller had concealed the poor appearance of the apartment.
- </p>
- <p>
- All the utensils of the toilet were of silver, the cloth that covered the
- table was of the finest texture, and the oriental perfumes burning on the
- mantelpiece seemed fit for a harem.
- </p>
- <p>
- “See, Gidsa, am I not predestined?” said the countess; “an awkward servant
- shoes my horses badly, I am obliged to stop, and my good genius, who finds
- me in this state of embarrassment, builds a fairy palace for me on the
- road.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Has madame la comtesse,” said Gidsa, “no suspicion who this good genius
- may be?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Really none,” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It seems to me,” said the waiting-maid, significantly, “that madame la
- comtesse ought to be able to guess!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I swear to you, Gidsa,” said the countess, falling into a chair, “that I
- am in a state of perfect ignorance. Come, what are your ideas on the
- subject?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “My ideas?” said the girl. “Madame, I trust you will pardon me, although
- my ideas are very natural.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Oh! certainly,” replied the countess; “speak as you think.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I think,” said the girl, “that perhaps his highness the viceroy, knowing
- that your ladyship was on the road, had not patience to wait for your
- arrival, and”—
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your idea,” said the countess, “is amazingly good; indeed, it is more
- than probable. Besides, who, if it were not he, would have arranged a room
- like this for the purpose of giving it up to me? Now listen, you must say
- nothing if Rodolpho is preparing a surprise for me. I would give myself up
- entirely to it; I would not lose one of the emotions his unexpected
- presence would occasion me. It is agreed, therefore, that it is not the
- viceroy, but that the stranger is an unknown traveller; so keep your
- probabilities to yourself, and leave me in my state of doubt; besides, if
- it should be him, I shall have divined his presence, not you. How kind my
- dear Rodolpho is to me! how he foresees everything! Oh! how much he loves
- me!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And the dinner,” said Gidsa, “that has been prepared with so much care;
- do you believe <i>that</i> the result of mere accident?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Chut! I believe nothing; I profit by the good things heaven has sent me,
- and I thank God for them. See what a lucky thing it is that this plate is
- here! if I had not met with this noble traveller, how should I have been
- able to eat off anything else? Look at this silver goblet, you might say
- it was engraved by Benvenuto. Give me some drink, Gidsa.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The attendant filled the goblet with water, and then added a few drops of
- Lipari malvoisie, and the countess sipped it, apparently more for the
- purpose of carrying the cup to her lips than because she was thirsty; it
- seemed as though, by the sympathetic touch of her lips, she endeavoured to
- discover whether it really was the man who loved her who had thus provided
- for the wants of a woman accustomed to all that luxury and magnificence
- which becomes almost an essential necessary to those who have been used to
- it from infancy.
- </p>
- <p>
- Supper was served, and the countess ate like a fine lady, that is, tasting
- of all, like the humming-bird, the bee, or the butterfly; but, full of
- thought and anxiety, while she was eating, she kept her eyes constantly
- fixed on the door, and started every time it opened—her bosom was
- oppressed and her eyes moist; at length, she fell by degrees into a
- delicious state of languor for which she herself could not account. Gidsa
- perceived it and became uneasy.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Is your ladyship unwell?” asked the anxious attendant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “No,” replied Gemma, in a feeble voice; “but do you not find these
- perfumes extremely oppressive?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Does your ladyship wish me to open the window?” asked Gidsa.
- </p>
- <p>
- “No, no,” replied the countess, “pray do not; I seem as if I should die,
- but death appears to be so sweet. Take off my hat, it feels so heavy, I
- cannot bear it.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Gidsa obeyed, and Gemma’s long hair hung down in ringlets nearly to the
- ground.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you feel like me, Gidsa,” asked the countess, “an incomprehensible
- feeling of pleasure? A kind of heavenly sensation flows through my veins:
- I must have drank a charmed philter; help me to rise, and lead me to the
- mirror.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Gidsa supported the countess and led her towards the mantelpiece; when she
- reached it, she rested both elbows upon it, placed her head in her hands,
- and looked at her beautiful face in the glass.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Now, let everything be taken away, then undress me, and leave me alone.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The attendant obeyed her mistress; the servants of the countess cleared
- the table, and when they had left, Gidsa performed the second part of her
- mistress’s orders, who still remained before the glass, merely raising her
- arms languidly one after the other, to make it just possible for her maid
- to perform the necessary duties, which were in a short time accomplished—the
- countess still remaining in the species of ecstacy into which she was
- plunged; then, as her mistress had directed her, she went out and left her
- alone.
- </p>
- <p>
- The countess completed the remainder of her toilet in a state resembling
- somnambulism; she retired to rest, and remained for an instant leaning on
- her elbow, with her eyes fixed on the door; then by degrees, and
- notwithstanding all her efforts to keep awake, her eyelids became heavy,
- her eyes closed, and she sank upon her pillow, heaving a long deep sigh,
- and murmuring Rodolpho’s name.
- </p>
- <p>
- The next morning, when she awoke, Gemma stretched out her hand as if she
- expected to find some one by her side; but she was alone, and for a few
- minutes her eyes wandered round the chamber, and then turned and fixed
- themselves on the table by the bedside. An open letter lay upon it, she
- took it up and read:—
- </p>
-<pre xml:space="preserve">
- “<i>Madame la Comtesse</i>,—I could have taken the vengeance of
- a brigand upon you; I preferred to indulge myself in the
- pleasure of a prince! but that, when you awake, you may not
- imagine you have been in a dream, I have left you a proof of
- the reality; look in your mirror.
-
- “Pascal Bruno.”
- </pre>
- <p>
- Gemma’s whole frame shuddered, and a cold perspiration covered her
- forehead; she stretched out her arm towards the bell-rope that she might
- call for assistance, but womanly instinct arrested her arm, and collecting
- all her strength, she sprang out of bed, ran to the glass, and uttered a
- cry of horror. Her hair and eyebrows were completely shorn!
- </p>
- <p>
- She hastily dressed herself, and enveloping her head in her veil, threw
- herself into her carriage, and ordered it to be driven back to Palermo.
- </p>
- <p>
- The instant she arrived there, she wrote to Prince Carini, telling him
- that her confessor, as an expiation for her sins, had ordered her to shave
- off her eyebrows and hair, and retire for twelve months to a convent.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0008" id="link2HCH0008">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER VIII.—-TREACHERY.
- </h2>
- <p>
- On the 1st of May, 1805, there was a high festival at Castel Nuovo: Pascal
- Bruno was in excellent humour, and gave a supper to one of his best
- friends, Placido Tomaselli, an honest dealer in contraband, belonging to
- the village of Gesso, and to two females the latter had brought with him
- from Messina. This delicate attention sensibly effected Bruno, and that he
- might not be behindhand in politeness with so provident a comrade, he
- determined to perform the honours of his domicile after the fashion of the
- best society. Accordingly, the finest wines of Sicily and Calabria were
- selected from the cellars of the fortress, the most noted cooks of Bauso
- were placed in requisition, and all that singular luxury was displayed to
- which at times it pleased the hero of our history to resort.
- </p>
- <p>
- The guests had only just begun dinner when Ali brought Placido Tomaselli a
- letter, which a countryman from Gesso had placed in his hands. Placido
- read it, and crumbling it up in a violent passion, exclaimed—
- </p>
- <p>
- “Upon my word he has chosen his time very nicely.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “What is it, comrade?” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Perdition! why, a summons from Captain Luigi Cama, of Villa San
- Giovanni.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “What, our purveyor of rum?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes,” replied Placido; “he informs me he is off the shore, and has a full
- cargo which he wishes to dispose of before the custom-house officers hear
- of his arrival.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Business before all things,” replied Bruno. “I’ll wait for you. I am in
- very good company, so make yourself easy; if you are not too long gone,
- you will find everything you leave, and more than you can take away.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is only an hour’s work,” replied Placido, appearing to yield to the
- reasoning of his host; “the beach is only about five hundred yards from
- this spot.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And there is the whole night before us,” observed Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “A good appetite, comrade,” said Placido. “A successful expedition,
- master,” said Bruno. Placido left the castle, and Bruno remained with the
- two women, and, as he had promised his guest, proceedings did not suffer
- by his absence. Bruno was amiable enough for any two, and the conversation
- began to assume the most animated character, when the door opened, and a
- new actor appeared on the scene. Pascal turned round and recognised the
- Maltese merchant we have already spoken of several times, of whom he was
- one of the best customers.
- </p>
- <p>
- “By St. Gregory!” he exclaimed, “you are welcome; and the more so, if you
- have brought any of those Turkish pastilles, a packet of Latakia tobacco,
- and a few Tunisian shawls; by-the-by, your opium acted admirably.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am glad of it,” replied the Maltese; “but on this occasion, I have come
- on quite another business.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ah! you have come to sup with me, is that it?” asked Bruno. “Pray sit
- down, sit down, and once again you are welcome; there, that is a seat fit
- for a king.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your wine is excellent, I know, and these ladies are charming,” replied
- the Maltese; “but I have something very important to speak to you about.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “To me?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, to you,” replied the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well go on,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I must speak to you alone,” said the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, then,” said Bruno, “I’ll hear you tomorrow, my worthy captain.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “But I must inform you immediately,” said the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, then, speak before the company,” said Bruno; “we have not too many
- here, and I make it a rule when I feel comfortable never to disturb
- myself, even if my life were at stake.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “That is the very subject I wish to allude to,” said the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Bah!” replied Bruno; “heaven looks after honest men; here’s to your
- health, captain.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The Maltese emptied his glass.
- </p>
- <p>
- “That’s right; now sit down and let me hear your sermon, we’ll listen to
- you with proper attention.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The merchant perceived he must give in to the whim of his host, and he
- consequently obeyed him.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, now then, what is it?” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “First, then,” continued the Maltese, “you know that the justices of
- Calvaruso, Spadafora, Bauso, Saponara, Divito, and Domita have been
- arrested.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I have heard something about it,” said Pascal Bruno, carelessly, at the
- same time emptying his glass of Marsala, the best wine in Sicily.
- </p>
- <p>
- “But do you know the cause of their arrest?” inquired the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I guess at it,” said Bruno; “is it not because the Prince of Carini,
- being in an extremely ill-humour on account of his mistress having retired
- to a convent, has taken it into his head that they have been too slow, and
- have shown too little skill in their attempts to arrest a certain Pascal
- Bruno, whose head is worth two thousand ducats?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Exactly so,” said the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “You see,” said Bruno, “I am quite aware of what is going on.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yet, for all that,” said the Maltese, “there may be some circumstances of
- which you are still ignorant.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “God is great! as Ali says,” replied Bruno; “but go on, and I will
- acknowledge my ignorance; I wish for nothing so much as instruction.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said the Maltese, “the six judges have met together, and each has
- put down twenty-five ounces—that makes one hundred and fifty
- ounces.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Or, in other words,” replied Bruno, in the same careless tone, “eighteen
- hundred and ninety livres. You see, if my books are not well regulated, it
- is not for want of arithmetic. Well, what next?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “After that,” continued the merchant, “they offered this sum to two or
- three men, known as your common associates, if they would assist them in
- capturing you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Let them offer it,” said Bruno; “I am quite certain they will not meet
- with a traitor within ten leagues.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You deceive yourself,” answered the Maltese; “the traitor is found.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ha!” exclaimed Bruno, knitting his brow and grasping his dagger; “and how
- do you know that?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Why, my good fellow,” said the merchant, “in the simplest way in the
- world; yesterday I was at the house of the Prince de Goto, governor of
- Messina, who sent for me for the purpose of purchasing some Turkish goods,
- when a servant entered the room and whispered a few words in his ear.
- ‘Very well,’ said the prince, ‘let him come in.’ He then made a sign to me
- to go into an adjoining room for a short time; I obeyed, and as he never
- suspected that I was acquainted with you, I overheard a conversation that
- concerned you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It was the traitor,” said the Maltese; “he undertook to open the doors of
- your fortress, and to place you in their hands unarmed while you were at
- supper; and he himself engaged to conduct the gens-d’armes to your
- dining-room.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And do you know who this man is?” demanded Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes,” said the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “His name?” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Placido Tomaselli.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Confusion!” exclaimed the bandit; “he was here but an instant ago.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And has he left the castle?” inquired the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Just before you came in,” replied Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then,” said the merchant, “he has gone after the police and the soldiers;
- for, as far as I can see, you were about to sit down to supper.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You see I was,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then I am right; and if you wish to escape, you have not a minute to
- lose.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I fly!” cried Bruno, laughing. “Ali! Ali!” and Ali entered the room.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Close the gates of the castle, my lad, and turn three of my dogs loose in
- the court-yard, and send the fourth, Lionna, upstairs, and get the
- ammunition ready.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The women began to scream.
- </p>
- <p>
- “My goddesses, you must be quiet,” observed Bruno, with an imperative
- look; “we must have no singing here; silence, and instantly, if you
- please.”
- </p>
- <p>
- And the women were silent.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Captain, you must keep these ladies company; for my part, I must go my
- rounds.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno seized his carbine, buckled on his cartouche-box, and went towards
- the door; but as he was about to leave the room he stood still and
- listened.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What is the matter?” said the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you not hear my dogs bark? The enemy is close at hand; they were not
- long behind you;—are they not fine beasts? Silence, my tigers!”
- continued Bruno, opening one of the windows and giving a peculiar whistle;
- “all right, all right, I am on my guard.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The dogs gave a low growl and were then silent.
- </p>
- <p>
- The women and the Maltese trembled with terror, expecting something
- dreadful was about to happen, and at the same moment Ali entered the room
- with Pascal’s favourite bitch, Lionna: the noble creature went straight up
- to her master, reared up on her hind legs, and placing her paws on his
- shoulders, she looked intelligently at him and gave a short bark.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, yes, Lionna, you are a fine beast,” said Bruno, patting the dog
- fondly on the head; “come on, my beauty, come along.”
- </p>
- <p>
- And he went out, leaving the Maltese and the two women in the supper
- apartment.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal went down into the court-yard, where he found the three dogs
- evincing great uneasiness, but without giving any indication that the
- danger was very pressing; he then opened the garden door and began to walk
- round its bounds. Suddenly Lionna stopped, snuffed the air, and walked
- straight up to one part of the enclosure: as soon as she reached the wall,
- she reared up on her hind legs, as if she intended to scale it, grinding
- her teeth, and uttering a low growl, at the same time looking back at her
- master: Pascal Bruno was close behind her.
- </p>
- <p>
- He was at once aware that an enemy was concealed, and that at no great
- distance, and recollecting that the window of the room in which Paoli
- Tomassi had been confined directly overlooked this spot, he ran quickly up
- stairs, followed by Lionna, who with open throat and fiery eyes seemed to
- guess her master’s intention; and crossing the room in which the two women
- and the Maltese were anxiously awaiting the end of the adventure, she went
- into an adjoining chamber, in which there was no light and the window was
- open. She had scarcely entered when, crouching quietly on the ground, she
- crawled like a serpent towards the window, and when within a few feet of
- the casement, before Bruno could prevent her, she sprang through the
- opening like a panther, and alighted on the ground without injury,
- although the height was at least twenty feet.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal was at the window nearly as soon as the dog; he saw her make three
- bounds towards an olive-tree, and then heard a cry of agony: Lionna had
- seized a man by the throat, who was concealed behind the tree.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Help! help!” exclaimed a voice, which Pascal recognised as that of
- Placido. “Help, it is I! Call off your dog, or she will tear me to
- pieces.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Hold him, Lionna!” exclaimed Bruno, “kill him, my good dog! Death to the
- traitor!”
- </p>
- <p>
- Placido at once saw that Bruno had discovered all, and uttering a cry of
- pain and rage, a mortal combat ensued between the dog and the man. Bruno,
- resting on his carbine, calmly contemplated this singular duel by the
- uncertain light of the moon. He could perceive two bodies, whose forms
- were indistinct, struggling, rolling on the ground, and rising again, and
- seeming as if they were but one: for the space of ten minutes he heard
- their confused cries, but could not distinguish those of the dog from the
- man. At the end of that time a dreadful cry was heard, and one of them
- fell to rise no more—it was the man.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno whistled to Lionna, again crossed the supper-room, without uttering
- a word, and went rapidly down stairs to open the door to his favourite
- bitch; but at the very instant she entered, bleeding from wounds inflicted
- with a knife, and even from the bites of her antagonist, he saw the
- musket-barrels of soldiers glittering in the rays of the moon, and
- advancing up the road that led from the village to the fortress. He at
- once barricaded the door, and again entered the room in which he had left
- his trembling guests. The Maltese was drinking, and the women saying their
- prayers.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well!” said the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, captain?” answered Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What has become of Placido Tomaselli?” asked the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “His business is settled,” replied Bruno; “but there is another legion of
- devils coming upon us.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And what do you mean next to do?” asked the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Kill as many as I can in the first instance,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And then?” inquired the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Fire the fortress,” said Bruno, coolly, “and then—blow myself up
- along with the rest.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The women hearing this began to scream most lustily.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ali,” said Pascal, “take these ladies into the vaults, and give them all
- they ask for except a candle, for fear they should set fire to the powder
- before the proper time.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The poor terrified creatures fell on their knees.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Come, make haste!” cried Bruno, stamping his feet; “do as I order you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- And he uttered these words with such a look and accent, that the two girls
- rose and followed Ali without daring to utter another word of complaint.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And now, captain,” said Bruno, as soon as they were gone, “put out the
- lights, and get into some corner where the bullets cannot reach you; for
- the musicians have arrived and the ball is about to begin.”
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0009" id="link2HCH0009">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER IX.—THE SIEGE.
- </h2>
- <p>
- A few moments after, Ali again entered the room, carrying on his shoulders
- two or three muskets of the same calibre, and a basket full of cartridges.
- Pascal Bruno opened all the windows, that he might be able to face in any
- direction, and Ali, taking a musket in his hand, was about to place
- himself at one of them.
- </p>
- <p>
- “No, my boy,” said Pascal, in an affectionate and parental tone of voice,
- “that is no one’s duty but mine; I have no wish to attach your fate to
- mine; I do not wish to drag you into the surf along with me; you are
- young; nothing, as yet, has removed your life out of the beaten track;
- take my advice, continue to live like the rest of the world.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” replied the youth, with his gentle voice, “why do you not wish
- me to defend you as Lionna did? You know I have none to look to but you in
- the world, and that, if you die, I must die with you!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “No, Ali,” said Bruno, “if I die, I shall perhaps leave behind me some
- mysterious and terrible mission to be accomplished, which I can trust to
- no one but my child; my boy, therefore, must live to do what his father
- commands him.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is right,” said Ali; “the father is the master, and the child must
- obey.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Ali seized Pascal’s hand, and kissed it.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Can I be of no service to you, father?” observed the lad.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes; load the guns,” said Bruno, and Ali addressed himself to the task,
- </p>
- <p>
- “And what can I do?” said the Maltese, from the corner in which he had
- ensconced himself.
- </p>
- <p>
- “You, captain? you shall have the task of carrying the flag of truce if it
- be needful.”
- </p>
- <p>
- At this instant Pascal Bruno saw the muskets of a second troop descending
- the mountain: they advanced in so direct a line towards the isolated
- olive-tree, at the foot of which lay the body of Placido, that it was
- evident it was the appointed place of rendezvous.
- </p>
- <p>
- Those who marched first stumbled over the corpse. Upon this they formed a
- circle round it; but no one could recognise it, the teeth of Lionna had so
- much disfigured it; however, as it was at this olive-tree Placido had
- appointed a meeting, and as the body was at its foot, and no other living
- being in the neighbourhood, it was evident that the dead man was Placido
- himself.
- </p>
- <p>
- The soldiers accordingly guessed that their plot had been discovered, and,
- consequently, that Bruno was on his guard; they, therefore, began to
- consider how they should act.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal, standing at the window, watched all their movements; but the moon
- issuing suddenly from behind a cloud, a ray of light fell upon his figure,
- and one of the soldiers seeing him, pointed him out to his comrades.
- </p>
- <p>
- “The bandit! the bandit!” was heard from all the troops, and a volley of
- shot was instantly poured in at the window.
- </p>
- <p>
- A few of the balls flattened themselves against the wall, others whistled
- past the ears and over the head of the party at whom they were directed,
- and lodged in the mouldings of the ceiling.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal replied by discharging four muskets in succession as they were
- handed to him by Ali: four men fell.
- </p>
- <p>
- The soldiers, who were not troops of the line, but a kind of national
- guard organised for the protection of the high road, hesitated a little
- when they saw death pay them so sudden a visit; for all the men, reckoning
- on Placido’s treason, had entertained the hope of making an easy capture:
- instead of which, it was now evident that it was an absolute siege they
- were about to undertake, and they were in want of everything necessary for
- that purpose.
- </p>
- <p>
- The walls of the little fortress were lofty, and the gates strong—they
- had neither ladders nor hatchets. There was, however, the possibility of
- killing Pascal while at the window levelling his musket; but this seemed
- but a poor chance to men who believed their adversary was invulnerable.
- </p>
- <p>
- Accordingly, the most prudent manouvre seemed to be to retire out of
- gunshot and deliberate on their future proceedings; but their retreat was
- not rapid enough to prevent Pascal Bruno despatching two more messengers
- of death after them.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal, perceiving that the siege was raised for an instant, went to the
- opposite window that overlooked the village: the discharge of the muskets
- had attracted the attention of the first party, so that he had scarcely
- shown himself at the opening when he was saluted with a shower of bullets;
- but the same miraculous good luck again preserved him. It seemed like
- enchantment: while, on his side, every shot he fired told upon the
- soldiers, and Pascal was made aware of his success by the oaths they
- uttered.
- </p>
- <p>
- A similar occurrence happened to this troop as to the other; its ranks
- were thrown into disorder, but, instead of taking to flight, they stood up
- close against the walls of the fortress, and by this manouvre they made it
- impossible for Bruno to fire without thrusting half his body out of the
- window; and, as the bandit thought it impolitic to expose himself to
- unnecessary danger, the firing in consequence of this mutual act of
- prudence ceased for an instant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Have we got rid of them?” asked the Maltese; “may we cry Victory!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Not yet,” observed Bruno, “it is only a suspension of arms; the enemy
- have, no doubt, gone to the village to procure ladders and hatchets; we
- shall, no doubt, soon have news of them. But make yourself easy,”
- continued the bandit, filling two glasses; “as we cannot remain quiet with
- them, we must give them something in return. Ali, go and fetch a barrel of
- powder.—Here’s to your health, captain!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “What are you going to do with the powder?” asked the Maltese, with an
- uneasy look.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Oh! not much; but you shall see!” replied Bruno. Ali entered the room,
- bearing on his shoulder the barrel of gunpowder.
- </p>
- <p>
- “That’s right,” said Bruno; “now take a gimlet and make a hole in the
- barrel.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Ali obeyed with the passive readiness that was the distinctive mark of his
- devotion to Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- While this was going on, Pascal tore up a napkin into strips, which he
- tied together, and rolled them in the powder he took out of a cartridge;
- he then put this match into the hole Ali had made in the barrel, and
- closed it with wet powder, which had the effect also of keeping the match
- in its place. He had scarcely finished his preparations when the sound of
- a hatchet was heard at the gate.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Am I a good prophet?” said Bruno, as he rolled the barrel towards the
- door of the chamber which overlooked a staircase leading to the castle
- court, and then going back to fetch a piece of lighted fir from the fire.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ah!” said the Maltese, “now I begin to understand what you are going to
- do.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” said Ali, “they are coming from the mountain with ladders.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno ran to the window from which he had fired in the first instance and
- plainly saw his adversaries, who had procured the scaling implement they
- so much needed, and, ashamed of their first retreat, were returning to the
- charge with renewed confidence.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Are the guns loaded?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, father,” replied Ali, handing him a carbine.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno, without looking back, took the gun the boy offered him, slowly
- brought it to his shoulder, and levelled with more care than he had yet
- exhibited; he fired, and one of the two men who carried the ladder fell.
- </p>
- <p>
- Another man took his place, and Bruno took a second musket: the other
- soldier fell by the side of his comrade.
- </p>
- <p>
- Two other men succeeded those who were killed and fell in their turn; upon
- this the scaling party, leaving their ladder, retired a second time, after
- firing another volley as useless as their previous discharges.
- </p>
- <p>
- In the meantime, those who were besieging the gate redoubled their blows,
- and the dogs on their side barked furiously; every moment the blows became
- more violent and the barking fiercer. At length, one side of the gate was
- forced in and two or three men entered by the opening; and by the cries of
- distress they uttered, their comrades judged that they had fallen into the
- hands of more terrible enemies than they had calculated on; but they could
- not fire upon the dogs without the risk of killing the men.
- </p>
- <p>
- After a short time, one party of the besiegers had entered through the
- door one after the other; the court was soon filled, and then began a
- combat, like one of those that were exhibited in the ancient circus,
- between the soldiers and the four monstrous dogs, who fiercely defended
- the narrow staircase that led to the first floor of the fortress.
- Suddenly, the door at the top of the staircase opened, and the barrel of
- powder Bruno had prepared bounded from stair to stair and exploded like a
- bombshell in the midst of the combatants.
- </p>
- <p>
- The explosion was terrible; one of the walls fell in ruins, and everything
- in the court-yard was blown to atoms.
- </p>
- <p>
- The besiegers were for an instant stupefied; but in the meantime the two
- troops had united themselves, and presented an effective force of more
- than 300 men. A deep feeling of shame overwhelmed the multitude when they
- saw themselves kept in check by a single man.
- </p>
- <p>
- The leaders took advantage of this feeling to encourage them, and a breach
- having been made by the fall of the wall, they marched up to it in a body
- in good order, and having cleared every obstacle, they spread themselves
- over the whole of the court-yard and were soon before the staircase.
- </p>
- <p>
- When they reached this spot, there was another moment of hesitation: at
- length some of them, encouraged by their comrades, began to ascend the
- stairs, the rest of the party following. The staircase was soon carried;
- but those who were at the head would soon have felt an inclination to
- retreat if it had been possible; this, however, was no longer the case—they
- were obliged, therefore, to attempt the door, which yielded without
- resistance.
- </p>
- <p>
- The besiegers, uttering shouts of triumph, ran round the first chamber;
- but at that instant the door of the second room opened, and the soldiers
- perceived Bruno seated on a barrel of gunpowder, a pistol in each hand,
- while the terrified Maltese rushed through the open, doorway crying out,
- in accents so full of truth and terror as to leave no doubt on the
- subject:—
- </p>
- <p>
- “Stand back! stand back!” he cried, “the fortress is mined; if you advance
- another step we shall all be blown to atoms!”
- </p>
- <p>
- The door was closed as if by enchantment, and the shouts of victory were
- changed into cries of terror. The whole body of the besiegers might have
- been seen precipitating themselves down the narrow staircase that led to
- the court-yard—some among them leaped through the windows—it
- seemed as if every man felt the ground tremble beneath his feet, and at
- the end of five minutes Bruno was again master of his fortress.
- </p>
- <p>
- As to the Maltese, he took advantage of the opportunity and left the
- castle.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal, no longer hearing any sound, arose and went to the window. The
- siege had been converted into a blockade; a guard was placed at every
- opening, and the men who performed this duty had sheltered themselves from
- the bandit’s fire behind carts and barrels. It was evident that a new plan
- for carrying on the campaign had been adopted.
- </p>
- <p>
- “So it seems they intend to starve us out,” observed Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “The dogs!” exclaimed Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do not insult the poor beasts who died while defending us, call them <i>men—men!</i>”
- said Bruno, smiling sarcastically.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father!” said Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, my boy,” said Bruno, kindly.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you not see?” said Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “That light!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ay, truly,” said Bruno; “what can it mean? It cannot be daybreak yet;
- and, besides, it comes from the north, and not the east.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “The village is on fire!” exclaimed Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “By heavens you are right!” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- At that instant loud cries of distress were heard; Bruno rushed to the
- door and found himself face to face with the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Is that you, captain?” said Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, it is I—I myself, don’t deceive yourself and take me for
- another; I come as a friend.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You are welcome,” said Bruno; “but what has taken place?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “That which has taken place is,” said the Maltese, “that, in utter despair
- at not having taken you, the soldiers set fire to the village, and refuse
- to assist in extinguishing it unless the villagers will consent to march
- against you, as they have had enough of it themselves.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And the peasants?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Have refused,” said the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ay, ay—I knew that beforehand,” said Bruno; “they had rather that
- all their houses should be burned to the ground than touch a hair of my
- head. Well, captain, go back to those who sent you, and tell them to
- extinguish the flames.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “What do you mean?” asked the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I will give myself up,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Give yourself up, father?” cried Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, but I promised to surrender to one man alone, and I will only give
- myself up to him. Let them, therefore, as I have said—let them put
- out the flames, and then send to Messina in search of the man I shall
- name.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And who is this man?” asked the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Paolo Tomassi, a brigadier in the gendarmerie,” replied Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Have you any other request to make?” asked the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “One only,” replied Bruno, and he spoke to the Maltese in a whisper.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I hope you are not asking for my life?” said Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Have I not told you I should perhaps require your assistance after my
- death?” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Pardon me, father,” said Ali, “I had forgotten that.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Away, captain, and do as I have said,” said Bruno; “when I see the flames
- extinguished I shall know my terms are accepted.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you not wish me to be the bearer of the news?” asked the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Did I not say you should be my negociator? By-the-by,” continued Pascal,
- “how many houses are burnt?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Two when I came away,” replied the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “There are three hundred and fifteen ounces in this purse, distribute them
- among the sufferers.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Adieu!” said the Maltese, shaking Bruno by the hand.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno threw his pistol away, again seated himself on his powder barrel and
- fell into a deep reverie.
- </p>
- <p>
- The young Arab extended himself on his tiger’s skin, and remained
- motionless, closing his eyes as if he slept. By degrees the light of the
- fire expired—Bruno’s conditions had been accepted.
- </p>
- <p>
- At the expiration of about an hour, the door of the room opened, and a man
- appeared on the threshold, who, perceiving that neither Bruno nor Ali
- noticed him, gave an affected cough.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno turned round and perceived Paolo Tomassi.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ah! is that you, brigadier?” said he, smiling; “it is a pleasure to send
- for you—you have not kept us waiting long.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Why, no,” replied the brigadier, “they met me on the road about a quarter
- of an hour ago as I was bringing up my party, and they said that you
- wanted to see me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is true,” said Bruno; “I wanted to show you that I am a man of my
- word.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Zounds, I know that well enough,” said the brigadier.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And as I promised that you should receive the three thousand ducats in
- question,” said Bruno, “I wish to keep my word.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Perdition!” said the brigadier, with great energy.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What do you mean, comrade?” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I mean,” said the brigadier, “that I would rather gain three thousand
- ducats in any other manner—in the lottery, for instance.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And why so?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Because you are a fine fellow, and men like you are scarce,” was the
- brigadier’s reply.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Bah! what’s that to you?” said Bruno; “it will be promotion for you,
- brigadier.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I know it,” replied Paolo, with a look of despair. “And so you mean to
- deliver yourself up?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I surrender,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “On your honour?” said Paolo.
- </p>
- <p>
- “On my honour,” replied Bruno; “therefore, you may send all those rascals
- away. I wish to have nothing more to do with them.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Paolo Tomassi went to the window.
- </p>
- <p>
- “You may all of you retire,” he cried; “I will answer for the prisoner: go
- and report his capture at Messina.” The soldiers shouted for joy.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And now,” said Bruno to the brigadier, “we will finish the supper these
- fools interrupted.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “With all my heart,” replied Paolo, “for I have come eight leagues in
- three hours, and I am dying with hunger and thirst.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said Bruno, “since you are so well inclined, and as we have but
- one night to spend in each other’s company, let us pass it merrily. Ali,
- go and fetch the ladies out of the cellar, if they have not been
- frightened to death.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Ali performed his mission, and the party enjoyed themselves as best they
- could. In the morning, the brigadier and his prisoner set out for Messina.
- </p>
- <hr />
- <p>
- Five days after the events we have just related, the Prince of Carini was
- informed, in the presence of the beautiful Gemma, who had just ended her
- penance at the Convent of the Visitation, and who had only eight days
- previously returned to the world, that at length his orders had been
- executed, and that Pascal Bruno was taken and placed in one of the prisons
- of Messina.
- </p>
- <p>
- “In that case, the Prince of Goto will pay the three thousand ducats
- promised for his capture; see that the brigand is tried and afterwards
- executed.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Dear prince,” said Gemma, in that gentle voice to whose appeal the count
- could refuse nothing, “I have always been curious to see this man of whom
- I have heard so much.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your wish shall be gratified, my dear angel; he shall be hanged at
- Palermo.”
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0010" id="link2HCH0010">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER X.—THE CHAPELLE ARDENTE.
- </h2>
- <p>
- According to the promise he had made his favourite, the Prince of Carini
- ordered the condemned man to be sent from Messina to Palermo; and Pascal,
- under a large escort of gendarmerie, was conveyed to the prison of that
- city, situated behind the royal palace, and near to the asylum for
- lunatics.
- </p>
- <p>
- Towards the evening of the second day, a priest entered his dungeon.
- Pascal rose when he saw the holy man: but, notwithstanding all the
- entreaties of the priest, Pascal resolutely refused to confess. The priest
- continued to exhort him to unburden his guilty mind; but nothing could
- induce Pascal to perform this last office of religion. And the priest,
- perceiving he could not overcome his obstinacy, asked him the reason.
- </p>
- <p>
- “The reason,” said Bruno, “is, that I do not wish to commit a sacrilegious
- act.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “In what manner, my son?” inquired the priest.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Is not the first condition of a good confession,” said Bruno, “not only
- the acknowledgment of your own sins, but the forgiveness of those of your
- neighbour?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Certainly,” said the priest, “there can be no complete confession without
- that.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said Bruno, “I have <i>not</i> forgiven; my confession would
- therefore be imperfect, and I have no inclination to make a bad
- confession.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Is it not,” said the priest, “more likely that you have such enormous
- crimes to acknowledge that you fear they will be too great to expect
- pardon? But comfort yourself, God is merciful; and where there is
- repentance there is always hope.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Nevertheless, my father,” said Bruno’, “if between your absolution and my
- death, a wicked thought I have not the power to control should—”
- </p>
- <p>
- “The benefit of your confession would be lost,” said the priest.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is useless then for me to confess,” observed Pascal, “for this wicked
- thought will rise.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Cannot you drive it from your mind?” asked the priest.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal smiled.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is that thought,” said he, “that has kept me alive, father; without
- that one infernal thought, without that last hope of vengeance, do you
- think I would have allowed myself to be dragged forward as a disgraceful
- spectacle to the multitude? No! I would have strangled myself with the
- chain that binds me. At Messina, I had made up my mind to do so; and I was
- about carrying my intention into effect when an order came to convey me to
- Palermo—I thought <i>she</i> would wish to see me die.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Whom do you mean?” asked the priest.
- </p>
- <p>
- “<i>She</i>,” said Bruno, with bitter emphasis.
- </p>
- <p>
- “But if you die in this manner,” said the priest, “without repenting,
- heaven, will show you no mercy.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” said Bruno, “<i>she</i>, also, shall die without repenting, for
- she shall die at the moment she least expects it; she, also, shall die
- without a priest, and without confession; she, also, shall find, like me,
- heaven without mercy, and we shall sink to perdition together.”
- </p>
- <p>
- At this instant the gaoler entered.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” he said, “the <i>chapelle ardente</i> is prepared.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you still persist in your refusal to confess, my son?” said the
- priest.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I do persist,” said Bruno, quietly.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then I shall no longer delay the mass for the dead,” said the priest,
- “which I will repeat without pressing you any further; and I trust that,
- while you listen, the Heavenly Spirit will visit you and inspire you with
- better thoughts.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “It may be so, father,” said Bruno; “but I have no reason to believe it
- will.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The gens-d’armes entered, unbound Bruno, and led him to the church of St.
- François de Sales, facing the prison, and at that moment brilliantly
- illuminated, for, according to custom, he was there to hear the mass for
- the dead and pass the night in prayer, the execution being fixed for eight
- o’clock the following morning.
- </p>
- <p>
- An iron ring was fixed in a pillar in the choir, and Pascal was secured to
- this ring by means of a chain that went round his body, but which was
- sufficiently long to enable him to reach the balustrades where the
- communicants knelt.
- </p>
- <p>
- The instant mass commenced, the officers of the lunatic asylum brought in
- a coffin, which they placed in the centre of the church: it contained the
- remains of an insane person who had died during the day, and the director
- thought the deceased might as well receive the benefit of the mass that
- was about to be celebrated for the condemned criminal who was to die.
- </p>
- <p>
- Besides, there was an economy in this arrangement, both of time and labour
- for the priest; and as it accommodated all parties, no objection was made.
- </p>
- <p>
- The sacristan lighted two tapers, one for the head and the other for the
- foot of the coffin, and the mass began.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal listened attentively during the whole service, and when it was
- over, the priest went up to him and asked him if he was in a better frame
- of mind; but the condemned man answered that, notwithstanding the mass to
- which he had listened,—notwithstanding the prayers with which he had
- accompanied it, his feelings of hatred and desire for vengeance were still
- the same.
- </p>
- <p>
- The priest told him that at seven o’clock on the following morning he
- would return and ascertain whether a night of solitude and contemplation,
- passed in a church and in presence of the crucifix, had produced any
- change in his feelings of vengeance.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno, as may be imagined, when left alone fell into a deep reverie. The
- whole of the varied transactions of his life passed in review before his
- eyes, from the days of his earliest infancy to that moment; and in vain he
- endeavoured to discover in those early days of his life anything that
- deserved the terrible fate that awaited his youth. He remembered only a
- filial and sacred obedience towards the kind parents the Lord had given
- him. He remembered his father’s abode—-so quiet, so innocent, and
- happy at one time—which suddenly, became, without his being aware of
- the cause, full of tears and sorrow. He remembered the day when his father
- went out, carrying with him a dagger, which on his return was covered with
- blood. He remembered the night on which the author of his being was
- arrested as a murderer; when they carried himself, still a child, into a
- <i>chapelle ardente</i> like that in which he was now confined, where he
- saw a man chained as he was now.
- </p>
- <p>
- It seemed to him as if it were some fatal influence, some capricious
- chance, some victorious superiority of evil over good, through the means
- of which all the prospects of his devoted and once virtuous family had
- been so utterly ruined.
- </p>
- <p>
- And then he even doubted the truth of the promises of happiness which
- heaven had made to man; he sought through his own distorted vision for the
- interference of that Providence of which so much was said; and fancying
- that in this, his extremity, some portion of this eternal secret would
- perhaps be revealed to him, he bowed his forehead to the earth and prayed—conjured
- the Deity, with all the fulness of his soul, to interpret to him this
- terrible enigma—to raise the corner of that mysterious veil which
- enshrouded his mind—to dispel his doubts and give him confidence
- here and hopes for hereafter.
- </p>
- <p>
- His hopes were vain; all was silent excepting that internal voice which
- still continued to exclaim—“Vengeance! vengeance! vengeance!”
- </p>
- <p>
- Then he thought the dead were charged to answer him, and that to that end
- a corpse had been placed near him: so true it is that the most
- insignificant amongst us all considers his own existence as the centre of
- the creation, imagines everything is connected with his being, and that
- his miserable body is the pivot on which the whole universe turns.
- </p>
- <p>
- He, therefore, slowly raised himself, paler from the struggle he had had
- with his mind than from any fear of the scaffold, and he turned his eyes
- towards the corpse—it was that of a female.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal shuddered without knowing why; he endeavoured to trace the features
- of that woman—(the coffin in Italy is only closed at the instant of
- interment)—but a corner of the winding-sheet had fallen over the
- face and concealed it. Suddenly, an instinctive maddening feeling reminded
- him of Teresa—Teresa, whom he had not seen since the day when he
- first broke the bonds of God and man—Teresa, who had become mad, and
- for three years had been confined in the lunatic asylum from whence the
- coffin and the corpse had been brought—Teresa, his betrothed, with
- whom, perhaps, he now found himself at the foot of that altar to which he
- had so long hoped to have conducted her while living, and where, at
- length, he had been brought by the bitter mockery of fate to rejoin her:
- she dead—himself about ignominiously to die!
- </p>
- <p>
- To remain longer in doubt was insupportable; he rushed towards the coffin
- to satisfy himself, but he was suddenly dragged back by the waist, his
- chain not being long enough to enable him to reach the corpse, and it held
- him fast to the pillar; he stretched out his arms towards the coffin, but
- he was still several feet away from the object he sought to reach.
- </p>
- <p>
- He then looked round in search of something by means of which he might be
- able to remove the corner of the veil, but he could discover nothing; he
- exerted all the power of his lungs in his endeavour to raise the corner of
- the cloth, but it remained as motionless as marble.
- </p>
- <p>
- He then turned round with a look of concentrated rage it would be
- impossible to describe, seized his chain with both hands, and collecting
- all his strength for the effort, he strove to break it; but the links were
- too firmly-attached to each other and resisted all his efforts.
- </p>
- <p>
- The cold perspiration of rage stood on his forehead; he threw himself at
- the foot of the pillar, placed his head in his hands, and remained
- motionless and mute as the statue of despair; and when the priest came in
- the morning he found him still in the same position.
- </p>
- <p>
- The reverend man approached him quietly and calmly, as became his mission
- of peace and his office as a minister of reconciliation. He thought that
- Pascal slept, but when he placed his hand upon his shoulder, the bandit
- started and raised his head.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, my son,” said the priest, “are you prepared for confession? I am
- ready to absolve you?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I will answer you presently, father; but first render me a last service,”
- said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What is it?” said the priest. “Speak!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” said Bruno, “will you raise the corner of the cloth that hides
- the features of that woman?”
- </p>
- <p>
- The priest raised the corner of the winding-sheet. Pascal had not deceived
- himself, that woman <i>was</i> Teresa!
- </p>
- <p>
- He looked upon her for an instant with the deepest sorrow, and then made a
- sign to the priest to let the linen fall: the priest obeyed him.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, my son,” he said, “has the sight of death inspired you with any
- pious thoughts?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” said Bruno, “that woman and I were born to be happy and
- innocent; but she perjured herself, and I became a murderer. <i>She</i>
- has conducted this woman through madness, and me, through despair, to the
- tomb into which we are both about to descend to-day. Let heaven pardon
- her, if it can—I cannot!”
- </p>
- <p>
- At this instant the guards entered the church to lead Pascal to the
- scaffold.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0011" id="link2HCH0011">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER XI.—DEATH OF THE BANDIT.
- </h2>
- <p>
- The sky was magnificent, the air pure and transparent; the inhabitants of
- Palermo awoke as if it had been a holiday—the scholars at the
- colleges and schools had a holiday, and the whole population seemed to
- have assembled in the Rue de Toledo, through the whole length of which the
- condemned man would have to pass to go from the church of Saint François
- de Sales, where He had passed the night, to the Place de la Marine, where
- the execution was to take place.
- </p>
- <p>
- The windows of the houses were filled with women, whose curiosity had
- roused them from their beds before their usual time, and the nuns of the
- various convents in Palermo and its environs might be seen moving like
- shadows behind the gratings of the galleries; while on the flat roofs of
- the houses throngs of people waved to and fro like a field of grain.
- </p>
- <p>
- The condemned man was at the gates of the church placed in a cart drawn by
- mules, and preceded by a number of White Penitents, the first of whom
- carried the cross and the four last the coffin. The executioner followed
- on horseback, bearing a red flag; his two assistants on foot, one on each
- side. Behind these came a body of Black Penitents, who closed the
- procession, which advanced in the midst of a double rank of militia and
- regular troops, while, on the outskirts of the crowd, men were running
- along clothed in long gray dresses, with their heads covered with hoods,
- having openings for the eyes and mouth, holding in one hand a bell, and in
- the other a large purse or bag, collecting alms for the deliverance of the
- soul of the criminal from purgatory.
- </p>
- <p>
- It was reported also among the crowd that the criminal had refused to
- confess, and this deviation from the religious ideas entertained by all
- gave more weight to the rumours which had been spread abroad since the
- very beginning of his career, of an infernal compact between Bruno and the
- enemy of mankind. A feeling of terror, therefore, sat upon the curious yet
- mute population, and no shouts, no cries, not even a murmur, disturbed the
- dirge of death as it was chanted by the White Penitents at the head of the
- procession and the Black Penitents in the rear. Behind these last, and as
- fast as the culprit advanced along the Rue de Toledo, the spectators
- joined the procession and accompanied it towards the Place de la Marine.
- </p>
- <p>
- As to Pascal, he was the only one who appeared perfectly calm in the midst
- of this agitated mass of people, and he looked upon the crowd that
- surrounded him without humility and without ostentation, like a man who,
- understanding the duties of individuals towards society in general and the
- rights of society in respect to individuals, did not repent that he had
- forgotten the last, nor complained that it avenged the first.
- </p>
- <p>
- The procession stopped for an instant at the Place des Quatre Cantons,
- which forms the centre of the city, for so great a crowd were pressing
- forward from either side of the Rue de Cassero, that the line of troops
- was broken, and the centre of the road being crowded with people, the
- Penitents were unable to proceed.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal took advantage of this sudden halt to stand up in the cart and look
- round him, like one about to give a final order or make a last sign; but
- after a long examination of the crowd, and not seeing that of which he was
- in search, he fell back on the truss of straw that answered the purpose of
- a seat, and a cloud spread over his face which seemed to increase until
- the procession reached the Place de la Marine; then a second stoppage
- occurred, and Pascal a second time stood up.
- </p>
- <p>
- At first, he cast a careless glance to the extremity of the place opposite
- the gibbet, and then his looks ran over the immense crowd that filled the
- extensive area of the place of execution, and which appeared paved with
- human heads, with the exception of the terrace of the palace of the Prince
- de Butera, which was completely deserted. He fixed his eyes upon a rich
- balcony covered with damask, embroidered with gold, and sheltered from the
- sun by purple awnings. There, on a species of platform, and surrounded by
- the most elegant women, and the noblest lords of Palermo, the beautiful
- Gemma of Castel Nuova was seated, who, anxious to witness the last agony
- of her enemy, had caused her throne to be raised facing the scaffold.
- </p>
- <p>
- The looks of Pascal Bruno and the counters met, and seemed to dart flashes
- of hatred and vengeance: they were still gazing on each other when a
- strange cry arose among the crowd that surrounded the cart. Pascal
- started, and turning quickly to the spot from whence the sound came, his
- features not only resumed their wonted expression of calmness, but a look
- of joy spread over them.
- </p>
- <p>
- At this, instant the procession was again about to move on, when Bruno,
- with a loud voice, exclaimed—
- </p>
- <p>
- “Stop!”
- </p>
- <p>
- The word had a magical effect, the whole of the crowd seemed for an
- instant nailed to the earth, every face was turned to the condemned man,
- and a thousand eager looks were fixed upon him.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What is it you want?” said the executioner,
- </p>
- <p>
- “My confessor,” said Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “The priest is gone,” said the executioner; “you sent him away.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “My usual confessor is the monk on my left hand in the crowd,” said Bruno.
- “I did not want the other; but I wish to confess to this man.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The executioner gave a look of impatience and denial; but at the same
- instant the people, who had heard the request of the condemned man, cried
- out—
- </p>
- <p>
- “The confessor! the confessor!”
- </p>
- <p>
- The executioner was obliged to submit, and the crowd made way for the
- monk: he was a tall young man, of a swarthy complexion, and seemed as if
- he were exhausted by the austerities of the cloister; he went up to the
- cart and climbed into it.
- </p>
- <p>
- At the same instant Bruno fell on his knees—this was a general
- signal; on the pavement, in the street, on the balconies at the windows,
- on the roofs of the houses, every one knelt; all excepting the
- executioner, who remained on horseback, and his assistants, who stood by
- his side. At the same instant the Penitents began to chant the prayers for
- the dying, to conceal by the voices the words of the confession.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I have been long expecting you,” observed Bruno. “I was waiting here for
- you,” replied Ali, for he it was.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I was afraid they would not keep the promise they made me,” said Bruso;
- “and that you would meet the same fate as myself.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “No,” said Ali, “they have kept their promise; I am at liberty.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Listen then,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am attentive,” replied Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “There, on my right hand—” Bruno turned in that direction, for his
- hands were bound, and he had no other means of pointing—“you see a
- balcony covered with gold embroidery.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes,” said Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “On that balcony is a young and beautiful woman, with flowers in her hair—”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I see her,” interrupted Ali; “she is on her knees at prayers like the
- rest.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “That woman,” said Bruno, “is the Countess Gemma, of Castel Nuova.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Beneath whose window I was waiting when you were wounded in the
- shoulder?” asked Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes,” replied Bruno, “that woman is the cause of all my misfortunes; she
- forced me to commit my first crime; she has brought me here!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I should not die in peace if I knew that she would survive me happy and
- honoured,” continued Bruno. “You may die in peace,” said the youth.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Thanks, thanks, Ali!” said Bruno, impressively.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Let me embrace you once more father,” said Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Adieu!” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Farewell for ever!” said Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- The young monk embraced the culprit as a priest is in the habit of doing
- when he gives absolution to the sinner, and he then alighted from the cart
- and mingled with the crowd.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Go on,” said Bruno, imperatively; and the procession again obeyed him, as
- if the speaker had the right to command.
- </p>
- <p>
- Every one arose; Gemma reseated herself, and the procession moved on
- towards the scaffold.
- </p>
- <p>
- When it arrived at the foot of the gibbet, the executioner descended from
- his horse, mounted the scaffold, climbed up the ladder, and fixed his
- blood-coloured flag on the cross-piece above, satisfied himself that the
- cord was well fastened, and threw off his coat that he might have more
- freedom of action.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal immediately sprang out of the cart, thrust aside with his shoulders
- the hangmen’s men, who wished to assist him, rapidly mounted the scaffold,
- and placed himself against the ladder which he had to climb backwards. At
- the same instant, the Penitent who carried the cross placed it in front of
- the bandit, so that he might see it in its dying moments. The Penitents
- who carried the coffin seated themselves upon it, and the troops formed
- themselves into a semicircle round the scaffold, leaving in the centre the
- two bands of Penitents, the executioner, his assistants, and their victim,
- Pascal mounted the ladder, refusing all assistance, with the calmness he
- had hitherto displayed, and as Gemma’s balcony was facing him, it was even
- observed that he cast his eyes in that direction and smiled. At the same
- instant, the executioner passed the cord round his neck, seized him by the
- middle of his body, and cast him off the ladder; he then slipped down the
- cord, and pressed with his whole weight on the shoulders of the culprit,
- while the assistants, clinging to his legs, pulled at the lower part of
- his body; but suddenly the rope broke, not being able to bear the weight
- of four persons, and the whole party, the executioner, his assistants, and
- their victim, were rolling on the scaffold.
- </p>
- <p>
- One man arose before the rest—it was Pascal Bruno, whose hands had
- burst the cords with which they were tied; he stood up in the midst of a
- general silence, having in his right side a knife the executioner had in
- his rage at the accident plunged into it the whole length of its blade.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Wretch!” cried the bandit, addressing the hangman, “you are neither fit
- for an executioner nor a bandit; you can neither hang nor assassinate.”
- </p>
- <p>
- With these words, he drew out the reeking knife from his right side, and
- plunging it into his left side near his heart fell dead.
- </p>
- <p>
- Then there arose a terrific shout and a wild tumult in the crowd, some
- rushed away from the spot, while others attacked the scaffold.
- </p>
- <p>
- The body of the condemned man was carried away by the Penitents, and the
- executioner was nearly torn in pieces by the people.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0012" id="link2HCH0012">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER XII.—CONCLUSION.
- </h2>
- <p>
- The evening after the execution, the Prince of Carini dined with the
- Archbishop of Montreal, while Gemma, who was not admissible into the
- society of the prelate, remained at the Villa Carini.
- </p>
- <p>
- The evening was as delightful as the morning had been. From one of the
- windows of the room which was hung with blue satin, the room in which the
- first scene of our history took place, Alicudi might plainly be seen, and
- behind it, like a vapour floating on the sea, the isles of Filicudi and
- Salina. The other window overlooked a beautiful park, filled with orange
- trees and pomegranates; on the right, might be seen Mount Pellegrino from
- its base to its very summit, and on the left the view extended as far as
- Montreal.
- </p>
- <p>
- The beautiful Countess Gemma, of Castel Nuovo, had remained for some time
- at this window, her eyes fixed on the ancient residence of the Norman
- kings, and seeking in every carriage as it came towards Palermo for the
- equipage of the viceroy. But at length the darkness of the evening
- increased, and distant objects becoming indistinct, she entered her
- chamber and rang for her maid, and, fatigued as she had been by the
- emotions of the day, she retired to rest.
- </p>
- <p>
- It was late before the prince was able to relieve himself from the kind
- attentions of his host, and eleven o’clock struck by the cathedral (built
- by William the Good) before the viceroy’s carriage, drawn by four splendid
- horses, departed at a gallop. Half an hour was sufficient to enable him to
- reach Palermo, and in five minutes afterwards, he had cleared the distance
- between the city and his villa.
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince hastily proceeded to Gemma’s chamber, he attempted to enter the
- door, but it was fastened on the inside: he then went to the secret door
- that opened on the other side of the bed, close to the recess in which
- Gemma reposed. Having opened it softly, that he might not awake the
- charming sleeper, he stood a moment to gaze upon her in the sweet and
- beautiful abandonment of repose.
- </p>
- <p>
- An elaborate lamp, suspended from the ceiling by three strings of pearls,
- was the only light in the room, and its light was arranged in such a
- manner as to prevent its dazzling the eyes of the sleeper. The prince,
- therefore, leaned over the bed that he might see better.
- </p>
- <p>
- Gemma was lying with her chest almost entirely uncovered, and her boa,
- rolled round her neck, contrasted beautifully by its dark colour with the
- whiteness of her skin.
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince for an instant gazed on the enchanting statue, but its want of
- animation soon astonished him; he drew closer, and perceived that a
- strange paleness overspread her features. He bent his ear over her, but
- could not hear her respiration; he seized her hand, it was cold. Then he
- placed his arm beneath the form he loved so well, that he might warm it by
- pressing it to his breast; but he suddenly allowed it again to fall, and
- uttered a cry of anguish and horror. Gemma’s head had fallen from her
- shoulders and rolled upon the carpet.
- </p>
- <p>
- The next morning the yataghan of Ali was found beneath the window!
- </p>
- <p>
- THE END.
- </p>
- <div style="height: 6em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-<pre>
-
-
-
-
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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Sicilian Bandit - From the Volume "Captain Paul" - -Author: Alexandre Dumas, pere - -Release Date: October 29, 2012 [EBook #41224] -Last Updated: November 21, 2016 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SICILIAN BANDIT *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger - - - - - -</pre> - - <div style="height: 8em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h1> - THE SICILIAN BANDIT - </h1> - <h3> - From the Volume “Captain Paul” - </h3> - <p> - <br /> - </p> - <h2> - By Alexandre Dumas, pere - </h2> - <p> - <br /> <br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <br /> <br /> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <big><b>CONTENTS</b></big> - </p> - <p> - <br /> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2HCH0001"> CHAPTER I.—INTRODUCTION—PALERMO. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2HCH0002"> CHAPTER II.—BRUNO AND ALI. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2HCH0003"> CHAPTER III.—THE FATAL BRIDAL. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2HCH0004"> CHAPTER IV.—THE PRINCE AND THE BANDIT. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2HCH0005"> CHAPTER IV.—THE ROBBER’S CASTLE. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2HCH0006"> CHAPTER VI.—A BANDIT’S GRATITUDE. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2HCH0007"> CHAPTER VII.—A BRIGAND’S VENGEANCE. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2HCH0008"> CHAPTER VIII.—-TREACHERY. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2HCH0009"> CHAPTER IX.—THE SIEGE. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2HCH0010"> CHAPTER X.—THE CHAPELLE ARDENTE. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2HCH0011"> CHAPTER XI.—DEATH OF THE BANDIT. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2HCH0012"> CHAPTER XII.—CONCLUSION. </a> - </p> - <p> - <br /> <br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <br /> <br /> <a name="link2HCH0001" id="link2HCH0001"> - <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - CHAPTER I.—INTRODUCTION—PALERMO. - </h2> - <p> - It is with cities as with men—chance presides over their foundation; - and the topographical situation of the first, and the social position of - the latter, exercise a beneficial or an evil influence over their entire - existence. - </p> - <p> - There are noble cities which, in their selfish pride of place, have - refused to permit the erection even of a few humble cottages on the - mountain on which their foundations rested: their domination must be - exclusive and supreme; consequently they have remained as poor as they are - proud. - </p> - <p> - There are villages so humble as to have taken refuge in the recesses of - the valley—have built their farmsteads, mills, and cottages on the - margin of a brook, and, protected by the hills that sheltered them from - heat and cold, have passed an almost unknown and tranquil life, like that - of men without ardour and without ambition—terrified by every sound, - dazzled by every blaze of light, and whose whole happiness consists in - shade and silence. - </p> - <p> - There are, again, others that have commenced their existence as paltry - hamlets on the sea-shore, and which, by degrees, have seen sailing vessels - succeed the simple boat, and noble ships the tiny barque—whose - modest huts have given place to lordly palaces, while the gold of Potosi - and the wealth of the Indies flow into their ample ports. - </p> - <p> - It is for these reasons that we give to cold, inanimate nature epithets - that truly belong to man’s nobility alone. Thus we say, Messina the noble, - Syracuse the faithful, Girgenti the magnificent, Trapani the invincible, - and Palermo the blessed. - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - If ever there was a city predestined to be blessed—that city is - Palermo. Situated beneath a cloudless sky, on a luxuriously fertile plain, - and sheltered by a belt of mountains, in the centre of a picturesquely - beautiful country, its ample ports open to receive the gentle flow of the - azure sea. - </p> - <p> - There is nothing more beautiful than the days at Palermo, except it be the - nights—those eastern nights, so clear and balmy, in which the murmur - of the sea, the rustling of the breeze, and the busy hum of the town seem - like a universal concert of love, during which all created things, from - the wave to the tree, from the tree to man himself, breathe a mysterious - sigh. - </p> - <p> - At times, however, the sea suddenly assumes a livid tint; the wind drops, - the noise of the city is hushed; a few bloodied clouds travel rapidly from - the south to the north; these clouds foretell the coming of the dread - sirocco, that scorching blast, borne in the sands of Libya and carried to - Europe by the southerly gales: immediately everything animate droops and - becomes oppressed and suffering, and the whole island feels as when Etna - threatens. Animals and men alike seek shelter, and when they have found - it, they crouch in breathless fear, for the blast has taken away all - courage, paralysed the strength, and deadened every faculty; and this - lasts until a purer air from the Calabrian hills restores the strength and - appears to renew their existence, and on the morrow all again is pleasure - and mirth. - </p> - <p> - It was the evening of the month of September, 1803, when the sirocco had - lasted throughout the entire day; but at sunset the sky became clear, the - sea resumed its azure tint, and a few blasts of cool air blew over the - Liparian Archipelago. This atmospheric change had such an influence on all - animated beings, that they gradually revived from their state of torpor, - and you might have imagined you were present at a second creation, the - more so from the fact of Palermo being, as we have already said, a perfect - garden of Eden. - </p> - <p> - Among all the daughters of Eve who, in the paradise they inhabit, make - love their principal occupation, there was one who will play a very - important part in the course of this history. That we may direct the - attention of our readers to her, and to the place in which she dwelt, let - them leave Palermo by the San-Georgio gate along with us, leaving the - castle of St Mark on the right, and, reaching the Mole, they will follow - the course of the sea-shore for some distance, and stop before the - delightful villa of the Prince of Carini, the Viceroy of Sicily under - Ferdinand the Fourth, who had just returned from Naples to take up his - abode in it. - </p> - <p> - On the first floor of this elegant villa, in a chamber tapestried with - azure-blue silk, the ceiling of which was ornamented with fresco painting, - a female, simply attired in a snow-white morning dress, was reclining on a - sofa, her arms hung listlessly, her head was thrown back, and her hair - dishevelled; for an instant she might have been taken for a marble statue, - but a gentle tremor ran through her frame, colour gradually came to her - cheeks, her eyes began to open, the beautiful statue became animated, - sighed, stretched out its hand to a little silver bell placed on a table - of peliminta marble, rang it lazily, and, as if fatigued with the effort - she had made, fell back again on the sofa. - </p> - <p> - The silvery sound, however, had been heard, the door opened, and a young - and pretty waiting-maid, whose disordered toilet declared that she, as - well as her mistress, had felt the influence of the African wind, appeared - on the threshold. - </p> - <p> - “Is it you, Teresa?” said her mistress, languidly, and turning her head. - “It is enough to kill one: is the sirocco still blowing?” - </p> - <p> - “No, signora, it has quite passed over, and we begin to breathe again.” - </p> - <p> - “Bring me some iced fruit, and let me have a little air.” - </p> - <p> - Teresa obeyed these orders with as much promptitude as the remains of her - languor would allow; she placed the refreshments on the table, and opened - the window that looked out on the sea. - </p> - <p> - “Look, madame la comtesse,” she said, “we shall have a magnificent day - to-morrow; and the air is so clear that you can plainly see the island of - Alicari, although the day is drawing to a close.” - </p> - <p> - “Yes, yes, the air is refreshing; give me your arm, Teresa; I will try if - I can drag myself as far as the window.” - </p> - <p> - The attendant approached her mistress, who replaced on the table the - refreshment her lips had scarcely touched, and, resting on Teresa’s - shoulder, walked languidly towards the balcony. - </p> - <p> - “How this delightful breeze revives one,” she observed, as she inhaled the - evening air; “bring me my chair, and open the other window that looks into - the garden,—that will do. Has the prince returned from Montreal?” - </p> - <p> - “Not yet, my lady,” replied Teresa. - </p> - <p> - “So much the better; I would not have him see me in this wretched state, - so pale and weak: I must look dreadfully.” - </p> - <p> - “Madame la comtesse never looked more beautiful than at this moment, and I - am certain that in the whole city we see from this window, there is not a - woman who would not be jealous of your ladyship.” - </p> - <p> - “Do you include the Marchioness of Rudini and the Princess of Butera?” - </p> - <p> - “I except no one,” replied the attendant. - </p> - <p> - “Ah, I see the prince has been bribing you to flatter me, Teresa.” - </p> - <p> - “I assure you, madame, I only tell you what I think.” - </p> - <p> - “Oh, what a delightful place Palermo is!” said the countess, taking a deep - inspiration. - </p> - <p> - “Especially when one is two-and-twenty years of age, and rich and - beautiful,” continued Teresa, smiling. - </p> - <p> - “You have but completed my thoughts, and on that account I wish to see - every one about me cheerful and happy. When is your marriage to take - place, Teresa?” Teresa made no answer. “Is not Sunday the day fixed upon?” - continued the countess. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, signora,” answered her attendant with a sigh. - </p> - <p> - “Why do you sigh? Have you not made up your mind?” - </p> - <p> - “Oh, yes, certainly.” - </p> - <p> - “Have you any dislike to the marriage!” - </p> - <p> - “No; I believe Gaetano is a good lad, and that he will make me happy. - Besides, this marriage will enable me to remain with madame la comtesse, - and that is my most earnest wish.” - </p> - <p> - “Then why did you sigh?” - </p> - <p> - “Pray pardon me, my lady, but I was thinking of our native country.” - </p> - <p> - “Our native country!” echoed the countess. - </p> - <p> - “Yes; madame la comtesse may remember, while at Palermo, that she had left - a foster sister at the village of which her father was the signor; and - when she wrote for me to come to her, I was about to be married to a young - man belonging to Bauso.” - </p> - <p> - “Why did you not tell me of that? The prince, at my recommendation, would - have taken him into his service.” - </p> - <p> - “Oh, he would not become a <i>servant</i>,” said Teresa; “he was too proud - for that.” - </p> - <p> - “Indeed!” said the countess. - </p> - <p> - “Yes; he had before then refused the situation of shepherd to the Prince - of Goto.” - </p> - <p> - “He was a gentleman, then, this young man?” - </p> - <p> - “No, madame la comtesse; he was but a simple mountaineer,” said Teresa, in - a melancholy tone. - </p> - <p> - “What was his name?” - </p> - <p> - “Oh, I do not think that your ladyship would recollect it,” said Teresa, - eagerly. - </p> - <p> - “And do you then regret his loss?” - </p> - <p> - “I cannot tell; I only know that if I were to become his wife instead of - Gaetano’s, I should be obliged to work for my living; and that would be a - laborious task for me, after leading so easy and pleasant a life under - madame la comtesse.” - </p> - <p> - “And yet, Teresa, is it not true that people accuse me of pride and - violence?” asked the countess. - </p> - <p> - “Madame is very good to me, that is all I can say,” replied Teresa. - </p> - <p> - “The nobles of Palermo say so, because the Counts of Castel Nuovo were - ennobled by Charles the Fifth, while the Ventimillas and the Partanas - descend, as they pretend, from Tancred and Rogero: but that is not the - reason the women hate me; they conceal their hatred under the cloak of - disdain, and they neglect me because Rodolpho loves me, and they are - jealous of the viceroy’s love; they do all they can to seduce him from me; - but they will never succeed, for my beauty is greater than theirs—Carini - tells me so every day, and so do you, story-teller.” - </p> - <p> - “You have here a greater flatterer than either his excellency or myself,” - said Teresa, archly. - </p> - <p> - “Who is that?” asked the countess. - </p> - <p> - “The countess’s mirror.” - </p> - <p> - “Foolish girl!” said the countess, with a gratified smile. “There, go and - light the tapers of the Psyche.” The attendant obeyed her mistress’s - orders. “Now shut that window, and leave me; there will be sufficient air - from the garden.” - </p> - <p> - Teresa obeyed, and left the room. Scarcely did the countess perceive that - she was gone, than she seated herself before the Psyche, and smiled as she - looked at and admired herself in the glass. - </p> - <p> - A wonderful creature was the Countess Emma, or rather Gemma, for, from her - very infancy, her parents had added a G to her baptismal name; and, on - account of this addition, she called herself <i>Diamond</i>. She was - certainly wrong in confining her origin to the signature of Charles the - Fifth, for in her slight and pliant form, you might recognise an Ionian - origin; in her black and expressive eyes, a descendant of the Arabs; and - in her fair and vermilion skin, a daughter of Gaul. She could equally - boast of her descent from an Athenian archon, a Saracen emir, and a Norman - chieftain; she was one of those beauties that in the first instance were - found in Sicily alone, at a later time in one town alone in the world—Arles. - So that, instead, of calling the artifices of the toilet to her - assistance, as she intended in the first instance, Gemma found herself - more charming in her partial dishabille. - </p> - <p> - The glass, being placed before the window that was left open, reflected - the sky from its surface, and Gemma, without intention or thought, wrapt - herself up in a vague and delicious pleasure, counting in the glass the - images of the stars as they each appeared in their turn, and giving them - names as they successively appeared in the heavens. - </p> - <p> - Suddenly it appeared as if a rising shadow placed itself before the stars, - and that a face appeared behind her; she turned herself quickly round and - beheld a man standing at the window. Gemma rose and opened her mouth with - the intention of screaming for assistance, when the stranger, springing - into the chamber, clasped his hands, and said in supplicating accents— - </p> - <p> - “In the name of heaven do not call out, madame! for on my honour, you have - nothing to fear: I will do you no harm.” - </p> - <p> - Gemma fell back into her chair, and the apparition and words of the - stranger were succeeded by a moment’s silence, during which she had time - to cast a rapid glance at the person who had introduced himself into her - room in this extraordinary manner. - </p> - <p> - He was a young man, some twenty-five or twenty-six years of age, and - appeared to belong to the ranks of the people; he wore a Calabrian hat, - round which a piece of velvet was tied, the ends of which fell loosely on - his shoulders, a velvet vest with silver buttons, breeches of the same - material, and ornamented in a similar manner; round his waist he wore a - red silk belt with green fringe; shoes and leather gaiters completed his - costume, which appeared to have been selected to set off his fine figure - to advantage. His features possessed a kind of savage beauty, his look was - bold and proud, his beard black, his teeth sharp and white, and his nose - aquiline. - </p> - <p> - For a certainty, Gemma was not a whit the more easy by her examination, - for the stranger, when he saw her stretch out her hand towards the table, - as if to take hold of the silver bell, said— - </p> - <p> - “Did you not hear me, madame?” giving his voice that gentle expression so - peculiar to the Sicilian dialect. “I wish you no harm—far from it. - If you will grant me the request I am about to make, I will adore you as - if you were a Madonna. You are already as beautiful; be as good as one.” - </p> - <p> - “But what is it you require?” said Gemma, her voice still trembling; “and - why did you come here in this manner, and at such an hour?” - </p> - <p> - “Had I requested the favour of an interview with one so noble, so rich, - and so much loved by a man who is almost a king, is it probable that you - would have granted it to me, so poor and unknown? Tell me, madame. But - even if you had been so condescending, you might have delayed your answer, - and I have no time to wait.” - </p> - <p> - “What, then, can I do for you?” said Gemma, recovering herself by degrees. - </p> - <p> - “Everything, madame; for you hold in your hands my despair or my happiness—my - death or my life.” - </p> - <p> - “I do not understand you; explain yourself,” faltered out the countess. - </p> - <p> - “You have,” said the stranger, “a young woman from Bauso in your service.” - </p> - <p> - “Teresa?” asked the countess. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, Teresa,” replied the young man in trembling accents. “Now, this - young woman is to be married to a valet de chambre of the Prince de - Carini, and she is betrothed to me.” - </p> - <p> - “Ah! it is you, then?” said the countess. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, it was I she was about to marry when she received your letter - desiring her to come to you. She promised to remain faithful to me—to - mention me to you, and if you refused her request, she pledged her word to - return to me. I continued to expect her; but three years passed by, and - yet I saw her not; and as she has not returned to me, I have come to seek - her. On my arrival I learnt all, and then I thought I would throw myself - on my knees before you, and ask Teresa of you.” - </p> - <p> - “Teresa is a girl I am partial to,” said the countess, “and I do not wish - her to leave me. Gaetano is the prince’s valet de chambre, and by marrying - him she will still remain near me.” - </p> - <p> - “If that is one of the conditions, I will enter the prince’s service,” - said the young man, evidently suppressing his feelings. - </p> - <p> - “But Teresa told me you would not enter into service.” - </p> - <p> - “That is true,” replied the stranger; “but if it is necessary, I will make - any sacrifice for her; only, if it were possible, I would be one of the - huntsmen rather than a domestic servant.” - </p> - <p> - “Well,” said the countess, “I will speak of it to the prince, and if he - consents—” - </p> - <p> - “The prince will do all that you wish, madame,” interrupted the young man. - “You do not ask, you order; I know that well.” - </p> - <p> - “But what guarantee have I for your good conduct?” asked the countess. - </p> - <p> - “My eternal gratitude, madame,” said the young man. - </p> - <p> - “Still I must know who you are,” said the countess. - </p> - <p> - “I am a man,” said the stranger, “whom you can make miserable or happy; - that is the sum of all.” - </p> - <p> - “The prince will ask me your name,” said the countess. - </p> - <p> - “What is my name to him?” asked the stranger. “Is he acquainted with it? - Has the name of a poor peasant of Bauso ever reached the prince’s ears?” - </p> - <p> - “But I belong to the same country as yourself,” said the countess; “my - father was Count of Castel Nuovo, and lived in a little fortress a quarter - of a league from the village.” - </p> - <p> - “I know it, madame,” said the young man, in a low hoarse voice. - </p> - <p> - “Well, I ought to know your name,” said the countess. “Tell me, then, and - I will see what I can do for you.” - </p> - <p> - “Believe me, madame la comtesse,” said the stranger, “it would be better - for you to remain ignorant of it. What does my name signify? I am an - honest man. I would make Teresa happy; and if it were necessary, I would - sacrifice my life for you or the prince.” - </p> - <p> - “Your obstinacy is very strange,” said the countess, “and I have a greater - desire to know your name than ever, for when I asked Teresa what it was, - she, like you, refused to tell me. In the meantime, I warn you that I will - not consent to your wishes except on that condition.” - </p> - <p> - “You wish to know it then, madame?” - </p> - <p> - “I insist upon it!” said the countess. - </p> - <p> - “For the last time,” said the stranger, “I beg, I implore you, not to - insist upon it.” - </p> - <p> - “Either name it,” said the countess, in an imperative tone, “or leave me.” - </p> - <p> - “I am called Pascal Bruno,” said the young man, in so calm a voice that - you might have imagined every emotion had passed away if the paleness of - his features had not been evidence of the internal struggle. - </p> - <p> - “<i>Pascal Bruno!</i>” cried the countess, drawing back in her chair in - terror. “<i>Pascal Bruno!</i> You, the son of Antonio Bruno, whose head is - placed in an iron cage at the Château de Bauso?” - </p> - <p> - “I am his son,” coolly replied the young man. - </p> - <p> - “And do you not know,” asked the countess, “why your father’s head is - placed there? Speak!” Pascal remained silent. “Well,” continued the - countess, “it was because <i>your</i> father attempted to assassinate <i>mine</i>.” - </p> - <p> - “I know all that, madame,” replied Pascal, calmly; “and I know, besides, - that when you, then a child, was taken into the village, your attendants - showed you that head, and told you it was my father’s head; but they did - not tell you, madame, that <i>your</i> father dishonoured <i>mine</i>.” - </p> - <p> - “Thou liest!” passionately exclaimed the countess. - </p> - <p> - “May God punish me if I tell not the truth. Madame, my mother was - beautiful and virtuous; your father, the count, became enamoured of her: - but she resisted all his importunities, all his promises, and all his - threats; but one day, when my father had gone to Taormina, the count - caused her to be carried off by four men, taken to a small house that - belonged to him between Limero and Furnari (it is now a tavern), and there—madame—he - violated her!” - </p> - <p> - “The count was lord and master of the village of Bauso,” said Gemma, - proudly. “Both the property and the persons of its inhabitants belonged to - him, and he did your mother much honour by admiring her.” - </p> - <p> - “My father did not think so it appears,” said Pascal, knitting his brow. - “That, perhaps, was because he was born at Stilla, on the lands of the - Prince de Moncada Paterno; and on that account he struck the count. The - wound was not mortal; so much the better. For a long time I deeply - regretted it; but now, to my shame, I congratulate myself on it.” - </p> - <p> - “If my memory be correct,” said the countess, “not only was your father - put to death as murderer, but your uncles are still at the galleys.” - </p> - <p> - “Your memory is good,” said Pascal. “My uncles gave an asylum to the - assassin, and defended him when the officers came to arrest him: they - were, therefore, looked upon as accomplices, and sent, my uncle Placido, - to Favignana; my uncle Pietro, to Lipari; and my uncle Pépe, to Vulcano. - As for myself, I was too young; and, although I was arrested, they gave me - up again to my mother.” - </p> - <p> - “And what became of your mother?” asked Gemma. - </p> - <p> - “She died,” said Pascal, mournfully. - </p> - <p> - “Where?” asked Gemma. - </p> - <p> - “In the mountains between Pizzo di Goto and Nisi,” replied Pascal. - </p> - <p> - “Why did she leave Bauso?” inquired the countess. - </p> - <p> - “That every time we passed the castle,” said Pascal, “she might not see - the head of her husband, nor I that of my father! Yes, she died without a - physician, without a priest—she was buried in unholy ground, and I - dug her grave. There, madame—you will pardon me, I trust—over - the newly-turned earth I swore to avenge the wrongs of my family—of - whom I, alone, remain—upon <i>you</i>, the only survivor of the - family of the count. But I became enamoured of Teresa, and I left the - mountains that I might not see my mother’s grave, towards which I felt - myself perjured. I came down to the plain, and went to Bauso. I did more - than that, for when I knew that Teresa had left the village to enter your - service, I thought of entering that of the count. For a long time I felt - repugnant at the idea; but my love for Teresa overcame every other feeling. - I made up my mind to see you—I have seen you; here am I, without - arms, and a suppliant before you, madame—before whom I ought only to - appear as an enemy.” - </p> - <p> - “You must perceive,” said Gemma, “the prince cannot take into his service - the son of a man who was hanged, and whose uncles are at the galleys.” - </p> - <p> - “Why not, madame?” asked Bruno, “if that man consents to forget that those - punishments were unjustly inflicted?” - </p> - <p> - “Are you mad?” said the countess. - </p> - <p> - “Madame la comtesse,” said Pascal, “you know what an oath is to a - mountaineer. Well, I have broken my oath. You also know the vengeance of a - Sicilian. Well, I will renounce my vengeance and forget my oath. I ask - only that all may be forgotten, and that you will not force me to remember - it?” - </p> - <p> - “But if you should,” said the countess, “how would you act?” - </p> - <p> - “I do not wish to think upon the subject.” - </p> - <p> - “Then we must take our measures accordingly,” said the countess. - </p> - <p> - “I beg of you, madame la comtesse,” said Pascal, “to have pity on me; you - see that I am doing all that I can to remain an honest man. Once engaged - by the prince—once Teresa’s husband, I can answer for myself: - otherwise I shall never return to Bauso.” - </p> - <p> - “It is impossible to do as you desire,” said the countess, decidedly. - </p> - <p> - “Countess,” said Pascal, earnestly, “you have loved?” Gemma smiled - disdainfully. “You must know what jealousy is—you must know its - sufferings, its maddening tortures. Well, I love Teresa—I am jealous - of her; and I feel I should lose my senses if this marriage take place; - and then—” - </p> - <p> - “Well, then—” said Gemma, in an agitated tone. - </p> - <p> - “Then, take heed’ I do not remember the galleys where my uncles are, the - cage in which my father’s head is placed, and the grave where my mother - sleeps!” At this instant a strange cry, which seemed to be a signal, was - heard outside the window, and almost at the same instant a bell was rung. - </p> - <p> - “There is the prince,” said Gemma, regaining her confidence. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, yes—I know it,” mattered Pascal; “but before he passes through - yonder door, you have time to say ‘yes.’ I implore you, madame, to grant - me what I ask. Give me Teresa—place me in the prince’s service!” - </p> - <p> - “Let me pass,” said Gemma, imperiously, and advanced towards the door; but - instead of obeying this order, Bruno sprang to the door and bolted it. - “Would you dare to stop me?” cried Gemma, taking hold of the bell. “Help! - help!” - </p> - <p> - “Do not call out, madame,” said Bruno, still mastering his feelings, “for - I have told you I will do you no harm.” - </p> - <p> - A second cry, resembling the first, was heard outside the window. - </p> - <p> - “It is well—well, Ali; you watch faithfully, my boy,” said Bruno. - “Yes, I know the count has arrived; I hear him in the corridor. Madame, - madame! an instant longer remains for you; one second, and all the - misfortunes I foresee may be avoided.” - </p> - <p> - “Help, Rodolpho! Help!” screamed Gemma. - </p> - <p> - “You have, then neither heart, nor soul, nor pity, either for yourself or - others,” cried Bruno plunging his hands in his hair and looking at the - door, which was being violently shaken. - </p> - <p> - “I am fastened in!” cired the countess, who felt fresh courage from the - assistance which had arrived; “fastened in with a man who is threatening - my life. Help! help! Rodolpho, help!” - </p> - <p> - “I do not threaten you,” said Pascal, “I am entreating you—I entreat - you still; but since you will—” Bruno, uttering a yell like that of - a tiger, sprang upon Gemma, no doubt with the intention of strangling her, - for (as we have said) he had no arms. At the same instant a small door, - concealed at the extremity of the alcove, opened, the report of a pistol - was heard, the room was filled with smoke, and Gemma fainted: when she - recovered her senses she was in the prince’s arms. - </p> - <p> - “Where is he? where is he?” she cried, in a terrified accent, and looking - around her. - </p> - <p> - “I cannot tell; I suppose I must have missed him,” answered the prince; - “for, while I was stepping over the bed, he leaped out of the window; and, - as I saw you insensible, I did not trouble myself about him—I - thought only of you; I must have missed him, and yet it is strange I do - not see the mark of the ball in the hangings.” - </p> - <p> - “Let them run after him,” said Gemma: “show no mercy, no pity, to that - man, my lord, for he was a robber, who would have assassinated me.” - </p> - <p> - They searched the villa during the whole night, the gardens, and the - shore, but without avail—Pascal Bruno had disappeared. - </p> - <p> - The next day a track of blood was discovered, which began at the foot of - the window from which he had leaped and was lost on the sea-shore. - </p> - <p> - <a name="link2HCH0002" id="link2HCH0002"> - <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - CHAPTER II.—BRUNO AND ALI. - </h2> - <p> - At daybreak the following morning, the fishermen’s boats left the port as - usual and dispersed themselves over the sea. In the meantime, one of their - little fleet, having on board a man, and a boy of twelve or fourteen years - of age, stopped when it came within sight of Palermo, and lowering its - sail, brought to; but as this motionless state, at a spot little - favourable for fishing, might have attracted suspicion, the boy occupied - himself in mending his nets. As to the man, he was lying at the bottom of - the boat, his head resting on the side, and he appeared to be plunged in a - deep reverie, still, as if mechanically, he took up the sea-water with his - right hand, and poured it over his left shoulder, which was bound up with - a bandage stained with blood. - </p> - <p> - The man was Pascal Bruno, and the boy the same who, placed beneath the - countess’s window, had twice given him the signal for flight: at first - sight, you could see that he was a native of a more ardent clime than that - in which the events we record took place. He was born on the coast of - Africa, and it was in the following manner that Pascal Bruno became - acquainted with him:— - </p> - <p> - About a year before the occurrence of the events we have just narrated, a - party of Algerine pirates, having learned that the Prince of Moncana - Paterno, one of the richest noblemen in Sicily, was returning in a small - vessel from Pantelleria to Catana with an escort of a dozen men only, lay - in ambush behind the island of Porri, distant about two miles from the - coast. The prince’s vessel, as the pirates had foreseen, passed between - the island and the shore, but the instant it entered the narrow strait, - the pirates left the creek in which they had been concealed with three - vessels and rowed forward to attack their expected prize, the prince. The - latter, however, immediately perceiving the imminence of his danger, - ordered his crew to turn the boat’s head towards the shore, and run her - aground on the beach at Furella. They did not succeed in reaching the - point desired, but the place where the boat grounded had only about three - feet of water, and the pirates were close upon them. The prince and his - followers leaped into the sea, holding their arms above their heads, - trusting to be able to reach a village they saw at some half a league - distance without being obliged to employ them. But they had scarcely - disembarked, when another party of the pirates who, having foreseen this - manouvre, had rowed one of the boats as high as Bufaidone, issued from the - reeds through which the river flowed, and cut off the retreat of the - prince. - </p> - <p> - The attack immediately began, but while the followers of the prince were - engaged with the first party, the second came up, and all resistance - becoming evidently useless, the prince surrendered, asking for his life, - and promising to ransom himself and all his followers. Immediately after - the prisoners had laid down their arms, a party of countrymen were seen - approaching, armed with muskets and pitchforks, and the pirates, having - made themselves masters of the prince’s person, the only object they had - in view, did not think it worth while waiting for the arrival of the - countrymen, but took to their boats in such haste as to leave behind them - three of their men, whom they believed were either dead or mortally - wounded. - </p> - <p> - Among those who had hastened to the scene of conflict, was Pascal Bruno, - whose wandering life led him sometimes to one place and sometimes to - another, his disturbed mind leading him into every kind of adventurous - enterprise. When the countrymen reached the beach where the struggle had - taken place, they found one of the Prince of Paterno’s domestics dead, - another slightly wounded in the thigh, and three of the pirates bathed in - their blood, but still breathing. Two blows from the butt-end of a musket - soon made an end of two of the number, and a pistol-ball was about to send - the third to join his comrades, when Bruno perceiving it was a boy, turned - the arm that held the pistol on one side, and declared that he would take - the wounded lad under his own protection. - </p> - <p> - There were a few remonstrances against this ill-timed pity as it was - called, but when Bruno had said a thing, he maintained what he had said; - accordingly, he cocked his carbine, and declared that he would blow out - the brains of the first man who should approach his <i>protégé</i>, and as - they knew him to be a man who would not hesitate an instant in putting his - threat into execution, they allowed him to take the boy in his arms and go - off with him. Bruno proceeded to the shore, and entered the boat in which - he performed his adventurous excursions, whose qualities he knew so well - that it seemed to obey him like a well-tutored horse, and spreading his - sail, he steered towards Cape Aliga Grande. - </p> - <p> - As soon as he saw that the boat was in the right course, and that it no - longer needed a steersman, he attended to the wounded boy, who was still - insensible: he took off the white bournouse in which he was dressed, - loosened the belt to which his yataghan was still attached, and perceived - by the rays of the setting sun the situation of the wound. Upon - examination, he discovered that a musket-ball had entered between the - right hip and the false ribs, and gone out near the spine: the wound was - dangerous, but it was not mortal. - </p> - <p> - The evening breeze, and the cool sensation produced by the sea-water with - which Bruno washed the wound, recalled the boy to his senses, and he - uttered a few words in a foreign language, but without opening his eyes. - Bruno, however, knowing that a wound caused by fire-arms produced a - burning thirst, guessed that he was asking for drink, and he placed a - bottle of water to his lips. The boy drank greedily, uttered a few - inarticulate sounds, and fell back in a fainting fit. - </p> - <p> - Pascal laid him down as gently as he could at the bottom of the boat, and, - uncovering the wound, he continued, unceasingly, to apply to it his - handkerchief dipped in the sea—a remedy considered infallible in the - case of wounds by every seafaring man in the Mediterranean. - </p> - <p> - At length our navigators found themselves at the mouth of the Ragusa, and - the wind setting in from the African coast. Pascal with little difficulty - directed his bark into the stream; and leaving Modica to the right, he - passed the bridge that is thrown across the high-road from Noto to - Chiaramonti. - </p> - <p> - He went about half a league further, but there the river became no longer - navigable; he drew his boat up among the shrubs that grew by the side of - the stream, and taking the boy in his arms, he carried him inland. He soon - reached the entrance to a valley, into which he descended, and presently - came to a spot where the mountain was perpendicular, the smoother side of - which was pierced in various places; for in this valley were to be seen - the remains of the habitations of the dwellers in caves, the first - occupants of the country, and who were afterwards civilised by the Greeks. - </p> - <p> - Bruno entered one of these caverns, which communicated by means of a few - steps with an upper story, to which the air was admitted through a small, - square hole that answered the purpose of a window. A bed of rushes was - heaped up in the corner, and on this he spread out the boy’s bournouse; - and then having lighted a branch of fir, he fixed it in the wall, and - seating himself on a stone near the bed, he waited until his <i>protégé</i> - recovered his senses. - </p> - <p> - This was not the first visit Bruno had paid to this retreat, for often - during his travels across the island without any object in view, but - merely for the sake of passing away his solitary time, he had entered that - valley, and rested in that chamber which had been excavated in the rock - three thousand years before. Here it was that he gave himself up to vague - and incoherent reveries, so habitual to imaginative but uninstructed - minds. - </p> - <p> - He knew that a race of men had disappeared from the earth which in former - times excavated these retreats; and, deeply tinged with the popular - superstition, he believed, like all the inhabitants of the locality, that - these men were enchanters and dealers in witchcraft; but this belief, far - from driving him from these wild and terror-inspiring places, irresistibly - attracted him to them; for in his youth he had heard numbers of tales - related of enchanted guns, invulnerable men, and invisible travellers; and - his fearless mind, delighting in the marvellous and the terrible, had but - one engrossing desire, that of meeting with some mysterious being, some - sorcerer, enchanter, or demon who, by means of an infernal compact, would - endow him with some supernatural power, and make him superior to the rest - of mankind. But he had vainly invoked the shades of the ancient - inhabitants of the valley of Modica; no supernatural appearances had - visited him, and Pascal Bruno remained, to his great regret, a man like - other men, with the exception of a degree of strength and skill for which - no other mountaineer could be compared with him. - </p> - <p> - Bruno had been wholly absorbed in one of these visionary reveries for - nearly an hour beside the bed of the wounded lad, when the latter awoke - from a species of lethargy into which he had been plunged, opened his - eyes, looked round him with a wandering gaze, and at last fixed his eyes - upon the man who had saved him, but unconscious whether he saw in him a - friend or an enemy. During this examination, and by an indefinite instinct - of self-defence, he put his hand to his waist In search of his faithful - yataghan; but not finding it there, he heaved a deep sigh, and again - closed his eyes. - </p> - <p> - “Are you in pain?” said Bruno to him, making use of the Lingua Franca, a - language so well understood on the coast of the Mediterranean, from - Marseilles to Alexandria, from Constantinople to Algiers, and by means of - which you may travel over the whole of the old world. - </p> - <p> - “Who are you?” asked the boy. - </p> - <p> - “A friend,” replied Pascal. - </p> - <p> - “I am not a prisoner then?” said the boy. - </p> - <p> - “No,” answered Pascal. - </p> - <p> - “Then how came I here?” asked the boy. - </p> - <p> - Pascal told him all that had happened; to which the boy listened - attentively, and when he had finished his tale, he fixed his eyes - gratefully upon Pascal, and said, “Then, since you have saved my life, you - will be a father to me?” - </p> - <p> - “Yes,” said Bruno, “I will.” - </p> - <p> - “Father,” said the wounded boy, “thy son’s name is Ali; what is yours?” - </p> - <p> - “Pascal Bruno.” - </p> - <p> - “May Allah protect thee,” said the lad. - </p> - <p> - “Are you in want of anything?” asked Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, water,” said the boy; “I am thirsty.” - </p> - <p> - Pascal took up an earthen vessel concealed in a hole in the rock, and went - to a spring that flowed near the cave; on going up again he cast his eyes - on the boy’s yataghan, which he had made no attempt to draw nearer to him. - Ali greedily seized the cup, and drank off the water at a draught. - </p> - <p> - “May Allah grant you as many happy years as there were drops of water in - this cup,” said the boy, as he gave it back to Pascal. - </p> - <p> - “You are a good creature,” murmured Bruno; “make haste and get well, and - you shall, if you wish go back to Africa.” - </p> - <p> - The boy recovered from his wound, but continued to remain in Sicily, for - he became so much attached to Bruno that he would not leave him. Since - that time, he had always remained with him, accompanying him in his - hunting excursions over the mountains; assisting him in the management of - his boat, and ready to sacrifice his life at a sign from the man he called - his father. - </p> - <p> - On the previous evening, he had accompanied Pascal to the villa of the - Prince de Carini, and waited for him beneath the windows during the - interview with Gemma; and he it was who had twice given the signal of - alarm; the first time, when the prince rang the bell at the gate, and - again, when he entered the château. He was just about to climb into the - window to render Bruno assistance when the latter sprang out; he followed - him in his flight, and when they reached the shore, they both of them got - into their boat which was awaiting them, and as they could not have put to - sea in the evening without creating suspicion, they were content to remain - among the fishing-boats that waited for the break of day, in order that - they might put to sea. - </p> - <p> - During the night Ali, in his turn, returned to Pascal the attentions he - had received under similar circumstances, for the Prince of Carini had - taken a good aim, and the ball he had vainly searched for in the hangings - had almost passed through Bruno’s shoulder, so that Ali had but to make a - slight incision with his yataghan to extract it from the side opposite to - that at which it entered. All this took place without the interference of - Bruno who appeared scarcely to pay any attention to the circumstance, and - the only care he bestowed on his wound was, as we have already said, to - moisten it, from time to time, with sea-water, while the boy appeared to - be busy mending his nets. - </p> - <p> - “Father,” said Ali, suddenly interrupting himself in his pretended - occupation, “look towards the shore.” - </p> - <p> - “Well, what is it?” said Pascal. - </p> - <p> - “A number of people?”. replied Ali. - </p> - <p> - “Where?” asked Pascal. - </p> - <p> - “Yonder, on the road leading to the church,” replied Ali. - </p> - <p> - In fact, a considerable crowd of people were passing along the winding - road that led to the church. Bruno saw that it was a marriage procession - on its way to the chapel of St. Rosalie. - </p> - <p> - “Direct the boat’s head to the shore, and row quickly,” he cried, starting - up and standing in the boat. - </p> - <p> - The boy obeyed, seized the oars, and the little vessel seemed to fly over - the surface of the sea; the nearer they approached the shore the more - terrible the features of Bruno became: at length, when they were within - half a mile of the land, he cried out, in an accent of deep despair— - </p> - <p> - “It is Teresa! They have hurried on the ceremony; they would not wait - until Sunday for fear I should have carried her off. God knows, I have - done all in my power to bring this affair to a happy conclusion—but - they would not have it, so woe betide them!” - </p> - <p> - At these words, Bruno, assisted by Ali, hoisted the sail of his little - bark, which, doubling Mount Pellegrino, disappeared at the end of two - hours behind Cape Gollo. - </p> - <p> - <a name="link2HCH0003" id="link2HCH0003"> - <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - CHAPTER III.—THE FATAL BRIDAL. - </h2> - <p> - Pascal was not deceived in his conjectures: the countess, afraid of some - attempt on the part of Bruno, had hurried on the marriage three days - before the appointed time without informing Teresa of her interview with - her old lover; and the young people had selected the chapel of St. - Rosalie, the patroness of Palermo, for the celebration of the ceremony. - </p> - <p> - This was another of the characteristics of Palermo, that city of love; it - had placed itself under the protection of a young and pretty saint! Thus, - St. Rosalie was at Palermo what St. Januarius is at Naples, the omnipotent - distributor of the blessings of heaven; but superior to St. Januarius, as - she was of a royal French race, being descended from Charlemagne; this was - proved by her genealogical tree, painted above the door on the exterior of - the chapel; a tree whose trunk issues from the breast of the conqueror of - Vitikind, and after dividing into many branches, it reunites at the summit - to give birth to the Prince of Sinebaldo, the father of St. Rosalie; but - her noble birth, the riches of her house and her own beauty had no effect - on the young princess; at the age of eighteen she quitted the court, and, - bent upon living a life of contemplation, she suddenly disappeared, and no - one knew what had become of her; it was only after her death that she was - found, as beautiful and perfect as if she still lived, in the grotto in - which she had taken up her abode, and in the attitude in which she had - fallen asleep. In after times, a chapel was erected over this grotto, and - in this chapel Teresa and Gaetano were married. - </p> - <p> - The ceremony having concluded, the marriage procession returned to - Palermo, where vehicles were in readiness to take the guests to the - village of Carini, the princely fief from which Rodolpho took his title; - there, by the care of the countess, a magnificent repast was prepared. The - country people in the neighbourhood had been invited, and they had flocked - to the feast from four or five leagues round. The tables were arranged on - an esplanade, shaded by the foliage of green oaks and parasol-like firs, - perfumed by orange and lemon trees, and surrounded by hedges of - pomegranate and Indian fig-trees—a double blessing bestowed by - Providence, who, providing for the hunger and thirst of the poor, has - planted these fruitful trees like so much manna over the whole surface of - Sicily. - </p> - <p> - This esplanade was reached by a road, the sides of which were planted with - aloes, whose giant blossoms, seen from a distance, resembled the lances of - Arab horsemen; while to the south, the view was bounded by the palace. - Above the terrace, from which the chain of mountains rises that separate - the island into three parts—the eastern, northern, and western—at - the extremity of these three valleys, the magnificent Sicilian sea was - seen in three places; and, by its varying tints, it might have been taken - for three distinct oceans; for, on account of the varied light produced by - the sun just beginning to disappear in the horizon, on the side of Palermo - it was an azure blue, round the Isoladette Donne it rolled its silvery - waves, while it fell in golden streams against the rocks of St. Vito. - </p> - <p> - When the dessert was served, and while the guests were at the height of - their joy, the gates of the château opened, and Gemma, leaning on the - prince’s arm, preceded by two servants carrying torches, and followed by a - host of attendants, came down the marble staircase of the villa and went - up to the esplanade. The peasants were about to rise, but the prince made - a sign they should not disturb themselves; while Gemma and himself, having - made the tour of the tables, stopped before the newly-married couple. - </p> - <p> - Then a domestic held out a golden cup, which Gaetano filled with Syracuse - wine. The domestic then offered the cup to Gemma, and she uttered a prayer - for the happiness of the bride and bridegroom, touched the wine with her - beauteous lips, and offered it to the prince, who emptied it at a draught, - and pouring into it a purseful of golden ducats, desired it to be given to - Teresa, for whom it was a wedding gift. At the same instant, loud cries of - “Long live the Prince of Carini! Long live the Countess of Castel Nuovo!” - were heard; and at this moment the esplanade became illuminated as if by - magic, and the noble visitors retired, leaving behind them, like a - celestial vision, happiness and light. - </p> - <p> - They had scarcely re-entered the castle along with their suite before the - music struck up, and the younger guests, leaving the table, proceeded to - the place prepared for the dance. According to custom, Gaetano was about - to open the ball with his bride, and for that purpose was advancing - towards her, when a stranger, who had entered by the aloe walk, appeared - on the esplanade—it was Pascal Bruno, in the Calabrian costume we - have already described, excepting that he had a pair of pistols and a - dagger at his girdle, and that his jacket, which was thrown over his right - shoulder like that of a Hussar, exposed his shirt, stained with blood. - </p> - <p> - Teresa was the first who noticed him; she screamed, and fixing her - terrified eyes upon him, remained pale and erect, as if she had seen a - spectre; every one turned towards the new comer, and all were silent, - anticipating some dreadful event. - </p> - <p> - Pascal Bruno went straight up to Teresa, and stopping before her, he - folded his arms, and looked fixedly at her. - </p> - <p> - “Is it you, Pascal?” stammered Teresa. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, it is I,” said Bruno, in a hoarse voice; “I heard at Bauso, where I - was waiting for you, that you were about to be married at Carini, and I - have come in time, I hope, to dance the first tarantella with you.” - </p> - <p> - “It is the right of the bridegroom,” observed Gaetano, going up to him and - interfering. - </p> - <p> - “It is the right of the lover,” replied Bruno. “Come, Teresa, I think it - is the least you can do for me.” - </p> - <p> - “Teresa is my wife,” exclaimed Gaetano, extending his arm towards her. - </p> - <p> - “She is my betrothed,” cried Pascal, taking her by the hand. - </p> - <p> - “Help! help!” exclaimed Teresa. - </p> - <p> - Gaetano seized Pascal by the collar, but at the same instant he uttered a - loud cry and fell. Pascal’s dagger was buried in his chest up to the hilt. - The men appeared by their actions to be about to seize upon the murderer, - who quietly drew a pistol from his waist and cocked it, then with the hand - that held it, he made a sign to the musicians to play the tarantella; they - obeyed mechanically, while all the guests remained motionless. - </p> - <p> - “Come, Teresa,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - Teresa was no longer an accountable or conscious creature, but an - automaton, whose actions were guided by fear—she mechanically - obeyed, and the horrible dance, in the presence of the corpse of the - murdered man, was danced to the last step. - </p> - <p> - At length the musicians stopped, and Teresa, as if the music alone had - supported her, fell senseless on the body of Gaetano. - </p> - <p> - “Thanks, Teresa,” said her partner, coldly, “that is all I wanted of - thee,” and then turning to the spectators, “and now, if any one desires to - know my name, that he may find me elsewhere, I am called Pascal Bruno.” - </p> - <p> - “Son of Antonio Bruno, whose head is placed in an iron cage at the château - of Bauso?” asked one of the guests. - </p> - <p> - “Exactly so,” answered Pascal; “but if you wish to see it, you must make - haste, for I swear to you it shall not remain there much longer?” - </p> - <p> - At these words Pascal left, and no one felt inclined to follow him; - besides, whether it arose from fear or interest, every one was engaged - about Gaetano and Teresa; <i>one was dead—the other mad!</i> - </p> - <p> - The prince was not made acquainted with this terrible tragedy till the - following morning, when every effort was made to capture the murderer, but - in vain; he had escaped, no one knew how or whither. - </p> - <p> - The countess, in consequence of this dreadful event, became more alarmed - than ever for her personal safety, particularly when she reflected that by - her duplicity, in concealing from Teresa her extraordinary interview with - Pascal, she herself had been the chief cause of the catastrophe. - </p> - <p> - The Sunday after this occurrence there was a fête at Bauso, and the whole - village was full of life; there was drinking in every cabaret, and - broaching of barrels at every corner; the streets were noisy and decorated - with flags, and the chateau was thronged with people who had gathered - together to see the young men fire at the target, an amusement much - encouraged by King Ferdinand the Fourth during his forced sojourn in - Sicily; and many of those who were, at the time we are speaking of, about - to devote themselves to this exercise, had very recently, as followers of - Cardinal Ruffo, had occasion to exhibit their skill against the patriots - of Naples and the French republicans; but on this occasion it was merely a - trial of skill, the prize being a silver cup. - </p> - <p> - The target was fixed immediately below the iron cage in which the head of - Antonio Bruno was placed. The latter could only be reached by a flight of - steps in the interior of the fortress, which led to a window, on the - outside of which the cage was fixed. - </p> - <p> - The conditions of the shooting-match were simple enough: to become one of - the candidates it was only necessary to subscribe to the common purse, for - the purpose of defraying the expense of the cup—the charge was two - carlins for each shot, for which the party received in exchange a number, - drawn by chance, which fixed the order in which each man was to fire. The - least skilful took as many as ten, twelve, or even fourteen numbers; and - those who reckoned on their superior skill not more than five or six. - </p> - <p> - In the midst of the confusion of drawing the numbers, a hand was stretched - out among the rest which threw down two carlins, and a voice was heard - asking for a single number. Every one turned round, astonished at this - evidence either of poverty or confidence. The man who asked for a single - number was Pascal Bruno. - </p> - <p> - Although he had not been seen in the village for four years, every one - knew him, but still no one addressed him; but as he was known to be the - best hunter in the country, they were not astonished at his asking for one - number only—his number was eleven. - </p> - <p> - At length the firing commenced. Every shot was greeted by shouts of - laughter or applause; but after the first few shots the laughter was less - violent. As to Pascal, he was leaning sad and pensively on his English - rifle, and seemed to take no part in the enthusiasm and merriment of his - countrymen. At length it was his turn; they called his name, he started - and raised his head as if the call was unexpected; but recovering himself - at once, he took up his position behind a cord that was stretched across - as a kind of barrier. Every one anxiously followed the direction of his - eyes, for none of the marksmen had excited so much interest or had been - watched so silently. - </p> - <p> - Pascal himself seemed to feel the importance of the shot he was about to - take, for he fixed himself firmly, his left leg in advance, and resting - his body on his right. He placed his gun carefully to his shoulder, and, - beginning from below, he slowly raised the barrel; every one watched him - with anxiety, and they saw, with astonishment, that his aim was above the - target; but he still continued to raise his rifle, until it was in the - direction of the iron cage. Then the rifle and the marksman remained for - an instant motionless, as if they had been formed of stone; at length he - fired, and the head rolled out of the cage to the bottom of the target. - Every one shuddered, but no sound was heard at this proof of address. - </p> - <p> - In the midst of this silence, Pascal Bruno walked coolly up to the target, - picked up his father’s head, and without uttering a word or looking once - behind him, he took the cross road that led to the mountains. - </p> - <p> - The spectators saw Bruno depart without attempting to stop or follow him; - in fact, they commiserated the fate of Antonio Bruno, who was much - respected by his fellow-villagers, and appreciated this act of filial - affection in the son. - </p> - <p> - <a name="link2HCH0004" id="link2HCH0004"> - <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - CHAPTER IV.—THE PRINCE AND THE BANDIT. - </h2> - <p> - Scarcely a year had passed after the events we have just related before - all Sicily—from Messina to Palermo—from Cephalu to Cape - Passaro—was filled with reports of the exploits of the bandit Pascal - Bruno. Considering the previous history of his family, his adventurous - character, and the badly-organised state of society in his native country, - it is not astonishing that Pascal Bruno should so rapidly have become the - extraordinary character he desired to be. He had, as it were, established - himself as a judge over justice itself; so that throughout all Sicily, and - particularly at Bauso and its environs, no arbitrary act could be - performed without escaping the notice of his tribunal; and as most of his - judgments affected the powerful only, the weak were almost always on his - side. - </p> - <p> - In this manner, when some rich lord imposed a heavy rent on a poor farmer—when - a marriage was about to be broken off though the cupidity of a family—when - an iniquitous sentence was passed on an innocent man—Bruno, after - receiving notice, would shoulder his carbine, let loose his four Corsican - dogs (his only band), mount his Valda Noto horse—half Arabian and - half mountaineer, like himself—leave the little fortress of Castel - Nuovo, where he had taken up his abode, go to the lord, the father, or the - judge, and the rent was reduced, the marriage took place, or the prisoner - was set at liberty. - </p> - <p> - From this, it may be very well understood, that all those men to whom he - had thus been a benefactor would pay for the benefits they had received by - devotion to his interests, and that every attempt made to capture him - would be sure to fail, through the grateful watchfulness of the peasants, - who warned him by signals agreed on beforehand of the dangers that - threatened him. - </p> - <p> - Then, again, the most strange tales were told of him by everybody; for the - simpler men’s minds are, the fonder they are of believing the marvellous. - They said, that on a stormy night, when the whole island trembled, Pascal - Bruno entered into a compact with a sorceress, by which he obtained from - her, giving his soul in exchange, the gift of being invisible, and the - faculty of transporting himself in an instant from one end of the island - to the other; as well as being rendered invulnerable, either by lead, - iron, or fire. The bargain, they said, was to stand good for three years, - Bruno having only signed it for the purpose of accomplishing an act of - vengeance, for which purpose this term, short as it was, would be - sufficient. - </p> - <p> - As for Pascal, far from destroying this belief, he perceived it was - beneficial to him, and he endeavoured, on the contrary, to give it the - appearance of truth. These various tales had often afforded him the means - of establishing his invincible nature, by attributing to it a knowledge of - circumstances which it must be imagined would otherwise have been - perfectly unknown to him. The speed of his horse, by whose aid he could - find himself in the morning at incredible distances from the place where - he had been seen at night, convinced them of his locomotive faculty. A - circumstance, also, of which he had taken advantage, like a skilful man, - had left no doubt of his invulnerable nature; it was as follows:— - </p> - <p> - The murder of Gaetano had produced a great sensation; the Prince of Carini - had given orders to all the commanders of companies to endeavour to arrest - the assassin, who, however, led those who followed him a long chase - through his audacity and cunning; they had, therefore, transmitted these - orders to their agents. - </p> - <p> - The chief justice of Spadafora was informed, one morning, that Pascal - Bruno had passed through the village during the night on his way to - Divieto; the two following nights, therefore, he placed men in ambuscade - on the road-side, thinking he would return by the same road he had taken - when going, and take advantage of the night to perform his journey. - </p> - <p> - Wearied out by their two nights’ watching, the morning of the third day, - which was Sunday, the soldiers had assembled at a drinking-shop about - twenty steps from the road-side: they were about to begin their breakfast, - when some one brought them word that Pascal Bruno was quietly coming along - the road from the direction of Divieto: as they had no time to conceal - themselves, they waited for him where they were, and when he was within - fifty yards of the inn, they sallied out and drew up before the door, - without, however, appearing to notice him. Bruno, on his side, saw these - preparations for the attack without any apparent uneasiness, and, instead - of retracing his steps, an easy task, he put his horse into a gallop and - continued his journey. As soon as the soldiers perceived his intention, - they got their muskets ready, and the moment he passed before them, the - whole company saluted him with a general discharge; but neither horse nor - rider was touched, and they emerged safe and sound from the cloud of smoke - in which they had been for an instant enveloped. The soldiers looked at - them and shook their heads, and proceeded to recount what had happened to - the judge of Spadafora. - </p> - <p> - The report of this adventure reached Bauso the same evening; and several - of the inhabitants, whose imagination was more lively than that of their - neighbours, began to think Pascal Bruno was enchanted, and that lead and - iron when they struck him became soft and flattened. The next day this - assertion was proved by incontestable evidence; for they found his jacket - at the justice’s door, pierced in thirteen places by bullets, and the - thirteen flattened balls were found in one of the pockets. Some - unbelievers, however, and among them was Caesar Alletto, a notary of - Calvaruso, from whose lips we had these particulars, maintained that the - bandit himself, having miraculously escaped from the volley of musketry, - and wishing to profit by the circumstance, had hung his jacket to a tree - and pierced it with bullets in thirteen places. But, notwithstanding this - opinion, the majority were convinced of his bearing a charmed life, and - the terror Pascal already inspired was considerably increased. - </p> - <p> - This dread of Bruno was so great and so well established that, spreading - from the lower orders, it had infected even the higher classes, and to - such an extent that, a few months before the time at which we have - arrived, being in want of two hundred ounces of gold for one of his - philanthropic projects (it was to rebuild an inn which had been burnt - down), he addressed himself to the Prince of Butera to obtain a loan of - the money, describing to him a place in the mountains where he would go to - receive it, and begging of him to bury it at the precise spot, so that on - the night he mentioned he might go and seek it. In case this request, - which, however, more resembled a command, was not attended to, Bruno - warned the prince there would be open war between the king of the - mountains and the king of the plains; but that if, on the contrary, the - prince would be kind enough to lend it to him, the two hundred ounces of - gold would be faithfully returned out of the first money he should be able - to carry off from the royal treasure. - </p> - <p> - The prince of Butera was one of those characters which have become - extremely rare in modern times: he was one of the ancient Sicilian - nobility, as adventurous and chivalrous as the Normans, by whom their - constitution and society were formed. His name was Hercules, and he seemed - formed after the model of that ancient hero. He could knock down a restive - horse with a blow of his fist; break a bar of iron, half an inch thick, on - his knee; and bend a piastre with his finger. An occurrence, in which he - had exhibited the greatest presence of mind, had made him the idol of the - people of Palermo. In 1770, there was a scarcity of bread in the city; a - riot was the consequence; the governor had appealed to the <i>ultima ratio</i>, - and the cannon were drawn out in the Toledo street; the people were moving - towards the guns; the gunner, with match in hand, was in the act of firing - on the people, when the Prince of Butera seated himself over the mouth of - a cannon, as coolly as if it had been a chair, and in that situation made - so eloquent and rational a speech that the mob dispersed of its own - accord, and the gunner threw away the match, and the gun returned into the - arsenal innocent of human blood. But this was not the only cause of his - popularity. - </p> - <p> - He was in the habit every morning of walking on his terrace, which - overlooked the Place de la Marine, and as the gates of his palace were - open to everybody, at daybreak he always found a number of poor people - assembled; on that account he constantly wore a huge buckskin waistcoat, - whose immense pockets were filled every morning by his servant with - carlins and half-carlins, all of which, to the very last piece, - disappeared during his walk, and that with words and actions that belonged - to himself alone, so that he always seemed as if he was about to knock - down those on whom he was bestowing charity. - </p> - <p> - “Your excellency,” said a poor woman, surrounded by her family, “have pity - on a poor mother with five children.” - </p> - <p> - “An excellent reason,” replied the prince, in an angry tone; “am I their - father?” and shaking his fist in her face, he dropped a handful of money - into her apron. - </p> - <p> - “My lord prince,” said another, “I am without food.” - </p> - <p> - “You fool,” replied the prince, giving him a cuff, and at the same time - enough to procure him food for a week; “do I make bread? Why do you not go - to the baker’s?” - </p> - <p> - On this account, whenever the prince passed along the street every head - was uncovered, and if he had said the word, he might have been made King - of Sicily; but that idea never entered his head, and so he remained Prince - of Butera. - </p> - <p> - This liberality of his, however, met with a reprover, and that within the - walls of the prince’s palace, and this reprover was his major-domo. It is - clear that a man with a character like that we have endeavoured to trace - must necessarily keep a splendid table; in fact, he kept in every sense of - the word open house, so that every day he had from five-and-twenty to - thirty guests at the least to dine with him; among these, seven or eight - were perfect strangers to him; while, on the other hand, there were others - who seated themselves as regularly as boarders at a table d’hôte. - </p> - <p> - Among these last there was a certain Captain Altavilla, who had gained his - epaulettes by following Cardinal Ruffo from Palermo to Naples; and who - returned from Naples to Palermo with a pension of a thousand ducats. - Unfortunately, the captain was somewhat of a gambler, and this would have - caused his pension to be insufficient for his wants, if he had not - discovered two plans by means of which his quarterly pay had become the - least important part of his revenue; the first of these plans, and one, as - I have already said, that was open to all the world, was to dine every day - with the prince; and the second was, every day, with the most scrupulous - regularity, to put the silver cover of the plate off which he had dined - into his pocket. - </p> - <p> - The manouvre continued for some time before this daily abstraction was - noticed; but, well furnished as the plate-chests of the prince might be, - they began to exhibit certain vacant spaces. The suspicions of the - major-domo immediately fell on the follower of Cardinal Ruffo; he, - therefore, carefully watched him, and after two or three days his - suspicions were changed into certainty. - </p> - <p> - He immediately informed the prince of the discovery he had made, who - reflected for an instant, and then answered, that so long as the captain - merely took his own cover he should take no notice; but that if he put his - neighbour’s into his pocket, why then he would consider how he would act. - In consequence of this, Captain Altavilla continued to be one of the most - regular guests of his excellency Prince Hercules de Butera. - </p> - <p> - The prince was at Castrogiovanni, where he had a villa, when Bruno’s - letter was brought to him. He read it, and asked if the messenger was - waiting for an answer. He was told, “no” and immediately he put the letter - into his pocket, with as much <i>sang froid</i> as if it had merely been - on some trivial subject. - </p> - <p> - The night fixed upon by Bruno had arrived; the spot he had indicated in - his letter was on the southern ridge of mount Etna, near one of the - numerous extinct volcanoes that were indebted for their existence of a day - to its eternal fires—an existence, nevertheless, sufficient for the - destruction of cities. The volcano in question was called Montebaldo; for - each of these terrible hills received a name at the time it was raised up - from the earth. Ten minutes’ walk from its base a colossal and isolated - tree arose, called the chesnut of a hundred horses, because around its - trunk, the circumference of which is equal to 178 feet, and beneath its - foliage, which of itself forms a forest, a hundred horsemen and their - steeds can take shelter. - </p> - <p> - It was at the root of this tree Bruno was to seek the money he wished to - borrow of the prince; consequently, about eleven o’clock in the evening he - left Centorbi, and towards midnight he began to discern by the light of - the moon the gigantic tree, and the small house built between its stems, - in which its immense produce is harvested. As he drew near, Pascal thought - he could distinguish a shadow cast upon one of the five trunks which arose - from the same root. Soon afterwards the shade appeared a reality; the - bandit stopped, cocked his carbine, and cried, “Who goes there?” - </p> - <p> - “A man, to be sure!” exclaimed a powerful voice. “Why, zounds! you did not - expect the money could come alone?” - </p> - <p> - “No, certainly not,” said Bruno; “but I did not think the man who brought - it would have been bold enough to wait for my coming.” - </p> - <p> - “Then you are not acquainted with Prince Hercules de Butera? that is all.” - </p> - <p> - “How! yourself my lord?” said Bruno, throwing his carbine over his - shoulder and advancing hat in hand to the prince. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, it is I, you rogue,” replied the prince; “I, who thought a bandit - might be in want of money the same as any other man; and I did not wish to - refuse my purse even to a bandit, only I took the fancy of bringing it - myself for fear he should imagine I was afraid of him.” - </p> - <p> - “Your excellency is worthy of your high reputation,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “And you, are you deserving of yours?” asked the prince. - </p> - <p> - “It depends upon how I have been spoken of to your excellency,” said - Bruno, “for I have more than one reputation.” - </p> - <p> - “Good,” continued the prince; “I see you are not deficient in ability or - resolution; I admire brave men, let me meet with them where I will. Listen - to me; will you change your Calabrian dress for the uniform of a captain - and fight against the French? I will raise a company for you on my own - estates, and purchase your epaulettes.” - </p> - <p> - “Thank you, my lord, thank you,” said Bruno, “your offer is like that of a - magnificent prince; but I have a certain act of vengeance to accomplish - that will keep me for some time longer in Sicily; after that we shall - see.” - </p> - <p> - “Well,” said the prince, “you are free; but, believe me, you had better - accept my offer.” - </p> - <p> - “I cannot, your excellency,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Well then,” said the prince, “here is the money you asked for; go to the - devil with it, and take care you don’t get yourself hanged on the gibbet - opposite my door on the Place de la Marine.” - </p> - <p> - Bruno balanced the purse in his hand. - </p> - <p> - “It seems to me that the purse is very heavy, my lord,” said he. - </p> - <p> - “That is because I did not wish a fellow like you should be able to brag - that he had fixed a limit to the liberality of the Prince of Butera; so, - instead of the two hundred ounces of gold you asked for, I have put three - hundred in the purse.” - </p> - <p> - “Whatever sum you have been pleased to bring, my lord, it shall be - faithfully returned to you,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “I give; I never lend,” said the prince. - </p> - <p> - “And I borrow or I steal—I never beg,” replied Bruno; “take back - your purse, my lord, I shall address myself to Prince Ventimille, or to - Prince de la Cattolica.” - </p> - <p> - “Well, let it be so,” said the prince; “I never met with a more capricious - bandit: four rascals like you would drive me mad; so I shall leave. - Farewell!” - </p> - <p> - “Adieu, my lord!” said Bruno, “and may St Rosalie protect you.” - </p> - <p> - The prince departed, with his hands in the pockets of his buckskin - waistcoat, and whistling a favourite air; Bruno remained motionless - watching his departure, and it was not until he had lost sight of him that - he, on his side, retired, heaving a deep sigh. - </p> - <p> - The next day, the innkeeper whose house had been burned down received, by - the hands of Ali, the Prince of Butera’s three hundred ounces of gold. - </p> - <p> - <a name="link2HCH0005" id="link2HCH0005"> - <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - CHAPTER IV.—THE ROBBER’S CASTLE. - </h2> - <p> - Some time after the event we have just related, Bruno learnt that a convoy - of money, escorted by four gens-d’armes and a brigadier was about to leave - Messina for Palermo; it was the ransom of the Prince Moncada Paterno; - which, in consequence of a financial operation, which did great honour to - the imagination of Ferdinand the Fourth, had just helped to swell the - Neapolitan budget instead of increasing the treasure of Casuba, according - to its first destination. - </p> - <p> - The following is the history of the transaction, as it was told me in - Sicily, and, as it is as curious as it is authentic, we think it deserves - the trouble of being told; besides, it will give some idea of the simple - manner in which taxes are imposed in Sicily. - </p> - <p> - We have already related the manner in which the Prince de Moncada Paterno - was made prisoner by the Barbary Corsairs near the little village of - Tugello, on his return from the island of Pantalleria. He was carried, - along with all his followers, to Algiers, and there the price of his - ransom and that of his attendants was modestly fixed at the sum of five - hundred thousand piastres (about one hundred thousand pounds sterling), - half to be paid before his departure, and the other half after his return - to Sicily. - </p> - <p> - The prince wrote to his steward to inform him of the situation in which he - found himself placed, and desired him to send, as quickly as possible, the - two hundred and fifty thousand piastres in exchange for which he was to be - liberated. As the Prince of Moncada Paterno was one of the richest - noblemen in Sicily, the sum was easily made up and sent to Africa; and - faithful to his promise, like a true follower of the prophet, the Dey - released the Prince of Paterno, taking his word of honour that before a - year had passed by he would remit the remaining two hundred and fifty - thousand piastres. - </p> - <p> - The prince returned to Sicily and endeavoured to collect the sum necessary - for the second instalment of his ransom in his own principality, when an - order came from Ferdinand IV., who, seeing that he was at war with the - regency, had no wish that his subjects should enrich his enemies; he - therefore opposed the proceedings of the prince, and ordered the two - hundred and fifty thousand piastres in question to be paid into the - treasury at Messina. - </p> - <p> - The Prince of Paterno, who was a man of honour a well as a faithful - subject, obeyed the order of his sovereign and the voice of his conscience - at the same time, so that his ransom cost him seven hundred and fifty - thousand piastres, two-thirds of which were sent to the infidel Corsair, - and the other third placed at Messina in the hands of the Prince de - Carini, the agent of the Christian pirate. This was the sum the viceroy - was sending to Palermo, the seat of government, under the escort of four - gens-d’armes and a brigadier; the last being likewise charged with the - duty of delivering a letter from the prince to his dear Gemma, whom he - requested to join him at Messina, where the business of government would - still detain him for several months. - </p> - <p> - On the evening when the convoy would have to pass near Bauso, Bruno - unfastened his four Corsican dogs, crossed the village, of which he had - become the lord, in their company, and placed himself in ambuscade on the - road between Divieto and Spadafora. He had remained there about an hour, - when he heard the wheels of a waggon and the tramp of horsemen. He looked - to the priming of his carbine, satisfied himself that his dagger was not - fixed in its sheath, whistled to his dogs, who laid themselves down at his - feet, and remained standing upright in the middle of the road. - </p> - <p> - A few minutes afterwards, the convoy appeared at a turning in the road, - and advanced to within fifty paces of the man who was waiting for its - coming up. When the gens-d’armes perceived him, they hailed him with, “Who - goes there?” - </p> - <p> - “Pascal Bruno,” replied the bandit; and, at the sound of a peculiar - whistle, his powerful dogs, trained for the purpose, fiercely attacked the - little troop. - </p> - <p> - At the name of Pascal Bruno, the four gens-d’armes had taken to their - heels, and the dogs by natural instinct pursued the runaways. The - brigadier, who remained alone by the waggon, drew his sabre and rushed at - the bandit. Pascal raised his carbine to his shoulder as coolly and slowly - as if he were about to shoot at a mark, determining not to fire until the - horseman was within ten paces of him; but the instant he placed his finger - on the trigger, and before he had time to fire, both horse and man rolled - in the dust. Ali had stealthily followed without saying a word to Bruno, - and seeing the brigadier about to charge him, he had crawled along the - road like a serpent and cut the horse’s hamstrings with his yataghan. As - to the brigadier, his fall was so rapid and unexpected that his head - struck against the stones, and he was rendered totally insensible. - </p> - <p> - Bruno went up to him, after satisfying himself that there was no feint - attempted to be practised upon him, and with the assistance of Ali he - placed him in the waggon he had so lately escorted; then placing the reins - in the hands of the young Arab, he desired him to take the waggon and the - brigadier to the fortress. Bruno himself then went up to the wounded - horse, took the brigadier’s carbine from the saddle, to which it was - attached, and searched in the holsters and took out a roll of paper which - he found there; he then whistled to his dogs, who returned with their - mouths covered with blood, and followed the capture he had just made. - </p> - <p> - When he arrived in the court-yard of his little fortress, he closed the - gate behind him, took the brigadier (who was still insensible) on his - shoulder, carried him into a room, and placed him on a mattress on which - he was in the habit of throwing himself with all his clothes on; then, - whether through forgetfulness or imprudence, he placed the carbine he had - taken from the saddle in a corner, and left the room. - </p> - <p> - Five minutes afterwards the brigadier opened his eyes, looked round, and - found himself in a place that was completely unknown to him; and, - believing he was under the influence of a dream, he felt round him to - ascertain whether he was really awake. It was then that he felt a pain in - his forehead, and placing his hand on it, he withdrew it covered with - blood: he found that he was wounded. The wound brought back his - recollection, and he remembered he had been stopped on the road by a - single man, deserted in a most cowardly manner by the gens-d’armes who - accompanied him, and that at the instant he was about to attack that man - his horse suddenly fell; beyond that he could recall nothing to his mind. - </p> - <p> - The brigadier was a brave man, but he felt that the responsibility of this - disastrous adventure rested on him, and his heart was filled with shame - and rage at the disgraceful conduct of his men. He looked round the room - to discover if possible where he was; but everything was strange to him. - He rose, went to the window, and saw that it overlooked the country. It - was then that a ray of hope entered his breast, for he could easily leap - out of the window, go in search of assistance, and return and avenge - himself upon his captor. - </p> - <p> - He had just opened the window for the purpose of executing his project - when, casting a parting glance into the chamber, he perceived his carbine - standing near the head of the bed; at this unexpected sight his heart beat - violently, for other thoughts besides those of flight instantly took - possession of his mind. He looked round to ascertain whether he was really - alone, and when he was satisfied that no one had seen or could see him, he - seized the weapon, in which he saw a more hazardous means of safety, but a - speedier vengeance. After having ascertained that the priming was safe, - and finding, by passing the ramrod down the barrel, that it was loaded, he - replaced it where he had found it, and lay down as if he had not as yet - recovered his senses; but he had scarcely stretched himself out on the - mattress before Bruno entered the room. - </p> - <p> - He had a piece of lighted fir in his hand, which he threw into the - fire-place, where he set fire to the wood already placed there for the - purpose; then he went to a cupboard formed in the wall, and took out two - plates, two glasses, two flasks of wine, and a roast shoulder of mutton, - which he placed on the table, and appeared to be waiting until the - brigadier recovered his consciousness that he might do the honours of the - repast. - </p> - <p> - The room in which the scene we are narrating took place was longer than it - was wide, having a single window at one end, a single door at the other, - and the chimney between the two. The brigadier, now a captain of the - gens-d’armes at Messina, who has given us all these particulars, was lying - down, as we have said, parallel to the window; Bruno was standing before - the fire-place, with his eyes vaguely fixed on the door, and he appeared - to become every instant more and more thoughtful. - </p> - <p> - This was the moment for which the brigadier was waiting—the decisive - moment when he must stake everything for one object—life against - life, head against head. He rose, resting upon his left hand, and - stretched out his other slowly towards his carbine, but without taking his - eye off Bruno; he took hold of it between the lock and the butt-end, and - then remained an instant in that position without daring to make another - movement, alarmed even at the beating of his own heart, which was so - violent that the bandit might almost have heard it had he not been so - entirely lost in thought; then, seeing that he gave himself up to his fate - as it were, he resumed his confidence, rose on one knee, looked once more - at the window, his only means of retreat, placed the carbine to his - shoulder, took aim at Bruno like a man who knew that his life depended on - his self-possession, and fired. - </p> - <p> - Bruno quietly stooped down, picked up something that lay at his feet, held - the object to the light, and, turning towards the brigadier, who remained - mute with astonishment— - </p> - <p> - “Comrade,” he said, “when next you attempt to shoot me let your balls be - of silver, for unless they are they will be only flattened against me in - this manner. However, I am happy you have so far recovered yourself, for I - begin to feel hungry; we will, therefore, if it is agreeable, sit down to - our supper.” - </p> - <p> - The brigadier remained in the same attitude in which he had fired, his - hair bristling on his head, and the perspiration standing in thick drops - on his forehead. The next instant the door opened, and Ali, yataghan in - hand, rushed into the room. - </p> - <p> - “It is nothing, my boy, nothing,” said Bruno; “the brigadier discharged - his carbine, that is all; make yourself easy, and go to rest; have no fear - for me.” - </p> - <p> - Ali left the room without answering, and went and laid himself down across - the first door-way upon the panther’s skin that served him for a bed. - </p> - <p> - “Well,” continued Bruno, turning towards the brigadier and filling the two - glasses with wine, “did you not hear me?” - </p> - <p> - “I did,” replied the brigadier, rising, “and since I have not been able to - kill you, were you the very devil himself, I would drink with you.” - </p> - <p> - Uttering these words, he walked boldly up to the table, took up the glass, - touched the brim of Bruno’s, and drank off the wine at a draught. - </p> - <p> - “What is your name?” asked Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Paolo Tommassi, brigadier of gens-d’armerie, at your service,” was the - reply. - </p> - <p> - “Well, Paolo Tommassi,” continued Bruno, placing his hand on his shoulder, - “you are a brave fellow, and I have a great inclination to make you a - promise.” - </p> - <p> - “What is it?” asked the brigadier. - </p> - <p> - “To let no one but you,” said Bruno, “obtain the reward of three thousand - ducats that is set upon my head.” - </p> - <p> - “That is an excellent idea,” observed the brigadier. - </p> - <p> - “Truly so; but it must first come to maturity,” said Bruno; “in the - meantime, as I am not yet tired of my life, take a seat, and let us sup; - and we will talk the matter over by-and-by.” - </p> - <p> - “May I cross myself before I eat?” said Tommassi. “Certainly,” replied - Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “I thought it might, perhaps, be unpleasant to you,” said the brigadier; - “we are not always sure.” - </p> - <p> - “Anything you like,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - The brigadier made the sign of the cross, seated himself at the table, and - attacked the shoulder of mutton like a man whose conscience was perfectly - at ease, and who knew that he had done, under very difficult and trying - circumstances, all that a brave soldier could do. Bruno kept him nobly in - countenance; and, certainly, to see these two men seated at the same - table, drinking out of the same bottle, and helping themselves from the - same dish, no one would have imagined that each in his turn had, within - the last hour, done all he could to kill the other. - </p> - <p> - For an instant they were both silent, partly on account of the important - business in which they were engaged, and partly from the preoccupation of - their minds. Paolo Tommassi was the first to give utterance to the double - idea on which his mind was engaged. - </p> - <p> - “Comrade,” he said, “you live well here; it must be allowed you have - excellent wine, certainly, and you do the honours of the table like a - right-good fellow; but I acknowledge I should enjoy all this much better - if I knew when I was to leave here.” - </p> - <p> - “To-morrow morning, I presume,” replied Bruno. “You will not keep me here - as a prisoner, then?” asked the brigadier, eagerly. - </p> - <p> - “A prisoner! why what the devil should I do with you here?” asked Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Hem!” said the brigadier, “so far it is not so bad; but—” he - continued, evidently embarrassed, “that is not all.” - </p> - <p> - “What else is there?” said Bruno, filling the brigadiers glass. - </p> - <p> - “Why—is—” said the brigadier, holding his glass up before the - lamp; “it is rather a delicate question, you see.” - </p> - <p> - “Go on,” said Bruno; “I am listening.” - </p> - <p> - “You will not be angry, I hope, at what I am about to say?” - </p> - <p> - “I think you ought to know my character better by this time,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “True, true, you are not irritable, I know that well,” said the brigadier. - “I am speaking about a certain waggon—there, now its out.” - </p> - <p> - “That is down in the court-yard,” observed Bruno, holding his glass up to - the light in his turn. - </p> - <p> - “I am rather doubtful,” replied the brigadier; “but you understand me, I - cannot go without my waggon.” - </p> - <p> - “Very well, then, you shall take it with you,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Untouched?” - </p> - <p> - “Hum!” said Bruno; “it will not be much short, considering the sum it - contains. I shall only take what I am absolutely in need of.” - </p> - <p> - “Are you in want of much?” asked the brigadier, with anxiety. - </p> - <p> - “I want three thousand ounces,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Well, that is reasonable enough,” said the brigadier; “a good many people - would not be so delicate as you are.” - </p> - <p> - “You may make yourself quite easy in the matter, for I will give you a - receipt for what I take,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Talking of receipts,” said the brigadier, rising, “that’s well thought - of, for it reminds me of some papers I had in my holsters.” - </p> - <p> - “Don’t make yourself uneasy about them,” observed Bruno; “here they are.” - </p> - <p> - “You will do me the greatest service by returning them to me,” said the - brigadier. - </p> - <p> - “I know that,” said Bruno, “for I have satisfied myself of their - importance; the first is your brigadier’s commission; I have made a note - at the foot of that, declaring that you have conducted yourself so well - that you deserve to be made a quarter-master. The second is my - description, and I have taken the liberty to make a few small corrections - as to particular signs; for instance, I have added charmed: the third - paper is a letter from his excellency the viceroy to the Countess Gemma, - of Castel Nuovo; and I have too much gratitude for this lady, who has lent - me this castle of hers, to place any restraint on her loving - correspondence. Here are your papers, my brave fellow; one more glass to - your health, and sleep tranquilly. To-morrow, at five o’clock, we will put - you on your road; it is much more prudent, I can assure you, to travel by - day than by night, for perhaps you may not always have the good fortune of - falling into such good hands.” - </p> - <p> - “I think you are right,” said Tommassi, rolling up his papers, “and you - appear to me to be an honester fellow than many more apparently honest - folks of my acquaintance.” - </p> - <p> - “I am happy to leave you with such favourable impressions on your mind,” - said Bruno, “you will sleep the more pleasantly; by-the-by, I must give - you one caution, do not go down into the court-yard, or my dogs might by - chance make a meal of you.” - </p> - <p> - “Thank you for the caution,” said the brigadier. “Good-night,” exclaimed - Bruno, and he went out of the room, leaving the brigadier to continue his - supper, or go to sleep till the hour appointed for his departure. - </p> - <p> - Next morning at five o’clock, according to agreement, Bruno entered his - guest’s chamber, whom he found up and ready to start, he conducted him - down stairs, and led him to the gate; there was the waggon, together with - a magnificent horse, and all the harness that belonged to the animal Ali’s - yataghan had rendered unserviceable. Bruno begged of his friend, Tommassi, - to accept of this present as a keepsake. The brigadier was too well - pleased to allow the offer to be made twice; he therefore mounted his new - steed, started the team in the waggon, and left quite delighted with his - new acquaintance. - </p> - <p> - Bruno watched his departure, and when he was about twenty paces off, he - cried out, “Above all, do not forget to give the beautiful Countess Gemma - the Prince of Carini’s letter.” - </p> - <p> - Tommassi made a sign with his head and disappeared round the corner of the - road. - </p> - <p> - And now, if our readers wish to know how Pascal Bruno was not killed by - the discharge of Tommassi’s carbine, we will give them the answer we - received from Signor Caesar Aletto, the notary of Calvaruso: it is, that - it is probable that on the road to the fortress, the bandit took the - precaution of removing the bullet from the carbine. But Paolo Tommassi - always considered that it was a much simpler explanation to attribute it - to magic. - </p> - <p> - We give our readers both these opinions, and they are at perfect liberty - to adopt that which suits them best. - </p> - <p> - <a name="link2HCH0006" id="link2HCH0006"> - <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - CHAPTER VI.—A BANDIT’S GRATITUDE. - </h2> - <p> - It may well be imagined that the report of exploits like these were not - confined to the little village of Bauso: it was the general theme of - conversation among all classes. Nothing was talked of in all Sicily but - the brave brigand who had taken possession of the Castel Nuovo, and who, - from thence, like an eagle from his eyry, swooped down upon the plain, - sometimes to attack the great, and at others to assist the weak: thus he - was always on the popular side. Our readers will, therefore, not be - astonished that our hero’s name was heard pronounced at the palace of - Prince Butera, who had given a splendid entertainment at his mansion, the - Place de la Marine. - </p> - <p> - Knowing the character of this prince, we can easily guess what a <i>fête</i> - must be when given by him. The one in question, however, exceeded in - splendour the ideas of the most fertile imagination. It was like an - Arabian Nights’ dream, and the remembrance of it is perpetuated in - Palermo, although Palermo is a fairy city, and is still celebrated for its - unsurpassed magnificence. - </p> - <p> - Imagine the most splendid saloons lined with mirrors from the ceiling to - the floor, some leading to trellised walks, from the summit of which the - richest grapes of Syracuse and Lipari were hanging; others to ample square - spaces, surrounded by beautiful orange and pomegranate trees, covered with - blossoms and fruit at the same time: these spaces were devoted to dancing - English and French dances. As to the waltzers, they wound their mazy - career round two immense marble reservoirs, from each of which sprang up - beautiful jets of water, which, from the reflection of many-coloured - lamps, by which the whole was illuminated, fell like glittering showers of - diamonds. From these delightful spots long alleys issued, sprinkled with - golden-coloured sand, and leading to a little hill, surrounded with silver - vessels, containing every refreshment that could be desired, and overhung - by trees covered with crystal instead of natural fruits: finally, on the - summit of this hill, and facing the paths that led to it, was a <i>buffet</i> - in four divisions, constantly replenished by means of some internal - mechanism. To render the whole more fairylike and enchanting, the - musicians were invisible, and the sound alone of their instruments reached - the ears of the guests. It might indeed have been supposed to be a <i>fête</i> - given by the genii of the air. - </p> - <p> - At the same time, to animate these magical decorations, you must imagine - the most beautiful women and the most elegant cavaliers of Palermo dressed - in costumes each exceeding its neighbour in splendour and singularity—each - with a mask on the face or in the hand, breathing the balmy air, - intoxicated with the invisible harmony, and dreaming or talking of love; - but even then, you would be far from drawing a picture of this night equal - to that preserved in the memories of those that were present when I passed - through Palermo thirty-two years after it took place. - </p> - <p> - Among the groups that wandered through the alleys and saloons, there was - one beyond all others which attracted the attention of the crowds; it was - that which followed in the train of the beautiful Countess Gemma, and - which she drew after her as a planet does its satellites. She had but that - instant entered, accompanied by five others, who, like herself, had - assumed the costume of the thirteenth century—a dress so simple and - elegant, and which, at the same time, appeared to be expressly chosen to - set off the figure to advantage, and she advanced in the midst of a murmur - of admiration, led by the Prince de Butera himself, who, disguised as a - mandarin, received her at the entrance, and preceded her to present her, - as he said, to the daughter of the Emperor of China. - </p> - <p> - As it was imagined that our Amphytrion intended some new surprise, they - all followed the prince eagerly, and the <i>cortège</i> increased at every - step it took. - </p> - <p> - He stopped at length at the entrance of a pagoda guarded by two Chinese - soldiers, who, at a given signal, opened the door of an apartment entirely - furnished with foreign objects, in the midst of which seated on a kind of - chair, and dressed in a magnificent Chinese costume, which alone had cost - thirty thousand francs, was the Princess de Butera, who rose as soon as - she saw the countess approach, followed by a cloud of officers, mandarins, - and attendants, each more dazzling, fierce-looking, or droll than his - neighbour. This apparition had something so Eastern and fantastic in it, - that the whole assemblage, accustomed as they were to luxury and - magnificence, uttered an exclamation of astonishment. They surrounded the - princess, touched her robe, embroidered with precious stones, shook the - golden bells in her pointed hat, and for an instant the attention of the - assembly was withdrawn from the beautiful Gemma and entirely centred in - the lady of the house. Every one complimented and admired her, and among - those who uttered the most exaggerated praise was Captain Altavilla, whom - the prince had continued to receive at his dinner parties, to the great - discomfiture of his major-domo, and who had dressed himself in full - uniform for the purpose, it may be, of disguise. - </p> - <p> - “Well,” said the Prince of Butera to the Countess of Castel Nuovo; “what - do you think of the daughter of the Emperor of China?” - </p> - <p> - “I must say,” replied Gemma, “that it is a happy thing for His Majesty, - Ferdinand IV., that the Prince of Carini is at Messina at this moment, for - he might be induced, with a heart like his, out of regard for the - daughter, to give up Sicily to the father, and we should be obliged to - have another Sicilian Vespers against the Chinese.” - </p> - <p> - At this instant, the Duke of Moncada Paterno, in the dress of a Calabrian - bandit, went up to the princess. - </p> - <p> - “Will her highness permit me,” said the duke, “as a connoisseur, to - examine her magnificent costume?” - </p> - <p> - “Sublime daughter of the sun,” said Captain Altavilla, pointing to the - prince, “take care of your golden bells, for I warn you, that you have to - do with Pascal Bruno.” - </p> - <p> - “The princess,” exclaimed a voice, “would be safer in the company of - Pascal Bruno than in that of a certain follower of Cardinal Ruffo of my - acquaintance; Pascal Bruno is a murderer, not a thief—a bandit, and - not a cutpurse.” - </p> - <p> - “Well answered,” observed the Prince of Butera. - </p> - <p> - The captain bit his lips. - </p> - <p> - “By-the-by,” said the Prince de la Cattolica, “have you heard of his last - exploit?” - </p> - <p> - “Whose?” asked the Duke of Moncada. - </p> - <p> - “Pascal Bruno’s,” said the prince. - </p> - <p> - “No; what has he done?” asked the duke. - </p> - <p> - “He has stopped a convoy of money sent by the Prince of Carini to - Palermo,” replied the prince. - </p> - <p> - “My ransom!” exclaimed the duke. - </p> - <p> - “By heaven!” said the prince, “your excellency will, after all, be - sacrificed to the infidels.” - </p> - <p> - “Zounds! the king will surely not require me to have a second reckoning - with him,” replied Moncada. - </p> - <p> - “Let your excellency be reassured,” said the voice which had just before - addressed Altavilla; “Pascal Bruno only took three thousand ounces from - the two hundred and fifty thousand piastres belonging to King Ferdinand - IV.” - </p> - <p> - “And how do you know that, my young Albanian?” said the Prince de la - Cattolica, who was close by the speaker—a handsome young man, from - twenty-six to twenty-eight years of age, and dressed in the costume of - Vina. - </p> - <p> - “I have heard it reported,” said the Greek, carelessly, and playing with - his yataghan; “besides, if your excellency wishes for particulars, here is - a person who can give them to you.” - </p> - <p> - The party thus pointed out to public curiosity was no other than our old - acquaintance, Paolo Tommassi, who, strict in the performance of his duty, - had immediately on his arrival repaired to the Countess de Castel Nuovo’s - residence; but not finding her there, and hearing of the fete, he took - advantage of his situation as envoy from the viceroy to enable him to gain - admission to the gardens of the Duke de Butera. - </p> - <p> - In an instant he found himself in the centre of an immense circle and - subjected to a thousand questions; but Paolo Tommassi was, as we have - seen, a bold fellow, and was not easily put out of countenance: he, - therefore, commenced by delivering the prince’s letter to the countess. - </p> - <p> - “Prince,” said Gemma, after having read the missive she had received, “you - never suspected you were giving me a farewell fête; the viceroy orders me - to proceed to Messina, and being a faithful subject, I shall begin my - journey to-morrow. Thanks, my friend!” she continued, turning to Paolo - Tommassi and handing him her purse; “you may now retire.” - </p> - <p> - Tommassi endeavoured to take advantage of this permission of the countess, - but he was too closely surrounded to make good his retreat easily; he was, - consequently, obliged to surrender at discretion—the condition of - his liberty being an exact account of his recent encounter with Pascal - Bruno. - </p> - <p> - He related it, it must be acknowledged, with all the simplicity of real - courage; he told his auditors, without any superfluous addition, how he - had been made prisoner; how he was taken to the fortress of Castel Nuovo; - how he fired at the bandit without the ball taking any effect; and how, - finally, the latter sent him away, making him a present of a magnificent - horse in exchange for that which he had lost. - </p> - <p> - Everybody listened to this tale, which bore the impress of truth, with the - silent attention of belief, with the exception of Captain Altavilla, who - raised some doubts as to the veracity of the honest brigadier; but, - luckily for Paolo Tommassi, the Prince de Butera himself came to his - assistance. - </p> - <p> - “I will lay a wager,” he said, “that nothing can be more true than what - the brigadier has told us, for all the details appear to me to be - perfectly in accordance with the character of Pascal Bruno.” - </p> - <p> - “You know him, then?” said the Prince de Moncada Paterno. - </p> - <p> - “I do. I was in his company one night,” replied the Prince de Butera. - </p> - <p> - “And where was that?” - </p> - <p> - “On your estates.” - </p> - <p> - It was now the prince’s turn; he related how Pascal and he had met at the - chesnut of a hundred horses; how he, the Prince of Butera, had offered him - a company, which he had refused; and, finally, how he had lent him three - hundred ounces of gold. - </p> - <p> - At this last information, Altavilla could not restrain his mirth. - </p> - <p> - “And you think, my lord,” said he, “that Bruno will bring them back?” - </p> - <p> - “I am certain of it,” replied the prince. - </p> - <p> - “Now we are on this subject,” interrupted the Princess of Butera, “is - there any one else in this company who has seen Pascal Bruno, and who has - spoken to him? I dote upon tales of brigands, they make me ready to die - with fright.” - </p> - <p> - “There is the Countess of Castel Nuovo,” observed the Albanian; “she has - seen him.” - </p> - <p> - Gemma started, and every one looked at her as if to interrogate her. - </p> - <p> - “Can it be true?” said the prince, turning towards her. - </p> - <p> - “Yes,” said Gemma, trembling; “but I had forgotten it.” - </p> - <p> - “He remembers it,” muttered the young man. - </p> - <p> - All the company pressed round the princess, who in vain endeavoured to - make excuses; she in her turn was obliged to relate the scene with which - we opened this tale to tell how Bruno entered her chamber; how the prince - fired at him; and how the bandit, to avenge himself, entered the villa on - the nuptial day and killed Teresa’s husband. This history was the most - terrible of all, and it produced a deep sensation in the minds of the - listeners; something like a shudder ran through the whole assembly, and - had it hot been for the dresses of the guests, you would hardly have - thought you were present at a fête. - </p> - <p> - “On my honour,” said Captain Altavilla, who was the first to break - silence, “the greatest crime the bandit has committed is in rendering this - fête so melancholy; I could have pardoned him all his other misdeeds; but - for this I swear, by my epaulettes, I will have vengeance; and from this - moment I devote myself to his pursuit.” - </p> - <p> - “Do you speak seriously, Captain Altavilla?” said the Albanian. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, on my honour!” replied the captain; “and I here declare there is - nothing I so much wish for as to meet him face to face.” - </p> - <p> - “That is not impossible,” observed the Albanian, coolly. - </p> - <p> - “To the man who will render me that service,” said the captain, “I will - give—” - </p> - <p> - “It is useless to offer a reward, captain,” interrupted the young man; “I - know a man who will render you that service for nothing.” - </p> - <p> - “And when can I meet with this man?” repeated Altavilla, affecting a smile - of doubt. - </p> - <p> - “If you will follow me, I will tell you,” replied the stoical Albanian. - </p> - <p> - With these words the Albanian withdrew, as if he were inviting the captain - to follow him. - </p> - <p> - The captain hesitated for an instant, but he had said too much to draw - back; all eyes were turned upon him, and he saw that the least show of - timidity would ruin his reputation; and besides, he considered the - proposal was a joke. - </p> - <p> - “Come on,” he cried, “for the honour of the ladies and he followed the - Albanian. - </p> - <p> - “Do you know who that young lord disguised as a Greek is?” said the - countess, with a trembling voice, and addressing the Prince de Butera. - </p> - <p> - “No, on my soul, I do not,” said he. “Does any one here know him?” - </p> - <p> - Everybody looked, but no one answered. - </p> - <p> - “With your permission,” said Paolo Tommassi, carrying his hand to his hat; - “I know him.” - </p> - <p> - “And who is he, my brave brigadier?” - </p> - <p> - “<i>Pascal Bruno</i>, my lord,” replied Tommassi. - </p> - <p> - The countess screamed and fainted away; and this incident put a sudden end - to the fête. - </p> - <p> - An hour afterwards, the Prince de Butera had retired to his chamber, and, - seated in front of his desk, was arranging some papers, when his - major-domo entered. - </p> - <p> - “What’s the matter, Jacomo?” asked the prince. - </p> - <p> - “I always told you so, my lord,” said the major-domo. - </p> - <p> - “Well, what have you always told me?” asked the prince. - </p> - <p> - “That your goodness would only encourage him,” replied Jacomo. - </p> - <p> - “Who do you mean?” asked the prince. - </p> - <p> - “Captain Altavilla,” replied Jacomo. - </p> - <p> - “What has he done?” asked the prince. - </p> - <p> - “What has he done, my lord?” said Jacomo. “First, your excellency will - recollect I apprised you of his regularly putting his silver cover in his - pocket.” - </p> - <p> - “Well, go on,” said the prince. - </p> - <p> - “I beg your pardon,” said Jacomo; “but your excellency answered, that so - long as he only pocketed his own, nothing was to be said.” - </p> - <p> - “I recollect I said so perfectly well,” said the prince. - </p> - <p> - “Well, my lord,” said Jacomo, “to-day, it seems that he has not only taken - his own, but his neighbours’ also, for there are eight missing.” - </p> - <p> - “Ha! that’s quite another affair,” said the prince; “I must communicate - with him on the matter.” - </p> - <p> - He took a sheet of paper, and wrote the following note:— - </p> - <p> - “Prince Hercules de Butera has the honour of informing Captain Altavilla, - that as he no longer dines at home, and being by this fortuitous - circumstance deprived of the pleasure of seeing him as previously, he begs - he will accept the trifle he sends herewith as a small indemnity for the - change this determination must make in his arrangements.” - </p> - <p> - “Stay,” continued the prince, giving the major-domo fifty ounces - (twenty-six pounds sterling), “take this money, and deliver it and the - letter to-morrow to Captain Altavilla.” - </p> - <p> - Jacomo, who knew it was no use speaking after the prince had decided, - bowed and left the room. The prince continued quietly arranging his papers - when, at the end of about ten minutes, hearing a noise at the door of his - room, he raised his head, and saw a man dressed as a Calabrian peasant - standing on the threshold, with his hat in one hand and a bundle in the - other. - </p> - <p> - “Who is there?” said the prince. - </p> - <p> - “I, my lord,” replied the peasant. - </p> - <p> - “And who are you?” asked the prince. - </p> - <p> - “Pascal Bruno,” replied the visitor. - </p> - <p> - “And what do you come for?” asked the prince. - </p> - <p> - “First, my lord,” said Pascal Bruno, advancing and emptying his hat full - of gold on the desk; “first, I have brought you the three hundred ounces - you so kindly lent me: they were employed for the purpose I mentioned to - you—the inn that was burnt down has been rebuilt.” - </p> - <p> - “Ah, ah! you are a man of your word,” said the prince; “well, I am glad of - it.” - </p> - <p> - Pascal inclined his head. - </p> - <p> - “Then,” he added, after a short pause, “I have brought you back eight - silver covers, with your arms and cypher on them, which I found in the - pocket of a certain captain who, most likely, robbed you of them.” - </p> - <p> - “Zounds,” said the prince, “it’s singular they should be brought back by - you; and now, what have you in that bundle?” - </p> - <p> - “In this bundle,” said Bruno, “is the head of a wretch who abused your - hospitality, and which I have brought you as a proof of my sworn devotion - to your service.” - </p> - <p> - Saying this, Pascal Bruno untied the handkerchief, and taking the head of - Captain Altavilla by the hair, he placed it, all bleeding as it was, on - the duke’s desk. - </p> - <p> - “What the devil am I to do with such a present as this?” said the prince. - </p> - <p> - “What you please, my lord,” replied Pascal Bruno, who bowed and left the - room. - </p> - <p> - The Prince of Butera remained alone for an instant with his eyes fixed on - the head, balancing himself in his arm-chair, and whistling his favourite - tune; he then, after an instant, rang the bell, and his major-domo made - his appearance. - </p> - <p> - “Jacomo,” said the prince, “it is of no use going to Captain Altavilla’s - to-morrow morning; tear up the letter; keep the fifty ounces, and throw - this carrion on the dung-heap.” - </p> - <p> - <a name="link2HCH0007" id="link2HCH0007"> - <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - CHAPTER VII.—A BRIGAND’S VENGEANCE. - </h2> - <p> - At the time of which we are speaking—that is, about the beginning of - the year 1804, Sicily was almost in an uncivilised state, from which the - return of King Ferdinand and its occupation by the English have partially - emancipated it. At the present day, the road which now leads from Palermo - to Messina, passing through Taormina and Catana, was not formed, and the - only one that existed, we do not say good, but practicable to go from one - capital to the other, was that which, passing along the sea-coast, went - through Termini and Cephalu; abandoned for its new rival, it is at present - scarcely frequented, except by artists in search of the magnificent - prospects it discloses at every turn. The only mode of travelling on this - road, on which no post was established, was formerly, as at present, on - the back of a mule, in a litter carried by two horses, or in your own - carriage, relays of horses being sent on before, and placed at every - fifteen leagues. - </p> - <p> - So that the Countess Gemma de Castel Nuovo, when about to leave for - Messina, at which place the Prince of Carini had written to her to join - him, was obliged to choose one of these three modes. Travelling on a mule - was too fatiguing for her, and a journey in a litter, besides the - inconveniences of this mode of transport, the principal of which was its - slow progress, was apt to produce a feeling like sea-sickness. The - countess therefore decided, without any hesitation, in favour of the - carriage, and sent forward relays of horses to four stations on the road, - that is, to Termini, Cephalu, Saint Agatha, and Melazzo. - </p> - <p> - Besides these precautions, the courier was ordered to lay in a store of - provisions at each of these spots, for the inns are so notoriously - deficient in the necessaries of life, that every traveller is advised when - he leaves Messina to provide himself for the journey—to purchase - cooking utensils, and to hire a cook; to these preparations an experienced - Englishman on one occasion added a tent, on account of the deplorable - state of the houses of entertainment. - </p> - <p> - I know not whether it was a learned man, acquainted with ancient Sicily, - or a shrewd observer who thoroughly understood modern Sicily, for whom - they were at this instant preparing supper at the sign of the Cross, the - inn which had been rebuilt with the Prince of Butera’s three hundred - ounces, and situated on the road from Palermo to Messina, between Ficara - and Patti. - </p> - <p> - The activity of the innkeeper and his wife, who, under the directions of a - foreign cook, were at the same time engaged upon fish, flesh, and fowl, - proved that the man for whom the culinary apparatus was in requisition was - determined not only to have enough, but had no objection to a superfluity. - </p> - <p> - He came from Messina, travelling in a carriage, and with his own horses. - He had stopped because the situation of the inn pleased him, and having - extracted from his trunk everything the most experienced traveller could - require—linen, plate, even bread and wine—he was led into the - best room, where he lighted some perfumed pastilles in a silver vase, and - waited till his dinner was ready, seated on a rich Turkey carpet, and - smoking the finest Mount Sinai tobacco in his amber chibouk, carelessly - caressing at the same time a magnificent Corsican dog of the largest size - that was lying at his feet. - </p> - <p> - He was attentively observing the wreaths of sweet-scented smoke as they - escaped from his lips and condensed themselves on the ceiling, when the - door of the apartment opened, and the host, followed by a domestic in the - countess’s livery, appeared on the threshold. - </p> - <p> - “Your excellency,” said the worthy man, bowing to the ground. - </p> - <p> - “What’s the matter?” asked the traveller, but without turning his head, - and in a decided Maltese accent. - </p> - <p> - “Your excellency,” said the host, “it is the Countess Gemma, of Castel - Nuovo.” - </p> - <p> - “Well!” replied the traveller. - </p> - <p> - “Her carriage has been obliged to stop at my poor inn,” said the host, - “because one of her horses became so lame that she is unable to proceed.” - </p> - <p> - “Well, go on,” said the traveller. - </p> - <p> - “She had calculated,” said the host, “having no expectation of this - accident when she left St. Agatha this morning, on sleeping at Melazzo - this evening, where she has relays, so that she is entirely unprovided - with everything.” - </p> - <p> - “Tell the countess that my cook and larder are at her service,” said the - traveller. - </p> - <p> - “A thousand thanks in my mistress’s name,” said the servant; “but as the - countess will, no doubt, be obliged to pass the night in this inn, while a - relay of horses is brought hither from Melazzo, and as she is equally - unprovided for night as for day, she would be glad to know if your - excellency would have the gallantry to—” - </p> - <p> - “More than that,” said the traveller; “let the countess occupy my - apartment—this room will do for her lady’s-maid, whom she will not - be sorry to have near her. As for myself, I am a man accustomed to fatigue - and privations; I will content myself with the first room that is - disengaged; go, therefore, and tell the countess she can step up at once—the - room is at liberty, and our worthy host will do the best he can for me.” - </p> - <p> - Speaking thus, the traveller rose, whistled to his dog, and followed the - host; and the servant at once descended to accomplish his mission. - </p> - <p> - Gemma accepted the traveller’s offer as a queen would the homage of a - subject, and not as a woman who accepts a service from a stranger; she was - so accustomed to see everything submit to her will, and everybody obey her - voice, and even her look, that she saw nothing striking in the extreme - gallantry of the traveller. - </p> - <p> - It is true she looked so beautiful as she moved towards the apartment, - resting on the arm of her attendant, that every one bent before her. She - was dressed in a most elegant riding-habit, fitting tightly over the arms - and bust, and ornamented with silk braiding. For fear of the cold air of - the mountains, she wore round her neck a beautiful sable boa, purchased by - the Prince Carini of a Maltese merchant who had brought it from - Constantinople. On her head she wore a little black velvet hat, of a - fanciful shape, like the head-dresses worn in the middle ages; and her - long and magnificent tresses hung down in ringlets after the English - fashion. But, prepared as she was to find a room ready to receive her, she - could not avoid being astonished when she entered at the elegant manner in - which the traveller had concealed the poor appearance of the apartment. - </p> - <p> - All the utensils of the toilet were of silver, the cloth that covered the - table was of the finest texture, and the oriental perfumes burning on the - mantelpiece seemed fit for a harem. - </p> - <p> - “See, Gidsa, am I not predestined?” said the countess; “an awkward servant - shoes my horses badly, I am obliged to stop, and my good genius, who finds - me in this state of embarrassment, builds a fairy palace for me on the - road.” - </p> - <p> - “Has madame la comtesse,” said Gidsa, “no suspicion who this good genius - may be?” - </p> - <p> - “Really none,” said the countess. - </p> - <p> - “It seems to me,” said the waiting-maid, significantly, “that madame la - comtesse ought to be able to guess!” - </p> - <p> - “I swear to you, Gidsa,” said the countess, falling into a chair, “that I - am in a state of perfect ignorance. Come, what are your ideas on the - subject?” - </p> - <p> - “My ideas?” said the girl. “Madame, I trust you will pardon me, although - my ideas are very natural.” - </p> - <p> - “Oh! certainly,” replied the countess; “speak as you think.” - </p> - <p> - “I think,” said the girl, “that perhaps his highness the viceroy, knowing - that your ladyship was on the road, had not patience to wait for your - arrival, and”— - </p> - <p> - “Your idea,” said the countess, “is amazingly good; indeed, it is more - than probable. Besides, who, if it were not he, would have arranged a room - like this for the purpose of giving it up to me? Now listen, you must say - nothing if Rodolpho is preparing a surprise for me. I would give myself up - entirely to it; I would not lose one of the emotions his unexpected - presence would occasion me. It is agreed, therefore, that it is not the - viceroy, but that the stranger is an unknown traveller; so keep your - probabilities to yourself, and leave me in my state of doubt; besides, if - it should be him, I shall have divined his presence, not you. How kind my - dear Rodolpho is to me! how he foresees everything! Oh! how much he loves - me!” - </p> - <p> - “And the dinner,” said Gidsa, “that has been prepared with so much care; - do you believe <i>that</i> the result of mere accident?” - </p> - <p> - “Chut! I believe nothing; I profit by the good things heaven has sent me, - and I thank God for them. See what a lucky thing it is that this plate is - here! if I had not met with this noble traveller, how should I have been - able to eat off anything else? Look at this silver goblet, you might say - it was engraved by Benvenuto. Give me some drink, Gidsa.” - </p> - <p> - The attendant filled the goblet with water, and then added a few drops of - Lipari malvoisie, and the countess sipped it, apparently more for the - purpose of carrying the cup to her lips than because she was thirsty; it - seemed as though, by the sympathetic touch of her lips, she endeavoured to - discover whether it really was the man who loved her who had thus provided - for the wants of a woman accustomed to all that luxury and magnificence - which becomes almost an essential necessary to those who have been used to - it from infancy. - </p> - <p> - Supper was served, and the countess ate like a fine lady, that is, tasting - of all, like the humming-bird, the bee, or the butterfly; but, full of - thought and anxiety, while she was eating, she kept her eyes constantly - fixed on the door, and started every time it opened—her bosom was - oppressed and her eyes moist; at length, she fell by degrees into a - delicious state of languor for which she herself could not account. Gidsa - perceived it and became uneasy. - </p> - <p> - “Is your ladyship unwell?” asked the anxious attendant. - </p> - <p> - “No,” replied Gemma, in a feeble voice; “but do you not find these - perfumes extremely oppressive?” - </p> - <p> - “Does your ladyship wish me to open the window?” asked Gidsa. - </p> - <p> - “No, no,” replied the countess, “pray do not; I seem as if I should die, - but death appears to be so sweet. Take off my hat, it feels so heavy, I - cannot bear it.” - </p> - <p> - Gidsa obeyed, and Gemma’s long hair hung down in ringlets nearly to the - ground. - </p> - <p> - “Do you feel like me, Gidsa,” asked the countess, “an incomprehensible - feeling of pleasure? A kind of heavenly sensation flows through my veins: - I must have drank a charmed philter; help me to rise, and lead me to the - mirror.” - </p> - <p> - Gidsa supported the countess and led her towards the mantelpiece; when she - reached it, she rested both elbows upon it, placed her head in her hands, - and looked at her beautiful face in the glass. - </p> - <p> - “Now, let everything be taken away, then undress me, and leave me alone.” - </p> - <p> - The attendant obeyed her mistress; the servants of the countess cleared - the table, and when they had left, Gidsa performed the second part of her - mistress’s orders, who still remained before the glass, merely raising her - arms languidly one after the other, to make it just possible for her maid - to perform the necessary duties, which were in a short time accomplished—the - countess still remaining in the species of ecstacy into which she was - plunged; then, as her mistress had directed her, she went out and left her - alone. - </p> - <p> - The countess completed the remainder of her toilet in a state resembling - somnambulism; she retired to rest, and remained for an instant leaning on - her elbow, with her eyes fixed on the door; then by degrees, and - notwithstanding all her efforts to keep awake, her eyelids became heavy, - her eyes closed, and she sank upon her pillow, heaving a long deep sigh, - and murmuring Rodolpho’s name. - </p> - <p> - The next morning, when she awoke, Gemma stretched out her hand as if she - expected to find some one by her side; but she was alone, and for a few - minutes her eyes wandered round the chamber, and then turned and fixed - themselves on the table by the bedside. An open letter lay upon it, she - took it up and read:— - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - “<i>Madame la Comtesse</i>,—I could have taken the vengeance of - a brigand upon you; I preferred to indulge myself in the - pleasure of a prince! but that, when you awake, you may not - imagine you have been in a dream, I have left you a proof of - the reality; look in your mirror. - - “Pascal Bruno.” - </pre> - <p> - Gemma’s whole frame shuddered, and a cold perspiration covered her - forehead; she stretched out her arm towards the bell-rope that she might - call for assistance, but womanly instinct arrested her arm, and collecting - all her strength, she sprang out of bed, ran to the glass, and uttered a - cry of horror. Her hair and eyebrows were completely shorn! - </p> - <p> - She hastily dressed herself, and enveloping her head in her veil, threw - herself into her carriage, and ordered it to be driven back to Palermo. - </p> - <p> - The instant she arrived there, she wrote to Prince Carini, telling him - that her confessor, as an expiation for her sins, had ordered her to shave - off her eyebrows and hair, and retire for twelve months to a convent. - </p> - <p> - <a name="link2HCH0008" id="link2HCH0008"> - <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - CHAPTER VIII.—-TREACHERY. - </h2> - <p> - On the 1st of May, 1805, there was a high festival at Castel Nuovo: Pascal - Bruno was in excellent humour, and gave a supper to one of his best - friends, Placido Tomaselli, an honest dealer in contraband, belonging to - the village of Gesso, and to two females the latter had brought with him - from Messina. This delicate attention sensibly effected Bruno, and that he - might not be behindhand in politeness with so provident a comrade, he - determined to perform the honours of his domicile after the fashion of the - best society. Accordingly, the finest wines of Sicily and Calabria were - selected from the cellars of the fortress, the most noted cooks of Bauso - were placed in requisition, and all that singular luxury was displayed to - which at times it pleased the hero of our history to resort. - </p> - <p> - The guests had only just begun dinner when Ali brought Placido Tomaselli a - letter, which a countryman from Gesso had placed in his hands. Placido - read it, and crumbling it up in a violent passion, exclaimed— - </p> - <p> - “Upon my word he has chosen his time very nicely.” - </p> - <p> - “What is it, comrade?” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Perdition! why, a summons from Captain Luigi Cama, of Villa San - Giovanni.” - </p> - <p> - “What, our purveyor of rum?” asked Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Yes,” replied Placido; “he informs me he is off the shore, and has a full - cargo which he wishes to dispose of before the custom-house officers hear - of his arrival.” - </p> - <p> - “Business before all things,” replied Bruno. “I’ll wait for you. I am in - very good company, so make yourself easy; if you are not too long gone, - you will find everything you leave, and more than you can take away.” - </p> - <p> - “It is only an hour’s work,” replied Placido, appearing to yield to the - reasoning of his host; “the beach is only about five hundred yards from - this spot.” - </p> - <p> - “And there is the whole night before us,” observed Pascal. - </p> - <p> - “A good appetite, comrade,” said Placido. “A successful expedition, - master,” said Bruno. Placido left the castle, and Bruno remained with the - two women, and, as he had promised his guest, proceedings did not suffer - by his absence. Bruno was amiable enough for any two, and the conversation - began to assume the most animated character, when the door opened, and a - new actor appeared on the scene. Pascal turned round and recognised the - Maltese merchant we have already spoken of several times, of whom he was - one of the best customers. - </p> - <p> - “By St. Gregory!” he exclaimed, “you are welcome; and the more so, if you - have brought any of those Turkish pastilles, a packet of Latakia tobacco, - and a few Tunisian shawls; by-the-by, your opium acted admirably.” - </p> - <p> - “I am glad of it,” replied the Maltese; “but on this occasion, I have come - on quite another business.” - </p> - <p> - “Ah! you have come to sup with me, is that it?” asked Bruno. “Pray sit - down, sit down, and once again you are welcome; there, that is a seat fit - for a king.” - </p> - <p> - “Your wine is excellent, I know, and these ladies are charming,” replied - the Maltese; “but I have something very important to speak to you about.” - </p> - <p> - “To me?” asked Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, to you,” replied the Maltese. - </p> - <p> - “Well go on,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “I must speak to you alone,” said the Maltese. - </p> - <p> - “Well, then,” said Bruno, “I’ll hear you tomorrow, my worthy captain.” - </p> - <p> - “But I must inform you immediately,” said the Maltese. - </p> - <p> - “Well, then, speak before the company,” said Bruno; “we have not too many - here, and I make it a rule when I feel comfortable never to disturb - myself, even if my life were at stake.” - </p> - <p> - “That is the very subject I wish to allude to,” said the Maltese. - </p> - <p> - “Bah!” replied Bruno; “heaven looks after honest men; here’s to your - health, captain.” - </p> - <p> - The Maltese emptied his glass. - </p> - <p> - “That’s right; now sit down and let me hear your sermon, we’ll listen to - you with proper attention.” - </p> - <p> - The merchant perceived he must give in to the whim of his host, and he - consequently obeyed him. - </p> - <p> - “Well, now then, what is it?” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “First, then,” continued the Maltese, “you know that the justices of - Calvaruso, Spadafora, Bauso, Saponara, Divito, and Domita have been - arrested.” - </p> - <p> - “I have heard something about it,” said Pascal Bruno, carelessly, at the - same time emptying his glass of Marsala, the best wine in Sicily. - </p> - <p> - “But do you know the cause of their arrest?” inquired the merchant. - </p> - <p> - “I guess at it,” said Bruno; “is it not because the Prince of Carini, - being in an extremely ill-humour on account of his mistress having retired - to a convent, has taken it into his head that they have been too slow, and - have shown too little skill in their attempts to arrest a certain Pascal - Bruno, whose head is worth two thousand ducats?” - </p> - <p> - “Exactly so,” said the merchant. - </p> - <p> - “You see,” said Bruno, “I am quite aware of what is going on.” - </p> - <p> - “Yet, for all that,” said the Maltese, “there may be some circumstances of - which you are still ignorant.” - </p> - <p> - “God is great! as Ali says,” replied Bruno; “but go on, and I will - acknowledge my ignorance; I wish for nothing so much as instruction.” - </p> - <p> - “Well,” said the Maltese, “the six judges have met together, and each has - put down twenty-five ounces—that makes one hundred and fifty - ounces.” - </p> - <p> - “Or, in other words,” replied Bruno, in the same careless tone, “eighteen - hundred and ninety livres. You see, if my books are not well regulated, it - is not for want of arithmetic. Well, what next?” - </p> - <p> - “After that,” continued the merchant, “they offered this sum to two or - three men, known as your common associates, if they would assist them in - capturing you.” - </p> - <p> - “Let them offer it,” said Bruno; “I am quite certain they will not meet - with a traitor within ten leagues.” - </p> - <p> - “You deceive yourself,” answered the Maltese; “the traitor is found.” - </p> - <p> - “Ha!” exclaimed Bruno, knitting his brow and grasping his dagger; “and how - do you know that?” - </p> - <p> - “Why, my good fellow,” said the merchant, “in the simplest way in the - world; yesterday I was at the house of the Prince de Goto, governor of - Messina, who sent for me for the purpose of purchasing some Turkish goods, - when a servant entered the room and whispered a few words in his ear. - ‘Very well,’ said the prince, ‘let him come in.’ He then made a sign to me - to go into an adjoining room for a short time; I obeyed, and as he never - suspected that I was acquainted with you, I overheard a conversation that - concerned you.” - </p> - <p> - “Well,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “It was the traitor,” said the Maltese; “he undertook to open the doors of - your fortress, and to place you in their hands unarmed while you were at - supper; and he himself engaged to conduct the gens-d’armes to your - dining-room.” - </p> - <p> - “And do you know who this man is?” demanded Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Yes,” said the merchant. - </p> - <p> - “His name?” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Placido Tomaselli.” - </p> - <p> - “Confusion!” exclaimed the bandit; “he was here but an instant ago.” - </p> - <p> - “And has he left the castle?” inquired the merchant. - </p> - <p> - “Just before you came in,” replied Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Then,” said the merchant, “he has gone after the police and the soldiers; - for, as far as I can see, you were about to sit down to supper.” - </p> - <p> - “You see I was,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Then I am right; and if you wish to escape, you have not a minute to - lose.” - </p> - <p> - “I fly!” cried Bruno, laughing. “Ali! Ali!” and Ali entered the room. - </p> - <p> - “Close the gates of the castle, my lad, and turn three of my dogs loose in - the court-yard, and send the fourth, Lionna, upstairs, and get the - ammunition ready.” - </p> - <p> - The women began to scream. - </p> - <p> - “My goddesses, you must be quiet,” observed Bruno, with an imperative - look; “we must have no singing here; silence, and instantly, if you - please.” - </p> - <p> - And the women were silent. - </p> - <p> - “Captain, you must keep these ladies company; for my part, I must go my - rounds.” - </p> - <p> - Bruno seized his carbine, buckled on his cartouche-box, and went towards - the door; but as he was about to leave the room he stood still and - listened. - </p> - <p> - “What is the matter?” said the Maltese. - </p> - <p> - “Do you not hear my dogs bark? The enemy is close at hand; they were not - long behind you;—are they not fine beasts? Silence, my tigers!” - continued Bruno, opening one of the windows and giving a peculiar whistle; - “all right, all right, I am on my guard.” - </p> - <p> - The dogs gave a low growl and were then silent. - </p> - <p> - The women and the Maltese trembled with terror, expecting something - dreadful was about to happen, and at the same moment Ali entered the room - with Pascal’s favourite bitch, Lionna: the noble creature went straight up - to her master, reared up on her hind legs, and placing her paws on his - shoulders, she looked intelligently at him and gave a short bark. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, yes, Lionna, you are a fine beast,” said Bruno, patting the dog - fondly on the head; “come on, my beauty, come along.” - </p> - <p> - And he went out, leaving the Maltese and the two women in the supper - apartment. - </p> - <p> - Pascal went down into the court-yard, where he found the three dogs - evincing great uneasiness, but without giving any indication that the - danger was very pressing; he then opened the garden door and began to walk - round its bounds. Suddenly Lionna stopped, snuffed the air, and walked - straight up to one part of the enclosure: as soon as she reached the wall, - she reared up on her hind legs, as if she intended to scale it, grinding - her teeth, and uttering a low growl, at the same time looking back at her - master: Pascal Bruno was close behind her. - </p> - <p> - He was at once aware that an enemy was concealed, and that at no great - distance, and recollecting that the window of the room in which Paoli - Tomassi had been confined directly overlooked this spot, he ran quickly up - stairs, followed by Lionna, who with open throat and fiery eyes seemed to - guess her master’s intention; and crossing the room in which the two women - and the Maltese were anxiously awaiting the end of the adventure, she went - into an adjoining chamber, in which there was no light and the window was - open. She had scarcely entered when, crouching quietly on the ground, she - crawled like a serpent towards the window, and when within a few feet of - the casement, before Bruno could prevent her, she sprang through the - opening like a panther, and alighted on the ground without injury, - although the height was at least twenty feet. - </p> - <p> - Pascal was at the window nearly as soon as the dog; he saw her make three - bounds towards an olive-tree, and then heard a cry of agony: Lionna had - seized a man by the throat, who was concealed behind the tree. - </p> - <p> - “Help! help!” exclaimed a voice, which Pascal recognised as that of - Placido. “Help, it is I! Call off your dog, or she will tear me to - pieces.” - </p> - <p> - “Hold him, Lionna!” exclaimed Bruno, “kill him, my good dog! Death to the - traitor!” - </p> - <p> - Placido at once saw that Bruno had discovered all, and uttering a cry of - pain and rage, a mortal combat ensued between the dog and the man. Bruno, - resting on his carbine, calmly contemplated this singular duel by the - uncertain light of the moon. He could perceive two bodies, whose forms - were indistinct, struggling, rolling on the ground, and rising again, and - seeming as if they were but one: for the space of ten minutes he heard - their confused cries, but could not distinguish those of the dog from the - man. At the end of that time a dreadful cry was heard, and one of them - fell to rise no more—it was the man. - </p> - <p> - Bruno whistled to Lionna, again crossed the supper-room, without uttering - a word, and went rapidly down stairs to open the door to his favourite - bitch; but at the very instant she entered, bleeding from wounds inflicted - with a knife, and even from the bites of her antagonist, he saw the - musket-barrels of soldiers glittering in the rays of the moon, and - advancing up the road that led from the village to the fortress. He at - once barricaded the door, and again entered the room in which he had left - his trembling guests. The Maltese was drinking, and the women saying their - prayers. - </p> - <p> - “Well!” said the Maltese. - </p> - <p> - “Well, captain?” answered Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “What has become of Placido Tomaselli?” asked the merchant. - </p> - <p> - “His business is settled,” replied Bruno; “but there is another legion of - devils coming upon us.” - </p> - <p> - “And what do you mean next to do?” asked the merchant. - </p> - <p> - “Kill as many as I can in the first instance,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “And then?” inquired the merchant. - </p> - <p> - “Fire the fortress,” said Bruno, coolly, “and then—blow myself up - along with the rest.” - </p> - <p> - The women hearing this began to scream most lustily. - </p> - <p> - “Ali,” said Pascal, “take these ladies into the vaults, and give them all - they ask for except a candle, for fear they should set fire to the powder - before the proper time.” - </p> - <p> - The poor terrified creatures fell on their knees. - </p> - <p> - “Come, make haste!” cried Bruno, stamping his feet; “do as I order you.” - </p> - <p> - And he uttered these words with such a look and accent, that the two girls - rose and followed Ali without daring to utter another word of complaint. - </p> - <p> - “And now, captain,” said Bruno, as soon as they were gone, “put out the - lights, and get into some corner where the bullets cannot reach you; for - the musicians have arrived and the ball is about to begin.” - </p> - <p> - <a name="link2HCH0009" id="link2HCH0009"> - <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - CHAPTER IX.—THE SIEGE. - </h2> - <p> - A few moments after, Ali again entered the room, carrying on his shoulders - two or three muskets of the same calibre, and a basket full of cartridges. - Pascal Bruno opened all the windows, that he might be able to face in any - direction, and Ali, taking a musket in his hand, was about to place - himself at one of them. - </p> - <p> - “No, my boy,” said Pascal, in an affectionate and parental tone of voice, - “that is no one’s duty but mine; I have no wish to attach your fate to - mine; I do not wish to drag you into the surf along with me; you are - young; nothing, as yet, has removed your life out of the beaten track; - take my advice, continue to live like the rest of the world.” - </p> - <p> - “Father,” replied the youth, with his gentle voice, “why do you not wish - me to defend you as Lionna did? You know I have none to look to but you in - the world, and that, if you die, I must die with you!” - </p> - <p> - “No, Ali,” said Bruno, “if I die, I shall perhaps leave behind me some - mysterious and terrible mission to be accomplished, which I can trust to - no one but my child; my boy, therefore, must live to do what his father - commands him.” - </p> - <p> - “It is right,” said Ali; “the father is the master, and the child must - obey.” - </p> - <p> - Ali seized Pascal’s hand, and kissed it. - </p> - <p> - “Can I be of no service to you, father?” observed the lad. - </p> - <p> - “Yes; load the guns,” said Bruno, and Ali addressed himself to the task, - </p> - <p> - “And what can I do?” said the Maltese, from the corner in which he had - ensconced himself. - </p> - <p> - “You, captain? you shall have the task of carrying the flag of truce if it - be needful.” - </p> - <p> - At this instant Pascal Bruno saw the muskets of a second troop descending - the mountain: they advanced in so direct a line towards the isolated - olive-tree, at the foot of which lay the body of Placido, that it was - evident it was the appointed place of rendezvous. - </p> - <p> - Those who marched first stumbled over the corpse. Upon this they formed a - circle round it; but no one could recognise it, the teeth of Lionna had so - much disfigured it; however, as it was at this olive-tree Placido had - appointed a meeting, and as the body was at its foot, and no other living - being in the neighbourhood, it was evident that the dead man was Placido - himself. - </p> - <p> - The soldiers accordingly guessed that their plot had been discovered, and, - consequently, that Bruno was on his guard; they, therefore, began to - consider how they should act. - </p> - <p> - Pascal, standing at the window, watched all their movements; but the moon - issuing suddenly from behind a cloud, a ray of light fell upon his figure, - and one of the soldiers seeing him, pointed him out to his comrades. - </p> - <p> - “The bandit! the bandit!” was heard from all the troops, and a volley of - shot was instantly poured in at the window. - </p> - <p> - A few of the balls flattened themselves against the wall, others whistled - past the ears and over the head of the party at whom they were directed, - and lodged in the mouldings of the ceiling. - </p> - <p> - Pascal replied by discharging four muskets in succession as they were - handed to him by Ali: four men fell. - </p> - <p> - The soldiers, who were not troops of the line, but a kind of national - guard organised for the protection of the high road, hesitated a little - when they saw death pay them so sudden a visit; for all the men, reckoning - on Placido’s treason, had entertained the hope of making an easy capture: - instead of which, it was now evident that it was an absolute siege they - were about to undertake, and they were in want of everything necessary for - that purpose. - </p> - <p> - The walls of the little fortress were lofty, and the gates strong—they - had neither ladders nor hatchets. There was, however, the possibility of - killing Pascal while at the window levelling his musket; but this seemed - but a poor chance to men who believed their adversary was invulnerable. - </p> - <p> - Accordingly, the most prudent manouvre seemed to be to retire out of - gunshot and deliberate on their future proceedings; but their retreat was - not rapid enough to prevent Pascal Bruno despatching two more messengers - of death after them. - </p> - <p> - Pascal, perceiving that the siege was raised for an instant, went to the - opposite window that overlooked the village: the discharge of the muskets - had attracted the attention of the first party, so that he had scarcely - shown himself at the opening when he was saluted with a shower of bullets; - but the same miraculous good luck again preserved him. It seemed like - enchantment: while, on his side, every shot he fired told upon the - soldiers, and Pascal was made aware of his success by the oaths they - uttered. - </p> - <p> - A similar occurrence happened to this troop as to the other; its ranks - were thrown into disorder, but, instead of taking to flight, they stood up - close against the walls of the fortress, and by this manouvre they made it - impossible for Bruno to fire without thrusting half his body out of the - window; and, as the bandit thought it impolitic to expose himself to - unnecessary danger, the firing in consequence of this mutual act of - prudence ceased for an instant. - </p> - <p> - “Have we got rid of them?” asked the Maltese; “may we cry Victory!” - </p> - <p> - “Not yet,” observed Bruno, “it is only a suspension of arms; the enemy - have, no doubt, gone to the village to procure ladders and hatchets; we - shall, no doubt, soon have news of them. But make yourself easy,” - continued the bandit, filling two glasses; “as we cannot remain quiet with - them, we must give them something in return. Ali, go and fetch a barrel of - powder.—Here’s to your health, captain!” - </p> - <p> - “What are you going to do with the powder?” asked the Maltese, with an - uneasy look. - </p> - <p> - “Oh! not much; but you shall see!” replied Bruno. Ali entered the room, - bearing on his shoulder the barrel of gunpowder. - </p> - <p> - “That’s right,” said Bruno; “now take a gimlet and make a hole in the - barrel.” - </p> - <p> - Ali obeyed with the passive readiness that was the distinctive mark of his - devotion to Bruno. - </p> - <p> - While this was going on, Pascal tore up a napkin into strips, which he - tied together, and rolled them in the powder he took out of a cartridge; - he then put this match into the hole Ali had made in the barrel, and - closed it with wet powder, which had the effect also of keeping the match - in its place. He had scarcely finished his preparations when the sound of - a hatchet was heard at the gate. - </p> - <p> - “Am I a good prophet?” said Bruno, as he rolled the barrel towards the - door of the chamber which overlooked a staircase leading to the castle - court, and then going back to fetch a piece of lighted fir from the fire. - </p> - <p> - “Ah!” said the Maltese, “now I begin to understand what you are going to - do.” - </p> - <p> - “Father,” said Ali, “they are coming from the mountain with ladders.” - </p> - <p> - Bruno ran to the window from which he had fired in the first instance and - plainly saw his adversaries, who had procured the scaling implement they - so much needed, and, ashamed of their first retreat, were returning to the - charge with renewed confidence. - </p> - <p> - “Are the guns loaded?” asked Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, father,” replied Ali, handing him a carbine. - </p> - <p> - Bruno, without looking back, took the gun the boy offered him, slowly - brought it to his shoulder, and levelled with more care than he had yet - exhibited; he fired, and one of the two men who carried the ladder fell. - </p> - <p> - Another man took his place, and Bruno took a second musket: the other - soldier fell by the side of his comrade. - </p> - <p> - Two other men succeeded those who were killed and fell in their turn; upon - this the scaling party, leaving their ladder, retired a second time, after - firing another volley as useless as their previous discharges. - </p> - <p> - In the meantime, those who were besieging the gate redoubled their blows, - and the dogs on their side barked furiously; every moment the blows became - more violent and the barking fiercer. At length, one side of the gate was - forced in and two or three men entered by the opening; and by the cries of - distress they uttered, their comrades judged that they had fallen into the - hands of more terrible enemies than they had calculated on; but they could - not fire upon the dogs without the risk of killing the men. - </p> - <p> - After a short time, one party of the besiegers had entered through the - door one after the other; the court was soon filled, and then began a - combat, like one of those that were exhibited in the ancient circus, - between the soldiers and the four monstrous dogs, who fiercely defended - the narrow staircase that led to the first floor of the fortress. - Suddenly, the door at the top of the staircase opened, and the barrel of - powder Bruno had prepared bounded from stair to stair and exploded like a - bombshell in the midst of the combatants. - </p> - <p> - The explosion was terrible; one of the walls fell in ruins, and everything - in the court-yard was blown to atoms. - </p> - <p> - The besiegers were for an instant stupefied; but in the meantime the two - troops had united themselves, and presented an effective force of more - than 300 men. A deep feeling of shame overwhelmed the multitude when they - saw themselves kept in check by a single man. - </p> - <p> - The leaders took advantage of this feeling to encourage them, and a breach - having been made by the fall of the wall, they marched up to it in a body - in good order, and having cleared every obstacle, they spread themselves - over the whole of the court-yard and were soon before the staircase. - </p> - <p> - When they reached this spot, there was another moment of hesitation: at - length some of them, encouraged by their comrades, began to ascend the - stairs, the rest of the party following. The staircase was soon carried; - but those who were at the head would soon have felt an inclination to - retreat if it had been possible; this, however, was no longer the case—they - were obliged, therefore, to attempt the door, which yielded without - resistance. - </p> - <p> - The besiegers, uttering shouts of triumph, ran round the first chamber; - but at that instant the door of the second room opened, and the soldiers - perceived Bruno seated on a barrel of gunpowder, a pistol in each hand, - while the terrified Maltese rushed through the open, doorway crying out, - in accents so full of truth and terror as to leave no doubt on the - subject:— - </p> - <p> - “Stand back! stand back!” he cried, “the fortress is mined; if you advance - another step we shall all be blown to atoms!” - </p> - <p> - The door was closed as if by enchantment, and the shouts of victory were - changed into cries of terror. The whole body of the besiegers might have - been seen precipitating themselves down the narrow staircase that led to - the court-yard—some among them leaped through the windows—it - seemed as if every man felt the ground tremble beneath his feet, and at - the end of five minutes Bruno was again master of his fortress. - </p> - <p> - As to the Maltese, he took advantage of the opportunity and left the - castle. - </p> - <p> - Pascal, no longer hearing any sound, arose and went to the window. The - siege had been converted into a blockade; a guard was placed at every - opening, and the men who performed this duty had sheltered themselves from - the bandit’s fire behind carts and barrels. It was evident that a new plan - for carrying on the campaign had been adopted. - </p> - <p> - “So it seems they intend to starve us out,” observed Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “The dogs!” exclaimed Ali. - </p> - <p> - “Do not insult the poor beasts who died while defending us, call them <i>men—men!</i>” - said Bruno, smiling sarcastically. - </p> - <p> - “Father!” said Ali. - </p> - <p> - “Well, my boy,” said Bruno, kindly. - </p> - <p> - “Do you not see?” said Ali. - </p> - <p> - “What?” asked Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “That light!” - </p> - <p> - “Ay, truly,” said Bruno; “what can it mean? It cannot be daybreak yet; - and, besides, it comes from the north, and not the east.” - </p> - <p> - “The village is on fire!” exclaimed Ali. - </p> - <p> - “By heavens you are right!” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - At that instant loud cries of distress were heard; Bruno rushed to the - door and found himself face to face with the Maltese. - </p> - <p> - “Is that you, captain?” said Pascal. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, it is I—I myself, don’t deceive yourself and take me for - another; I come as a friend.” - </p> - <p> - “You are welcome,” said Bruno; “but what has taken place?” - </p> - <p> - “That which has taken place is,” said the Maltese, “that, in utter despair - at not having taken you, the soldiers set fire to the village, and refuse - to assist in extinguishing it unless the villagers will consent to march - against you, as they have had enough of it themselves.” - </p> - <p> - “And the peasants?” asked Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Have refused,” said the Maltese. - </p> - <p> - “Ay, ay—I knew that beforehand,” said Bruno; “they had rather that - all their houses should be burned to the ground than touch a hair of my - head. Well, captain, go back to those who sent you, and tell them to - extinguish the flames.” - </p> - <p> - “What do you mean?” asked the Maltese. - </p> - <p> - “I will give myself up,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Give yourself up, father?” cried Ali. - </p> - <p> - “Yes, but I promised to surrender to one man alone, and I will only give - myself up to him. Let them, therefore, as I have said—let them put - out the flames, and then send to Messina in search of the man I shall - name.” - </p> - <p> - “And who is this man?” asked the Maltese. - </p> - <p> - “Paolo Tomassi, a brigadier in the gendarmerie,” replied Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Have you any other request to make?” asked the Maltese. - </p> - <p> - “One only,” replied Bruno, and he spoke to the Maltese in a whisper. - </p> - <p> - “I hope you are not asking for my life?” said Ali. - </p> - <p> - “Have I not told you I should perhaps require your assistance after my - death?” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Pardon me, father,” said Ali, “I had forgotten that.” - </p> - <p> - “Away, captain, and do as I have said,” said Bruno; “when I see the flames - extinguished I shall know my terms are accepted.” - </p> - <p> - “Do you not wish me to be the bearer of the news?” asked the merchant. - </p> - <p> - “Did I not say you should be my negociator? By-the-by,” continued Pascal, - “how many houses are burnt?” - </p> - <p> - “Two when I came away,” replied the Maltese. - </p> - <p> - “There are three hundred and fifteen ounces in this purse, distribute them - among the sufferers.” - </p> - <p> - “Adieu!” said the Maltese, shaking Bruno by the hand. - </p> - <p> - Bruno threw his pistol away, again seated himself on his powder barrel and - fell into a deep reverie. - </p> - <p> - The young Arab extended himself on his tiger’s skin, and remained - motionless, closing his eyes as if he slept. By degrees the light of the - fire expired—Bruno’s conditions had been accepted. - </p> - <p> - At the expiration of about an hour, the door of the room opened, and a man - appeared on the threshold, who, perceiving that neither Bruno nor Ali - noticed him, gave an affected cough. - </p> - <p> - Bruno turned round and perceived Paolo Tomassi. - </p> - <p> - “Ah! is that you, brigadier?” said he, smiling; “it is a pleasure to send - for you—you have not kept us waiting long.” - </p> - <p> - “Why, no,” replied the brigadier, “they met me on the road about a quarter - of an hour ago as I was bringing up my party, and they said that you - wanted to see me.” - </p> - <p> - “It is true,” said Bruno; “I wanted to show you that I am a man of my - word.” - </p> - <p> - “Zounds, I know that well enough,” said the brigadier. - </p> - <p> - “And as I promised that you should receive the three thousand ducats in - question,” said Bruno, “I wish to keep my word.” - </p> - <p> - “Perdition!” said the brigadier, with great energy. - </p> - <p> - “What do you mean, comrade?” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “I mean,” said the brigadier, “that I would rather gain three thousand - ducats in any other manner—in the lottery, for instance.” - </p> - <p> - “And why so?” asked Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Because you are a fine fellow, and men like you are scarce,” was the - brigadier’s reply. - </p> - <p> - “Bah! what’s that to you?” said Bruno; “it will be promotion for you, - brigadier.” - </p> - <p> - “I know it,” replied Paolo, with a look of despair. “And so you mean to - deliver yourself up?” - </p> - <p> - “I surrender,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “On your honour?” said Paolo. - </p> - <p> - “On my honour,” replied Bruno; “therefore, you may send all those rascals - away. I wish to have nothing more to do with them.” - </p> - <p> - Paolo Tomassi went to the window. - </p> - <p> - “You may all of you retire,” he cried; “I will answer for the prisoner: go - and report his capture at Messina.” The soldiers shouted for joy. - </p> - <p> - “And now,” said Bruno to the brigadier, “we will finish the supper these - fools interrupted.” - </p> - <p> - “With all my heart,” replied Paolo, “for I have come eight leagues in - three hours, and I am dying with hunger and thirst.” - </p> - <p> - “Well,” said Bruno, “since you are so well inclined, and as we have but - one night to spend in each other’s company, let us pass it merrily. Ali, - go and fetch the ladies out of the cellar, if they have not been - frightened to death.” - </p> - <p> - Ali performed his mission, and the party enjoyed themselves as best they - could. In the morning, the brigadier and his prisoner set out for Messina. - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - Five days after the events we have just related, the Prince of Carini was - informed, in the presence of the beautiful Gemma, who had just ended her - penance at the Convent of the Visitation, and who had only eight days - previously returned to the world, that at length his orders had been - executed, and that Pascal Bruno was taken and placed in one of the prisons - of Messina. - </p> - <p> - “In that case, the Prince of Goto will pay the three thousand ducats - promised for his capture; see that the brigand is tried and afterwards - executed.” - </p> - <p> - “Dear prince,” said Gemma, in that gentle voice to whose appeal the count - could refuse nothing, “I have always been curious to see this man of whom - I have heard so much.” - </p> - <p> - “Your wish shall be gratified, my dear angel; he shall be hanged at - Palermo.” - </p> - <p> - <a name="link2HCH0010" id="link2HCH0010"> - <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - CHAPTER X.—THE CHAPELLE ARDENTE. - </h2> - <p> - According to the promise he had made his favourite, the Prince of Carini - ordered the condemned man to be sent from Messina to Palermo; and Pascal, - under a large escort of gendarmerie, was conveyed to the prison of that - city, situated behind the royal palace, and near to the asylum for - lunatics. - </p> - <p> - Towards the evening of the second day, a priest entered his dungeon. - Pascal rose when he saw the holy man: but, notwithstanding all the - entreaties of the priest, Pascal resolutely refused to confess. The priest - continued to exhort him to unburden his guilty mind; but nothing could - induce Pascal to perform this last office of religion. And the priest, - perceiving he could not overcome his obstinacy, asked him the reason. - </p> - <p> - “The reason,” said Bruno, “is, that I do not wish to commit a sacrilegious - act.” - </p> - <p> - “In what manner, my son?” inquired the priest. - </p> - <p> - “Is not the first condition of a good confession,” said Bruno, “not only - the acknowledgment of your own sins, but the forgiveness of those of your - neighbour?” - </p> - <p> - “Certainly,” said the priest, “there can be no complete confession without - that.” - </p> - <p> - “Well,” said Bruno, “I have <i>not</i> forgiven; my confession would - therefore be imperfect, and I have no inclination to make a bad - confession.” - </p> - <p> - “Is it not,” said the priest, “more likely that you have such enormous - crimes to acknowledge that you fear they will be too great to expect - pardon? But comfort yourself, God is merciful; and where there is - repentance there is always hope.” - </p> - <p> - “Nevertheless, my father,” said Bruno’, “if between your absolution and my - death, a wicked thought I have not the power to control should—” - </p> - <p> - “The benefit of your confession would be lost,” said the priest. - </p> - <p> - “It is useless then for me to confess,” observed Pascal, “for this wicked - thought will rise.” - </p> - <p> - “Cannot you drive it from your mind?” asked the priest. - </p> - <p> - Pascal smiled. - </p> - <p> - “It is that thought,” said he, “that has kept me alive, father; without - that one infernal thought, without that last hope of vengeance, do you - think I would have allowed myself to be dragged forward as a disgraceful - spectacle to the multitude? No! I would have strangled myself with the - chain that binds me. At Messina, I had made up my mind to do so; and I was - about carrying my intention into effect when an order came to convey me to - Palermo—I thought <i>she</i> would wish to see me die.” - </p> - <p> - “Whom do you mean?” asked the priest. - </p> - <p> - “<i>She</i>,” said Bruno, with bitter emphasis. - </p> - <p> - “But if you die in this manner,” said the priest, “without repenting, - heaven, will show you no mercy.” - </p> - <p> - “Father,” said Bruno, “<i>she</i>, also, shall die without repenting, for - she shall die at the moment she least expects it; she, also, shall die - without a priest, and without confession; she, also, shall find, like me, - heaven without mercy, and we shall sink to perdition together.” - </p> - <p> - At this instant the gaoler entered. - </p> - <p> - “Father,” he said, “the <i>chapelle ardente</i> is prepared.” - </p> - <p> - “Do you still persist in your refusal to confess, my son?” said the - priest. - </p> - <p> - “I do persist,” said Bruno, quietly. - </p> - <p> - “Then I shall no longer delay the mass for the dead,” said the priest, - “which I will repeat without pressing you any further; and I trust that, - while you listen, the Heavenly Spirit will visit you and inspire you with - better thoughts.” - </p> - <p> - “It may be so, father,” said Bruno; “but I have no reason to believe it - will.” - </p> - <p> - The gens-d’armes entered, unbound Bruno, and led him to the church of St. - François de Sales, facing the prison, and at that moment brilliantly - illuminated, for, according to custom, he was there to hear the mass for - the dead and pass the night in prayer, the execution being fixed for eight - o’clock the following morning. - </p> - <p> - An iron ring was fixed in a pillar in the choir, and Pascal was secured to - this ring by means of a chain that went round his body, but which was - sufficiently long to enable him to reach the balustrades where the - communicants knelt. - </p> - <p> - The instant mass commenced, the officers of the lunatic asylum brought in - a coffin, which they placed in the centre of the church: it contained the - remains of an insane person who had died during the day, and the director - thought the deceased might as well receive the benefit of the mass that - was about to be celebrated for the condemned criminal who was to die. - </p> - <p> - Besides, there was an economy in this arrangement, both of time and labour - for the priest; and as it accommodated all parties, no objection was made. - </p> - <p> - The sacristan lighted two tapers, one for the head and the other for the - foot of the coffin, and the mass began. - </p> - <p> - Pascal listened attentively during the whole service, and when it was - over, the priest went up to him and asked him if he was in a better frame - of mind; but the condemned man answered that, notwithstanding the mass to - which he had listened,—notwithstanding the prayers with which he had - accompanied it, his feelings of hatred and desire for vengeance were still - the same. - </p> - <p> - The priest told him that at seven o’clock on the following morning he - would return and ascertain whether a night of solitude and contemplation, - passed in a church and in presence of the crucifix, had produced any - change in his feelings of vengeance. - </p> - <p> - Bruno, as may be imagined, when left alone fell into a deep reverie. The - whole of the varied transactions of his life passed in review before his - eyes, from the days of his earliest infancy to that moment; and in vain he - endeavoured to discover in those early days of his life anything that - deserved the terrible fate that awaited his youth. He remembered only a - filial and sacred obedience towards the kind parents the Lord had given - him. He remembered his father’s abode—-so quiet, so innocent, and - happy at one time—which suddenly, became, without his being aware of - the cause, full of tears and sorrow. He remembered the day when his father - went out, carrying with him a dagger, which on his return was covered with - blood. He remembered the night on which the author of his being was - arrested as a murderer; when they carried himself, still a child, into a - <i>chapelle ardente</i> like that in which he was now confined, where he - saw a man chained as he was now. - </p> - <p> - It seemed to him as if it were some fatal influence, some capricious - chance, some victorious superiority of evil over good, through the means - of which all the prospects of his devoted and once virtuous family had - been so utterly ruined. - </p> - <p> - And then he even doubted the truth of the promises of happiness which - heaven had made to man; he sought through his own distorted vision for the - interference of that Providence of which so much was said; and fancying - that in this, his extremity, some portion of this eternal secret would - perhaps be revealed to him, he bowed his forehead to the earth and prayed—conjured - the Deity, with all the fulness of his soul, to interpret to him this - terrible enigma—to raise the corner of that mysterious veil which - enshrouded his mind—to dispel his doubts and give him confidence - here and hopes for hereafter. - </p> - <p> - His hopes were vain; all was silent excepting that internal voice which - still continued to exclaim—“Vengeance! vengeance! vengeance!” - </p> - <p> - Then he thought the dead were charged to answer him, and that to that end - a corpse had been placed near him: so true it is that the most - insignificant amongst us all considers his own existence as the centre of - the creation, imagines everything is connected with his being, and that - his miserable body is the pivot on which the whole universe turns. - </p> - <p> - He, therefore, slowly raised himself, paler from the struggle he had had - with his mind than from any fear of the scaffold, and he turned his eyes - towards the corpse—it was that of a female. - </p> - <p> - Pascal shuddered without knowing why; he endeavoured to trace the features - of that woman—(the coffin in Italy is only closed at the instant of - interment)—but a corner of the winding-sheet had fallen over the - face and concealed it. Suddenly, an instinctive maddening feeling reminded - him of Teresa—Teresa, whom he had not seen since the day when he - first broke the bonds of God and man—Teresa, who had become mad, and - for three years had been confined in the lunatic asylum from whence the - coffin and the corpse had been brought—Teresa, his betrothed, with - whom, perhaps, he now found himself at the foot of that altar to which he - had so long hoped to have conducted her while living, and where, at - length, he had been brought by the bitter mockery of fate to rejoin her: - she dead—himself about ignominiously to die! - </p> - <p> - To remain longer in doubt was insupportable; he rushed towards the coffin - to satisfy himself, but he was suddenly dragged back by the waist, his - chain not being long enough to enable him to reach the corpse, and it held - him fast to the pillar; he stretched out his arms towards the coffin, but - he was still several feet away from the object he sought to reach. - </p> - <p> - He then looked round in search of something by means of which he might be - able to remove the corner of the veil, but he could discover nothing; he - exerted all the power of his lungs in his endeavour to raise the corner of - the cloth, but it remained as motionless as marble. - </p> - <p> - He then turned round with a look of concentrated rage it would be - impossible to describe, seized his chain with both hands, and collecting - all his strength for the effort, he strove to break it; but the links were - too firmly-attached to each other and resisted all his efforts. - </p> - <p> - The cold perspiration of rage stood on his forehead; he threw himself at - the foot of the pillar, placed his head in his hands, and remained - motionless and mute as the statue of despair; and when the priest came in - the morning he found him still in the same position. - </p> - <p> - The reverend man approached him quietly and calmly, as became his mission - of peace and his office as a minister of reconciliation. He thought that - Pascal slept, but when he placed his hand upon his shoulder, the bandit - started and raised his head. - </p> - <p> - “Well, my son,” said the priest, “are you prepared for confession? I am - ready to absolve you?” - </p> - <p> - “I will answer you presently, father; but first render me a last service,” - said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “What is it?” said the priest. “Speak!” - </p> - <p> - “Father,” said Bruno, “will you raise the corner of the cloth that hides - the features of that woman?” - </p> - <p> - The priest raised the corner of the winding-sheet. Pascal had not deceived - himself, that woman <i>was</i> Teresa! - </p> - <p> - He looked upon her for an instant with the deepest sorrow, and then made a - sign to the priest to let the linen fall: the priest obeyed him. - </p> - <p> - “Well, my son,” he said, “has the sight of death inspired you with any - pious thoughts?” - </p> - <p> - “Father,” said Bruno, “that woman and I were born to be happy and - innocent; but she perjured herself, and I became a murderer. <i>She</i> - has conducted this woman through madness, and me, through despair, to the - tomb into which we are both about to descend to-day. Let heaven pardon - her, if it can—I cannot!” - </p> - <p> - At this instant the guards entered the church to lead Pascal to the - scaffold. - </p> - <p> - <a name="link2HCH0011" id="link2HCH0011"> - <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - CHAPTER XI.—DEATH OF THE BANDIT. - </h2> - <p> - The sky was magnificent, the air pure and transparent; the inhabitants of - Palermo awoke as if it had been a holiday—the scholars at the - colleges and schools had a holiday, and the whole population seemed to - have assembled in the Rue de Toledo, through the whole length of which the - condemned man would have to pass to go from the church of Saint François - de Sales, where He had passed the night, to the Place de la Marine, where - the execution was to take place. - </p> - <p> - The windows of the houses were filled with women, whose curiosity had - roused them from their beds before their usual time, and the nuns of the - various convents in Palermo and its environs might be seen moving like - shadows behind the gratings of the galleries; while on the flat roofs of - the houses throngs of people waved to and fro like a field of grain. - </p> - <p> - The condemned man was at the gates of the church placed in a cart drawn by - mules, and preceded by a number of White Penitents, the first of whom - carried the cross and the four last the coffin. The executioner followed - on horseback, bearing a red flag; his two assistants on foot, one on each - side. Behind these came a body of Black Penitents, who closed the - procession, which advanced in the midst of a double rank of militia and - regular troops, while, on the outskirts of the crowd, men were running - along clothed in long gray dresses, with their heads covered with hoods, - having openings for the eyes and mouth, holding in one hand a bell, and in - the other a large purse or bag, collecting alms for the deliverance of the - soul of the criminal from purgatory. - </p> - <p> - It was reported also among the crowd that the criminal had refused to - confess, and this deviation from the religious ideas entertained by all - gave more weight to the rumours which had been spread abroad since the - very beginning of his career, of an infernal compact between Bruno and the - enemy of mankind. A feeling of terror, therefore, sat upon the curious yet - mute population, and no shouts, no cries, not even a murmur, disturbed the - dirge of death as it was chanted by the White Penitents at the head of the - procession and the Black Penitents in the rear. Behind these last, and as - fast as the culprit advanced along the Rue de Toledo, the spectators - joined the procession and accompanied it towards the Place de la Marine. - </p> - <p> - As to Pascal, he was the only one who appeared perfectly calm in the midst - of this agitated mass of people, and he looked upon the crowd that - surrounded him without humility and without ostentation, like a man who, - understanding the duties of individuals towards society in general and the - rights of society in respect to individuals, did not repent that he had - forgotten the last, nor complained that it avenged the first. - </p> - <p> - The procession stopped for an instant at the Place des Quatre Cantons, - which forms the centre of the city, for so great a crowd were pressing - forward from either side of the Rue de Cassero, that the line of troops - was broken, and the centre of the road being crowded with people, the - Penitents were unable to proceed. - </p> - <p> - Pascal took advantage of this sudden halt to stand up in the cart and look - round him, like one about to give a final order or make a last sign; but - after a long examination of the crowd, and not seeing that of which he was - in search, he fell back on the truss of straw that answered the purpose of - a seat, and a cloud spread over his face which seemed to increase until - the procession reached the Place de la Marine; then a second stoppage - occurred, and Pascal a second time stood up. - </p> - <p> - At first, he cast a careless glance to the extremity of the place opposite - the gibbet, and then his looks ran over the immense crowd that filled the - extensive area of the place of execution, and which appeared paved with - human heads, with the exception of the terrace of the palace of the Prince - de Butera, which was completely deserted. He fixed his eyes upon a rich - balcony covered with damask, embroidered with gold, and sheltered from the - sun by purple awnings. There, on a species of platform, and surrounded by - the most elegant women, and the noblest lords of Palermo, the beautiful - Gemma of Castel Nuova was seated, who, anxious to witness the last agony - of her enemy, had caused her throne to be raised facing the scaffold. - </p> - <p> - The looks of Pascal Bruno and the counters met, and seemed to dart flashes - of hatred and vengeance: they were still gazing on each other when a - strange cry arose among the crowd that surrounded the cart. Pascal - started, and turning quickly to the spot from whence the sound came, his - features not only resumed their wonted expression of calmness, but a look - of joy spread over them. - </p> - <p> - At this, instant the procession was again about to move on, when Bruno, - with a loud voice, exclaimed— - </p> - <p> - “Stop!” - </p> - <p> - The word had a magical effect, the whole of the crowd seemed for an - instant nailed to the earth, every face was turned to the condemned man, - and a thousand eager looks were fixed upon him. - </p> - <p> - “What is it you want?” said the executioner, - </p> - <p> - “My confessor,” said Pascal. - </p> - <p> - “The priest is gone,” said the executioner; “you sent him away.” - </p> - <p> - “My usual confessor is the monk on my left hand in the crowd,” said Bruno. - “I did not want the other; but I wish to confess to this man.” - </p> - <p> - The executioner gave a look of impatience and denial; but at the same - instant the people, who had heard the request of the condemned man, cried - out— - </p> - <p> - “The confessor! the confessor!” - </p> - <p> - The executioner was obliged to submit, and the crowd made way for the - monk: he was a tall young man, of a swarthy complexion, and seemed as if - he were exhausted by the austerities of the cloister; he went up to the - cart and climbed into it. - </p> - <p> - At the same instant Bruno fell on his knees—this was a general - signal; on the pavement, in the street, on the balconies at the windows, - on the roofs of the houses, every one knelt; all excepting the - executioner, who remained on horseback, and his assistants, who stood by - his side. At the same instant the Penitents began to chant the prayers for - the dying, to conceal by the voices the words of the confession. - </p> - <p> - “I have been long expecting you,” observed Bruno. “I was waiting here for - you,” replied Ali, for he it was. - </p> - <p> - “I was afraid they would not keep the promise they made me,” said Bruso; - “and that you would meet the same fate as myself.” - </p> - <p> - “No,” said Ali, “they have kept their promise; I am at liberty.” - </p> - <p> - “Listen then,” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “I am attentive,” replied Ali. - </p> - <p> - “There, on my right hand—” Bruno turned in that direction, for his - hands were bound, and he had no other means of pointing—“you see a - balcony covered with gold embroidery.” - </p> - <p> - “Yes,” said Ali. - </p> - <p> - “On that balcony is a young and beautiful woman, with flowers in her hair—” - </p> - <p> - “I see her,” interrupted Ali; “she is on her knees at prayers like the - rest.” - </p> - <p> - “That woman,” said Bruno, “is the Countess Gemma, of Castel Nuova.” - </p> - <p> - “Beneath whose window I was waiting when you were wounded in the - shoulder?” asked Ali. - </p> - <p> - “Yes,” replied Bruno, “that woman is the cause of all my misfortunes; she - forced me to commit my first crime; she has brought me here!” - </p> - <p> - “Well,” said Ali. - </p> - <p> - “I should not die in peace if I knew that she would survive me happy and - honoured,” continued Bruno. “You may die in peace,” said the youth. - </p> - <p> - “Thanks, thanks, Ali!” said Bruno, impressively. - </p> - <p> - “Let me embrace you once more father,” said Ali. - </p> - <p> - “Adieu!” said Bruno. - </p> - <p> - “Farewell for ever!” said Ali. - </p> - <p> - The young monk embraced the culprit as a priest is in the habit of doing - when he gives absolution to the sinner, and he then alighted from the cart - and mingled with the crowd. - </p> - <p> - “Go on,” said Bruno, imperatively; and the procession again obeyed him, as - if the speaker had the right to command. - </p> - <p> - Every one arose; Gemma reseated herself, and the procession moved on - towards the scaffold. - </p> - <p> - When it arrived at the foot of the gibbet, the executioner descended from - his horse, mounted the scaffold, climbed up the ladder, and fixed his - blood-coloured flag on the cross-piece above, satisfied himself that the - cord was well fastened, and threw off his coat that he might have more - freedom of action. - </p> - <p> - Pascal immediately sprang out of the cart, thrust aside with his shoulders - the hangmen’s men, who wished to assist him, rapidly mounted the scaffold, - and placed himself against the ladder which he had to climb backwards. At - the same instant, the Penitent who carried the cross placed it in front of - the bandit, so that he might see it in its dying moments. The Penitents - who carried the coffin seated themselves upon it, and the troops formed - themselves into a semicircle round the scaffold, leaving in the centre the - two bands of Penitents, the executioner, his assistants, and their victim, - Pascal mounted the ladder, refusing all assistance, with the calmness he - had hitherto displayed, and as Gemma’s balcony was facing him, it was even - observed that he cast his eyes in that direction and smiled. At the same - instant, the executioner passed the cord round his neck, seized him by the - middle of his body, and cast him off the ladder; he then slipped down the - cord, and pressed with his whole weight on the shoulders of the culprit, - while the assistants, clinging to his legs, pulled at the lower part of - his body; but suddenly the rope broke, not being able to bear the weight - of four persons, and the whole party, the executioner, his assistants, and - their victim, were rolling on the scaffold. - </p> - <p> - One man arose before the rest—it was Pascal Bruno, whose hands had - burst the cords with which they were tied; he stood up in the midst of a - general silence, having in his right side a knife the executioner had in - his rage at the accident plunged into it the whole length of its blade. - </p> - <p> - “Wretch!” cried the bandit, addressing the hangman, “you are neither fit - for an executioner nor a bandit; you can neither hang nor assassinate.” - </p> - <p> - With these words, he drew out the reeking knife from his right side, and - plunging it into his left side near his heart fell dead. - </p> - <p> - Then there arose a terrific shout and a wild tumult in the crowd, some - rushed away from the spot, while others attacked the scaffold. - </p> - <p> - The body of the condemned man was carried away by the Penitents, and the - executioner was nearly torn in pieces by the people. - </p> - <p> - <a name="link2HCH0012" id="link2HCH0012"> - <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - CHAPTER XII.—CONCLUSION. - </h2> - <p> - The evening after the execution, the Prince of Carini dined with the - Archbishop of Montreal, while Gemma, who was not admissible into the - society of the prelate, remained at the Villa Carini. - </p> - <p> - The evening was as delightful as the morning had been. From one of the - windows of the room which was hung with blue satin, the room in which the - first scene of our history took place, Alicudi might plainly be seen, and - behind it, like a vapour floating on the sea, the isles of Filicudi and - Salina. The other window overlooked a beautiful park, filled with orange - trees and pomegranates; on the right, might be seen Mount Pellegrino from - its base to its very summit, and on the left the view extended as far as - Montreal. - </p> - <p> - The beautiful Countess Gemma, of Castel Nuovo, had remained for some time - at this window, her eyes fixed on the ancient residence of the Norman - kings, and seeking in every carriage as it came towards Palermo for the - equipage of the viceroy. But at length the darkness of the evening - increased, and distant objects becoming indistinct, she entered her - chamber and rang for her maid, and, fatigued as she had been by the - emotions of the day, she retired to rest. - </p> - <p> - It was late before the prince was able to relieve himself from the kind - attentions of his host, and eleven o’clock struck by the cathedral (built - by William the Good) before the viceroy’s carriage, drawn by four splendid - horses, departed at a gallop. Half an hour was sufficient to enable him to - reach Palermo, and in five minutes afterwards, he had cleared the distance - between the city and his villa. - </p> - <p> - The prince hastily proceeded to Gemma’s chamber, he attempted to enter the - door, but it was fastened on the inside: he then went to the secret door - that opened on the other side of the bed, close to the recess in which - Gemma reposed. Having opened it softly, that he might not awake the - charming sleeper, he stood a moment to gaze upon her in the sweet and - beautiful abandonment of repose. - </p> - <p> - An elaborate lamp, suspended from the ceiling by three strings of pearls, - was the only light in the room, and its light was arranged in such a - manner as to prevent its dazzling the eyes of the sleeper. The prince, - therefore, leaned over the bed that he might see better. - </p> - <p> - Gemma was lying with her chest almost entirely uncovered, and her boa, - rolled round her neck, contrasted beautifully by its dark colour with the - whiteness of her skin. - </p> - <p> - The prince for an instant gazed on the enchanting statue, but its want of - animation soon astonished him; he drew closer, and perceived that a - strange paleness overspread her features. He bent his ear over her, but - could not hear her respiration; he seized her hand, it was cold. Then he - placed his arm beneath the form he loved so well, that he might warm it by - pressing it to his breast; but he suddenly allowed it again to fall, and - uttered a cry of anguish and horror. Gemma’s head had fallen from her - shoulders and rolled upon the carpet. - </p> - <p> - The next morning the yataghan of Ali was found beneath the window! - </p> - <p> - THE END. - </p> - <div style="height: 6em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg’s The Sicilian Bandit, by Alexandre Dumas, pere - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SICILIAN BANDIT *** - -***** This file should be named 41224-h.htm or 41224-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/2/2/41224/ - -Produced by David Widger - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use -it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Sicilian Bandit - From the Volume "Captain Paul" - -Author: Alexandre Dumas, pere - -Release Date: October 29, 2012 [EBook #41224] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SICILIAN BANDIT *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger - - - - - - - - - - - - - -THE SICILIAN BANDIT - -From the Volume "Captain Paul" - -By Alexandre Dumas, pere - - - - - -CONTENTS - - - -CHAPTER I.--INTRODUCTION--PALERMO. - -CHAPTER II.--BRUNO AND ALI. - -CHAPTER III.--THE FATAL BRIDAL. - -CHAPTER IV.--THE PRINCE AND THE BANDIT. - -CHAPTER IV.--THE ROBBER'S CASTLE. - -CHAPTER VI.--A BANDIT'S GRATITUDE. - -CHAPTER VII.--A BRIGAND'S VENGEANCE. - -CHAPTER VIII.---TREACHERY. - -CHAPTER IX.--THE SIEGE. - -CHAPTER X.--THE CHAPELLE ARDENTE. - -CHAPTER XI.--DEATH OF THE BANDIT. - -CHAPTER XII.--CONCLUSION. - - - - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER I.--INTRODUCTION--PALERMO. - -It is with cities as with men--chance presides over their foundation; -and the topographical situation of the first, and the social position of -the latter, exercise a beneficial or an evil influence over their entire -existence. - -There are noble cities which, in their selfish pride of place, have -refused to permit the erection even of a few humble cottages on the -mountain on which their foundations rested: their domination must be -exclusive and supreme; consequently they have remained as poor as they -are proud. - -There are villages so humble as to have taken refuge in the recesses -of the valley--have built their farmsteads, mills, and cottages on the -margin of a brook, and, protected by the hills that sheltered them from -heat and cold, have passed an almost unknown and tranquil life, like -that of men without ardour and without ambition--terrified by every -sound, dazzled by every blaze of light, and whose whole happiness -consists in shade and silence. - -There are, again, others that have commenced their existence as paltry -hamlets on the sea-shore, and which, by degrees, have seen sailing -vessels succeed the simple boat, and noble ships the tiny barque--whose -modest huts have given place to lordly palaces, while the gold of Potosi -and the wealth of the Indies flow into their ample ports. - -It is for these reasons that we give to cold, inanimate nature epithets -that truly belong to man's nobility alone. Thus we say, Messina the -noble, Syracuse the faithful, Girgenti the magnificent, Trapani the -invincible, and Palermo the blessed. - -If ever there was a city predestined to be blessed--that city is -Palermo. Situated beneath a cloudless sky, on a luxuriously fertile -plain, and sheltered by a belt of mountains, in the centre of a -picturesquely beautiful country, its ample ports open to receive the -gentle flow of the azure sea. - -There is nothing more beautiful than the days at Palermo, except it -be the nights--those eastern nights, so clear and balmy, in which the -murmur of the sea, the rustling of the breeze, and the busy hum of the -town seem like a universal concert of love, during which all created -things, from the wave to the tree, from the tree to man himself, breathe -a mysterious sigh. - -At times, however, the sea suddenly assumes a livid tint; the wind -drops, the noise of the city is hushed; a few bloodied clouds travel -rapidly from the south to the north; these clouds foretell the coming of -the dread sirocco, that scorching blast, borne in the sands of Libya and -carried to Europe by the southerly gales: immediately everything animate -droops and becomes oppressed and suffering, and the whole island feels -as when Etna threatens. Animals and men alike seek shelter, and when -they have found it, they crouch in fear, for the blast has taken away -all courage, paralysed the strength, and deadened every faculty; and -this lasts until a purer air from the Calabrian hills restores the -strength and appears to renew their existence, and on the morrow all -again is pleasure and mirth. - -It was the evening of the month of September, 1803, when the sirocco had -lasted throughout the entire day; but at sunset the sky became clear, -the sea resumed its azure tint, and a few blasts of cool air blew over -the Liparian Archipelago. This atmospheric change had such an influence -on all animated beings, that they gradually revived from their state -of torpor, and you might have imagined you were present at a second -creation, the more so from the fact of Palermo being, as we have already -said, a perfect garden of Eden. - -Among all the daughters of Eve who, in the paradise they inhabit, make -love their principal occupation, there was one who will play a very -important part in the course of this history. That we may direct the -attention of our readers to her, and to the place in which she dwelt, -let them leave Palermo by the San-Georgio gate along with us, leaving -the castle of St Mark on the right, and, reaching the Mole, they will -follow the course of the sea-shore for some distance, and stop before -the delightful villa of the Prince of Carini, the Viceroy of Sicily -under Ferdinand the Fourth, who had just returned from Naples to take up -his abode in it. - -On the first floor of this elegant villa, in a chamber tapestried -with azure-blue silk, the ceiling of which was ornamented with fresco -painting, a female, simply attired in a snow-white morning dress, was -reclining on a sofa, her arms hung listlessly, her head was thrown back, -and her hair dishevelled; for an instant she might have been taken for -a marble statue, but a gentle tremor ran through her frame, colour -gradually came to her cheeks, her eyes began to open, the beautiful -statue became animated, sighed, stretched out its hand to a little -silver bell placed on a table of peliminta marble, rang it lazily, and, -as if fatigued with the effort she had made, fell back again on the -sofa. - -The silvery sound, however, had been heard, the door opened, and a young -and pretty waiting-maid, whose disordered toilet declared that she, -as well as her mistress, had felt the influence of the African wind, -appeared on the threshold. - -"Is it you, Teresa?" said her mistress, languidly, and turning her head. -"It is enough to kill one: is the sirocco still blowing?" - -"No, signora, it has quite passed over, and we begin to breathe again." - -"Bring me some iced fruit, and let me have a little air." - -Teresa obeyed these orders with as much promptitude as the remains of -her languor would allow; she placed the refreshments on the table, and -opened the window that looked out on the sea. - -"Look, madame la comtesse," she said, "we shall have a magnificent day -to-morrow; and the air is so clear that you can plainly see the island -of Alicari, although the day is drawing to a close." - -"Yes, yes, the air is refreshing; give me your arm, Teresa; I will try -if I can drag myself as far as the window." - -The attendant approached her mistress, who replaced on the table the -refreshment her lips had scarcely touched, and, resting on Teresa's -shoulder, walked languidly towards the balcony. - -"How this delightful breeze revives one," she observed, as she inhaled -the evening air; "bring me my chair, and open the other window that -looks into the garden,--that will do. Has the prince returned from -Montreal?" - -"Not yet, my lady," replied Teresa. - -"So much the better; I would not have him see me in this wretched state, -so pale and weak: I must look dreadfully." - -"Madame la comtesse never looked more beautiful than at this moment, and -I am certain that in the whole city we see from this window, there is -not a woman who would not be jealous of your ladyship." - -"Do you include the Marchioness of Rudini and the Princess of Butera?" - -"I except no one," replied the attendant. - -"Ah, I see the prince has been bribing you to flatter me, Teresa." - -"I assure you, madame, I only tell you what I think." - -"Oh, what a delightful place Palermo is!" said the countess, taking a -deep inspiration. - -"Especially when one is two-and-twenty years of age, and rich and -beautiful," continued Teresa, smiling. - -"You have but completed my thoughts, and on that account I wish to see -every one about me cheerful and happy. When is your marriage to take -place, Teresa?" Teresa made no answer. "Is not Sunday the day fixed -upon?" continued the countess. - -"Yes, signora," answered her attendant with a sigh. - -"Why do you sigh? Have you not made up your mind?" - -"Oh, yes, certainly." - -"Have you any dislike to the marriage!" - -"No; I believe Gaetano is a good lad, and that he will make me happy. -Besides, this marriage will enable me to remain with madame la comtesse, -and that is my most earnest wish." - -"Then why did you sigh?" - -"Pray pardon me, my lady, but I was thinking of our native country." - -"Our native country!" echoed the countess. - -"Yes; madame la comtesse may remember, while at Palermo, that she had -left a foster sister at the village of which her father was the signor; -and when she wrote for me to come to her, I was about to be married to a -young man belonging to Bauso." - -"Why did you not tell me of that? The prince, at my recommendation, -would have taken him into his service." - -"Oh, he would not become a servant," said Teresa; "he was too proud for -that." - -"Indeed!" said the countess. - -"Yes; he had before then refused the situation of shepherd to the Prince -of Goto." - -"He was a gentleman, then, this young man?" - -"No, madame la comtesse; he was but a simple mountaineer," said Teresa, -in a melancholy tone. - -"What was his name?" - -"Oh, I do not think that your ladyship would recollect it," said Teresa, -eagerly. - -"And do you then regret his loss?" - -"I cannot tell; I only know that if I were to become his wife instead of -Gaetano's, I should be obliged to work for my living; and that would be -a laborious task for me, after leading so easy and pleasant a life under -madame la comtesse." - -"And yet, Teresa, is it not true that people accuse me of pride and -violence?" asked the countess. - -"Madame is very good to me, that is all I can say," replied Teresa. - -"The nobles of Palermo say so, because the Counts of Castel Nuovo were -ennobled by Charles the Fifth, while the Ventimillas and the Partanas -descend, as they pretend, from Tancred and Rogero: but that is not the -reason the women hate me; they conceal their hatred under the cloak of -disdain, and they neglect me because Rodolpho loves me, and they are -jealous of the viceroy's love; they do all they can to seduce him -from me; but they will never succeed, for my beauty is greater than -theirs--Carini tells me so every day, and so do you, story-teller." - -"You have here a greater flatterer than either his excellency or -myself," said Teresa, archly. - -"Who is that?" asked the countess. - -"The countess's mirror." - -"Foolish girl!" said the countess, with a gratified smile. "There, go -and light the tapers of the Psyche." The attendant obeyed her mistress's -orders. "Now shut that window, and leave me; there will be sufficient -air from the garden." - -Teresa obeyed, and left the room. Scarcely did the countess perceive -that she was gone, than she seated herself before the Psyche, and smiled -as she looked at and admired herself in the glass. - -A wonderful creature was the Countess Emma, or rather Gemma, for, from -her very infancy, her parents had added a G to her baptismal name; -and, on account of this addition, she called herself Diamond. She was -certainly wrong in confining her origin to the signature of Charles the -Fifth, for in her slight and pliant form, you might recognise an Ionian -origin; in her black and expressive eyes, a descendant of the Arabs; and -in her fair and vermilion skin, a daughter of Gaul. She could equally -boast of her descent from an Athenian archon, a Saracen emir, and -a Norman chieftain; she was one of those beauties that in the first -instance were found in Sicily alone, at a later time in one town alone -in the world--Arles. So that, instead, of calling the artifices of the -toilet to her assistance, as she intended in the first instance, Gemma -found herself more charming in her partial dishabille. - -The glass, being placed before the window that was left open, reflected -the sky from its surface, and Gemma, without intention or thought, wrapt -herself up in a vague and delicious pleasure, counting in the glass the -images of the stars as they each appeared in their turn, and giving them -names as they successively appeared in the heavens. - -Suddenly it appeared as if a rising shadow placed itself before the -stars, and that a face appeared behind her; she turned herself quickly -round and beheld a man standing at the window. Gemma rose and opened her -mouth with the intention of screaming for assistance, when the stranger, -springing into the chamber, clasped his hands, and said in supplicating -accents-- - -"In the name of heaven do not call out, madame! for on my honour, you -have nothing to fear: I will do you no harm." - -Gemma fell back into her chair, and the apparition and words of the -stranger were succeeded by a moment's silence, during which she had time -to cast a rapid glance at the person who had introduced himself into her -room in this extraordinary manner. - -He was a young man, some twenty-five or twenty-six years of age, and -appeared to belong to the ranks of the people; he wore a Calabrian hat, -round which a piece of velvet was tied, the ends of which fell loosely -on his shoulders, a velvet vest with silver buttons, breeches of the -same material, and ornamented in a similar manner; round his waist -he wore a red silk belt with green fringe; shoes and leather gaiters -completed his costume, which appeared to have been selected to set off -his fine figure to advantage. His features possessed a kind of savage -beauty, his look was bold and proud, his beard black, his teeth sharp -and white, and his nose aquiline. - -For a certainty, Gemma was not a whit the more easy by her examination, -for the stranger, when he saw her stretch out her hand towards the -table, as if to take hold of the silver bell, said-- - -"Did you not hear me, madame?" giving his voice that gentle expression -so peculiar to the Sicilian dialect. "I wish you no harm--far from it. -If you will grant me the request I am about to make, I will adore you as -if you were a Madonna. You are already as beautiful; be as good as one." - -"But what is it you require?" said Gemma, her voice still trembling; -"and why did you come here in this manner, and at such an hour?" - -"Had I requested the favour of an interview with one so noble, so rich, -and so much loved by a man who is almost a king, is it probable that you -would have granted it to me, so poor and unknown? Tell me, madame. -But even if you had been so condescending, you might have delayed your -answer, and I have no time to wait." - -"What, then, can I do for you?" said Gemma, recovering herself by -degrees. - -"Everything, madame; for you hold in your hands my despair or my -happiness--my death or my life." - -"I do not understand you; explain yourself," faltered out the countess. - -"You have," said the stranger, "a young woman from Bauso in your -service." - -"Teresa?" asked the countess. - -"Yes, Teresa," replied the young man in trembling accents. "Now, this -young woman is to be married to a valet de chambre of the Prince de -Carini, and she is betrothed to me." - -"Ah! it is you, then?" said the countess. - -"Yes, it was I she was about to marry when she received your letter -desiring her to come to you. She promised to remain faithful to me--to -mention me to you, and if you refused her request, she pledged her word -to return to me. I continued to expect her; but three years passed by, -and yet I saw her not; and as she has not returned to me, I have come to -seek her. On my arrival I learnt all, and then I thought I would throw -myself on my knees before you, and ask Teresa of you." - -"Teresa is a girl I am partial to," said the countess, "and I do not -wish her to leave me. Gaetano is the prince's valet de chambre, and by -marrying him she will still remain near me." - -"If that is one of the conditions, I will enter the prince's service," -said the young man, evidently suppressing his feelings. - -"But Teresa told me you would not enter into service." - -"That is true," replied the stranger; "but if it is necessary, I will -make any sacrifice for her; only, if it were possible, I would be one of -the huntsmen rather than a domestic servant." - -"Well," said the countess, "I will speak of it to the prince, and if he -consents--" - -"The prince will do all that you wish, madame," interrupted the young -man. "You do not ask, you order; I know that well." - -"But what guarantee have I for your good conduct?" asked the countess. - -"My eternal gratitude, madame," said the young man. - -"Still I must know who you are," said the countess. - -"I am a man," said the stranger, "whom you can make miserable or happy; -that is the sum of all." - -"The prince will ask me your name," said the countess. - -"What is my name to him?" asked the stranger. "Is he acquainted with it? -Has the name of a poor peasant of Bauso ever reached the prince's ears?" - -"But I belong to the same country as yourself," said the countess; -"my father was Count of Castel Nuovo, and lived in a little fortress a -quarter of a league from the village." - -"I know it, madame," said the young man, in a low hoarse voice. - -"Well, I ought to know your name," said the countess. "Tell me, then, -and I will see what I can do for you." - -"Believe me, madame la comtesse," said the stranger, "it would be better -for you to remain ignorant of it. What does my name signify? I am an -honest man. I would make Teresa happy; and if it were necessary, I would -sacrifice my life for you or the prince." - -"Your obstinacy is very strange," said the countess, "and I have a -greater desire to know your name than ever, for when I asked Teresa what -it was, she, like you, refused to tell me. In the meantime, I warn you -that I will not consent to your wishes except on that condition." - -"You wish to know it then, madame?" - -"I insist upon it!" said the countess. - -"For the last time," said the stranger, "I beg, I implore you, not to -insist upon it." - -"Either name it," said the countess, in an imperative tone, "or leave -me." - -"I am called Pascal Bruno," said the young man, in so calm a voice that -you might have imagined every emotion had passed away if the paleness of -his features had not been evidence of the internal struggle. - -"Pascal Bruno!" cried the countess, drawing back in her chair in terror. -"Pascal Bruno! You, the son of Antonio Bruno, whose head is placed in an -iron cage at the Chteau de Bauso?" - -"I am his son," coolly replied the young man. - -"And do you not know," asked the countess, "why your father's head is -placed there? Speak!" Pascal remained silent. "Well," continued the -countess, "it was because your father attempted to assassinate mine." - -"I know all that, madame," replied Pascal, calmly; "and I know, besides, -that when you, then a child, was taken into the village, your attendants -showed you that head, and told you it was my father's head; but they did -not tell you, madame, that your father dishonoured mine." - -"Thou liest!" passionately exclaimed the countess. - -"May God punish me if I tell not the truth. Madame, my mother was -beautiful and virtuous; your father, the count, became enamoured of her: -but she resisted all his importunities, all his promises, and all his -threats; but one day, when my father had gone to Taormina, the count -caused her to be carried off by four men, taken to a small house that -belonged to him between Limero and Furnari (it is now a tavern), and -there--madame--he violated her!" - -"The count was lord and master of the village of Bauso," said Gemma, -proudly. "Both the property and the persons of its inhabitants belonged -to him, and he did your mother much honour by admiring her." - -"My father did not think so it appears," said Pascal, knitting his brow. -"That, perhaps, was because he was born at Stilla, on the lands of the -Prince de Moncada Paterno; and on that account he struck the count. -The wound was not mortal; so much the better. For a long time I deeply -regretted it; but now, to my shame, I congratulate myself on it." - -"If my memory be correct," said the countess, "not only was your father -put to death as murderer, but your uncles are still at the galleys." - -"Your memory is good," said Pascal. "My uncles gave an asylum to the -assassin, and defended him when the officers came to arrest him: they -were, therefore, looked upon as accomplices, and sent, my uncle Placido, -to Favignana; my uncle Pietro, to Lipari; and my uncle Ppe, to Vulcano. -As for myself, I was too young; and, although I was arrested, they gave -me up again to my mother." - -"And what became of your mother?" asked Gemma. - -"She died," said Pascal, mournfully. - -"Where?" asked Gemma. - -"In the mountains between Pizzo di Goto and Nisi," replied Pascal. - -"Why did she leave Bauso?" inquired the countess. - -"That every time we passed the castle," said Pascal, "she might not see -the head of her husband, nor I that of my father! Yes, she died without -a physician, without a priest--she was buried in unholy ground, and -I dug her grave. There, madame--you will pardon me, I trust--over the -newly-turned earth I swore to avenge the wrongs of my family--of whom I, -alone, remain--upon you, the only survivor of the family of the count. -But I became enamoured of Teresa, and I left the mountains that I might -not see my mother's grave, towards which I felt myself perjured. I came -down to the plain, and went to Bauso. I did more than that, for when I -knew that Teresa had left the village to enter your service, I thought -of entering that of the count. For a long time I felt repugnant at the -idea; but my love for Teresa overcame every other feeling. I made up -my mind to see you--I have seen you; here am I, without arms, and a -suppliant before you, madame--before whom I ought only to appear as an -enemy." - -"You must perceive," said Gemma, "the prince cannot take into his -service the son of a man who was hanged, and whose uncles are at the -galleys." - -"Why not, madame?" asked Bruno, "if that man consents to forget that -those punishments were unjustly inflicted?" - -"Are you mad?" said the countess. - -"Madame la comtesse," said Pascal, "you know what an oath is to a -mountaineer. Well, I have broken my oath. You also know the vengeance of -a Sicilian. Well, I will renounce my vengeance and forget my oath. I -ask only that all may be forgotten, and that you will not force me to -remember it?" - -"But if you should," said the countess, "how would you act?" - -"I do not wish to think upon the subject." - -"Then we must take our measures accordingly," said the countess. - -"I beg of you, madame la comtesse," said Pascal, "to have pity on me; -you see that I am doing all that I can to remain an honest man. Once -engaged by the prince--once Teresa's husband, I can answer for myself: -otherwise I shall never return to Bauso." - -"It is impossible to do as you desire," said the countess, decidedly. - -"Countess," said Pascal, earnestly, "you have loved?" Gemma smiled -disdainfully. "You must know what jealousy is--you must know its -sufferings, its maddening tortures. Well, I love Teresa--I am jealous of -her; and I feel I should lose my senses if this marriage take place; and -then--" - -"Well, then--" said Gemma, in an agitated tone. - -"Then, take heed' I do not remember the galleys where my uncles are, the -cage in which my father's head is placed, and the grave where my mother -sleeps!" At this instant a strange cry, which seemed to be a signal, -was heard outside the window, and almost at the same instant a bell was -rung. - -"There is the prince," said Gemma, regaining her confidence. - -"Yes, yes--I know it," mattered Pascal; "but before he passes through -yonder door, you have time to say 'yes.' I implore you, madame, to grant -me what I ask. Give me Teresa--place me in the prince's service!" - -"Let me pass," said Gemma, imperiously, and advanced towards the door; -but instead of obeying this order, Bruno sprang to the door and bolted -it. "Would you dare to stop me?" cried Gemma, taking hold of the bell. -"Help! help!" - -"Do not call out, madame," said Bruno, still mastering his feelings, -"for I have told you I will do you no harm." - -A second cry, resembling the first, was heard outside the window. - -"It is well--well, Ali; you watch faithfully, my boy," said Bruno. -"Yes, I know the count has arrived; I hear him in the corridor. Madame, -madame! an instant longer remains for you; one second, and all the -misfortunes I foresee may be avoided." - -"Help, Rodolpho! Help!" screamed Gemma. - -"You have, then neither heart, nor soul, nor pity, either for yourself -or others," cried Bruno plunging his hands in his hair and looking at -the door, which was being violently shaken. - -"I am fastened in!" cired the countess, who felt fresh courage from the -assistance which had arrived; "fastened in with a man who is threatening -my life. Help! help! Rodolpho, help!" - -"I do not threaten you," said Pascal, "I am entreating you--I entreat -you still; but since you will--" Bruno, uttering a yell like that of a -tiger, sprang upon Gemma, no doubt with the intention of strangling her, -for (as we have said) he had no arms. At the same instant a small door, -concealed at the extremity of the alcove, opened, the report of a pistol -was heard, the room was filled with smoke, and Gemma fainted: when she -recovered her senses she was in the prince's arms. - -"Where is he? where is he?" she cried, in a terrified accent, and -looking around her. - -"I cannot tell; I suppose I must have missed him," answered the prince; -"for, while I was stepping over the bed, he leaped out of the window; -and, as I saw you insensible, I did not trouble myself about him--I -thought only of you; I must have missed him, and yet it is strange I do -not see the mark of the ball in the hangings." - -"Let them run after him," said Gemma: "show no mercy, no pity, to that -man, my lord, for he was a robber, who would have assassinated me." - -They searched the villa during the whole night, the gardens, and the -shore, but without avail--Pascal Bruno had disappeared. - -The next day a track of blood was discovered, which began at the foot of -the window from which he had leaped and was lost on the sea-shore. - - - - - - -CHAPTER II.--BRUNO AND ALI. - -At daybreak the following morning, the fishermen's boats left the port -as usual and dispersed themselves over the sea. In the meantime, one -of their little fleet, having on board a man, and a boy of twelve or -fourteen years of age, stopped when it came within sight of Palermo, and -lowering its sail, brought to; but as this motionless state, at a spot -little favourable for fishing, might have attracted suspicion, the boy -occupied himself in mending his nets. As to the man, he was lying at the -bottom of the boat, his head resting on the side, and he appeared to -be plunged in a deep reverie, still, as if mechanically, he took up the -sea-water with his right hand, and poured it over his left shoulder, -which was bound up with a bandage stained with blood. - -The man was Pascal Bruno, and the boy the same who, placed beneath the -countess's window, had twice given him the signal for flight: at first -sight, you could see that he was a native of a more ardent clime than -that in which the events we record took place. He was born on the coast -of Africa, and it was in the following manner that Pascal Bruno became -acquainted with him:-- - -About a year before the occurrence of the events we have just narrated, -a party of Algerine pirates, having learned that the Prince of Moncana -Paterno, one of the richest noblemen in Sicily, was returning in a small -vessel from Pantelleria to Catana with an escort of a dozen men only, -lay in ambush behind the island of Porri, distant about two miles from -the coast. The prince's vessel, as the pirates had foreseen, passed -between the island and the shore, but the instant it entered the narrow -strait, the pirates left the creek in which they had been concealed -with three vessels and rowed forward to attack their expected prize, the -prince. The latter, however, immediately perceiving the imminence of his -danger, ordered his crew to turn the boat's head towards the shore, -and run her aground on the beach at Furella. They did not succeed in -reaching the point desired, but the place where the boat grounded had -only about three feet of water, and the pirates were close upon them. -The prince and his followers leaped into the sea, holding their arms -above their heads, trusting to be able to reach a village they saw at -some half a league distance without being obliged to employ them. But -they had scarcely disembarked, when another party of the pirates who, -having foreseen this manouvre, had rowed one of the boats as high as -Bufaidone, issued from the reeds through which the river flowed, and cut -off the retreat of the prince. - -The attack immediately began, but while the followers of the prince were -engaged with the first party, the second came up, and all resistance -becoming evidently useless, the prince surrendered, asking for his life, -and promising to ransom himself and all his followers. Immediately after -the prisoners had laid down their arms, a party of countrymen were seen -approaching, armed with muskets and pitchforks, and the pirates, having -made themselves masters of the prince's person, the only object they -had in view, did not think it worth while waiting for the arrival of -the countrymen, but took to their boats in such haste as to leave behind -them three of their men, whom they believed were either dead or mortally -wounded. - -Among those who had hastened to the scene of conflict, was Pascal Bruno, -whose wandering life led him sometimes to one place and sometimes to -another, his disturbed mind leading him into every kind of adventurous -enterprise. When the countrymen reached the beach where the struggle had -taken place, they found one of the Prince of Paterno's domestics dead, -another slightly wounded in the thigh, and three of the pirates bathed -in their blood, but still breathing. Two blows from the butt-end of -a musket soon made an end of two of the number, and a pistol-ball was -about to send the third to join his comrades, when Bruno perceiving it -was a boy, turned the arm that held the pistol on one side, and declared -that he would take the wounded lad under his own protection. - -There were a few remonstrances against this ill-timed pity as it was -called, but when Bruno had said a thing, he maintained what he had said; -accordingly, he cocked his carbine, and declared that he would blow out -the brains of the first man who should approach his protg, and as they -knew him to be a man who would not hesitate an instant in putting his -threat into execution, they allowed him to take the boy in his arms and -go off with him. Bruno proceeded to the shore, and entered the boat in -which he performed his adventurous excursions, whose qualities he -knew so well that it seemed to obey him like a well-tutored horse, and -spreading his sail, he steered towards Cape Aliga Grande. - -As soon as he saw that the boat was in the right course, and that it no -longer needed a steersman, he attended to the wounded boy, who was still -insensible: he took off the white bournouse in which he was dressed, -loosened the belt to which his yataghan was still attached, and -perceived by the rays of the setting sun the situation of the wound. -Upon examination, he discovered that a musket-ball had entered between -the right hip and the false ribs, and gone out near the spine: the wound -was dangerous, but it was not mortal. - -The evening breeze, and the cool sensation produced by the sea-water -with which Bruno washed the wound, recalled the boy to his senses, and -he uttered a few words in a foreign language, but without opening his -eyes. Bruno, however, knowing that a wound caused by fire-arms produced -a burning thirst, guessed that he was asking for drink, and he placed -a bottle of water to his lips. The boy drank greedily, uttered a few -inarticulate sounds, and fell back in a fainting fit. - -Pascal laid him down as gently as he could at the bottom of the boat, -and, uncovering the wound, he continued, unceasingly, to apply to it his -handkerchief dipped in the sea--a remedy considered infallible in the -case of wounds by every seafaring man in the Mediterranean. - -At length our navigators found themselves at the mouth of the Ragusa, -and the wind setting in from the African coast. Pascal with little -difficulty directed his bark into the stream; and leaving Modica to the -right, he passed the bridge that is thrown across the high-road from -Noto to Chiaramonti. - -He went about half a league further, but there the river became no -longer navigable; he drew his boat up among the shrubs that grew by -the side of the stream, and taking the boy in his arms, he carried -him inland. He soon reached the entrance to a valley, into which -he descended, and presently came to a spot where the mountain was -perpendicular, the smoother side of which was pierced in various places; -for in this valley were to be seen the remains of the habitations of -the dwellers in caves, the first occupants of the country, and who were -afterwards civilised by the Greeks. - -Bruno entered one of these caverns, which communicated by means of a -few steps with an upper story, to which the air was admitted through -a small, square hole that answered the purpose of a window. A bed of -rushes was heaped up in the corner, and on this he spread out the boy's -bournouse; and then having lighted a branch of fir, he fixed it in the -wall, and seating himself on a stone near the bed, he waited until his -protg recovered his senses. - -This was not the first visit Bruno had paid to this retreat, for often -during his travels across the island without any object in view, but -merely for the sake of passing away his solitary time, he had entered -that valley, and rested in that chamber which had been excavated in the -rock three thousand years before. Here it was that he gave himself up -to vague and incoherent reveries, so habitual to imaginative but -uninstructed minds. - -He knew that a race of men had disappeared from the earth which in -former times excavated these retreats; and, deeply tinged with the -popular superstition, he believed, like all the inhabitants of the -locality, that these men were enchanters and dealers in witchcraft; but -this belief, far from driving him from these wild and terror-inspiring -places, irresistibly attracted him to them; for in his youth he had -heard numbers of tales related of enchanted guns, invulnerable men, -and invisible travellers; and his fearless mind, delighting in the -marvellous and the terrible, had but one engrossing desire, that of -meeting with some mysterious being, some sorcerer, enchanter, or -demon who, by means of an infernal compact, would endow him with some -supernatural power, and make him superior to the rest of mankind. But he -had vainly invoked the shades of the ancient inhabitants of the valley -of Modica; no supernatural appearances had visited him, and Pascal Bruno -remained, to his great regret, a man like other men, with the exception -of a degree of strength and skill for which no other mountaineer could -be compared with him. - -Bruno had been wholly absorbed in one of these visionary reveries for -nearly an hour beside the bed of the wounded lad, when the latter awoke -from a species of lethargy into which he had been plunged, opened his -eyes, looked round him with a wandering gaze, and at last fixed his eyes -upon the man who had saved him, but unconscious whether he saw in him -a friend or an enemy. During this examination, and by an indefinite -instinct of self-defence, he put his hand to his waist In search of his -faithful yataghan; but not finding it there, he heaved a deep sigh, and -again closed his eyes. - -"Are you in pain?" said Bruno to him, making use of the Lingua Franca, -a language so well understood on the coast of the Mediterranean, from -Marseilles to Alexandria, from Constantinople to Algiers, and by means -of which you may travel over the whole of the old world. - -"Who are you?" asked the boy. - -"A friend," replied Pascal. - -"I am not a prisoner then?" said the boy. - -"No," answered Pascal. - -"Then how came I here?" asked the boy. - -Pascal told him all that had happened; to which the boy listened -attentively, and when he had finished his tale, he fixed his eyes -gratefully upon Pascal, and said, "Then, since you have saved my life, -you will be a father to me?" - -"Yes," said Bruno, "I will." - -"Father," said the wounded boy, "thy son's name is Ali; what is yours?" - -"Pascal Bruno." - -"May Allah protect thee," said the lad. - -"Are you in want of anything?" asked Bruno. - -"Yes, water," said the boy; "I am thirsty." - -Pascal took up an earthen vessel concealed in a hole in the rock, and -went to a spring that flowed near the cave; on going up again he cast -his eyes on the boy's yataghan, which he had made no attempt to draw -nearer to him. Ali greedily seized the cup, and drank off the water at a -draught. - -"May Allah grant you as many happy years as there were drops of water in -this cup," said the boy, as he gave it back to Pascal. - -"You are a good creature," murmured Bruno; "make haste and get well, and -you shall, if you wish go back to Africa." - -The boy recovered from his wound, but continued to remain in Sicily, for -he became so much attached to Bruno that he would not leave him. Since -that time, he had always remained with him, accompanying him in his -hunting excursions over the mountains; assisting him in the management -of his boat, and ready to sacrifice his life at a sign from the man he -called his father. - -On the previous evening, he had accompanied Pascal to the villa of the -Prince de Carini, and waited for him beneath the windows during the -interview with Gemma; and he it was who had twice given the signal of -alarm; the first time, when the prince rang the bell at the gate, and -again, when he entered the chteau. He was just about to climb into -the window to render Bruno assistance when the latter sprang out; he -followed him in his flight, and when they reached the shore, they both -of them got into their boat which was awaiting them, and as they could -not have put to sea in the evening without creating suspicion, they were -content to remain among the fishing-boats that waited for the break of -day, in order that they might put to sea. - -During the night Ali, in his turn, returned to Pascal the attentions he -had received under similar circumstances, for the Prince of Carini -had taken a good aim, and the ball he had vainly searched for in the -hangings had almost passed through Bruno's shoulder, so that Ali had but -to make a slight incision with his yataghan to extract it from the side -opposite to that at which it entered. All this took place without the -interference of Bruno who appeared scarcely to pay any attention to the -circumstance, and the only care he bestowed on his wound was, as we have -already said, to moisten it, from time to time, with sea-water, while -the boy appeared to be busy mending his nets. - -"Father," said Ali, suddenly interrupting himself in his pretended -occupation, "look towards the shore." - -"Well, what is it?" said Pascal. - -"A number of people?". replied Ali. - -"Where?" asked Pascal. - -"Yonder, on the road leading to the church," replied Ali. - -In fact, a considerable crowd of people were passing along the winding -road that led to the church. Bruno saw that it was a marriage procession -on its way to the chapel of St. Rosalie. - -"Direct the boat's head to the shore, and row quickly," he cried, -starting up and standing in the boat. - -The boy obeyed, seized the oars, and the little vessel seemed to fly -over the surface of the sea; the nearer they approached the shore the -more terrible the features of Bruno became: at length, when they were -within half a mile of the land, he cried out, in an accent of deep -despair-- - -"It is Teresa! They have hurried on the ceremony; they would not wait -until Sunday for fear I should have carried her off. God knows, I have -done all in my power to bring this affair to a happy conclusion--but -they would not have it, so woe betide them!" - -At these words, Bruno, assisted by Ali, hoisted the sail of his little -bark, which, doubling Mount Pellegrino, disappeared at the end of two -hours behind Cape Gollo. - - - - - - -CHAPTER III.--THE FATAL BRIDAL. - -Pascal was not deceived in his conjectures: the countess, afraid of some -attempt on the part of Bruno, had hurried on the marriage three days -before the appointed time without informing Teresa of her interview -with her old lover; and the young people had selected the chapel of St. -Rosalie, the patroness of Palermo, for the celebration of the ceremony. - -This was another of the characteristics of Palermo, that city of love; -it had placed itself under the protection of a young and pretty saint! -Thus, St. Rosalie was at Palermo what St. Januarius is at Naples, the -omnipotent distributor of the blessings of heaven; but superior to -St. Januarius, as she was of a royal French race, being descended from -Charlemagne; this was proved by her genealogical tree, painted above the -door on the exterior of the chapel; a tree whose trunk issues from -the breast of the conqueror of Vitikind, and after dividing into many -branches, it reunites at the summit to give birth to the Prince of -Sinebaldo, the father of St. Rosalie; but her noble birth, the riches of -her house and her own beauty had no effect on the young princess; at the -age of eighteen she quitted the court, and, bent upon living a life of -contemplation, she suddenly disappeared, and no one knew what had become -of her; it was only after her death that she was found, as beautiful and -perfect as if she still lived, in the grotto in which she had taken up -her abode, and in the attitude in which she had fallen asleep. In after -times, a chapel was erected over this grotto, and in this chapel Teresa -and Gaetano were married. - -The ceremony having concluded, the marriage procession returned to -Palermo, where vehicles were in readiness to take the guests to the -village of Carini, the princely fief from which Rodolpho took his title; -there, by the care of the countess, a magnificent repast was prepared. -The country people in the neighbourhood had been invited, and they had -flocked to the feast from four or five leagues round. The tables were -arranged on an esplanade, shaded by the foliage of green oaks and -parasol-like firs, perfumed by orange and lemon trees, and surrounded by -hedges of pomegranate and Indian fig-trees--a double blessing bestowed -by Providence, who, providing for the hunger and thirst of the poor, has -planted these fruitful trees like so much manna over the whole surface -of Sicily. - -This esplanade was reached by a road, the sides of which were planted -with aloes, whose giant blossoms, seen from a distance, resembled the -lances of Arab horsemen; while to the south, the view was bounded by the -palace. Above the terrace, from which the chain of mountains rises -that separate the island into three parts--the eastern, northern, -and western--at the extremity of these three valleys, the magnificent -Sicilian sea was seen in three places; and, by its varying tints, it -might have been taken for three distinct oceans; for, on account of -the varied light produced by the sun just beginning to disappear in -the horizon, on the side of Palermo it was an azure blue, round the -Isoladette Donne it rolled its silvery waves, while it fell in golden -streams against the rocks of St. Vito. - -When the dessert was served, and while the guests were at the height of -their joy, the gates of the chteau opened, and Gemma, leaning on the -prince's arm, preceded by two servants carrying torches, and followed -by a host of attendants, came down the marble staircase of the villa -and went up to the esplanade. The peasants were about to rise, but the -prince made a sign they should not disturb themselves; while Gemma -and himself, having made the tour of the tables, stopped before the -newly-married couple. - -Then a domestic held out a golden cup, which Gaetano filled with -Syracuse wine. The domestic then offered the cup to Gemma, and she -uttered a prayer for the happiness of the bride and bridegroom, touched -the wine with her beauteous lips, and offered it to the prince, who -emptied it at a draught, and pouring into it a purseful of golden -ducats, desired it to be given to Teresa, for whom it was a wedding -gift. At the same instant, loud cries of "Long live the Prince of -Carini! Long live the Countess of Castel Nuovo!" were heard; and at this -moment the esplanade became illuminated as if by magic, and the -noble visitors retired, leaving behind them, like a celestial vision, -happiness and light. - -They had scarcely re-entered the castle along with their suite before -the music struck up, and the younger guests, leaving the table, -proceeded to the place prepared for the dance. According to custom, -Gaetano was about to open the ball with his bride, and for that purpose -was advancing towards her, when a stranger, who had entered by the aloe -walk, appeared on the esplanade--it was Pascal Bruno, in the Calabrian -costume we have already described, excepting that he had a pair of -pistols and a dagger at his girdle, and that his jacket, which was -thrown over his right shoulder like that of a Hussar, exposed his shirt, -stained with blood. - -Teresa was the first who noticed him; she screamed, and fixing her -terrified eyes upon him, remained pale and erect, as if she had seen a -spectre; every one turned towards the new comer, and all were silent, -anticipating some dreadful event. - -Pascal Bruno went straight up to Teresa, and stopping before her, he -folded his arms, and looked fixedly at her. - -"Is it you, Pascal?" stammered Teresa. - -"Yes, it is I," said Bruno, in a hoarse voice; "I heard at Bauso, where -I was waiting for you, that you were about to be married at Carini, and -I have come in time, I hope, to dance the first tarantella with you." - -"It is the right of the bridegroom," observed Gaetano, going up to him -and interfering. - -"It is the right of the lover," replied Bruno. "Come, Teresa, I think it -is the least you can do for me." - -"Teresa is my wife," exclaimed Gaetano, extending his arm towards her. - -"She is my betrothed," cried Pascal, taking her by the hand. - -"Help! help!" exclaimed Teresa. - -Gaetano seized Pascal by the collar, but at the same instant he uttered -a loud cry and fell. Pascal's dagger was buried in his chest up to the -hilt. The men appeared by their actions to be about to seize upon the -murderer, who quietly drew a pistol from his waist and cocked it, then -with the hand that held it, he made a sign to the musicians to play -the tarantella; they obeyed mechanically, while all the guests remained -motionless. - -"Come, Teresa," said Bruno. - -Teresa was no longer an accountable or conscious creature, but an -automaton, whose actions were guided by fear--she mechanically obeyed, -and the horrible dance, in the presence of the corpse of the murdered -man, was danced to the last step. - -At length the musicians stopped, and Teresa, as if the music alone had -supported her, fell senseless on the body of Gaetano. - -"Thanks, Teresa," said her partner, coldly, "that is all I wanted of -thee," and then turning to the spectators, "and now, if any one desires -to know my name, that he may find me elsewhere, I am called Pascal -Bruno." - -"Son of Antonio Bruno, whose head is placed in an iron cage at the -chteau of Bauso?" asked one of the guests. - -"Exactly so," answered Pascal; "but if you wish to see it, you must make -haste, for I swear to you it shall not remain there much longer?" - -At these words Pascal left, and no one felt inclined to follow him; -besides, whether it arose from fear or interest, every one was engaged -about Gaetano and Teresa; one was dead--the other mad! - -The prince was not made acquainted with this terrible tragedy till the -following morning, when every effort was made to capture the murderer, -but in vain; he had escaped, no one knew how or whither. - -The countess, in consequence of this dreadful event, became more alarmed -than ever for her personal safety, particularly when she reflected that -by her duplicity, in concealing from Teresa her extraordinary interview -with Pascal, she herself had been the chief cause of the catastrophe. - -The Sunday after this occurrence there was a fte at Bauso, and the -whole village was full of life; there was drinking in every cabaret, -and broaching of barrels at every corner; the streets were noisy and -decorated with flags, and the chateau was thronged with people who had -gathered together to see the young men fire at the target, an amusement -much encouraged by King Ferdinand the Fourth during his forced sojourn -in Sicily; and many of those who were, at the time we are speaking -of, about to devote themselves to this exercise, had very recently, as -followers of Cardinal Ruffo, had occasion to exhibit their skill against -the patriots of Naples and the French republicans; but on this occasion -it was merely a trial of skill, the prize being a silver cup. - -The target was fixed immediately below the iron cage in which the head -of Antonio Bruno was placed. The latter could only be reached by a -flight of steps in the interior of the fortress, which led to a window, -on the outside of which the cage was fixed. - -The conditions of the shooting-match were simple enough: to become -one of the candidates it was only necessary to subscribe to the common -purse, for the purpose of defraying the expense of the cup--the charge -was two carlins for each shot, for which the party received in exchange -a number, drawn by chance, which fixed the order in which each man was -to fire. The least skilful took as many as ten, twelve, or even fourteen -numbers; and those who reckoned on their superior skill not more than -five or six. - -In the midst of the confusion of drawing the numbers, a hand was -stretched out among the rest which threw down two carlins, and a voice -was heard asking for a single number. Every one turned round, astonished -at this evidence either of poverty or confidence. The man who asked for -a single number was Pascal Bruno. - -Although he had not been seen in the village for four years, every one -knew him, but still no one addressed him; but as he was known to be the -best hunter in the country, they were not astonished at his asking for -one number only--his number was eleven. - -At length the firing commenced. Every shot was greeted by shouts of -laughter or applause; but after the first few shots the laughter was -less violent. As to Pascal, he was leaning sad and pensively on -his English rifle, and seemed to take no part in the enthusiasm and -merriment of his countrymen. At length it was his turn; they called his -name, he started and raised his head as if the call was unexpected; but -recovering himself at once, he took up his position behind a cord that -was stretched across as a kind of barrier. Every one anxiously followed -the direction of his eyes, for none of the marksmen had excited so much -interest or had been watched so silently. - -Pascal himself seemed to feel the importance of the shot he was about to -take, for he fixed himself firmly, his left leg in advance, and resting -his body on his right. He placed his gun carefully to his shoulder, and, -beginning from below, he slowly raised the barrel; every one watched him -with anxiety, and they saw, with astonishment, that his aim was above -the target; but he still continued to raise his rifle, until it was in -the direction of the iron cage. Then the rifle and the marksman remained -for an instant motionless, as if they had been formed of stone; at -length he fired, and the head rolled out of the cage to the bottom of -the target. Every one shuddered, but no sound was heard at this proof of -address. - -In the midst of this silence, Pascal Bruno walked coolly up to the -target, picked up his father's head, and without uttering a word -or looking once behind him, he took the cross road that led to the -mountains. - -The spectators saw Bruno depart without attempting to stop or follow -him; in fact, they commiserated the fate of Antonio Bruno, who was much -respected by his fellow-villagers, and appreciated this act of filial -affection in the son. - - - - - - -CHAPTER IV.--THE PRINCE AND THE BANDIT. - -Scarcely a year had passed after the events we have just related before -all Sicily--from Messina to Palermo--from Cephalu to Cape Passaro--was -filled with reports of the exploits of the bandit Pascal Bruno. -Considering the previous history of his family, his adventurous -character, and the badly-organised state of society in his native -country, it is not astonishing that Pascal Bruno should so rapidly have -become the extraordinary character he desired to be. He had, as it were, -established himself as a judge over justice itself; so that throughout -all Sicily, and particularly at Bauso and its environs, no arbitrary act -could be performed without escaping the notice of his tribunal; and as -most of his judgments affected the powerful only, the weak were almost -always on his side. - -In this manner, when some rich lord imposed a heavy rent on a poor -farmer--when a marriage was about to be broken off though the cupidity -of a family--when an iniquitous sentence was passed on an innocent -man--Bruno, after receiving notice, would shoulder his carbine, let -loose his four Corsican dogs (his only band), mount his Valda Noto -horse--half Arabian and half mountaineer, like himself--leave the little -fortress of Castel Nuovo, where he had taken up his abode, go to the -lord, the father, or the judge, and the rent was reduced, the marriage -took place, or the prisoner was set at liberty. - -From this, it may be very well understood, that all those men to whom he -had thus been a benefactor would pay for the benefits they had received -by devotion to his interests, and that every attempt made to capture -him would be sure to fail, through the grateful watchfulness of the -peasants, who warned him by signals agreed on beforehand of the dangers -that threatened him. - -Then, again, the most strange tales were told of him by everybody; -for the simpler men's minds are, the fonder they are of believing the -marvellous. They said, that on a stormy night, when the whole island -trembled, Pascal Bruno entered into a compact with a sorceress, by which -he obtained from her, giving his soul in exchange, the gift of being -invisible, and the faculty of transporting himself in an instant -from one end of the island to the other; as well as being rendered -invulnerable, either by lead, iron, or fire. The bargain, they said, -was to stand good for three years, Bruno having only signed it for the -purpose of accomplishing an act of vengeance, for which purpose this -term, short as it was, would be sufficient. - -As for Pascal, far from destroying this belief, he perceived it was -beneficial to him, and he endeavoured, on the contrary, to give it the -appearance of truth. These various tales had often afforded him the -means of establishing his invincible nature, by attributing to it a -knowledge of circumstances which it must be imagined would otherwise -have been perfectly unknown to him. The speed of his horse, by whose aid -he could find himself in the morning at incredible distances from the -place where he had been seen at night, convinced them of his locomotive -faculty. A circumstance, also, of which he had taken advantage, like -a skilful man, had left no doubt of his invulnerable nature; it was as -follows:-- - -The murder of Gaetano had produced a great sensation; the Prince of -Carini had given orders to all the commanders of companies to endeavour -to arrest the assassin, who, however, led those who followed him a long -chase through his audacity and cunning; they had, therefore, transmitted -these orders to their agents. - -The chief justice of Spadafora was informed, one morning, that Pascal -Bruno had passed through the village during the night on his way to -Divieto; the two following nights, therefore, he placed men in ambuscade -on the road-side, thinking he would return by the same road he had taken -when going, and take advantage of the night to perform his journey. - -Wearied out by their two nights' watching, the morning of the third day, -which was Sunday, the soldiers had assembled at a drinking-shop -about twenty steps from the road-side: they were about to begin their -breakfast, when some one brought them word that Pascal Bruno was quietly -coming along the road from the direction of Divieto: as they had no time -to conceal themselves, they waited for him where they were, and when he -was within fifty yards of the inn, they sallied out and drew up before -the door, without, however, appearing to notice him. Bruno, on his side, -saw these preparations for the attack without any apparent uneasiness, -and, instead of retracing his steps, an easy task, he put his horse into -a gallop and continued his journey. As soon as the soldiers perceived -his intention, they got their muskets ready, and the moment he passed -before them, the whole company saluted him with a general discharge; -but neither horse nor rider was touched, and they emerged safe and sound -from the cloud of smoke in which they had been for an instant enveloped. -The soldiers looked at them and shook their heads, and proceeded to -recount what had happened to the judge of Spadafora. - -The report of this adventure reached Bauso the same evening; and several -of the inhabitants, whose imagination was more lively than that of their -neighbours, began to think Pascal Bruno was enchanted, and that lead and -iron when they struck him became soft and flattened. The next day this -assertion was proved by incontestable evidence; for they found his -jacket at the justice's door, pierced in thirteen places by bullets, -and the thirteen flattened balls were found in one of the pockets. Some -unbelievers, however, and among them was Caesar Alletto, a notary of -Calvaruso, from whose lips we had these particulars, maintained that the -bandit himself, having miraculously escaped from the volley of musketry, -and wishing to profit by the circumstance, had hung his jacket to a tree -and pierced it with bullets in thirteen places. But, notwithstanding -this opinion, the majority were convinced of his bearing a charmed life, -and the terror Pascal already inspired was considerably increased. - -This dread of Bruno was so great and so well established that, spreading -from the lower orders, it had infected even the higher classes, and -to such an extent that, a few months before the time at which we have -arrived, being in want of two hundred ounces of gold for one of his -philanthropic projects (it was to rebuild an inn which had been burnt -down), he addressed himself to the Prince of Butera to obtain a loan of -the money, describing to him a place in the mountains where he would -go to receive it, and begging of him to bury it at the precise spot, -so that on the night he mentioned he might go and seek it. In case this -request, which, however, more resembled a command, was not attended to, -Bruno warned the prince there would be open war between the king of the -mountains and the king of the plains; but that if, on the contrary, the -prince would be kind enough to lend it to him, the two hundred ounces -of gold would be faithfully returned out of the first money he should be -able to carry off from the royal treasure. - -The prince of Butera was one of those characters which have become -extremely rare in modern times: he was one of the ancient Sicilian -nobility, as adventurous and chivalrous as the Normans, by whom their -constitution and society were formed. His name was Hercules, and he -seemed formed after the model of that ancient hero. He could knock down -a restive horse with a blow of his fist; break a bar of iron, half -an inch thick, on his knee; and bend a piastre with his finger. An -occurrence, in which he had exhibited the greatest presence of mind, -had made him the idol of the people of Palermo. In 1770, there was a -scarcity of bread in the city; a riot was the consequence; the governor -had appealed to the ultima ratio, and the cannon were drawn out in the -Toledo street; the people were moving towards the guns; the gunner, with -match in hand, was in the act of firing on the people, when the Prince -of Butera seated himself over the mouth of a cannon, as coolly as if it -had been a chair, and in that situation made so eloquent and rational -a speech that the mob dispersed of its own accord, and the gunner threw -away the match, and the gun returned into the arsenal innocent of human -blood. But this was not the only cause of his popularity. - -He was in the habit every morning of walking on his terrace, which -overlooked the Place de la Marine, and as the gates of his palace were -open to everybody, at daybreak he always found a number of poor people -assembled; on that account he constantly wore a huge buckskin waistcoat, -whose immense pockets were filled every morning by his servant with -carlins and half-carlins, all of which, to the very last piece, -disappeared during his walk, and that with words and actions that -belonged to himself alone, so that he always seemed as if he was about -to knock down those on whom he was bestowing charity. - -"Your excellency," said a poor woman, surrounded by her family, "have -pity on a poor mother with five children." - -"An excellent reason," replied the prince, in an angry tone; "am I their -father?" and shaking his fist in her face, he dropped a handful of money -into her apron. - -"My lord prince," said another, "I am without food." - -"You fool," replied the prince, giving him a cuff, and at the same time -enough to procure him food for a week; "do I make bread? Why do you not -go to the baker's?" - -On this account, whenever the prince passed along the street every head -was uncovered, and if he had said the word, he might have been made -King of Sicily; but that idea never entered his head, and so he remained -Prince of Butera. - -This liberality of his, however, met with a reprover, and that within -the walls of the prince's palace, and this reprover was his major-domo. -It is clear that a man with a character like that we have endeavoured to -trace must necessarily keep a splendid table; in fact, he kept in -every sense of the word open house, so that every day he had from -five-and-twenty to thirty guests at the least to dine with him; among -these, seven or eight were perfect strangers to him; while, on the other -hand, there were others who seated themselves as regularly as boarders -at a table d'hte. - -Among these last there was a certain Captain Altavilla, who had gained -his epaulettes by following Cardinal Ruffo from Palermo to Naples; and -who returned from Naples to Palermo with a pension of a thousand ducats. -Unfortunately, the captain was somewhat of a gambler, and this would -have caused his pension to be insufficient for his wants, if he had not -discovered two plans by means of which his quarterly pay had become the -least important part of his revenue; the first of these plans, and one, -as I have already said, that was open to all the world, was to dine -every day with the prince; and the second was, every day, with the most -scrupulous regularity, to put the silver cover of the plate off which he -had dined into his pocket. - -The manouvre continued for some time before this daily abstraction was -noticed; but, well furnished as the plate-chests of the prince might -be, they began to exhibit certain vacant spaces. The suspicions of -the major-domo immediately fell on the follower of Cardinal Ruffo; -he, therefore, carefully watched him, and after two or three days his -suspicions were changed into certainty. - -He immediately informed the prince of the discovery he had made, who -reflected for an instant, and then answered, that so long as the captain -merely took his own cover he should take no notice; but that if he put -his neighbour's into his pocket, why then he would consider how he would -act. In consequence of this, Captain Altavilla continued to be one of -the most regular guests of his excellency Prince Hercules de Butera. - -The prince was at Castrogiovanni, where he had a villa, when Bruno's -letter was brought to him. He read it, and asked if the messenger was -waiting for an answer. He was told, "no" and immediately he put the -letter into his pocket, with as much sang froid as if it had merely been -on some trivial subject. - -The night fixed upon by Bruno had arrived; the spot he had indicated -in his letter was on the southern ridge of mount Etna, near one of the -numerous extinct volcanoes that were indebted for their existence of a -day to its eternal fires--an existence, nevertheless, sufficient for the -destruction of cities. The volcano in question was called Montebaldo; -for each of these terrible hills received a name at the time it was -raised up from the earth. Ten minutes' walk from its base a colossal -and isolated tree arose, called the chesnut of a hundred horses, because -around its trunk, the circumference of which is equal to 178 feet, and -beneath its foliage, which of itself forms a forest, a hundred horsemen -and their steeds can take shelter. - -It was at the root of this tree Bruno was to seek the money he wished to -borrow of the prince; consequently, about eleven o'clock in the evening -he left Centorbi, and towards midnight he began to discern by the light -of the moon the gigantic tree, and the small house built between its -stems, in which its immense produce is harvested. As he drew near, -Pascal thought he could distinguish a shadow cast upon one of the -five trunks which arose from the same root. Soon afterwards the shade -appeared a reality; the bandit stopped, cocked his carbine, and cried, -"Who goes there?" - -"A man, to be sure!" exclaimed a powerful voice. "Why, zounds! you did -not expect the money could come alone?" - -"No, certainly not," said Bruno; "but I did not think the man who -brought it would have been bold enough to wait for my coming." - -"Then you are not acquainted with Prince Hercules de Butera? that is -all." - -"How! yourself my lord?" said Bruno, throwing his carbine over his -shoulder and advancing hat in hand to the prince. - -"Yes, it is I, you rogue," replied the prince; "I, who thought a bandit -might be in want of money the same as any other man; and I did not wish -to refuse my purse even to a bandit, only I took the fancy of bringing -it myself for fear he should imagine I was afraid of him." - -"Your excellency is worthy of your high reputation," said Bruno. - -"And you, are you deserving of yours?" asked the prince. - -"It depends upon how I have been spoken of to your excellency," said -Bruno, "for I have more than one reputation." - -"Good," continued the prince; "I see you are not deficient in ability -or resolution; I admire brave men, let me meet with them where I will. -Listen to me; will you change your Calabrian dress for the uniform of a -captain and fight against the French? I will raise a company for you on -my own estates, and purchase your epaulettes." - -"Thank you, my lord, thank you," said Bruno, "your offer is like that -of a magnificent prince; but I have a certain act of vengeance to -accomplish that will keep me for some time longer in Sicily; after that -we shall see." - -"Well," said the prince, "you are free; but, believe me, you had better -accept my offer." - -"I cannot, your excellency," said Bruno. - -"Well then," said the prince, "here is the money you asked for; go to -the devil with it, and take care you don't get yourself hanged on the -gibbet opposite my door on the Place de la Marine." - -Bruno balanced the purse in his hand. - -"It seems to me that the purse is very heavy, my lord," said he. - -"That is because I did not wish a fellow like you should be able to brag -that he had fixed a limit to the liberality of the Prince of Butera; -so, instead of the two hundred ounces of gold you asked for, I have put -three hundred in the purse." - -"Whatever sum you have been pleased to bring, my lord, it shall be -faithfully returned to you," said Bruno. - -"I give; I never lend," said the prince. - -"And I borrow or I steal--I never beg," replied Bruno; "take back your -purse, my lord, I shall address myself to Prince Ventimille, or to -Prince de la Cattolica." - -"Well, let it be so," said the prince; "I never met with a more -capricious bandit: four rascals like you would drive me mad; so I shall -leave. Farewell!" - -"Adieu, my lord!" said Bruno, "and may St Rosalie protect you." - -The prince departed, with his hands in the pockets of his buckskin -waistcoat, and whistling a favourite air; Bruno remained motionless -watching his departure, and it was not until he had lost sight of him -that he, on his side, retired, heaving a deep sigh. - -The next day, the innkeeper whose house had been burned down received, -by the hands of Ali, the Prince of Butera's three hundred ounces of -gold. - - - - - - -CHAPTER IV.--THE ROBBER'S CASTLE. - -Some time after the event we have just related, Bruno learnt that a -convoy of money, escorted by four gens-d'armes and a brigadier was about -to leave Messina for Palermo; it was the ransom of the Prince Moncada -Paterno; which, in consequence of a financial operation, which did great -honour to the imagination of Ferdinand the Fourth, had just helped -to swell the Neapolitan budget instead of increasing the treasure of -Casuba, according to its first destination. - -The following is the history of the transaction, as it was told me -in Sicily, and, as it is as curious as it is authentic, we think it -deserves the trouble of being told; besides, it will give some idea of -the simple manner in which taxes are imposed in Sicily. - -We have already related the manner in which the Prince de Moncada -Paterno was made prisoner by the Barbary Corsairs near the little -village of Tugello, on his return from the island of Pantalleria. He was -carried, along with all his followers, to Algiers, and there the price -of his ransom and that of his attendants was modestly fixed at the sum -of five hundred thousand piastres (about one hundred thousand pounds -sterling), half to be paid before his departure, and the other half -after his return to Sicily. - -The prince wrote to his steward to inform him of the situation in -which he found himself placed, and desired him to send, as quickly as -possible, the two hundred and fifty thousand piastres in exchange for -which he was to be liberated. As the Prince of Moncada Paterno was one -of the richest noblemen in Sicily, the sum was easily made up and sent -to Africa; and faithful to his promise, like a true follower of the -prophet, the Dey released the Prince of Paterno, taking his word of -honour that before a year had passed by he would remit the remaining two -hundred and fifty thousand piastres. - -The prince returned to Sicily and endeavoured to collect the -sum necessary for the second instalment of his ransom in his own -principality, when an order came from Ferdinand IV., who, seeing that he -was at war with the regency, had no wish that his subjects should enrich -his enemies; he therefore opposed the proceedings of the prince, and -ordered the two hundred and fifty thousand piastres in question to be -paid into the treasury at Messina. - -The Prince of Paterno, who was a man of honour a well as a faithful -subject, obeyed the order of his sovereign and the voice of his -conscience at the same time, so that his ransom cost him seven hundred -and fifty thousand piastres, two-thirds of which were sent to the -infidel Corsair, and the other third placed at Messina in the hands of -the Prince de Carini, the agent of the Christian pirate. This was the -sum the viceroy was sending to Palermo, the seat of government, under -the escort of four gens-d'armes and a brigadier; the last being likewise -charged with the duty of delivering a letter from the prince to his dear -Gemma, whom he requested to join him at Messina, where the business of -government would still detain him for several months. - -On the evening when the convoy would have to pass near Bauso, Bruno -unfastened his four Corsican dogs, crossed the village, of which he had -become the lord, in their company, and placed himself in ambuscade on -the road between Divieto and Spadafora. He had remained there about an -hour, when he heard the wheels of a waggon and the tramp of horsemen. He -looked to the priming of his carbine, satisfied himself that his dagger -was not fixed in its sheath, whistled to his dogs, who laid themselves -down at his feet, and remained standing upright in the middle of the -road. - -A few minutes afterwards, the convoy appeared at a turning in the road, -and advanced to within fifty paces of the man who was waiting for its -coming up. When the gens-d'armes perceived him, they hailed him with, -"Who goes there?" - -"Pascal Bruno," replied the bandit; and, at the sound of a peculiar -whistle, his powerful dogs, trained for the purpose, fiercely attacked -the little troop. - -At the name of Pascal Bruno, the four gens-d'armes had taken to their -heels, and the dogs by natural instinct pursued the runaways. The -brigadier, who remained alone by the waggon, drew his sabre and rushed -at the bandit. Pascal raised his carbine to his shoulder as coolly and -slowly as if he were about to shoot at a mark, determining not to fire -until the horseman was within ten paces of him; but the instant he -placed his finger on the trigger, and before he had time to fire, both -horse and man rolled in the dust. Ali had stealthily followed without -saying a word to Bruno, and seeing the brigadier about to charge him, he -had crawled along the road like a serpent and cut the horse's hamstrings -with his yataghan. As to the brigadier, his fall was so rapid and -unexpected that his head struck against the stones, and he was rendered -totally insensible. - -Bruno went up to him, after satisfying himself that there was no feint -attempted to be practised upon him, and with the assistance of Ali he -placed him in the waggon he had so lately escorted; then placing the -reins in the hands of the young Arab, he desired him to take the waggon -and the brigadier to the fortress. Bruno himself then went up to the -wounded horse, took the brigadier's carbine from the saddle, to which it -was attached, and searched in the holsters and took out a roll of paper -which he found there; he then whistled to his dogs, who returned with -their mouths covered with blood, and followed the capture he had just -made. - -When he arrived in the court-yard of his little fortress, he closed the -gate behind him, took the brigadier (who was still insensible) on his -shoulder, carried him into a room, and placed him on a mattress on which -he was in the habit of throwing himself with all his clothes on; then, -whether through forgetfulness or imprudence, he placed the carbine he -had taken from the saddle in a corner, and left the room. - -Five minutes afterwards the brigadier opened his eyes, looked round, -and found himself in a place that was completely unknown to him; and, -believing he was under the influence of a dream, he felt round him to -ascertain whether he was really awake. It was then that he felt a pain -in his forehead, and placing his hand on it, he withdrew it covered -with blood: he found that he was wounded. The wound brought back his -recollection, and he remembered he had been stopped on the road by a -single man, deserted in a most cowardly manner by the gens-d'armes who -accompanied him, and that at the instant he was about to attack that -man his horse suddenly fell; beyond that he could recall nothing to his -mind. - -The brigadier was a brave man, but he felt that the responsibility of -this disastrous adventure rested on him, and his heart was filled with -shame and rage at the disgraceful conduct of his men. He looked round -the room to discover if possible where he was; but everything was -strange to him. He rose, went to the window, and saw that it overlooked -the country. It was then that a ray of hope entered his breast, for he -could easily leap out of the window, go in search of assistance, and -return and avenge himself upon his captor. - -He had just opened the window for the purpose of executing his project -when, casting a parting glance into the chamber, he perceived his -carbine standing near the head of the bed; at this unexpected sight -his heart beat violently, for other thoughts besides those of flight -instantly took possession of his mind. He looked round to ascertain -whether he was really alone, and when he was satisfied that no one had -seen or could see him, he seized the weapon, in which he saw a more -hazardous means of safety, but a speedier vengeance. After having -ascertained that the priming was safe, and finding, by passing the -ramrod down the barrel, that it was loaded, he replaced it where he had -found it, and lay down as if he had not as yet recovered his senses; -but he had scarcely stretched himself out on the mattress before Bruno -entered the room. - -He had a piece of lighted fir in his hand, which he threw into the -fire-place, where he set fire to the wood already placed there for the -purpose; then he went to a cupboard formed in the wall, and took out two -plates, two glasses, two flasks of wine, and a roast shoulder of mutton, -which he placed on the table, and appeared to be waiting until the -brigadier recovered his consciousness that he might do the honours of -the repast. - -The room in which the scene we are narrating took place was longer than -it was wide, having a single window at one end, a single door at the -other, and the chimney between the two. The brigadier, now a captain of -the gens-d'armes at Messina, who has given us all these particulars, was -lying down, as we have said, parallel to the window; Bruno was standing -before the fire-place, with his eyes vaguely fixed on the door, and he -appeared to become every instant more and more thoughtful. - -This was the moment for which the brigadier was waiting--the decisive -moment when he must stake everything for one object--life against life, -head against head. He rose, resting upon his left hand, and stretched -out his other slowly towards his carbine, but without taking his eye off -Bruno; he took hold of it between the lock and the butt-end, and then -remained an instant in that position without daring to make another -movement, alarmed even at the beating of his own heart, which was so -violent that the bandit might almost have heard it had he not been so -entirely lost in thought; then, seeing that he gave himself up to his -fate as it were, he resumed his confidence, rose on one knee, looked -once more at the window, his only means of retreat, placed the carbine -to his shoulder, took aim at Bruno like a man who knew that his life -depended on his self-possession, and fired. - -Bruno quietly stooped down, picked up something that lay at his feet, -held the object to the light, and, turning towards the brigadier, who -remained mute with astonishment-- - -"Comrade," he said, "when next you attempt to shoot me let your balls be -of silver, for unless they are they will be only flattened against me in -this manner. However, I am happy you have so far recovered yourself, for -I begin to feel hungry; we will, therefore, if it is agreeable, sit down -to our supper." - -The brigadier remained in the same attitude in which he had fired, his -hair bristling on his head, and the perspiration standing in thick drops -on his forehead. The next instant the door opened, and Ali, yataghan in -hand, rushed into the room. - -"It is nothing, my boy, nothing," said Bruno; "the brigadier discharged -his carbine, that is all; make yourself easy, and go to rest; have no -fear for me." - -Ali left the room without answering, and went and laid himself down -across the first door-way upon the panther's skin that served him for a -bed. - -"Well," continued Bruno, turning towards the brigadier and filling the -two glasses with wine, "did you not hear me?" - -"I did," replied the brigadier, rising, "and since I have not been able -to kill you, were you the very devil himself, I would drink with you." - -Uttering these words, he walked boldly up to the table, took up the -glass, touched the brim of Bruno's, and drank off the wine at a draught. - -"What is your name?" asked Bruno. - -"Paolo Tommassi, brigadier of gens-d'armerie, at your service," was the -reply. - -"Well, Paolo Tommassi," continued Bruno, placing his hand on his -shoulder, "you are a brave fellow, and I have a great inclination to -make you a promise." - -"What is it?" asked the brigadier. - -"To let no one but you," said Bruno, "obtain the reward of three -thousand ducats that is set upon my head." - -"That is an excellent idea," observed the brigadier. - -"Truly so; but it must first come to maturity," said Bruno; "in the -meantime, as I am not yet tired of my life, take a seat, and let us sup; -and we will talk the matter over by-and-by." - -"May I cross myself before I eat?" said Tommassi. "Certainly," replied -Bruno. - -"I thought it might, perhaps, be unpleasant to you," said the brigadier; -"we are not always sure." - -"Anything you like," said Bruno. - -The brigadier made the sign of the cross, seated himself at the table, -and attacked the shoulder of mutton like a man whose conscience was -perfectly at ease, and who knew that he had done, under very difficult -and trying circumstances, all that a brave soldier could do. Bruno kept -him nobly in countenance; and, certainly, to see these two men seated at -the same table, drinking out of the same bottle, and helping themselves -from the same dish, no one would have imagined that each in his turn -had, within the last hour, done all he could to kill the other. - -For an instant they were both silent, partly on account of the important -business in which they were engaged, and partly from the preoccupation -of their minds. Paolo Tommassi was the first to give utterance to the -double idea on which his mind was engaged. - -"Comrade," he said, "you live well here; it must be allowed you have -excellent wine, certainly, and you do the honours of the table like a -right-good fellow; but I acknowledge I should enjoy all this much better -if I knew when I was to leave here." - -"To-morrow morning, I presume," replied Bruno. "You will not keep me -here as a prisoner, then?" asked the brigadier, eagerly. - -"A prisoner! why what the devil should I do with you here?" asked Bruno. - -"Hem!" said the brigadier, "so far it is not so bad; but--" he -continued, evidently embarrassed, "that is not all." - -"What else is there?" said Bruno, filling the brigadiers glass. - -"Why--is--" said the brigadier, holding his glass up before the lamp; -"it is rather a delicate question, you see." - -"Go on," said Bruno; "I am listening." - -"You will not be angry, I hope, at what I am about to say?" - -"I think you ought to know my character better by this time," said -Bruno. - -"True, true, you are not irritable, I know that well," said the -brigadier. "I am speaking about a certain waggon--there, now its out." - -"That is down in the court-yard," observed Bruno, holding his glass up -to the light in his turn. - -"I am rather doubtful," replied the brigadier; "but you understand me, I -cannot go without my waggon." - -"Very well, then, you shall take it with you," said Bruno. - -"Untouched?" - -"Hum!" said Bruno; "it will not be much short, considering the sum it -contains. I shall only take what I am absolutely in need of." - -"Are you in want of much?" asked the brigadier, with anxiety. - -"I want three thousand ounces," said Bruno. - -"Well, that is reasonable enough," said the brigadier; "a good many -people would not be so delicate as you are." - -"You may make yourself quite easy in the matter, for I will give you a -receipt for what I take," said Bruno. - -"Talking of receipts," said the brigadier, rising, "that's well thought -of, for it reminds me of some papers I had in my holsters." - -"Don't make yourself uneasy about them," observed Bruno; "here they -are." - -"You will do me the greatest service by returning them to me," said the -brigadier. - -"I know that," said Bruno, "for I have satisfied myself of their -importance; the first is your brigadier's commission; I have made a note -at the foot of that, declaring that you have conducted yourself so -well that you deserve to be made a quarter-master. The second is -my description, and I have taken the liberty to make a few small -corrections as to particular signs; for instance, I have added charmed: -the third paper is a letter from his excellency the viceroy to the -Countess Gemma, of Castel Nuovo; and I have too much gratitude for this -lady, who has lent me this castle of hers, to place any restraint on her -loving correspondence. Here are your papers, my brave fellow; one more -glass to your health, and sleep tranquilly. To-morrow, at five o'clock, -we will put you on your road; it is much more prudent, I can assure you, -to travel by day than by night, for perhaps you may not always have the -good fortune of falling into such good hands." - -"I think you are right," said Tommassi, rolling up his papers, "and you -appear to me to be an honester fellow than many more apparently honest -folks of my acquaintance." - -"I am happy to leave you with such favourable impressions on your mind," -said Bruno, "you will sleep the more pleasantly; by-the-by, I must give -you one caution, do not go down into the court-yard, or my dogs might by -chance make a meal of you." - -"Thank you for the caution," said the brigadier. "Good-night," exclaimed -Bruno, and he went out of the room, leaving the brigadier to continue -his supper, or go to sleep till the hour appointed for his departure. - -Next morning at five o'clock, according to agreement, Bruno entered his -guest's chamber, whom he found up and ready to start, he conducted him -down stairs, and led him to the gate; there was the waggon, together -with a magnificent horse, and all the harness that belonged to the -animal Ali's yataghan had rendered unserviceable. Bruno begged of his -friend, Tommassi, to accept of this present as a keepsake. The brigadier -was too well pleased to allow the offer to be made twice; he therefore -mounted his new steed, started the team in the waggon, and left quite -delighted with his new acquaintance. - -Bruno watched his departure, and when he was about twenty paces off, -he cried out, "Above all, do not forget to give the beautiful Countess -Gemma the Prince of Carini's letter." - -Tommassi made a sign with his head and disappeared round the corner of -the road. - -And now, if our readers wish to know how Pascal Bruno was not killed -by the discharge of Tommassi's carbine, we will give them the answer we -received from Signor Caesar Aletto, the notary of Calvaruso: it is, that -it is probable that on the road to the fortress, the bandit took the -precaution of removing the bullet from the carbine. But Paolo Tommassi -always considered that it was a much simpler explanation to attribute it -to magic. - -We give our readers both these opinions, and they are at perfect liberty -to adopt that which suits them best. - - - - - - -CHAPTER VI.--A BANDIT'S GRATITUDE. - -It may well be imagined that the report of exploits like these were not -confined to the little village of Bauso: it was the general theme of -conversation among all classes. Nothing was talked of in all Sicily but -the brave brigand who had taken possession of the Castel Nuovo, and who, -from thence, like an eagle from his eyry, swooped down upon the plain, -sometimes to attack the great, and at others to assist the weak: thus -he was always on the popular side. Our readers will, therefore, not be -astonished that our hero's name was heard pronounced at the palace of -Prince Butera, who had given a splendid entertainment at his mansion, -the Place de la Marine. - -Knowing the character of this prince, we can easily guess what a fte -must be when given by him. The one in question, however, exceeded in -splendour the ideas of the most fertile imagination. It was like an -Arabian Nights' dream, and the remembrance of it is perpetuated in -Palermo, although Palermo is a fairy city, and is still celebrated for -its unsurpassed magnificence. - -Imagine the most splendid saloons lined with mirrors from the ceiling to -the floor, some leading to trellised walks, from the summit of which -the richest grapes of Syracuse and Lipari were hanging; others to ample -square spaces, surrounded by beautiful orange and pomegranate trees, -covered with blossoms and fruit at the same time: these spaces were -devoted to dancing English and French dances. As to the waltzers, they -wound their mazy career round two immense marble reservoirs, from each -of which sprang up beautiful jets of water, which, from the reflection -of many-coloured lamps, by which the whole was illuminated, fell like -glittering showers of diamonds. From these delightful spots long alleys -issued, sprinkled with golden-coloured sand, and leading to a little -hill, surrounded with silver vessels, containing every refreshment that -could be desired, and overhung by trees covered with crystal instead -of natural fruits: finally, on the summit of this hill, and facing -the paths that led to it, was a buffet in four divisions, constantly -replenished by means of some internal mechanism. To render the whole -more fairylike and enchanting, the musicians were invisible, and the -sound alone of their instruments reached the ears of the guests. It -might indeed have been supposed to be a fte given by the genii of the -air. - -At the same time, to animate these magical decorations, you must imagine -the most beautiful women and the most elegant cavaliers of Palermo -dressed in costumes each exceeding its neighbour in splendour and -singularity--each with a mask on the face or in the hand, breathing -the balmy air, intoxicated with the invisible harmony, and dreaming or -talking of love; but even then, you would be far from drawing a picture -of this night equal to that preserved in the memories of those that were -present when I passed through Palermo thirty-two years after it took -place. - -Among the groups that wandered through the alleys and saloons, there was -one beyond all others which attracted the attention of the crowds; it -was that which followed in the train of the beautiful Countess Gemma, -and which she drew after her as a planet does its satellites. She had -but that instant entered, accompanied by five others, who, like herself, -had assumed the costume of the thirteenth century--a dress so simple and -elegant, and which, at the same time, appeared to be expressly chosen -to set off the figure to advantage, and she advanced in the midst of -a murmur of admiration, led by the Prince de Butera himself, who, -disguised as a mandarin, received her at the entrance, and preceded her -to present her, as he said, to the daughter of the Emperor of China. - -As it was imagined that our Amphytrion intended some new surprise, they -all followed the prince eagerly, and the cortge increased at every step -it took. - -He stopped at length at the entrance of a pagoda guarded by two Chinese -soldiers, who, at a given signal, opened the door of an apartment -entirely furnished with foreign objects, in the midst of which seated -on a kind of chair, and dressed in a magnificent Chinese costume, which -alone had cost thirty thousand francs, was the Princess de Butera, who -rose as soon as she saw the countess approach, followed by a cloud of -officers, mandarins, and attendants, each more dazzling, fierce-looking, -or droll than his neighbour. This apparition had something so Eastern -and fantastic in it, that the whole assemblage, accustomed as they were -to luxury and magnificence, uttered an exclamation of astonishment. They -surrounded the princess, touched her robe, embroidered with precious -stones, shook the golden bells in her pointed hat, and for an instant -the attention of the assembly was withdrawn from the beautiful Gemma and -entirely centred in the lady of the house. Every one complimented and -admired her, and among those who uttered the most exaggerated praise -was Captain Altavilla, whom the prince had continued to receive at his -dinner parties, to the great discomfiture of his major-domo, and who had -dressed himself in full uniform for the purpose, it may be, of disguise. - -"Well," said the Prince of Butera to the Countess of Castel Nuovo; "what -do you think of the daughter of the Emperor of China?" - -"I must say," replied Gemma, "that it is a happy thing for His Majesty, -Ferdinand IV., that the Prince of Carini is at Messina at this moment, -for he might be induced, with a heart like his, out of regard for the -daughter, to give up Sicily to the father, and we should be obliged to -have another Sicilian Vespers against the Chinese." - -At this instant, the Duke of Moncada Paterno, in the dress of a -Calabrian bandit, went up to the princess. - -"Will her highness permit me," said the duke, "as a connoisseur, to -examine her magnificent costume?" - -"Sublime daughter of the sun," said Captain Altavilla, pointing to the -prince, "take care of your golden bells, for I warn you, that you have -to do with Pascal Bruno." - -"The princess," exclaimed a voice, "would be safer in the company of -Pascal Bruno than in that of a certain follower of Cardinal Ruffo of my -acquaintance; Pascal Bruno is a murderer, not a thief--a bandit, and not -a cutpurse." - -"Well answered," observed the Prince of Butera. - -The captain bit his lips. - -"By-the-by," said the Prince de la Cattolica, "have you heard of his -last exploit?" - -"Whose?" asked the Duke of Moncada. - -"Pascal Bruno's," said the prince. - -"No; what has he done?" asked the duke. - -"He has stopped a convoy of money sent by the Prince of Carini to -Palermo," replied the prince. - -"My ransom!" exclaimed the duke. - -"By heaven!" said the prince, "your excellency will, after all, be -sacrificed to the infidels." - -"Zounds! the king will surely not require me to have a second reckoning -with him," replied Moncada. - -"Let your excellency be reassured," said the voice which had just before -addressed Altavilla; "Pascal Bruno only took three thousand ounces from -the two hundred and fifty thousand piastres belonging to King Ferdinand -IV." - -"And how do you know that, my young Albanian?" said the Prince de la -Cattolica, who was close by the speaker--a handsome young man, from -twenty-six to twenty-eight years of age, and dressed in the costume of -Vina. - -"I have heard it reported," said the Greek, carelessly, and playing with -his yataghan; "besides, if your excellency wishes for particulars, here -is a person who can give them to you." - -The party thus pointed out to public curiosity was no other than our -old acquaintance, Paolo Tommassi, who, strict in the performance of his -duty, had immediately on his arrival repaired to the Countess de Castel -Nuovo's residence; but not finding her there, and hearing of the fete, -he took advantage of his situation as envoy from the viceroy to enable -him to gain admission to the gardens of the Duke de Butera. - -In an instant he found himself in the centre of an immense circle and -subjected to a thousand questions; but Paolo Tommassi was, as we have -seen, a bold fellow, and was not easily put out of countenance: he, -therefore, commenced by delivering the prince's letter to the countess. - -"Prince," said Gemma, after having read the missive she had received, -"you never suspected you were giving me a farewell fte; the viceroy -orders me to proceed to Messina, and being a faithful subject, I shall -begin my journey to-morrow. Thanks, my friend!" she continued, turning -to Paolo Tommassi and handing him her purse; "you may now retire." - -Tommassi endeavoured to take advantage of this permission of the -countess, but he was too closely surrounded to make good his retreat -easily; he was, consequently, obliged to surrender at discretion--the -condition of his liberty being an exact account of his recent encounter -with Pascal Bruno. - -He related it, it must be acknowledged, with all the simplicity of real -courage; he told his auditors, without any superfluous addition, how -he had been made prisoner; how he was taken to the fortress of Castel -Nuovo; how he fired at the bandit without the ball taking any effect; -and how, finally, the latter sent him away, making him a present of a -magnificent horse in exchange for that which he had lost. - -Everybody listened to this tale, which bore the impress of truth, with -the silent attention of belief, with the exception of Captain Altavilla, -who raised some doubts as to the veracity of the honest brigadier; but, -luckily for Paolo Tommassi, the Prince de Butera himself came to his -assistance. - -"I will lay a wager," he said, "that nothing can be more true than -what the brigadier has told us, for all the details appear to me to be -perfectly in accordance with the character of Pascal Bruno." - -"You know him, then?" said the Prince de Moncada Paterno. - -"I do. I was in his company one night," replied the Prince de Butera. - -"And where was that?" - -"On your estates." - -It was now the prince's turn; he related how Pascal and he had met -at the chesnut of a hundred horses; how he, the Prince of Butera, had -offered him a company, which he had refused; and, finally, how he had -lent him three hundred ounces of gold. - -At this last information, Altavilla could not restrain his mirth. - -"And you think, my lord," said he, "that Bruno will bring them back?" - -"I am certain of it," replied the prince. - -"Now we are on this subject," interrupted the Princess of Butera, "is -there any one else in this company who has seen Pascal Bruno, and who -has spoken to him? I dote upon tales of brigands, they make me ready to -die with fright." - -"There is the Countess of Castel Nuovo," observed the Albanian; "she has -seen him." - -Gemma started, and every one looked at her as if to interrogate her. - -"Can it be true?" said the prince, turning towards her. - -"Yes," said Gemma, trembling; "but I had forgotten it." - -"He remembers it," muttered the young man. - -All the company pressed round the princess, who in vain endeavoured to -make excuses; she in her turn was obliged to relate the scene with -which we opened this tale to tell how Bruno entered her chamber; how the -prince fired at him; and how the bandit, to avenge himself, entered the -villa on the nuptial day and killed Teresa's husband. This history was -the most terrible of all, and it produced a deep sensation in the -minds of the listeners; something like a shudder ran through the whole -assembly, and had it hot been for the dresses of the guests, you would -hardly have thought you were present at a fte. - -"On my honour," said Captain Altavilla, who was the first to break -silence, "the greatest crime the bandit has committed is in rendering -this fte so melancholy; I could have pardoned him all his other -misdeeds; but for this I swear, by my epaulettes, I will have vengeance; -and from this moment I devote myself to his pursuit." - -"Do you speak seriously, Captain Altavilla?" said the Albanian. - -"Yes, on my honour!" replied the captain; "and I here declare there is -nothing I so much wish for as to meet him face to face." - -"That is not impossible," observed the Albanian, coolly. - -"To the man who will render me that service," said the captain, "I will -give--" - -"It is useless to offer a reward, captain," interrupted the young man; -"I know a man who will render you that service for nothing." - -"And when can I meet with this man?" repeated Altavilla, affecting a -smile of doubt. - -"If you will follow me, I will tell you," replied the stoical Albanian. - -With these words the Albanian withdrew, as if he were inviting the -captain to follow him. - -The captain hesitated for an instant, but he had said too much to draw -back; all eyes were turned upon him, and he saw that the least show -of timidity would ruin his reputation; and besides, he considered the -proposal was a joke. - -"Come on," he cried, "for the honour of the ladies and he followed the -Albanian. - -"Do you know who that young lord disguised as a Greek is?" said the -countess, with a trembling voice, and addressing the Prince de Butera. - -"No, on my soul, I do not," said he. "Does any one here know him?" - -Everybody looked, but no one answered. - -"With your permission," said Paolo Tommassi, carrying his hand to his -hat; "I know him." - -"And who is he, my brave brigadier?" - -"Pascal Bruno, my lord," replied Tommassi. - -The countess screamed and fainted away; and this incident put a sudden -end to the fte. - -An hour afterwards, the Prince de Butera had retired to his chamber, -and, seated in front of his desk, was arranging some papers, when his -major-domo entered. - -"What's the matter, Jacomo?" asked the prince. - -"I always told you so, my lord," said the major-domo. - -"Well, what have you always told me?" asked the prince. - -"That your goodness would only encourage him," replied Jacomo. - -"Who do you mean?" asked the prince. - -"Captain Altavilla," replied Jacomo. - -"What has he done?" asked the prince. - -"What has he done, my lord?" said Jacomo. "First, your excellency will -recollect I apprised you of his regularly putting his silver cover in -his pocket." - -"Well, go on," said the prince. - -"I beg your pardon," said Jacomo; "but your excellency answered, that so -long as he only pocketed his own, nothing was to be said." - -"I recollect I said so perfectly well," said the prince. - -"Well, my lord," said Jacomo, "to-day, it seems that he has not only -taken his own, but his neighbours' also, for there are eight missing." - -"Ha! that's quite another affair," said the prince; "I must communicate -with him on the matter." - -He took a sheet of paper, and wrote the following note:-- - -"Prince Hercules de Butera has the honour of informing Captain -Altavilla, that as he no longer dines at home, and being by this -fortuitous circumstance deprived of the pleasure of seeing him as -previously, he begs he will accept the trifle he sends herewith as -a small indemnity for the change this determination must make in his -arrangements." - -"Stay," continued the prince, giving the major-domo fifty ounces -(twenty-six pounds sterling), "take this money, and deliver it and the -letter to-morrow to Captain Altavilla." - -Jacomo, who knew it was no use speaking after the prince had decided, -bowed and left the room. The prince continued quietly arranging his -papers when, at the end of about ten minutes, hearing a noise at -the door of his room, he raised his head, and saw a man dressed as a -Calabrian peasant standing on the threshold, with his hat in one hand -and a bundle in the other. - -"Who is there?" said the prince. - -"I, my lord," replied the peasant. - -"And who are you?" asked the prince. - -"Pascal Bruno," replied the visitor. - -"And what do you come for?" asked the prince. - -"First, my lord," said Pascal Bruno, advancing and emptying his hat full -of gold on the desk; "first, I have brought you the three hundred ounces -you so kindly lent me: they were employed for the purpose I mentioned to -you--the inn that was burnt down has been rebuilt." - -"Ah, ah! you are a man of your word," said the prince; "well, I am glad -of it." - -Pascal inclined his head. - -"Then," he added, after a short pause, "I have brought you back eight -silver covers, with your arms and cypher on them, which I found in the -pocket of a certain captain who, most likely, robbed you of them." - -"Zounds," said the prince, "it's singular they should be brought back by -you; and now, what have you in that bundle?" - -"In this bundle," said Bruno, "is the head of a wretch who abused -your hospitality, and which I have brought you as a proof of my sworn -devotion to your service." - -Saying this, Pascal Bruno untied the handkerchief, and taking the head -of Captain Altavilla by the hair, he placed it, all bleeding as it was, -on the duke's desk. - -"What the devil am I to do with such a present as this?" said the -prince. - -"What you please, my lord," replied Pascal Bruno, who bowed and left the -room. - -The Prince of Butera remained alone for an instant with his eyes fixed -on the head, balancing himself in his arm-chair, and whistling his -favourite tune; he then, after an instant, rang the bell, and his -major-domo made his appearance. - -"Jacomo," said the prince, "it is of no use going to Captain Altavilla's -to-morrow morning; tear up the letter; keep the fifty ounces, and throw -this carrion on the dung-heap." - - - - - - -CHAPTER VII.--A BRIGAND'S VENGEANCE. - -At the time of which we are speaking--that is, about the beginning of -the year 1804, Sicily was almost in an uncivilised state, from which -the return of King Ferdinand and its occupation by the English have -partially emancipated it. At the present day, the road which now leads -from Palermo to Messina, passing through Taormina and Catana, was -not formed, and the only one that existed, we do not say good, but -practicable to go from one capital to the other, was that which, passing -along the sea-coast, went through Termini and Cephalu; abandoned for its -new rival, it is at present scarcely frequented, except by artists in -search of the magnificent prospects it discloses at every turn. The only -mode of travelling on this road, on which no post was established, was -formerly, as at present, on the back of a mule, in a litter carried -by two horses, or in your own carriage, relays of horses being sent on -before, and placed at every fifteen leagues. - -So that the Countess Gemma de Castel Nuovo, when about to leave for -Messina, at which place the Prince of Carini had written to her to join -him, was obliged to choose one of these three modes. Travelling on a -mule was too fatiguing for her, and a journey in a litter, besides the -inconveniences of this mode of transport, the principal of which was -its slow progress, was apt to produce a feeling like sea-sickness. The -countess therefore decided, without any hesitation, in favour of the -carriage, and sent forward relays of horses to four stations on the -road, that is, to Termini, Cephalu, Saint Agatha, and Melazzo. - -Besides these precautions, the courier was ordered to lay in a store -of provisions at each of these spots, for the inns are so notoriously -deficient in the necessaries of life, that every traveller is advised -when he leaves Messina to provide himself for the journey--to purchase -cooking utensils, and to hire a cook; to these preparations an -experienced Englishman on one occasion added a tent, on account of the -deplorable state of the houses of entertainment. - -I know not whether it was a learned man, acquainted with ancient Sicily, -or a shrewd observer who thoroughly understood modern Sicily, for whom -they were at this instant preparing supper at the sign of the Cross, -the inn which had been rebuilt with the Prince of Butera's three hundred -ounces, and situated on the road from Palermo to Messina, between Ficara -and Patti. - -The activity of the innkeeper and his wife, who, under the directions -of a foreign cook, were at the same time engaged upon fish, flesh, -and fowl, proved that the man for whom the culinary apparatus was in -requisition was determined not only to have enough, but had no objection -to a superfluity. - -He came from Messina, travelling in a carriage, and with his own horses. -He had stopped because the situation of the inn pleased him, and having -extracted from his trunk everything the most experienced traveller could -require--linen, plate, even bread and wine--he was led into the best -room, where he lighted some perfumed pastilles in a silver vase, and -waited till his dinner was ready, seated on a rich Turkey carpet, and -smoking the finest Mount Sinai tobacco in his amber chibouk, carelessly -caressing at the same time a magnificent Corsican dog of the largest -size that was lying at his feet. - -He was attentively observing the wreaths of sweet-scented smoke as they -escaped from his lips and condensed themselves on the ceiling, when the -door of the apartment opened, and the host, followed by a domestic in -the countess's livery, appeared on the threshold. - -"Your excellency," said the worthy man, bowing to the ground. - -"What's the matter?" asked the traveller, but without turning his head, -and in a decided Maltese accent. - -"Your excellency," said the host, "it is the Countess Gemma, of Castel -Nuovo." - -"Well!" replied the traveller. - -"Her carriage has been obliged to stop at my poor inn," said the -host, "because one of her horses became so lame that she is unable to -proceed." - -"Well, go on," said the traveller. - -"She had calculated," said the host, "having no expectation of this -accident when she left St. Agatha this morning, on sleeping at Melazzo -this evening, where she has relays, so that she is entirely unprovided -with everything." - -"Tell the countess that my cook and larder are at her service," said the -traveller. - -"A thousand thanks in my mistress's name," said the servant; "but as the -countess will, no doubt, be obliged to pass the night in this inn, while -a relay of horses is brought hither from Melazzo, and as she is equally -unprovided for night as for day, she would be glad to know if your -excellency would have the gallantry to--" - -"More than that," said the traveller; "let the countess occupy my -apartment--this room will do for her lady's-maid, whom she will not be -sorry to have near her. As for myself, I am a man accustomed to fatigue -and privations; I will content myself with the first room that is -disengaged; go, therefore, and tell the countess she can step up at -once--the room is at liberty, and our worthy host will do the best he -can for me." - -Speaking thus, the traveller rose, whistled to his dog, and followed the -host; and the servant at once descended to accomplish his mission. - -Gemma accepted the traveller's offer as a queen would the homage of a -subject, and not as a woman who accepts a service from a stranger; she -was so accustomed to see everything submit to her will, and everybody -obey her voice, and even her look, that she saw nothing striking in the -extreme gallantry of the traveller. - -It is true she looked so beautiful as she moved towards the apartment, -resting on the arm of her attendant, that every one bent before her. -She was dressed in a most elegant riding-habit, fitting tightly over the -arms and bust, and ornamented with silk braiding. For fear of the cold -air of the mountains, she wore round her neck a beautiful sable boa, -purchased by the Prince Carini of a Maltese merchant who had brought it -from Constantinople. On her head she wore a little black velvet hat, of -a fanciful shape, like the head-dresses worn in the middle ages; and -her long and magnificent tresses hung down in ringlets after the English -fashion. But, prepared as she was to find a room ready to receive her, -she could not avoid being astonished when she entered at the elegant -manner in which the traveller had concealed the poor appearance of the -apartment. - -All the utensils of the toilet were of silver, the cloth that covered -the table was of the finest texture, and the oriental perfumes burning -on the mantelpiece seemed fit for a harem. - -"See, Gidsa, am I not predestined?" said the countess; "an awkward -servant shoes my horses badly, I am obliged to stop, and my good genius, -who finds me in this state of embarrassment, builds a fairy palace for -me on the road." - -"Has madame la comtesse," said Gidsa, "no suspicion who this good genius -may be?" - -"Really none," said the countess. - -"It seems to me," said the waiting-maid, significantly, "that madame la -comtesse ought to be able to guess!" - -"I swear to you, Gidsa," said the countess, falling into a chair, "that -I am in a state of perfect ignorance. Come, what are your ideas on the -subject?" - -"My ideas?" said the girl. "Madame, I trust you will pardon me, although -my ideas are very natural." - -"Oh! certainly," replied the countess; "speak as you think." - -"I think," said the girl, "that perhaps his highness the viceroy, -knowing that your ladyship was on the road, had not patience to wait for -your arrival, and"-- - -"Your idea," said the countess, "is amazingly good; indeed, it is more -than probable. Besides, who, if it were not he, would have arranged a -room like this for the purpose of giving it up to me? Now listen, you -must say nothing if Rodolpho is preparing a surprise for me. I would -give myself up entirely to it; I would not lose one of the emotions his -unexpected presence would occasion me. It is agreed, therefore, that it -is not the viceroy, but that the stranger is an unknown traveller; so -keep your probabilities to yourself, and leave me in my state of doubt; -besides, if it should be him, I shall have divined his presence, not -you. How kind my dear Rodolpho is to me! how he foresees everything! Oh! -how much he loves me!" - -"And the dinner," said Gidsa, "that has been prepared with so much care; -do you believe that the result of mere accident?" - -"Chut! I believe nothing; I profit by the good things heaven has sent -me, and I thank God for them. See what a lucky thing it is that this -plate is here! if I had not met with this noble traveller, how should I -have been able to eat off anything else? Look at this silver goblet, you -might say it was engraved by Benvenuto. Give me some drink, Gidsa." - -The attendant filled the goblet with water, and then added a few drops -of Lipari malvoisie, and the countess sipped it, apparently more for the -purpose of carrying the cup to her lips than because she was thirsty; it -seemed as though, by the sympathetic touch of her lips, she endeavoured -to discover whether it really was the man who loved her who had thus -provided for the wants of a woman accustomed to all that luxury and -magnificence which becomes almost an essential necessary to those who -have been used to it from infancy. - -Supper was served, and the countess ate like a fine lady, that is, -tasting of all, like the humming-bird, the bee, or the butterfly; but, -full of thought and anxiety, while she was eating, she kept her eyes -constantly fixed on the door, and started every time it opened--her -bosom was oppressed and her eyes moist; at length, she fell by degrees -into a delicious state of languor for which she herself could not -account. Gidsa perceived it and became uneasy. - -"Is your ladyship unwell?" asked the anxious attendant. - -"No," replied Gemma, in a feeble voice; "but do you not find these -perfumes extremely oppressive?" - -"Does your ladyship wish me to open the window?" asked Gidsa. - -"No, no," replied the countess, "pray do not; I seem as if I should die, -but death appears to be so sweet. Take off my hat, it feels so heavy, I -cannot bear it." - -Gidsa obeyed, and Gemma's long hair hung down in ringlets nearly to the -ground. - -"Do you feel like me, Gidsa," asked the countess, "an incomprehensible -feeling of pleasure? A kind of heavenly sensation flows through my -veins: I must have drank a charmed philter; help me to rise, and lead me -to the mirror." - -Gidsa supported the countess and led her towards the mantelpiece; when -she reached it, she rested both elbows upon it, placed her head in her -hands, and looked at her beautiful face in the glass. - -"Now, let everything be taken away, then undress me, and leave me -alone." - -The attendant obeyed her mistress; the servants of the countess cleared -the table, and when they had left, Gidsa performed the second part -of her mistress's orders, who still remained before the glass, merely -raising her arms languidly one after the other, to make it just possible -for her maid to perform the necessary duties, which were in a short time -accomplished--the countess still remaining in the species of ecstacy -into which she was plunged; then, as her mistress had directed her, she -went out and left her alone. - -The countess completed the remainder of her toilet in a state resembling -somnambulism; she retired to rest, and remained for an instant leaning -on her elbow, with her eyes fixed on the door; then by degrees, and -notwithstanding all her efforts to keep awake, her eyelids became heavy, -her eyes closed, and she sank upon her pillow, heaving a long deep sigh, -and murmuring Rodolpho's name. - -The next morning, when she awoke, Gemma stretched out her hand as if she -expected to find some one by her side; but she was alone, and for a few -minutes her eyes wandered round the chamber, and then turned and fixed -themselves on the table by the bedside. An open letter lay upon it, she -took it up and read:-- - - - "<i>Madame la Comtesse</i>,--I could have taken the vengeance of - a brigand upon you; I preferred to indulge myself in the - pleasure of a prince! but that, when you awake, you may not - imagine you have been in a dream, I have left you a proof of - the reality; look in your mirror. - - "Pascal Bruno." - -Gemma's whole frame shuddered, and a cold perspiration covered her -forehead; she stretched out her arm towards the bell-rope that she -might call for assistance, but womanly instinct arrested her arm, and -collecting all her strength, she sprang out of bed, ran to the glass, -and uttered a cry of horror. Her hair and eyebrows were completely -shorn! - -She hastily dressed herself, and enveloping her head in her veil, threw -herself into her carriage, and ordered it to be driven back to Palermo. - -The instant she arrived there, she wrote to Prince Carini, telling him -that her confessor, as an expiation for her sins, had ordered her to -shave off her eyebrows and hair, and retire for twelve months to a -convent. - - - - - - -CHAPTER VIII.---TREACHERY. - -On the 1st of May, 1805, there was a high festival at Castel Nuovo: -Pascal Bruno was in excellent humour, and gave a supper to one of -his best friends, Placido Tomaselli, an honest dealer in contraband, -belonging to the village of Gesso, and to two females the latter had -brought with him from Messina. This delicate attention sensibly effected -Bruno, and that he might not be behindhand in politeness with so -provident a comrade, he determined to perform the honours of his -domicile after the fashion of the best society. Accordingly, the finest -wines of Sicily and Calabria were selected from the cellars of the -fortress, the most noted cooks of Bauso were placed in requisition, and -all that singular luxury was displayed to which at times it pleased the -hero of our history to resort. - -The guests had only just begun dinner when Ali brought Placido Tomaselli -a letter, which a countryman from Gesso had placed in his hands. Placido -read it, and crumbling it up in a violent passion, exclaimed-- - -"Upon my word he has chosen his time very nicely." - -"What is it, comrade?" said Bruno. - -"Perdition! why, a summons from Captain Luigi Cama, of Villa San -Giovanni." - -"What, our purveyor of rum?" asked Bruno. - -"Yes," replied Placido; "he informs me he is off the shore, and has -a full cargo which he wishes to dispose of before the custom-house -officers hear of his arrival." - -"Business before all things," replied Bruno. "I'll wait for you. I am in -very good company, so make yourself easy; if you are not too long gone, -you will find everything you leave, and more than you can take away." - -"It is only an hour's work," replied Placido, appearing to yield to the -reasoning of his host; "the beach is only about five hundred yards from -this spot." - -"And there is the whole night before us," observed Pascal. - -"A good appetite, comrade," said Placido. "A successful expedition, -master," said Bruno. Placido left the castle, and Bruno remained with -the two women, and, as he had promised his guest, proceedings did not -suffer by his absence. Bruno was amiable enough for any two, and the -conversation began to assume the most animated character, when the door -opened, and a new actor appeared on the scene. Pascal turned round and -recognised the Maltese merchant we have already spoken of several times, -of whom he was one of the best customers. - -"By St. Gregory!" he exclaimed, "you are welcome; and the more so, if -you have brought any of those Turkish pastilles, a packet of Latakia -tobacco, and a few Tunisian shawls; by-the-by, your opium acted -admirably." - -"I am glad of it," replied the Maltese; "but on this occasion, I have -come on quite another business." - -"Ah! you have come to sup with me, is that it?" asked Bruno. "Pray sit -down, sit down, and once again you are welcome; there, that is a seat -fit for a king." - -"Your wine is excellent, I know, and these ladies are charming," replied -the Maltese; "but I have something very important to speak to you -about." - -"To me?" asked Bruno. - -"Yes, to you," replied the Maltese. - -"Well go on," said Bruno. - -"I must speak to you alone," said the Maltese. - -"Well, then," said Bruno, "I'll hear you tomorrow, my worthy captain." - -"But I must inform you immediately," said the Maltese. - -"Well, then, speak before the company," said Bruno; "we have not too -many here, and I make it a rule when I feel comfortable never to disturb -myself, even if my life were at stake." - -"That is the very subject I wish to allude to," said the Maltese. - -"Bah!" replied Bruno; "heaven looks after honest men; here's to your -health, captain." - -The Maltese emptied his glass. - -"That's right; now sit down and let me hear your sermon, we'll listen to -you with proper attention." - -The merchant perceived he must give in to the whim of his host, and he -consequently obeyed him. - -"Well, now then, what is it?" said Bruno. - -"First, then," continued the Maltese, "you know that the justices of -Calvaruso, Spadafora, Bauso, Saponara, Divito, and Domita have been -arrested." - -"I have heard something about it," said Pascal Bruno, carelessly, at the -same time emptying his glass of Marsala, the best wine in Sicily. - -"But do you know the cause of their arrest?" inquired the merchant. - -"I guess at it," said Bruno; "is it not because the Prince of Carini, -being in an extremely ill-humour on account of his mistress having -retired to a convent, has taken it into his head that they have been -too slow, and have shown too little skill in their attempts to arrest a -certain Pascal Bruno, whose head is worth two thousand ducats?" - -"Exactly so," said the merchant. - -"You see," said Bruno, "I am quite aware of what is going on." - -"Yet, for all that," said the Maltese, "there may be some circumstances -of which you are still ignorant." - -"God is great! as Ali says," replied Bruno; "but go on, and I will -acknowledge my ignorance; I wish for nothing so much as instruction." - -"Well," said the Maltese, "the six judges have met together, and each -has put down twenty-five ounces--that makes one hundred and fifty -ounces." - -"Or, in other words," replied Bruno, in the same careless tone, -"eighteen hundred and ninety livres. You see, if my books are not well -regulated, it is not for want of arithmetic. Well, what next?" - -"After that," continued the merchant, "they offered this sum to two or -three men, known as your common associates, if they would assist them in -capturing you." - -"Let them offer it," said Bruno; "I am quite certain they will not meet -with a traitor within ten leagues." - -"You deceive yourself," answered the Maltese; "the traitor is found." - -"Ha!" exclaimed Bruno, knitting his brow and grasping his dagger; "and -how do you know that?" - -"Why, my good fellow," said the merchant, "in the simplest way in the -world; yesterday I was at the house of the Prince de Goto, governor -of Messina, who sent for me for the purpose of purchasing some Turkish -goods, when a servant entered the room and whispered a few words in his -ear. 'Very well,' said the prince, 'let him come in.' He then made a -sign to me to go into an adjoining room for a short time; I obeyed, -and as he never suspected that I was acquainted with you, I overheard a -conversation that concerned you." - -"Well," said Bruno. - -"It was the traitor," said the Maltese; "he undertook to open the doors -of your fortress, and to place you in their hands unarmed while you were -at supper; and he himself engaged to conduct the gens-d'armes to your -dining-room." - -"And do you know who this man is?" demanded Bruno. - -"Yes," said the merchant. - -"His name?" said Bruno. - -"Placido Tomaselli." - -"Confusion!" exclaimed the bandit; "he was here but an instant ago." - -"And has he left the castle?" inquired the merchant. - -"Just before you came in," replied Bruno. - -"Then," said the merchant, "he has gone after the police and the -soldiers; for, as far as I can see, you were about to sit down to -supper." - -"You see I was," said Bruno. - -"Then I am right; and if you wish to escape, you have not a minute to -lose." - -"I fly!" cried Bruno, laughing. "Ali! Ali!" and Ali entered the room. - -"Close the gates of the castle, my lad, and turn three of my dogs loose -in the court-yard, and send the fourth, Lionna, upstairs, and get the -ammunition ready." - -The women began to scream. - -"My goddesses, you must be quiet," observed Bruno, with an imperative -look; "we must have no singing here; silence, and instantly, if you -please." - -And the women were silent. - -"Captain, you must keep these ladies company; for my part, I must go my -rounds." - -Bruno seized his carbine, buckled on his cartouche-box, and went towards -the door; but as he was about to leave the room he stood still and -listened. - -"What is the matter?" said the Maltese. - -"Do you not hear my dogs bark? The enemy is close at hand; they were -not long behind you;--are they not fine beasts? Silence, my tigers!" -continued Bruno, opening one of the windows and giving a peculiar -whistle; "all right, all right, I am on my guard." - -The dogs gave a low growl and were then silent. - -The women and the Maltese trembled with terror, expecting something -dreadful was about to happen, and at the same moment Ali entered the -room with Pascal's favourite bitch, Lionna: the noble creature went -straight up to her master, reared up on her hind legs, and placing her -paws on his shoulders, she looked intelligently at him and gave a short -bark. - -"Yes, yes, Lionna, you are a fine beast," said Bruno, patting the dog -fondly on the head; "come on, my beauty, come along." - -And he went out, leaving the Maltese and the two women in the supper -apartment. - -Pascal went down into the court-yard, where he found the three dogs -evincing great uneasiness, but without giving any indication that the -danger was very pressing; he then opened the garden door and began to -walk round its bounds. Suddenly Lionna stopped, snuffed the air, and -walked straight up to one part of the enclosure: as soon as she reached -the wall, she reared up on her hind legs, as if she intended to scale -it, grinding her teeth, and uttering a low growl, at the same time -looking back at her master: Pascal Bruno was close behind her. - -He was at once aware that an enemy was concealed, and that at no great -distance, and recollecting that the window of the room in which Paoli -Tomassi had been confined directly overlooked this spot, he ran quickly -up stairs, followed by Lionna, who with open throat and fiery eyes -seemed to guess her master's intention; and crossing the room in which -the two women and the Maltese were anxiously awaiting the end of the -adventure, she went into an adjoining chamber, in which there was no -light and the window was open. She had scarcely entered when, crouching -quietly on the ground, she crawled like a serpent towards the window, -and when within a few feet of the casement, before Bruno could prevent -her, she sprang through the opening like a panther, and alighted on the -ground without injury, although the height was at least twenty feet. - -Pascal was at the window nearly as soon as the dog; he saw her make -three bounds towards an olive-tree, and then heard a cry of agony: -Lionna had seized a man by the throat, who was concealed behind the -tree. - -"Help! help!" exclaimed a voice, which Pascal recognised as that of -Placido. "Help, it is I! Call off your dog, or she will tear me to -pieces." - -"Hold him, Lionna!" exclaimed Bruno, "kill him, my good dog! Death to -the traitor!" - -Placido at once saw that Bruno had discovered all, and uttering a cry -of pain and rage, a mortal combat ensued between the dog and the man. -Bruno, resting on his carbine, calmly contemplated this singular duel -by the uncertain light of the moon. He could perceive two bodies, whose -forms were indistinct, struggling, rolling on the ground, and rising -again, and seeming as if they were but one: for the space of ten minutes -he heard their confused cries, but could not distinguish those of the -dog from the man. At the end of that time a dreadful cry was heard, and -one of them fell to rise no more--it was the man. - -Bruno whistled to Lionna, again crossed the supper-room, without -uttering a word, and went rapidly down stairs to open the door to his -favourite bitch; but at the very instant she entered, bleeding -from wounds inflicted with a knife, and even from the bites of her -antagonist, he saw the musket-barrels of soldiers glittering in the rays -of the moon, and advancing up the road that led from the village to the -fortress. He at once barricaded the door, and again entered the room in -which he had left his trembling guests. The Maltese was drinking, and -the women saying their prayers. - -"Well!" said the Maltese. - -"Well, captain?" answered Bruno. - -"What has become of Placido Tomaselli?" asked the merchant. - -"His business is settled," replied Bruno; "but there is another legion -of devils coming upon us." - -"And what do you mean next to do?" asked the merchant. - -"Kill as many as I can in the first instance," said Bruno. - -"And then?" inquired the merchant. - -"Fire the fortress," said Bruno, coolly, "and then--blow myself up along -with the rest." - -The women hearing this began to scream most lustily. - -"Ali," said Pascal, "take these ladies into the vaults, and give them -all they ask for except a candle, for fear they should set fire to the -powder before the proper time." - -The poor terrified creatures fell on their knees. - -"Come, make haste!" cried Bruno, stamping his feet; "do as I order you." - -And he uttered these words with such a look and accent, that the two -girls rose and followed Ali without daring to utter another word of -complaint. - -"And now, captain," said Bruno, as soon as they were gone, "put out the -lights, and get into some corner where the bullets cannot reach you; for -the musicians have arrived and the ball is about to begin." - - - - - - -CHAPTER IX.--THE SIEGE. - -A few moments after, Ali again entered the room, carrying on his -shoulders two or three muskets of the same calibre, and a basket full of -cartridges. Pascal Bruno opened all the windows, that he might be able -to face in any direction, and Ali, taking a musket in his hand, was -about to place himself at one of them. - -"No, my boy," said Pascal, in an affectionate and parental tone of -voice, "that is no one's duty but mine; I have no wish to attach your -fate to mine; I do not wish to drag you into the surf along with me; -you are young; nothing, as yet, has removed your life out of the beaten -track; take my advice, continue to live like the rest of the world." - -"Father," replied the youth, with his gentle voice, "why do you not wish -me to defend you as Lionna did? You know I have none to look to but you -in the world, and that, if you die, I must die with you!" - -"No, Ali," said Bruno, "if I die, I shall perhaps leave behind me some -mysterious and terrible mission to be accomplished, which I can trust to -no one but my child; my boy, therefore, must live to do what his father -commands him." - -"It is right," said Ali; "the father is the master, and the child must -obey." - -Ali seized Pascal's hand, and kissed it. - -"Can I be of no service to you, father?" observed the lad. - -"Yes; load the guns," said Bruno, and Ali addressed himself to the task, - -"And what can I do?" said the Maltese, from the corner in which he had -ensconced himself. - -"You, captain? you shall have the task of carrying the flag of truce if -it be needful." - -At this instant Pascal Bruno saw the muskets of a second troop -descending the mountain: they advanced in so direct a line towards the -isolated olive-tree, at the foot of which lay the body of Placido, that -it was evident it was the appointed place of rendezvous. - -Those who marched first stumbled over the corpse. Upon this they formed -a circle round it; but no one could recognise it, the teeth of Lionna -had so much disfigured it; however, as it was at this olive-tree Placido -had appointed a meeting, and as the body was at its foot, and no other -living being in the neighbourhood, it was evident that the dead man was -Placido himself. - -The soldiers accordingly guessed that their plot had been discovered, -and, consequently, that Bruno was on his guard; they, therefore, began -to consider how they should act. - -Pascal, standing at the window, watched all their movements; but the -moon issuing suddenly from behind a cloud, a ray of light fell upon -his figure, and one of the soldiers seeing him, pointed him out to his -comrades. - -"The bandit! the bandit!" was heard from all the troops, and a volley of -shot was instantly poured in at the window. - -A few of the balls flattened themselves against the wall, others -whistled past the ears and over the head of the party at whom they were -directed, and lodged in the mouldings of the ceiling. - -Pascal replied by discharging four muskets in succession as they were -handed to him by Ali: four men fell. - -The soldiers, who were not troops of the line, but a kind of national -guard organised for the protection of the high road, hesitated a -little when they saw death pay them so sudden a visit; for all the men, -reckoning on Placido's treason, had entertained the hope of making -an easy capture: instead of which, it was now evident that it was an -absolute siege they were about to undertake, and they were in want of -everything necessary for that purpose. - -The walls of the little fortress were lofty, and the gates strong--they -had neither ladders nor hatchets. There was, however, the possibility of -killing Pascal while at the window levelling his musket; but this seemed -but a poor chance to men who believed their adversary was invulnerable. - -Accordingly, the most prudent manouvre seemed to be to retire out of -gunshot and deliberate on their future proceedings; but their retreat -was not rapid enough to prevent Pascal Bruno despatching two more -messengers of death after them. - -Pascal, perceiving that the siege was raised for an instant, went to -the opposite window that overlooked the village: the discharge of the -muskets had attracted the attention of the first party, so that he had -scarcely shown himself at the opening when he was saluted with a shower -of bullets; but the same miraculous good luck again preserved him. It -seemed like enchantment: while, on his side, every shot he fired told -upon the soldiers, and Pascal was made aware of his success by the oaths -they uttered. - -A similar occurrence happened to this troop as to the other; its ranks -were thrown into disorder, but, instead of taking to flight, they stood -up close against the walls of the fortress, and by this manouvre they -made it impossible for Bruno to fire without thrusting half his body out -of the window; and, as the bandit thought it impolitic to expose himself -to unnecessary danger, the firing in consequence of this mutual act of -prudence ceased for an instant. - -"Have we got rid of them?" asked the Maltese; "may we cry Victory!" - -"Not yet," observed Bruno, "it is only a suspension of arms; the enemy -have, no doubt, gone to the village to procure ladders and hatchets; -we shall, no doubt, soon have news of them. But make yourself easy," -continued the bandit, filling two glasses; "as we cannot remain quiet -with them, we must give them something in return. Ali, go and fetch a -barrel of powder.--Here's to your health, captain!" - -"What are you going to do with the powder?" asked the Maltese, with an -uneasy look. - -"Oh! not much; but you shall see!" replied Bruno. Ali entered the room, -bearing on his shoulder the barrel of gunpowder. - -"That's right," said Bruno; "now take a gimlet and make a hole in the -barrel." - -Ali obeyed with the passive readiness that was the distinctive mark of -his devotion to Bruno. - -While this was going on, Pascal tore up a napkin into strips, which he -tied together, and rolled them in the powder he took out of a cartridge; -he then put this match into the hole Ali had made in the barrel, and -closed it with wet powder, which had the effect also of keeping the -match in its place. He had scarcely finished his preparations when the -sound of a hatchet was heard at the gate. - -"Am I a good prophet?" said Bruno, as he rolled the barrel towards the -door of the chamber which overlooked a staircase leading to the castle -court, and then going back to fetch a piece of lighted fir from the -fire. - -"Ah!" said the Maltese, "now I begin to understand what you are going to -do." - -"Father," said Ali, "they are coming from the mountain with ladders." - -Bruno ran to the window from which he had fired in the first instance -and plainly saw his adversaries, who had procured the scaling implement -they so much needed, and, ashamed of their first retreat, were returning -to the charge with renewed confidence. - -"Are the guns loaded?" asked Bruno. - -"Yes, father," replied Ali, handing him a carbine. - -Bruno, without looking back, took the gun the boy offered him, slowly -brought it to his shoulder, and levelled with more care than he had yet -exhibited; he fired, and one of the two men who carried the ladder fell. - -Another man took his place, and Bruno took a second musket: the other -soldier fell by the side of his comrade. - -Two other men succeeded those who were killed and fell in their turn; -upon this the scaling party, leaving their ladder, retired a second -time, after firing another volley as useless as their previous -discharges. - -In the meantime, those who were besieging the gate redoubled their -blows, and the dogs on their side barked furiously; every moment the -blows became more violent and the barking fiercer. At length, one side -of the gate was forced in and two or three men entered by the opening; -and by the cries of distress they uttered, their comrades judged that -they had fallen into the hands of more terrible enemies than they had -calculated on; but they could not fire upon the dogs without the risk of -killing the men. - -After a short time, one party of the besiegers had entered through the -door one after the other; the court was soon filled, and then began a -combat, like one of those that were exhibited in the ancient circus, -between the soldiers and the four monstrous dogs, who fiercely defended -the narrow staircase that led to the first floor of the fortress. -Suddenly, the door at the top of the staircase opened, and the barrel of -powder Bruno had prepared bounded from stair to stair and exploded like -a bombshell in the midst of the combatants. - -The explosion was terrible; one of the walls fell in ruins, and -everything in the court-yard was blown to atoms. - -The besiegers were for an instant stupefied; but in the meantime the two -troops had united themselves, and presented an effective force of more -than 300 men. A deep feeling of shame overwhelmed the multitude when -they saw themselves kept in check by a single man. - -The leaders took advantage of this feeling to encourage them, and a -breach having been made by the fall of the wall, they marched up to it -in a body in good order, and having cleared every obstacle, they spread -themselves over the whole of the court-yard and were soon before the -staircase. - -When they reached this spot, there was another moment of hesitation: at -length some of them, encouraged by their comrades, began to ascend the -stairs, the rest of the party following. The staircase was soon carried; -but those who were at the head would soon have felt an inclination -to retreat if it had been possible; this, however, was no longer the -case--they were obliged, therefore, to attempt the door, which yielded -without resistance. - -The besiegers, uttering shouts of triumph, ran round the first chamber; -but at that instant the door of the second room opened, and the soldiers -perceived Bruno seated on a barrel of gunpowder, a pistol in each hand, -while the terrified Maltese rushed through the open, doorway crying -out, in accents so full of truth and terror as to leave no doubt on the -subject:-- - -"Stand back! stand back!" he cried, "the fortress is mined; if you -advance another step we shall all be blown to atoms!" - -The door was closed as if by enchantment, and the shouts of victory were -changed into cries of terror. The whole body of the besiegers might have -been seen precipitating themselves down the narrow staircase that led to -the court-yard--some among them leaped through the windows--it seemed as -if every man felt the ground tremble beneath his feet, and at the end of -five minutes Bruno was again master of his fortress. - -As to the Maltese, he took advantage of the opportunity and left the -castle. - -Pascal, no longer hearing any sound, arose and went to the window. The -siege had been converted into a blockade; a guard was placed at every -opening, and the men who performed this duty had sheltered themselves -from the bandit's fire behind carts and barrels. It was evident that a -new plan for carrying on the campaign had been adopted. - -"So it seems they intend to starve us out," observed Bruno. - -"The dogs!" exclaimed Ali. - -"Do not insult the poor beasts who died while defending us, call them -men--men!" said Bruno, smiling sarcastically. - -"Father!" said Ali. - -"Well, my boy," said Bruno, kindly. - -"Do you not see?" said Ali. - -"What?" asked Bruno. - -"That light!" - -"Ay, truly," said Bruno; "what can it mean? It cannot be daybreak yet; -and, besides, it comes from the north, and not the east." - -"The village is on fire!" exclaimed Ali. - -"By heavens you are right!" said Bruno. - -At that instant loud cries of distress were heard; Bruno rushed to the -door and found himself face to face with the Maltese. - -"Is that you, captain?" said Pascal. - -"Yes, it is I--I myself, don't deceive yourself and take me for another; -I come as a friend." - -"You are welcome," said Bruno; "but what has taken place?" - -"That which has taken place is," said the Maltese, "that, in utter -despair at not having taken you, the soldiers set fire to the village, -and refuse to assist in extinguishing it unless the villagers will -consent to march against you, as they have had enough of it themselves." - -"And the peasants?" asked Bruno. - -"Have refused," said the Maltese. - -"Ay, ay--I knew that beforehand," said Bruno; "they had rather that -all their houses should be burned to the ground than touch a hair of -my head. Well, captain, go back to those who sent you, and tell them to -extinguish the flames." - -"What do you mean?" asked the Maltese. - -"I will give myself up," said Bruno. - -"Give yourself up, father?" cried Ali. - -"Yes, but I promised to surrender to one man alone, and I will only give -myself up to him. Let them, therefore, as I have said--let them put out -the flames, and then send to Messina in search of the man I shall name." - -"And who is this man?" asked the Maltese. - -"Paolo Tomassi, a brigadier in the gendarmerie," replied Bruno. - -"Have you any other request to make?" asked the Maltese. - -"One only," replied Bruno, and he spoke to the Maltese in a whisper. - -"I hope you are not asking for my life?" said Ali. - -"Have I not told you I should perhaps require your assistance after my -death?" said Bruno. - -"Pardon me, father," said Ali, "I had forgotten that." - -"Away, captain, and do as I have said," said Bruno; "when I see the -flames extinguished I shall know my terms are accepted." - -"Do you not wish me to be the bearer of the news?" asked the merchant. - -"Did I not say you should be my negociator? By-the-by," continued -Pascal, "how many houses are burnt?" - -"Two when I came away," replied the Maltese. - -"There are three hundred and fifteen ounces in this purse, distribute -them among the sufferers." - -"Adieu!" said the Maltese, shaking Bruno by the hand. - -Bruno threw his pistol away, again seated himself on his powder barrel -and fell into a deep reverie. - -The young Arab extended himself on his tiger's skin, and remained -motionless, closing his eyes as if he slept. By degrees the light of the -fire expired--Bruno's conditions had been accepted. - -At the expiration of about an hour, the door of the room opened, and a -man appeared on the threshold, who, perceiving that neither Bruno nor -Ali noticed him, gave an affected cough. - -Bruno turned round and perceived Paolo Tomassi. - -"Ah! is that you, brigadier?" said he, smiling; "it is a pleasure to -send for you--you have not kept us waiting long." - -"Why, no," replied the brigadier, "they met me on the road about a -quarter of an hour ago as I was bringing up my party, and they said that -you wanted to see me." - -"It is true," said Bruno; "I wanted to show you that I am a man of my -word." - -"Zounds, I know that well enough," said the brigadier. - -"And as I promised that you should receive the three thousand ducats in -question," said Bruno, "I wish to keep my word." - -"Perdition!" said the brigadier, with great energy. - -"What do you mean, comrade?" said Bruno. - -"I mean," said the brigadier, "that I would rather gain three thousand -ducats in any other manner--in the lottery, for instance." - -"And why so?" asked Bruno. - -"Because you are a fine fellow, and men like you are scarce," was the -brigadier's reply. - -"Bah! what's that to you?" said Bruno; "it will be promotion for you, -brigadier." - -"I know it," replied Paolo, with a look of despair. "And so you mean to -deliver yourself up?" - -"I surrender," said Bruno. - -"On your honour?" said Paolo. - -"On my honour," replied Bruno; "therefore, you may send all those -rascals away. I wish to have nothing more to do with them." - -Paolo Tomassi went to the window. - -"You may all of you retire," he cried; "I will answer for the prisoner: -go and report his capture at Messina." The soldiers shouted for joy. - -"And now," said Bruno to the brigadier, "we will finish the supper these -fools interrupted." - -"With all my heart," replied Paolo, "for I have come eight leagues in -three hours, and I am dying with hunger and thirst." - -"Well," said Bruno, "since you are so well inclined, and as we have but -one night to spend in each other's company, let us pass it merrily. -Ali, go and fetch the ladies out of the cellar, if they have not been -frightened to death." - -Ali performed his mission, and the party enjoyed themselves as best -they could. In the morning, the brigadier and his prisoner set out for -Messina. - -Five days after the events we have just related, the Prince of Carini -was informed, in the presence of the beautiful Gemma, who had just ended -her penance at the Convent of the Visitation, and who had only eight -days previously returned to the world, that at length his orders had -been executed, and that Pascal Bruno was taken and placed in one of the -prisons of Messina. - -"In that case, the Prince of Goto will pay the three thousand ducats -promised for his capture; see that the brigand is tried and afterwards -executed." - -"Dear prince," said Gemma, in that gentle voice to whose appeal the -count could refuse nothing, "I have always been curious to see this man -of whom I have heard so much." - -"Your wish shall be gratified, my dear angel; he shall be hanged at -Palermo." - - - - - - -CHAPTER X.--THE CHAPELLE ARDENTE. - -According to the promise he had made his favourite, the Prince of -Carini ordered the condemned man to be sent from Messina to Palermo; and -Pascal, under a large escort of gendarmerie, was conveyed to the prison -of that city, situated behind the royal palace, and near to the asylum -for lunatics. - -Towards the evening of the second day, a priest entered his dungeon. -Pascal rose when he saw the holy man: but, notwithstanding all the -entreaties of the priest, Pascal resolutely refused to confess. The -priest continued to exhort him to unburden his guilty mind; but nothing -could induce Pascal to perform this last office of religion. And the -priest, perceiving he could not overcome his obstinacy, asked him the -reason. - -"The reason," said Bruno, "is, that I do not wish to commit a -sacrilegious act." - -"In what manner, my son?" inquired the priest. - -"Is not the first condition of a good confession," said Bruno, "not only -the acknowledgment of your own sins, but the forgiveness of those of -your neighbour?" - -"Certainly," said the priest, "there can be no complete confession -without that." - -"Well," said Bruno, "I have not forgiven; my confession would therefore -be imperfect, and I have no inclination to make a bad confession." - -"Is it not," said the priest, "more likely that you have such enormous -crimes to acknowledge that you fear they will be too great to expect -pardon? But comfort yourself, God is merciful; and where there is -repentance there is always hope." - -"Nevertheless, my father," said Bruno', "if between your absolution and -my death, a wicked thought I have not the power to control should--" - -"The benefit of your confession would be lost," said the priest. - -"It is useless then for me to confess," observed Pascal, "for this -wicked thought will rise." - -"Cannot you drive it from your mind?" asked the priest. - -Pascal smiled. - -"It is that thought," said he, "that has kept me alive, father; without -that one infernal thought, without that last hope of vengeance, do you -think I would have allowed myself to be dragged forward as a disgraceful -spectacle to the multitude? No! I would have strangled myself with the -chain that binds me. At Messina, I had made up my mind to do so; and I -was about carrying my intention into effect when an order came to convey -me to Palermo--I thought she would wish to see me die." - -"Whom do you mean?" asked the priest. - -"She," said Bruno, with bitter emphasis. - -"But if you die in this manner," said the priest, "without repenting, -heaven, will show you no mercy." - -"Father," said Bruno, "she, also, shall die without repenting, for -she shall die at the moment she least expects it; she, also, shall die -without a priest, and without confession; she, also, shall find, like -me, heaven without mercy, and we shall sink to perdition together." - -At this instant the gaoler entered. - -"Father," he said, "the chapelle ardente is prepared." - -"Do you still persist in your refusal to confess, my son?" said the -priest. - -"I do persist," said Bruno, quietly. - -"Then I shall no longer delay the mass for the dead," said the priest, -"which I will repeat without pressing you any further; and I trust that, -while you listen, the Heavenly Spirit will visit you and inspire you -with better thoughts." - -"It may be so, father," said Bruno; "but I have no reason to believe it -will." - -The gens-d'armes entered, unbound Bruno, and led him to the church of -St. Franois de Sales, facing the prison, and at that moment brilliantly -illuminated, for, according to custom, he was there to hear the mass -for the dead and pass the night in prayer, the execution being fixed for -eight o'clock the following morning. - -An iron ring was fixed in a pillar in the choir, and Pascal was secured -to this ring by means of a chain that went round his body, but which -was sufficiently long to enable him to reach the balustrades where the -communicants knelt. - -The instant mass commenced, the officers of the lunatic asylum brought -in a coffin, which they placed in the centre of the church: it contained -the remains of an insane person who had died during the day, and the -director thought the deceased might as well receive the benefit of the -mass that was about to be celebrated for the condemned criminal who was -to die. - -Besides, there was an economy in this arrangement, both of time and -labour for the priest; and as it accommodated all parties, no objection -was made. - -The sacristan lighted two tapers, one for the head and the other for the -foot of the coffin, and the mass began. - -Pascal listened attentively during the whole service, and when it was -over, the priest went up to him and asked him if he was in a better -frame of mind; but the condemned man answered that, notwithstanding the -mass to which he had listened,--notwithstanding the prayers with which -he had accompanied it, his feelings of hatred and desire for vengeance -were still the same. - -The priest told him that at seven o'clock on the following morning -he would return and ascertain whether a night of solitude and -contemplation, passed in a church and in presence of the crucifix, had -produced any change in his feelings of vengeance. - -Bruno, as may be imagined, when left alone fell into a deep reverie. The -whole of the varied transactions of his life passed in review before his -eyes, from the days of his earliest infancy to that moment; and in vain -he endeavoured to discover in those early days of his life anything that -deserved the terrible fate that awaited his youth. He remembered only a -filial and sacred obedience towards the kind parents the Lord had given -him. He remembered his father's abode---so quiet, so innocent, and happy -at one time--which suddenly, became, without his being aware of the -cause, full of tears and sorrow. He remembered the day when his father -went out, carrying with him a dagger, which on his return was covered -with blood. He remembered the night on which the author of his being was -arrested as a murderer; when they carried himself, still a child, into a -chapelle ardente like that in which he was now confined, where he saw a -man chained as he was now. - -It seemed to him as if it were some fatal influence, some capricious -chance, some victorious superiority of evil over good, through the means -of which all the prospects of his devoted and once virtuous family had -been so utterly ruined. - -And then he even doubted the truth of the promises of happiness which -heaven had made to man; he sought through his own distorted vision -for the interference of that Providence of which so much was said; -and fancying that in this, his extremity, some portion of this eternal -secret would perhaps be revealed to him, he bowed his forehead to the -earth and prayed--conjured the Deity, with all the fulness of his soul, -to interpret to him this terrible enigma--to raise the corner of that -mysterious veil which enshrouded his mind--to dispel his doubts and give -him confidence here and hopes for hereafter. - -His hopes were vain; all was silent excepting that internal voice which -still continued to exclaim--"Vengeance! vengeance! vengeance!" - -Then he thought the dead were charged to answer him, and that to that -end a corpse had been placed near him: so true it is that the most -insignificant amongst us all considers his own existence as the centre -of the creation, imagines everything is connected with his being, and -that his miserable body is the pivot on which the whole universe turns. - -He, therefore, slowly raised himself, paler from the struggle he had had -with his mind than from any fear of the scaffold, and he turned his eyes -towards the corpse--it was that of a female. - -Pascal shuddered without knowing why; he endeavoured to trace the -features of that woman--(the coffin in Italy is only closed at the -instant of interment)--but a corner of the winding-sheet had fallen over -the face and concealed it. Suddenly, an instinctive maddening feeling -reminded him of Teresa--Teresa, whom he had not seen since the day when -he first broke the bonds of God and man--Teresa, who had become mad, and -for three years had been confined in the lunatic asylum from whence -the coffin and the corpse had been brought--Teresa, his betrothed, with -whom, perhaps, he now found himself at the foot of that altar to which -he had so long hoped to have conducted her while living, and where, at -length, he had been brought by the bitter mockery of fate to rejoin her: -she dead--himself about ignominiously to die! - -To remain longer in doubt was insupportable; he rushed towards the -coffin to satisfy himself, but he was suddenly dragged back by the -waist, his chain not being long enough to enable him to reach the -corpse, and it held him fast to the pillar; he stretched out his arms -towards the coffin, but he was still several feet away from the object -he sought to reach. - -He then looked round in search of something by means of which he might -be able to remove the corner of the veil, but he could discover nothing; -he exerted all the power of his lungs in his endeavour to raise the -corner of the cloth, but it remained as motionless as marble. - -He then turned round with a look of concentrated rage it would be -impossible to describe, seized his chain with both hands, and collecting -all his strength for the effort, he strove to break it; but the links -were too firmly-attached to each other and resisted all his efforts. - -The cold perspiration of rage stood on his forehead; he threw himself -at the foot of the pillar, placed his head in his hands, and remained -motionless and mute as the statue of despair; and when the priest came -in the morning he found him still in the same position. - -The reverend man approached him quietly and calmly, as became his -mission of peace and his office as a minister of reconciliation. -He thought that Pascal slept, but when he placed his hand upon his -shoulder, the bandit started and raised his head. - -"Well, my son," said the priest, "are you prepared for confession? I am -ready to absolve you?" - -"I will answer you presently, father; but first render me a last -service," said Bruno. - -"What is it?" said the priest. "Speak!" - -"Father," said Bruno, "will you raise the corner of the cloth that hides -the features of that woman?" - -The priest raised the corner of the winding-sheet. Pascal had not -deceived himself, that woman was Teresa! - -He looked upon her for an instant with the deepest sorrow, and then made -a sign to the priest to let the linen fall: the priest obeyed him. - -"Well, my son," he said, "has the sight of death inspired you with any -pious thoughts?" - -"Father," said Bruno, "that woman and I were born to be happy and -innocent; but she perjured herself, and I became a murderer. She has -conducted this woman through madness, and me, through despair, to the -tomb into which we are both about to descend to-day. Let heaven pardon -her, if it can--I cannot!" - -At this instant the guards entered the church to lead Pascal to the -scaffold. - - - - - - -CHAPTER XI.--DEATH OF THE BANDIT. - -The sky was magnificent, the air pure and transparent; the inhabitants -of Palermo awoke as if it had been a holiday--the scholars at the -colleges and schools had a holiday, and the whole population seemed to -have assembled in the Rue de Toledo, through the whole length of which -the condemned man would have to pass to go from the church of Saint -Franois de Sales, where He had passed the night, to the Place de la -Marine, where the execution was to take place. - -The windows of the houses were filled with women, whose curiosity had -roused them from their beds before their usual time, and the nuns of the -various convents in Palermo and its environs might be seen moving like -shadows behind the gratings of the galleries; while on the flat roofs of -the houses throngs of people waved to and fro like a field of grain. - -The condemned man was at the gates of the church placed in a cart drawn -by mules, and preceded by a number of White Penitents, the first of whom -carried the cross and the four last the coffin. The executioner followed -on horseback, bearing a red flag; his two assistants on foot, one on -each side. Behind these came a body of Black Penitents, who closed the -procession, which advanced in the midst of a double rank of militia and -regular troops, while, on the outskirts of the crowd, men were running -along clothed in long gray dresses, with their heads covered with hoods, -having openings for the eyes and mouth, holding in one hand a bell, and -in the other a large purse or bag, collecting alms for the deliverance -of the soul of the criminal from purgatory. - -It was reported also among the crowd that the criminal had refused to -confess, and this deviation from the religious ideas entertained by all -gave more weight to the rumours which had been spread abroad since the -very beginning of his career, of an infernal compact between Bruno -and the enemy of mankind. A feeling of terror, therefore, sat upon the -curious yet mute population, and no shouts, no cries, not even a murmur, -disturbed the dirge of death as it was chanted by the White Penitents at -the head of the procession and the Black Penitents in the rear. Behind -these last, and as fast as the culprit advanced along the Rue de Toledo, -the spectators joined the procession and accompanied it towards the -Place de la Marine. - -As to Pascal, he was the only one who appeared perfectly calm in the -midst of this agitated mass of people, and he looked upon the crowd that -surrounded him without humility and without ostentation, like a man who, -understanding the duties of individuals towards society in general and -the rights of society in respect to individuals, did not repent that he -had forgotten the last, nor complained that it avenged the first. - -The procession stopped for an instant at the Place des Quatre Cantons, -which forms the centre of the city, for so great a crowd were pressing -forward from either side of the Rue de Cassero, that the line of troops -was broken, and the centre of the road being crowded with people, the -Penitents were unable to proceed. - -Pascal took advantage of this sudden halt to stand up in the cart and -look round him, like one about to give a final order or make a last -sign; but after a long examination of the crowd, and not seeing that of -which he was in search, he fell back on the truss of straw that answered -the purpose of a seat, and a cloud spread over his face which seemed -to increase until the procession reached the Place de la Marine; then a -second stoppage occurred, and Pascal a second time stood up. - -At first, he cast a careless glance to the extremity of the place -opposite the gibbet, and then his looks ran over the immense crowd that -filled the extensive area of the place of execution, and which appeared -paved with human heads, with the exception of the terrace of the palace -of the Prince de Butera, which was completely deserted. He fixed his -eyes upon a rich balcony covered with damask, embroidered with gold, -and sheltered from the sun by purple awnings. There, on a species of -platform, and surrounded by the most elegant women, and the noblest -lords of Palermo, the beautiful Gemma of Castel Nuova was seated, who, -anxious to witness the last agony of her enemy, had caused her throne to -be raised facing the scaffold. - -The looks of Pascal Bruno and the counters met, and seemed to dart -flashes of hatred and vengeance: they were still gazing on each other -when a strange cry arose among the crowd that surrounded the cart. -Pascal started, and turning quickly to the spot from whence the sound -came, his features not only resumed their wonted expression of calmness, -but a look of joy spread over them. - -At this, instant the procession was again about to move on, when Bruno, -with a loud voice, exclaimed-- - -"Stop!" - -The word had a magical effect, the whole of the crowd seemed for an -instant nailed to the earth, every face was turned to the condemned man, -and a thousand eager looks were fixed upon him. - -"What is it you want?" said the executioner, - -"My confessor," said Pascal. - -"The priest is gone," said the executioner; "you sent him away." - -"My usual confessor is the monk on my left hand in the crowd," said -Bruno. "I did not want the other; but I wish to confess to this man." - -The executioner gave a look of impatience and denial; but at the same -instant the people, who had heard the request of the condemned man, -cried out-- - -"The confessor! the confessor!" - -The executioner was obliged to submit, and the crowd made way for the -monk: he was a tall young man, of a swarthy complexion, and seemed as if -he were exhausted by the austerities of the cloister; he went up to the -cart and climbed into it. - -At the same instant Bruno fell on his knees--this was a general signal; -on the pavement, in the street, on the balconies at the windows, on the -roofs of the houses, every one knelt; all excepting the executioner, who -remained on horseback, and his assistants, who stood by his side. At the -same instant the Penitents began to chant the prayers for the dying, to -conceal by the voices the words of the confession. - -"I have been long expecting you," observed Bruno. "I was waiting here -for you," replied Ali, for he it was. - -"I was afraid they would not keep the promise they made me," said Bruso; -"and that you would meet the same fate as myself." - -"No," said Ali, "they have kept their promise; I am at liberty." - -"Listen then," said Bruno. - -"I am attentive," replied Ali. - -"There, on my right hand--" Bruno turned in that direction, for his -hands were bound, and he had no other means of pointing--"you see a -balcony covered with gold embroidery." - -"Yes," said Ali. - -"On that balcony is a young and beautiful woman, with flowers in her -hair--" - -"I see her," interrupted Ali; "she is on her knees at prayers like the -rest." - -"That woman," said Bruno, "is the Countess Gemma, of Castel Nuova." - -"Beneath whose window I was waiting when you were wounded in the -shoulder?" asked Ali. - -"Yes," replied Bruno, "that woman is the cause of all my misfortunes; -she forced me to commit my first crime; she has brought me here!" - -"Well," said Ali. - -"I should not die in peace if I knew that she would survive me happy and -honoured," continued Bruno. "You may die in peace," said the youth. - -"Thanks, thanks, Ali!" said Bruno, impressively. - -"Let me embrace you once more father," said Ali. - -"Adieu!" said Bruno. - -"Farewell for ever!" said Ali. - -The young monk embraced the culprit as a priest is in the habit of doing -when he gives absolution to the sinner, and he then alighted from the -cart and mingled with the crowd. - -"Go on," said Bruno, imperatively; and the procession again obeyed him, -as if the speaker had the right to command. - -Every one arose; Gemma reseated herself, and the procession moved on -towards the scaffold. - -When it arrived at the foot of the gibbet, the executioner descended -from his horse, mounted the scaffold, climbed up the ladder, and fixed -his blood-coloured flag on the cross-piece above, satisfied himself that -the cord was well fastened, and threw off his coat that he might have -more freedom of action. - -Pascal immediately sprang out of the cart, thrust aside with his -shoulders the hangmen's men, who wished to assist him, rapidly mounted -the scaffold, and placed himself against the ladder which he had to -climb backwards. At the same instant, the Penitent who carried the cross -placed it in front of the bandit, so that he might see it in its dying -moments. The Penitents who carried the coffin seated themselves upon it, -and the troops formed themselves into a semicircle round the scaffold, -leaving in the centre the two bands of Penitents, the executioner, his -assistants, and their victim, Pascal mounted the ladder, refusing all -assistance, with the calmness he had hitherto displayed, and as Gemma's -balcony was facing him, it was even observed that he cast his eyes in -that direction and smiled. At the same instant, the executioner passed -the cord round his neck, seized him by the middle of his body, and cast -him off the ladder; he then slipped down the cord, and pressed with -his whole weight on the shoulders of the culprit, while the assistants, -clinging to his legs, pulled at the lower part of his body; but suddenly -the rope broke, not being able to bear the weight of four persons, and -the whole party, the executioner, his assistants, and their victim, were -rolling on the scaffold. - -One man arose before the rest--it was Pascal Bruno, whose hands had -burst the cords with which they were tied; he stood up in the midst of a -general silence, having in his right side a knife the executioner had in -his rage at the accident plunged into it the whole length of its blade. - -"Wretch!" cried the bandit, addressing the hangman, "you are neither fit -for an executioner nor a bandit; you can neither hang nor assassinate." - -With these words, he drew out the reeking knife from his right side, and -plunging it into his left side near his heart fell dead. - -Then there arose a terrific shout and a wild tumult in the crowd, some -rushed away from the spot, while others attacked the scaffold. - -The body of the condemned man was carried away by the Penitents, and the -executioner was nearly torn in pieces by the people. - - - - - - -CHAPTER XII.--CONCLUSION. - -The evening after the execution, the Prince of Carini dined with the -Archbishop of Montreal, while Gemma, who was not admissible into the -society of the prelate, remained at the Villa Carini. - -The evening was as delightful as the morning had been. From one of the -windows of the room which was hung with blue satin, the room in which -the first scene of our history took place, Alicudi might plainly be -seen, and behind it, like a vapour floating on the sea, the isles of -Filicudi and Salina. The other window overlooked a beautiful park, -filled with orange trees and pomegranates; on the right, might be seen -Mount Pellegrino from its base to its very summit, and on the left the -view extended as far as Montreal. - -The beautiful Countess Gemma, of Castel Nuovo, had remained for some -time at this window, her eyes fixed on the ancient residence of the -Norman kings, and seeking in every carriage as it came towards Palermo -for the equipage of the viceroy. But at length the darkness of the -evening increased, and distant objects becoming indistinct, she entered -her chamber and rang for her maid, and, fatigued as she had been by the -emotions of the day, she retired to rest. - -It was late before the prince was able to relieve himself from the -kind attentions of his host, and eleven o'clock struck by the cathedral -(built by William the Good) before the viceroy's carriage, drawn by four -splendid horses, departed at a gallop. Half an hour was sufficient to -enable him to reach Palermo, and in five minutes afterwards, he had -cleared the distance between the city and his villa. - -The prince hastily proceeded to Gemma's chamber, he attempted to enter -the door, but it was fastened on the inside: he then went to the secret -door that opened on the other side of the bed, close to the recess in -which Gemma reposed. Having opened it softly, that he might not awake -the charming sleeper, he stood a moment to gaze upon her in the sweet -and beautiful abandonment of repose. - -An elaborate lamp, suspended from the ceiling by three strings of -pearls, was the only light in the room, and its light was arranged in -such a manner as to prevent its dazzling the eyes of the sleeper. The -prince, therefore, leaned over the bed that he might see better. - -Gemma was lying with her chest almost entirely uncovered, and her boa, -rolled round her neck, contrasted beautifully by its dark colour with -the whiteness of her skin. - -The prince for an instant gazed on the enchanting statue, but its want -of animation soon astonished him; he drew closer, and perceived that a -strange paleness overspread her features. He bent his ear over her, but -could not hear her respiration; he seized her hand, it was cold. Then he -placed his arm beneath the form he loved so well, that he might warm it -by pressing it to his breast; but he suddenly allowed it again to fall, -and uttered a cry of anguish and horror. Gemma's head had fallen from -her shoulders and rolled upon the carpet. - -The next morning the yataghan of Ali was found beneath the window! - -THE END. - - - - - - - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Sicilian Bandit, by Alexandre Dumas, pere - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SICILIAN BANDIT *** - -***** This file should be named 41224.txt or 41224.zip ***** This -and all associated files of various formats will be found in: http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/2/2/41224/ - -Produced by David Widger - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will be -renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. 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- The Sicilian Bandit, by Alexandre Dumas, pere
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-The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Sicilian Bandit, by Alexandre Dumas, pere
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-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
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-re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
-with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
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-Title: The Sicilian Bandit
- From the Volume "Captain Paul"
-
-Author: Alexandre Dumas, pere
-
-Release Date: October 29, 2012 [EBook #41224]
-Last Updated: November 21, 2016
-
-Language: English
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-Character set encoding: UTF-8
-
-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SICILIAN BANDIT ***
-
-
-
-
-Produced by David Widger
-
-
-
-
-
-</pre>
-
- <div style="height: 8em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h1>
- THE SICILIAN BANDIT
- </h1>
- <h3>
- From the Volume “Captain Paul”
- </h3>
- <p>
- <br />
- </p>
- <h2>
- By Alexandre Dumas, pere
- </h2>
- <p>
- <br /> <br />
- </p>
- <hr />
- <p>
- <br /> <br />
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <big><b>CONTENTS</b></big>
- </p>
- <p>
- <br />
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0001"> CHAPTER I.—INTRODUCTION—PALERMO. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0002"> CHAPTER II.—BRUNO AND ALI. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0003"> CHAPTER III.—THE FATAL BRIDAL. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0004"> CHAPTER IV.—THE PRINCE AND THE BANDIT. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0005"> CHAPTER IV.—THE ROBBER’S CASTLE. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0006"> CHAPTER VI.—A BANDIT’S GRATITUDE. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0007"> CHAPTER VII.—A BRIGAND’S VENGEANCE. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0008"> CHAPTER VIII.—-TREACHERY. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0009"> CHAPTER IX.—THE SIEGE. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0010"> CHAPTER X.—THE CHAPELLE ARDENTE. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0011"> CHAPTER XI.—DEATH OF THE BANDIT. </a>
- </p>
- <p class="toc">
- <a href="#link2HCH0012"> CHAPTER XII.—CONCLUSION. </a>
- </p>
- <p>
- <br /> <br />
- </p>
- <hr />
- <p>
- <br /> <br /> <a name="link2HCH0001" id="link2HCH0001">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER I.—INTRODUCTION—PALERMO.
- </h2>
- <p>
- It is with cities as with men—chance presides over their foundation;
- and the topographical situation of the first, and the social position of
- the latter, exercise a beneficial or an evil influence over their entire
- existence.
- </p>
- <p>
- There are noble cities which, in their selfish pride of place, have
- refused to permit the erection even of a few humble cottages on the
- mountain on which their foundations rested: their domination must be
- exclusive and supreme; consequently they have remained as poor as they are
- proud.
- </p>
- <p>
- There are villages so humble as to have taken refuge in the recesses of
- the valley—have built their farmsteads, mills, and cottages on the
- margin of a brook, and, protected by the hills that sheltered them from
- heat and cold, have passed an almost unknown and tranquil life, like that
- of men without ardour and without ambition—terrified by every sound,
- dazzled by every blaze of light, and whose whole happiness consists in
- shade and silence.
- </p>
- <p>
- There are, again, others that have commenced their existence as paltry
- hamlets on the sea-shore, and which, by degrees, have seen sailing vessels
- succeed the simple boat, and noble ships the tiny barque—whose
- modest huts have given place to lordly palaces, while the gold of Potosi
- and the wealth of the Indies flow into their ample ports.
- </p>
- <p>
- It is for these reasons that we give to cold, inanimate nature epithets
- that truly belong to man’s nobility alone. Thus we say, Messina the noble,
- Syracuse the faithful, Girgenti the magnificent, Trapani the invincible,
- and Palermo the blessed.
- </p>
- <hr />
- <p>
- If ever there was a city predestined to be blessed—that city is
- Palermo. Situated beneath a cloudless sky, on a luxuriously fertile plain,
- and sheltered by a belt of mountains, in the centre of a picturesquely
- beautiful country, its ample ports open to receive the gentle flow of the
- azure sea.
- </p>
- <p>
- There is nothing more beautiful than the days at Palermo, except it be the
- nights—those eastern nights, so clear and balmy, in which the murmur
- of the sea, the rustling of the breeze, and the busy hum of the town seem
- like a universal concert of love, during which all created things, from
- the wave to the tree, from the tree to man himself, breathe a mysterious
- sigh.
- </p>
- <p>
- At times, however, the sea suddenly assumes a livid tint; the wind drops,
- the noise of the city is hushed; a few bloodied clouds travel rapidly from
- the south to the north; these clouds foretell the coming of the dread
- sirocco, that scorching blast, borne in the sands of Libya and carried to
- Europe by the southerly gales: immediately everything animate droops and
- becomes oppressed and suffering, and the whole island feels as when Etna
- threatens. Animals and men alike seek shelter, and when they have found
- it, they crouch in breathless fear, for the blast has taken away all
- courage, paralysed the strength, and deadened every faculty; and this
- lasts until a purer air from the Calabrian hills restores the strength and
- appears to renew their existence, and on the morrow all again is pleasure
- and mirth.
- </p>
- <p>
- It was the evening of the month of September, 1803, when the sirocco had
- lasted throughout the entire day; but at sunset the sky became clear, the
- sea resumed its azure tint, and a few blasts of cool air blew over the
- Liparian Archipelago. This atmospheric change had such an influence on all
- animated beings, that they gradually revived from their state of torpor,
- and you might have imagined you were present at a second creation, the
- more so from the fact of Palermo being, as we have already said, a perfect
- garden of Eden.
- </p>
- <p>
- Among all the daughters of Eve who, in the paradise they inhabit, make
- love their principal occupation, there was one who will play a very
- important part in the course of this history. That we may direct the
- attention of our readers to her, and to the place in which she dwelt, let
- them leave Palermo by the San-Georgio gate along with us, leaving the
- castle of St Mark on the right, and, reaching the Mole, they will follow
- the course of the sea-shore for some distance, and stop before the
- delightful villa of the Prince of Carini, the Viceroy of Sicily under
- Ferdinand the Fourth, who had just returned from Naples to take up his
- abode in it.
- </p>
- <p>
- On the first floor of this elegant villa, in a chamber tapestried with
- azure-blue silk, the ceiling of which was ornamented with fresco painting,
- a female, simply attired in a snow-white morning dress, was reclining on a
- sofa, her arms hung listlessly, her head was thrown back, and her hair
- dishevelled; for an instant she might have been taken for a marble statue,
- but a gentle tremor ran through her frame, colour gradually came to her
- cheeks, her eyes began to open, the beautiful statue became animated,
- sighed, stretched out its hand to a little silver bell placed on a table
- of peliminta marble, rang it lazily, and, as if fatigued with the effort
- she had made, fell back again on the sofa.
- </p>
- <p>
- The silvery sound, however, had been heard, the door opened, and a young
- and pretty waiting-maid, whose disordered toilet declared that she, as
- well as her mistress, had felt the influence of the African wind, appeared
- on the threshold.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Is it you, Teresa?” said her mistress, languidly, and turning her head.
- “It is enough to kill one: is the sirocco still blowing?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “No, signora, it has quite passed over, and we begin to breathe again.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Bring me some iced fruit, and let me have a little air.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Teresa obeyed these orders with as much promptitude as the remains of her
- languor would allow; she placed the refreshments on the table, and opened
- the window that looked out on the sea.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Look, madame la comtesse,” she said, “we shall have a magnificent day
- to-morrow; and the air is so clear that you can plainly see the island of
- Alicari, although the day is drawing to a close.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, yes, the air is refreshing; give me your arm, Teresa; I will try if
- I can drag myself as far as the window.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The attendant approached her mistress, who replaced on the table the
- refreshment her lips had scarcely touched, and, resting on Teresa’s
- shoulder, walked languidly towards the balcony.
- </p>
- <p>
- “How this delightful breeze revives one,” she observed, as she inhaled the
- evening air; “bring me my chair, and open the other window that looks into
- the garden,—that will do. Has the prince returned from Montreal?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Not yet, my lady,” replied Teresa.
- </p>
- <p>
- “So much the better; I would not have him see me in this wretched state,
- so pale and weak: I must look dreadfully.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Madame la comtesse never looked more beautiful than at this moment, and I
- am certain that in the whole city we see from this window, there is not a
- woman who would not be jealous of your ladyship.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you include the Marchioness of Rudini and the Princess of Butera?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I except no one,” replied the attendant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ah, I see the prince has been bribing you to flatter me, Teresa.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I assure you, madame, I only tell you what I think.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Oh, what a delightful place Palermo is!” said the countess, taking a deep
- inspiration.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Especially when one is two-and-twenty years of age, and rich and
- beautiful,” continued Teresa, smiling.
- </p>
- <p>
- “You have but completed my thoughts, and on that account I wish to see
- every one about me cheerful and happy. When is your marriage to take
- place, Teresa?” Teresa made no answer. “Is not Sunday the day fixed upon?”
- continued the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, signora,” answered her attendant with a sigh.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Why do you sigh? Have you not made up your mind?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Oh, yes, certainly.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Have you any dislike to the marriage!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “No; I believe Gaetano is a good lad, and that he will make me happy.
- Besides, this marriage will enable me to remain with madame la comtesse,
- and that is my most earnest wish.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then why did you sigh?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Pray pardon me, my lady, but I was thinking of our native country.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Our native country!” echoed the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes; madame la comtesse may remember, while at Palermo, that she had left
- a foster sister at the village of which her father was the signor; and
- when she wrote for me to come to her, I was about to be married to a young
- man belonging to Bauso.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Why did you not tell me of that? The prince, at my recommendation, would
- have taken him into his service.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Oh, he would not become a <i>servant</i>,” said Teresa; “he was too proud
- for that.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Indeed!” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes; he had before then refused the situation of shepherd to the Prince
- of Goto.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “He was a gentleman, then, this young man?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “No, madame la comtesse; he was but a simple mountaineer,” said Teresa, in
- a melancholy tone.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What was his name?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Oh, I do not think that your ladyship would recollect it,” said Teresa,
- eagerly.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And do you then regret his loss?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I cannot tell; I only know that if I were to become his wife instead of
- Gaetano’s, I should be obliged to work for my living; and that would be a
- laborious task for me, after leading so easy and pleasant a life under
- madame la comtesse.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And yet, Teresa, is it not true that people accuse me of pride and
- violence?” asked the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Madame is very good to me, that is all I can say,” replied Teresa.
- </p>
- <p>
- “The nobles of Palermo say so, because the Counts of Castel Nuovo were
- ennobled by Charles the Fifth, while the Ventimillas and the Partanas
- descend, as they pretend, from Tancred and Rogero: but that is not the
- reason the women hate me; they conceal their hatred under the cloak of
- disdain, and they neglect me because Rodolpho loves me, and they are
- jealous of the viceroy’s love; they do all they can to seduce him from me;
- but they will never succeed, for my beauty is greater than theirs—Carini
- tells me so every day, and so do you, story-teller.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You have here a greater flatterer than either his excellency or myself,”
- said Teresa, archly.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Who is that?” asked the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “The countess’s mirror.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Foolish girl!” said the countess, with a gratified smile. “There, go and
- light the tapers of the Psyche.” The attendant obeyed her mistress’s
- orders. “Now shut that window, and leave me; there will be sufficient air
- from the garden.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Teresa obeyed, and left the room. Scarcely did the countess perceive that
- she was gone, than she seated herself before the Psyche, and smiled as she
- looked at and admired herself in the glass.
- </p>
- <p>
- A wonderful creature was the Countess Emma, or rather Gemma, for, from her
- very infancy, her parents had added a G to her baptismal name; and, on
- account of this addition, she called herself <i>Diamond</i>. She was
- certainly wrong in confining her origin to the signature of Charles the
- Fifth, for in her slight and pliant form, you might recognise an Ionian
- origin; in her black and expressive eyes, a descendant of the Arabs; and
- in her fair and vermilion skin, a daughter of Gaul. She could equally
- boast of her descent from an Athenian archon, a Saracen emir, and a Norman
- chieftain; she was one of those beauties that in the first instance were
- found in Sicily alone, at a later time in one town alone in the world—Arles.
- So that, instead, of calling the artifices of the toilet to her
- assistance, as she intended in the first instance, Gemma found herself
- more charming in her partial dishabille.
- </p>
- <p>
- The glass, being placed before the window that was left open, reflected
- the sky from its surface, and Gemma, without intention or thought, wrapt
- herself up in a vague and delicious pleasure, counting in the glass the
- images of the stars as they each appeared in their turn, and giving them
- names as they successively appeared in the heavens.
- </p>
- <p>
- Suddenly it appeared as if a rising shadow placed itself before the stars,
- and that a face appeared behind her; she turned herself quickly round and
- beheld a man standing at the window. Gemma rose and opened her mouth with
- the intention of screaming for assistance, when the stranger, springing
- into the chamber, clasped his hands, and said in supplicating accents—
- </p>
- <p>
- “In the name of heaven do not call out, madame! for on my honour, you have
- nothing to fear: I will do you no harm.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Gemma fell back into her chair, and the apparition and words of the
- stranger were succeeded by a moment’s silence, during which she had time
- to cast a rapid glance at the person who had introduced himself into her
- room in this extraordinary manner.
- </p>
- <p>
- He was a young man, some twenty-five or twenty-six years of age, and
- appeared to belong to the ranks of the people; he wore a Calabrian hat,
- round which a piece of velvet was tied, the ends of which fell loosely on
- his shoulders, a velvet vest with silver buttons, breeches of the same
- material, and ornamented in a similar manner; round his waist he wore a
- red silk belt with green fringe; shoes and leather gaiters completed his
- costume, which appeared to have been selected to set off his fine figure
- to advantage. His features possessed a kind of savage beauty, his look was
- bold and proud, his beard black, his teeth sharp and white, and his nose
- aquiline.
- </p>
- <p>
- For a certainty, Gemma was not a whit the more easy by her examination,
- for the stranger, when he saw her stretch out her hand towards the table,
- as if to take hold of the silver bell, said—
- </p>
- <p>
- “Did you not hear me, madame?” giving his voice that gentle expression so
- peculiar to the Sicilian dialect. “I wish you no harm—far from it.
- If you will grant me the request I am about to make, I will adore you as
- if you were a Madonna. You are already as beautiful; be as good as one.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “But what is it you require?” said Gemma, her voice still trembling; “and
- why did you come here in this manner, and at such an hour?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Had I requested the favour of an interview with one so noble, so rich,
- and so much loved by a man who is almost a king, is it probable that you
- would have granted it to me, so poor and unknown? Tell me, madame. But
- even if you had been so condescending, you might have delayed your answer,
- and I have no time to wait.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “What, then, can I do for you?” said Gemma, recovering herself by degrees.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Everything, madame; for you hold in your hands my despair or my happiness—my
- death or my life.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I do not understand you; explain yourself,” faltered out the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “You have,” said the stranger, “a young woman from Bauso in your service.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Teresa?” asked the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, Teresa,” replied the young man in trembling accents. “Now, this
- young woman is to be married to a valet de chambre of the Prince de
- Carini, and she is betrothed to me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ah! it is you, then?” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, it was I she was about to marry when she received your letter
- desiring her to come to you. She promised to remain faithful to me—to
- mention me to you, and if you refused her request, she pledged her word to
- return to me. I continued to expect her; but three years passed by, and
- yet I saw her not; and as she has not returned to me, I have come to seek
- her. On my arrival I learnt all, and then I thought I would throw myself
- on my knees before you, and ask Teresa of you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Teresa is a girl I am partial to,” said the countess, “and I do not wish
- her to leave me. Gaetano is the prince’s valet de chambre, and by marrying
- him she will still remain near me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “If that is one of the conditions, I will enter the prince’s service,”
- said the young man, evidently suppressing his feelings.
- </p>
- <p>
- “But Teresa told me you would not enter into service.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “That is true,” replied the stranger; “but if it is necessary, I will make
- any sacrifice for her; only, if it were possible, I would be one of the
- huntsmen rather than a domestic servant.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said the countess, “I will speak of it to the prince, and if he
- consents—”
- </p>
- <p>
- “The prince will do all that you wish, madame,” interrupted the young man.
- “You do not ask, you order; I know that well.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “But what guarantee have I for your good conduct?” asked the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “My eternal gratitude, madame,” said the young man.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Still I must know who you are,” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am a man,” said the stranger, “whom you can make miserable or happy;
- that is the sum of all.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “The prince will ask me your name,” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What is my name to him?” asked the stranger. “Is he acquainted with it?
- Has the name of a poor peasant of Bauso ever reached the prince’s ears?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “But I belong to the same country as yourself,” said the countess; “my
- father was Count of Castel Nuovo, and lived in a little fortress a quarter
- of a league from the village.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I know it, madame,” said the young man, in a low hoarse voice.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, I ought to know your name,” said the countess. “Tell me, then, and
- I will see what I can do for you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Believe me, madame la comtesse,” said the stranger, “it would be better
- for you to remain ignorant of it. What does my name signify? I am an
- honest man. I would make Teresa happy; and if it were necessary, I would
- sacrifice my life for you or the prince.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your obstinacy is very strange,” said the countess, “and I have a greater
- desire to know your name than ever, for when I asked Teresa what it was,
- she, like you, refused to tell me. In the meantime, I warn you that I will
- not consent to your wishes except on that condition.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You wish to know it then, madame?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I insist upon it!” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “For the last time,” said the stranger, “I beg, I implore you, not to
- insist upon it.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Either name it,” said the countess, in an imperative tone, “or leave me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am called Pascal Bruno,” said the young man, in so calm a voice that
- you might have imagined every emotion had passed away if the paleness of
- his features had not been evidence of the internal struggle.
- </p>
- <p>
- “<i>Pascal Bruno!</i>” cried the countess, drawing back in her chair in
- terror. “<i>Pascal Bruno!</i> You, the son of Antonio Bruno, whose head is
- placed in an iron cage at the Château de Bauso?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am his son,” coolly replied the young man.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And do you not know,” asked the countess, “why your father’s head is
- placed there? Speak!” Pascal remained silent. “Well,” continued the
- countess, “it was because <i>your</i> father attempted to assassinate <i>mine</i>.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I know all that, madame,” replied Pascal, calmly; “and I know, besides,
- that when you, then a child, was taken into the village, your attendants
- showed you that head, and told you it was my father’s head; but they did
- not tell you, madame, that <i>your</i> father dishonoured <i>mine</i>.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Thou liest!” passionately exclaimed the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “May God punish me if I tell not the truth. Madame, my mother was
- beautiful and virtuous; your father, the count, became enamoured of her:
- but she resisted all his importunities, all his promises, and all his
- threats; but one day, when my father had gone to Taormina, the count
- caused her to be carried off by four men, taken to a small house that
- belonged to him between Limero and Furnari (it is now a tavern), and there—madame—he
- violated her!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “The count was lord and master of the village of Bauso,” said Gemma,
- proudly. “Both the property and the persons of its inhabitants belonged to
- him, and he did your mother much honour by admiring her.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “My father did not think so it appears,” said Pascal, knitting his brow.
- “That, perhaps, was because he was born at Stilla, on the lands of the
- Prince de Moncada Paterno; and on that account he struck the count. The
- wound was not mortal; so much the better. For a long time I deeply
- regretted it; but now, to my shame, I congratulate myself on it.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “If my memory be correct,” said the countess, “not only was your father
- put to death as murderer, but your uncles are still at the galleys.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your memory is good,” said Pascal. “My uncles gave an asylum to the
- assassin, and defended him when the officers came to arrest him: they
- were, therefore, looked upon as accomplices, and sent, my uncle Placido,
- to Favignana; my uncle Pietro, to Lipari; and my uncle Pépe, to Vulcano.
- As for myself, I was too young; and, although I was arrested, they gave me
- up again to my mother.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And what became of your mother?” asked Gemma.
- </p>
- <p>
- “She died,” said Pascal, mournfully.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Where?” asked Gemma.
- </p>
- <p>
- “In the mountains between Pizzo di Goto and Nisi,” replied Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Why did she leave Bauso?” inquired the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “That every time we passed the castle,” said Pascal, “she might not see
- the head of her husband, nor I that of my father! Yes, she died without a
- physician, without a priest—she was buried in unholy ground, and I
- dug her grave. There, madame—you will pardon me, I trust—over
- the newly-turned earth I swore to avenge the wrongs of my family—of
- whom I, alone, remain—upon <i>you</i>, the only survivor of the
- family of the count. But I became enamoured of Teresa, and I left the
- mountains that I might not see my mother’s grave, towards which I felt
- myself perjured. I came down to the plain, and went to Bauso. I did more
- than that, for when I knew that Teresa had left the village to enter your
- service, I thought of entering that of the count. For a long time I felt
- repugnant at the idea; but my love for Teresa overcame every other feeling.
- I made up my mind to see you—I have seen you; here am I, without
- arms, and a suppliant before you, madame—before whom I ought only to
- appear as an enemy.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You must perceive,” said Gemma, “the prince cannot take into his service
- the son of a man who was hanged, and whose uncles are at the galleys.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Why not, madame?” asked Bruno, “if that man consents to forget that those
- punishments were unjustly inflicted?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Are you mad?” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Madame la comtesse,” said Pascal, “you know what an oath is to a
- mountaineer. Well, I have broken my oath. You also know the vengeance of a
- Sicilian. Well, I will renounce my vengeance and forget my oath. I ask
- only that all may be forgotten, and that you will not force me to remember
- it?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “But if you should,” said the countess, “how would you act?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I do not wish to think upon the subject.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then we must take our measures accordingly,” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I beg of you, madame la comtesse,” said Pascal, “to have pity on me; you
- see that I am doing all that I can to remain an honest man. Once engaged
- by the prince—once Teresa’s husband, I can answer for myself:
- otherwise I shall never return to Bauso.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is impossible to do as you desire,” said the countess, decidedly.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Countess,” said Pascal, earnestly, “you have loved?” Gemma smiled
- disdainfully. “You must know what jealousy is—you must know its
- sufferings, its maddening tortures. Well, I love Teresa—I am jealous
- of her; and I feel I should lose my senses if this marriage take place;
- and then—”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, then—” said Gemma, in an agitated tone.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then, take heed’ I do not remember the galleys where my uncles are, the
- cage in which my father’s head is placed, and the grave where my mother
- sleeps!” At this instant a strange cry, which seemed to be a signal, was
- heard outside the window, and almost at the same instant a bell was rung.
- </p>
- <p>
- “There is the prince,” said Gemma, regaining her confidence.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, yes—I know it,” mattered Pascal; “but before he passes through
- yonder door, you have time to say ‘yes.’ I implore you, madame, to grant
- me what I ask. Give me Teresa—place me in the prince’s service!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Let me pass,” said Gemma, imperiously, and advanced towards the door; but
- instead of obeying this order, Bruno sprang to the door and bolted it.
- “Would you dare to stop me?” cried Gemma, taking hold of the bell. “Help!
- help!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do not call out, madame,” said Bruno, still mastering his feelings, “for
- I have told you I will do you no harm.”
- </p>
- <p>
- A second cry, resembling the first, was heard outside the window.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is well—well, Ali; you watch faithfully, my boy,” said Bruno.
- “Yes, I know the count has arrived; I hear him in the corridor. Madame,
- madame! an instant longer remains for you; one second, and all the
- misfortunes I foresee may be avoided.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Help, Rodolpho! Help!” screamed Gemma.
- </p>
- <p>
- “You have, then neither heart, nor soul, nor pity, either for yourself or
- others,” cried Bruno plunging his hands in his hair and looking at the
- door, which was being violently shaken.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am fastened in!” cired the countess, who felt fresh courage from the
- assistance which had arrived; “fastened in with a man who is threatening
- my life. Help! help! Rodolpho, help!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I do not threaten you,” said Pascal, “I am entreating you—I entreat
- you still; but since you will—” Bruno, uttering a yell like that of
- a tiger, sprang upon Gemma, no doubt with the intention of strangling her,
- for (as we have said) he had no arms. At the same instant a small door,
- concealed at the extremity of the alcove, opened, the report of a pistol
- was heard, the room was filled with smoke, and Gemma fainted: when she
- recovered her senses she was in the prince’s arms.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Where is he? where is he?” she cried, in a terrified accent, and looking
- around her.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I cannot tell; I suppose I must have missed him,” answered the prince;
- “for, while I was stepping over the bed, he leaped out of the window; and,
- as I saw you insensible, I did not trouble myself about him—I
- thought only of you; I must have missed him, and yet it is strange I do
- not see the mark of the ball in the hangings.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Let them run after him,” said Gemma: “show no mercy, no pity, to that
- man, my lord, for he was a robber, who would have assassinated me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- They searched the villa during the whole night, the gardens, and the
- shore, but without avail—Pascal Bruno had disappeared.
- </p>
- <p>
- The next day a track of blood was discovered, which began at the foot of
- the window from which he had leaped and was lost on the sea-shore.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0002" id="link2HCH0002">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER II.—BRUNO AND ALI.
- </h2>
- <p>
- At daybreak the following morning, the fishermen’s boats left the port as
- usual and dispersed themselves over the sea. In the meantime, one of their
- little fleet, having on board a man, and a boy of twelve or fourteen years
- of age, stopped when it came within sight of Palermo, and lowering its
- sail, brought to; but as this motionless state, at a spot little
- favourable for fishing, might have attracted suspicion, the boy occupied
- himself in mending his nets. As to the man, he was lying at the bottom of
- the boat, his head resting on the side, and he appeared to be plunged in a
- deep reverie, still, as if mechanically, he took up the sea-water with his
- right hand, and poured it over his left shoulder, which was bound up with
- a bandage stained with blood.
- </p>
- <p>
- The man was Pascal Bruno, and the boy the same who, placed beneath the
- countess’s window, had twice given him the signal for flight: at first
- sight, you could see that he was a native of a more ardent clime than that
- in which the events we record took place. He was born on the coast of
- Africa, and it was in the following manner that Pascal Bruno became
- acquainted with him:—
- </p>
- <p>
- About a year before the occurrence of the events we have just narrated, a
- party of Algerine pirates, having learned that the Prince of Moncana
- Paterno, one of the richest noblemen in Sicily, was returning in a small
- vessel from Pantelleria to Catana with an escort of a dozen men only, lay
- in ambush behind the island of Porri, distant about two miles from the
- coast. The prince’s vessel, as the pirates had foreseen, passed between
- the island and the shore, but the instant it entered the narrow strait,
- the pirates left the creek in which they had been concealed with three
- vessels and rowed forward to attack their expected prize, the prince. The
- latter, however, immediately perceiving the imminence of his danger,
- ordered his crew to turn the boat’s head towards the shore, and run her
- aground on the beach at Furella. They did not succeed in reaching the
- point desired, but the place where the boat grounded had only about three
- feet of water, and the pirates were close upon them. The prince and his
- followers leaped into the sea, holding their arms above their heads,
- trusting to be able to reach a village they saw at some half a league
- distance without being obliged to employ them. But they had scarcely
- disembarked, when another party of the pirates who, having foreseen this
- manouvre, had rowed one of the boats as high as Bufaidone, issued from the
- reeds through which the river flowed, and cut off the retreat of the
- prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- The attack immediately began, but while the followers of the prince were
- engaged with the first party, the second came up, and all resistance
- becoming evidently useless, the prince surrendered, asking for his life,
- and promising to ransom himself and all his followers. Immediately after
- the prisoners had laid down their arms, a party of countrymen were seen
- approaching, armed with muskets and pitchforks, and the pirates, having
- made themselves masters of the prince’s person, the only object they had
- in view, did not think it worth while waiting for the arrival of the
- countrymen, but took to their boats in such haste as to leave behind them
- three of their men, whom they believed were either dead or mortally
- wounded.
- </p>
- <p>
- Among those who had hastened to the scene of conflict, was Pascal Bruno,
- whose wandering life led him sometimes to one place and sometimes to
- another, his disturbed mind leading him into every kind of adventurous
- enterprise. When the countrymen reached the beach where the struggle had
- taken place, they found one of the Prince of Paterno’s domestics dead,
- another slightly wounded in the thigh, and three of the pirates bathed in
- their blood, but still breathing. Two blows from the butt-end of a musket
- soon made an end of two of the number, and a pistol-ball was about to send
- the third to join his comrades, when Bruno perceiving it was a boy, turned
- the arm that held the pistol on one side, and declared that he would take
- the wounded lad under his own protection.
- </p>
- <p>
- There were a few remonstrances against this ill-timed pity as it was
- called, but when Bruno had said a thing, he maintained what he had said;
- accordingly, he cocked his carbine, and declared that he would blow out
- the brains of the first man who should approach his <i>protégé</i>, and as
- they knew him to be a man who would not hesitate an instant in putting his
- threat into execution, they allowed him to take the boy in his arms and go
- off with him. Bruno proceeded to the shore, and entered the boat in which
- he performed his adventurous excursions, whose qualities he knew so well
- that it seemed to obey him like a well-tutored horse, and spreading his
- sail, he steered towards Cape Aliga Grande.
- </p>
- <p>
- As soon as he saw that the boat was in the right course, and that it no
- longer needed a steersman, he attended to the wounded boy, who was still
- insensible: he took off the white bournouse in which he was dressed,
- loosened the belt to which his yataghan was still attached, and perceived
- by the rays of the setting sun the situation of the wound. Upon
- examination, he discovered that a musket-ball had entered between the
- right hip and the false ribs, and gone out near the spine: the wound was
- dangerous, but it was not mortal.
- </p>
- <p>
- The evening breeze, and the cool sensation produced by the sea-water with
- which Bruno washed the wound, recalled the boy to his senses, and he
- uttered a few words in a foreign language, but without opening his eyes.
- Bruno, however, knowing that a wound caused by fire-arms produced a
- burning thirst, guessed that he was asking for drink, and he placed a
- bottle of water to his lips. The boy drank greedily, uttered a few
- inarticulate sounds, and fell back in a fainting fit.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal laid him down as gently as he could at the bottom of the boat, and,
- uncovering the wound, he continued, unceasingly, to apply to it his
- handkerchief dipped in the sea—a remedy considered infallible in the
- case of wounds by every seafaring man in the Mediterranean.
- </p>
- <p>
- At length our navigators found themselves at the mouth of the Ragusa, and
- the wind setting in from the African coast. Pascal with little difficulty
- directed his bark into the stream; and leaving Modica to the right, he
- passed the bridge that is thrown across the high-road from Noto to
- Chiaramonti.
- </p>
- <p>
- He went about half a league further, but there the river became no longer
- navigable; he drew his boat up among the shrubs that grew by the side of
- the stream, and taking the boy in his arms, he carried him inland. He soon
- reached the entrance to a valley, into which he descended, and presently
- came to a spot where the mountain was perpendicular, the smoother side of
- which was pierced in various places; for in this valley were to be seen
- the remains of the habitations of the dwellers in caves, the first
- occupants of the country, and who were afterwards civilised by the Greeks.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno entered one of these caverns, which communicated by means of a few
- steps with an upper story, to which the air was admitted through a small,
- square hole that answered the purpose of a window. A bed of rushes was
- heaped up in the corner, and on this he spread out the boy’s bournouse;
- and then having lighted a branch of fir, he fixed it in the wall, and
- seating himself on a stone near the bed, he waited until his <i>protégé</i>
- recovered his senses.
- </p>
- <p>
- This was not the first visit Bruno had paid to this retreat, for often
- during his travels across the island without any object in view, but
- merely for the sake of passing away his solitary time, he had entered that
- valley, and rested in that chamber which had been excavated in the rock
- three thousand years before. Here it was that he gave himself up to vague
- and incoherent reveries, so habitual to imaginative but uninstructed
- minds.
- </p>
- <p>
- He knew that a race of men had disappeared from the earth which in former
- times excavated these retreats; and, deeply tinged with the popular
- superstition, he believed, like all the inhabitants of the locality, that
- these men were enchanters and dealers in witchcraft; but this belief, far
- from driving him from these wild and terror-inspiring places, irresistibly
- attracted him to them; for in his youth he had heard numbers of tales
- related of enchanted guns, invulnerable men, and invisible travellers; and
- his fearless mind, delighting in the marvellous and the terrible, had but
- one engrossing desire, that of meeting with some mysterious being, some
- sorcerer, enchanter, or demon who, by means of an infernal compact, would
- endow him with some supernatural power, and make him superior to the rest
- of mankind. But he had vainly invoked the shades of the ancient
- inhabitants of the valley of Modica; no supernatural appearances had
- visited him, and Pascal Bruno remained, to his great regret, a man like
- other men, with the exception of a degree of strength and skill for which
- no other mountaineer could be compared with him.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno had been wholly absorbed in one of these visionary reveries for
- nearly an hour beside the bed of the wounded lad, when the latter awoke
- from a species of lethargy into which he had been plunged, opened his
- eyes, looked round him with a wandering gaze, and at last fixed his eyes
- upon the man who had saved him, but unconscious whether he saw in him a
- friend or an enemy. During this examination, and by an indefinite instinct
- of self-defence, he put his hand to his waist In search of his faithful
- yataghan; but not finding it there, he heaved a deep sigh, and again
- closed his eyes.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Are you in pain?” said Bruno to him, making use of the Lingua Franca, a
- language so well understood on the coast of the Mediterranean, from
- Marseilles to Alexandria, from Constantinople to Algiers, and by means of
- which you may travel over the whole of the old world.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Who are you?” asked the boy.
- </p>
- <p>
- “A friend,” replied Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am not a prisoner then?” said the boy.
- </p>
- <p>
- “No,” answered Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then how came I here?” asked the boy.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal told him all that had happened; to which the boy listened
- attentively, and when he had finished his tale, he fixed his eyes
- gratefully upon Pascal, and said, “Then, since you have saved my life, you
- will be a father to me?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes,” said Bruno, “I will.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” said the wounded boy, “thy son’s name is Ali; what is yours?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Pascal Bruno.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “May Allah protect thee,” said the lad.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Are you in want of anything?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, water,” said the boy; “I am thirsty.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal took up an earthen vessel concealed in a hole in the rock, and went
- to a spring that flowed near the cave; on going up again he cast his eyes
- on the boy’s yataghan, which he had made no attempt to draw nearer to him.
- Ali greedily seized the cup, and drank off the water at a draught.
- </p>
- <p>
- “May Allah grant you as many happy years as there were drops of water in
- this cup,” said the boy, as he gave it back to Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “You are a good creature,” murmured Bruno; “make haste and get well, and
- you shall, if you wish go back to Africa.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The boy recovered from his wound, but continued to remain in Sicily, for
- he became so much attached to Bruno that he would not leave him. Since
- that time, he had always remained with him, accompanying him in his
- hunting excursions over the mountains; assisting him in the management of
- his boat, and ready to sacrifice his life at a sign from the man he called
- his father.
- </p>
- <p>
- On the previous evening, he had accompanied Pascal to the villa of the
- Prince de Carini, and waited for him beneath the windows during the
- interview with Gemma; and he it was who had twice given the signal of
- alarm; the first time, when the prince rang the bell at the gate, and
- again, when he entered the château. He was just about to climb into the
- window to render Bruno assistance when the latter sprang out; he followed
- him in his flight, and when they reached the shore, they both of them got
- into their boat which was awaiting them, and as they could not have put to
- sea in the evening without creating suspicion, they were content to remain
- among the fishing-boats that waited for the break of day, in order that
- they might put to sea.
- </p>
- <p>
- During the night Ali, in his turn, returned to Pascal the attentions he
- had received under similar circumstances, for the Prince of Carini had
- taken a good aim, and the ball he had vainly searched for in the hangings
- had almost passed through Bruno’s shoulder, so that Ali had but to make a
- slight incision with his yataghan to extract it from the side opposite to
- that at which it entered. All this took place without the interference of
- Bruno who appeared scarcely to pay any attention to the circumstance, and
- the only care he bestowed on his wound was, as we have already said, to
- moisten it, from time to time, with sea-water, while the boy appeared to
- be busy mending his nets.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” said Ali, suddenly interrupting himself in his pretended
- occupation, “look towards the shore.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, what is it?” said Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “A number of people?”. replied Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Where?” asked Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yonder, on the road leading to the church,” replied Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- In fact, a considerable crowd of people were passing along the winding
- road that led to the church. Bruno saw that it was a marriage procession
- on its way to the chapel of St. Rosalie.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Direct the boat’s head to the shore, and row quickly,” he cried, starting
- up and standing in the boat.
- </p>
- <p>
- The boy obeyed, seized the oars, and the little vessel seemed to fly over
- the surface of the sea; the nearer they approached the shore the more
- terrible the features of Bruno became: at length, when they were within
- half a mile of the land, he cried out, in an accent of deep despair—
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is Teresa! They have hurried on the ceremony; they would not wait
- until Sunday for fear I should have carried her off. God knows, I have
- done all in my power to bring this affair to a happy conclusion—but
- they would not have it, so woe betide them!”
- </p>
- <p>
- At these words, Bruno, assisted by Ali, hoisted the sail of his little
- bark, which, doubling Mount Pellegrino, disappeared at the end of two
- hours behind Cape Gollo.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0003" id="link2HCH0003">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER III.—THE FATAL BRIDAL.
- </h2>
- <p>
- Pascal was not deceived in his conjectures: the countess, afraid of some
- attempt on the part of Bruno, had hurried on the marriage three days
- before the appointed time without informing Teresa of her interview with
- her old lover; and the young people had selected the chapel of St.
- Rosalie, the patroness of Palermo, for the celebration of the ceremony.
- </p>
- <p>
- This was another of the characteristics of Palermo, that city of love; it
- had placed itself under the protection of a young and pretty saint! Thus,
- St. Rosalie was at Palermo what St. Januarius is at Naples, the omnipotent
- distributor of the blessings of heaven; but superior to St. Januarius, as
- she was of a royal French race, being descended from Charlemagne; this was
- proved by her genealogical tree, painted above the door on the exterior of
- the chapel; a tree whose trunk issues from the breast of the conqueror of
- Vitikind, and after dividing into many branches, it reunites at the summit
- to give birth to the Prince of Sinebaldo, the father of St. Rosalie; but
- her noble birth, the riches of her house and her own beauty had no effect
- on the young princess; at the age of eighteen she quitted the court, and,
- bent upon living a life of contemplation, she suddenly disappeared, and no
- one knew what had become of her; it was only after her death that she was
- found, as beautiful and perfect as if she still lived, in the grotto in
- which she had taken up her abode, and in the attitude in which she had
- fallen asleep. In after times, a chapel was erected over this grotto, and
- in this chapel Teresa and Gaetano were married.
- </p>
- <p>
- The ceremony having concluded, the marriage procession returned to
- Palermo, where vehicles were in readiness to take the guests to the
- village of Carini, the princely fief from which Rodolpho took his title;
- there, by the care of the countess, a magnificent repast was prepared. The
- country people in the neighbourhood had been invited, and they had flocked
- to the feast from four or five leagues round. The tables were arranged on
- an esplanade, shaded by the foliage of green oaks and parasol-like firs,
- perfumed by orange and lemon trees, and surrounded by hedges of
- pomegranate and Indian fig-trees—a double blessing bestowed by
- Providence, who, providing for the hunger and thirst of the poor, has
- planted these fruitful trees like so much manna over the whole surface of
- Sicily.
- </p>
- <p>
- This esplanade was reached by a road, the sides of which were planted with
- aloes, whose giant blossoms, seen from a distance, resembled the lances of
- Arab horsemen; while to the south, the view was bounded by the palace.
- Above the terrace, from which the chain of mountains rises that separate
- the island into three parts—the eastern, northern, and western—at
- the extremity of these three valleys, the magnificent Sicilian sea was
- seen in three places; and, by its varying tints, it might have been taken
- for three distinct oceans; for, on account of the varied light produced by
- the sun just beginning to disappear in the horizon, on the side of Palermo
- it was an azure blue, round the Isoladette Donne it rolled its silvery
- waves, while it fell in golden streams against the rocks of St. Vito.
- </p>
- <p>
- When the dessert was served, and while the guests were at the height of
- their joy, the gates of the château opened, and Gemma, leaning on the
- prince’s arm, preceded by two servants carrying torches, and followed by a
- host of attendants, came down the marble staircase of the villa and went
- up to the esplanade. The peasants were about to rise, but the prince made
- a sign they should not disturb themselves; while Gemma and himself, having
- made the tour of the tables, stopped before the newly-married couple.
- </p>
- <p>
- Then a domestic held out a golden cup, which Gaetano filled with Syracuse
- wine. The domestic then offered the cup to Gemma, and she uttered a prayer
- for the happiness of the bride and bridegroom, touched the wine with her
- beauteous lips, and offered it to the prince, who emptied it at a draught,
- and pouring into it a purseful of golden ducats, desired it to be given to
- Teresa, for whom it was a wedding gift. At the same instant, loud cries of
- “Long live the Prince of Carini! Long live the Countess of Castel Nuovo!”
- were heard; and at this moment the esplanade became illuminated as if by
- magic, and the noble visitors retired, leaving behind them, like a
- celestial vision, happiness and light.
- </p>
- <p>
- They had scarcely re-entered the castle along with their suite before the
- music struck up, and the younger guests, leaving the table, proceeded to
- the place prepared for the dance. According to custom, Gaetano was about
- to open the ball with his bride, and for that purpose was advancing
- towards her, when a stranger, who had entered by the aloe walk, appeared
- on the esplanade—it was Pascal Bruno, in the Calabrian costume we
- have already described, excepting that he had a pair of pistols and a
- dagger at his girdle, and that his jacket, which was thrown over his right
- shoulder like that of a Hussar, exposed his shirt, stained with blood.
- </p>
- <p>
- Teresa was the first who noticed him; she screamed, and fixing her
- terrified eyes upon him, remained pale and erect, as if she had seen a
- spectre; every one turned towards the new comer, and all were silent,
- anticipating some dreadful event.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal Bruno went straight up to Teresa, and stopping before her, he
- folded his arms, and looked fixedly at her.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Is it you, Pascal?” stammered Teresa.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, it is I,” said Bruno, in a hoarse voice; “I heard at Bauso, where I
- was waiting for you, that you were about to be married at Carini, and I
- have come in time, I hope, to dance the first tarantella with you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is the right of the bridegroom,” observed Gaetano, going up to him and
- interfering.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is the right of the lover,” replied Bruno. “Come, Teresa, I think it
- is the least you can do for me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Teresa is my wife,” exclaimed Gaetano, extending his arm towards her.
- </p>
- <p>
- “She is my betrothed,” cried Pascal, taking her by the hand.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Help! help!” exclaimed Teresa.
- </p>
- <p>
- Gaetano seized Pascal by the collar, but at the same instant he uttered a
- loud cry and fell. Pascal’s dagger was buried in his chest up to the hilt.
- The men appeared by their actions to be about to seize upon the murderer,
- who quietly drew a pistol from his waist and cocked it, then with the hand
- that held it, he made a sign to the musicians to play the tarantella; they
- obeyed mechanically, while all the guests remained motionless.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Come, Teresa,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- Teresa was no longer an accountable or conscious creature, but an
- automaton, whose actions were guided by fear—she mechanically
- obeyed, and the horrible dance, in the presence of the corpse of the
- murdered man, was danced to the last step.
- </p>
- <p>
- At length the musicians stopped, and Teresa, as if the music alone had
- supported her, fell senseless on the body of Gaetano.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Thanks, Teresa,” said her partner, coldly, “that is all I wanted of
- thee,” and then turning to the spectators, “and now, if any one desires to
- know my name, that he may find me elsewhere, I am called Pascal Bruno.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Son of Antonio Bruno, whose head is placed in an iron cage at the château
- of Bauso?” asked one of the guests.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Exactly so,” answered Pascal; “but if you wish to see it, you must make
- haste, for I swear to you it shall not remain there much longer?”
- </p>
- <p>
- At these words Pascal left, and no one felt inclined to follow him;
- besides, whether it arose from fear or interest, every one was engaged
- about Gaetano and Teresa; <i>one was dead—the other mad!</i>
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince was not made acquainted with this terrible tragedy till the
- following morning, when every effort was made to capture the murderer, but
- in vain; he had escaped, no one knew how or whither.
- </p>
- <p>
- The countess, in consequence of this dreadful event, became more alarmed
- than ever for her personal safety, particularly when she reflected that by
- her duplicity, in concealing from Teresa her extraordinary interview with
- Pascal, she herself had been the chief cause of the catastrophe.
- </p>
- <p>
- The Sunday after this occurrence there was a fête at Bauso, and the whole
- village was full of life; there was drinking in every cabaret, and
- broaching of barrels at every corner; the streets were noisy and decorated
- with flags, and the chateau was thronged with people who had gathered
- together to see the young men fire at the target, an amusement much
- encouraged by King Ferdinand the Fourth during his forced sojourn in
- Sicily; and many of those who were, at the time we are speaking of, about
- to devote themselves to this exercise, had very recently, as followers of
- Cardinal Ruffo, had occasion to exhibit their skill against the patriots
- of Naples and the French republicans; but on this occasion it was merely a
- trial of skill, the prize being a silver cup.
- </p>
- <p>
- The target was fixed immediately below the iron cage in which the head of
- Antonio Bruno was placed. The latter could only be reached by a flight of
- steps in the interior of the fortress, which led to a window, on the
- outside of which the cage was fixed.
- </p>
- <p>
- The conditions of the shooting-match were simple enough: to become one of
- the candidates it was only necessary to subscribe to the common purse, for
- the purpose of defraying the expense of the cup—the charge was two
- carlins for each shot, for which the party received in exchange a number,
- drawn by chance, which fixed the order in which each man was to fire. The
- least skilful took as many as ten, twelve, or even fourteen numbers; and
- those who reckoned on their superior skill not more than five or six.
- </p>
- <p>
- In the midst of the confusion of drawing the numbers, a hand was stretched
- out among the rest which threw down two carlins, and a voice was heard
- asking for a single number. Every one turned round, astonished at this
- evidence either of poverty or confidence. The man who asked for a single
- number was Pascal Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- Although he had not been seen in the village for four years, every one
- knew him, but still no one addressed him; but as he was known to be the
- best hunter in the country, they were not astonished at his asking for one
- number only—his number was eleven.
- </p>
- <p>
- At length the firing commenced. Every shot was greeted by shouts of
- laughter or applause; but after the first few shots the laughter was less
- violent. As to Pascal, he was leaning sad and pensively on his English
- rifle, and seemed to take no part in the enthusiasm and merriment of his
- countrymen. At length it was his turn; they called his name, he started
- and raised his head as if the call was unexpected; but recovering himself
- at once, he took up his position behind a cord that was stretched across
- as a kind of barrier. Every one anxiously followed the direction of his
- eyes, for none of the marksmen had excited so much interest or had been
- watched so silently.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal himself seemed to feel the importance of the shot he was about to
- take, for he fixed himself firmly, his left leg in advance, and resting
- his body on his right. He placed his gun carefully to his shoulder, and,
- beginning from below, he slowly raised the barrel; every one watched him
- with anxiety, and they saw, with astonishment, that his aim was above the
- target; but he still continued to raise his rifle, until it was in the
- direction of the iron cage. Then the rifle and the marksman remained for
- an instant motionless, as if they had been formed of stone; at length he
- fired, and the head rolled out of the cage to the bottom of the target.
- Every one shuddered, but no sound was heard at this proof of address.
- </p>
- <p>
- In the midst of this silence, Pascal Bruno walked coolly up to the target,
- picked up his father’s head, and without uttering a word or looking once
- behind him, he took the cross road that led to the mountains.
- </p>
- <p>
- The spectators saw Bruno depart without attempting to stop or follow him;
- in fact, they commiserated the fate of Antonio Bruno, who was much
- respected by his fellow-villagers, and appreciated this act of filial
- affection in the son.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0004" id="link2HCH0004">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER IV.—THE PRINCE AND THE BANDIT.
- </h2>
- <p>
- Scarcely a year had passed after the events we have just related before
- all Sicily—from Messina to Palermo—from Cephalu to Cape
- Passaro—was filled with reports of the exploits of the bandit Pascal
- Bruno. Considering the previous history of his family, his adventurous
- character, and the badly-organised state of society in his native country,
- it is not astonishing that Pascal Bruno should so rapidly have become the
- extraordinary character he desired to be. He had, as it were, established
- himself as a judge over justice itself; so that throughout all Sicily, and
- particularly at Bauso and its environs, no arbitrary act could be
- performed without escaping the notice of his tribunal; and as most of his
- judgments affected the powerful only, the weak were almost always on his
- side.
- </p>
- <p>
- In this manner, when some rich lord imposed a heavy rent on a poor farmer—when
- a marriage was about to be broken off though the cupidity of a family—when
- an iniquitous sentence was passed on an innocent man—Bruno, after
- receiving notice, would shoulder his carbine, let loose his four Corsican
- dogs (his only band), mount his Valda Noto horse—half Arabian and
- half mountaineer, like himself—leave the little fortress of Castel
- Nuovo, where he had taken up his abode, go to the lord, the father, or the
- judge, and the rent was reduced, the marriage took place, or the prisoner
- was set at liberty.
- </p>
- <p>
- From this, it may be very well understood, that all those men to whom he
- had thus been a benefactor would pay for the benefits they had received by
- devotion to his interests, and that every attempt made to capture him
- would be sure to fail, through the grateful watchfulness of the peasants,
- who warned him by signals agreed on beforehand of the dangers that
- threatened him.
- </p>
- <p>
- Then, again, the most strange tales were told of him by everybody; for the
- simpler men’s minds are, the fonder they are of believing the marvellous.
- They said, that on a stormy night, when the whole island trembled, Pascal
- Bruno entered into a compact with a sorceress, by which he obtained from
- her, giving his soul in exchange, the gift of being invisible, and the
- faculty of transporting himself in an instant from one end of the island
- to the other; as well as being rendered invulnerable, either by lead,
- iron, or fire. The bargain, they said, was to stand good for three years,
- Bruno having only signed it for the purpose of accomplishing an act of
- vengeance, for which purpose this term, short as it was, would be
- sufficient.
- </p>
- <p>
- As for Pascal, far from destroying this belief, he perceived it was
- beneficial to him, and he endeavoured, on the contrary, to give it the
- appearance of truth. These various tales had often afforded him the means
- of establishing his invincible nature, by attributing to it a knowledge of
- circumstances which it must be imagined would otherwise have been
- perfectly unknown to him. The speed of his horse, by whose aid he could
- find himself in the morning at incredible distances from the place where
- he had been seen at night, convinced them of his locomotive faculty. A
- circumstance, also, of which he had taken advantage, like a skilful man,
- had left no doubt of his invulnerable nature; it was as follows:—
- </p>
- <p>
- The murder of Gaetano had produced a great sensation; the Prince of Carini
- had given orders to all the commanders of companies to endeavour to arrest
- the assassin, who, however, led those who followed him a long chase
- through his audacity and cunning; they had, therefore, transmitted these
- orders to their agents.
- </p>
- <p>
- The chief justice of Spadafora was informed, one morning, that Pascal
- Bruno had passed through the village during the night on his way to
- Divieto; the two following nights, therefore, he placed men in ambuscade
- on the road-side, thinking he would return by the same road he had taken
- when going, and take advantage of the night to perform his journey.
- </p>
- <p>
- Wearied out by their two nights’ watching, the morning of the third day,
- which was Sunday, the soldiers had assembled at a drinking-shop about
- twenty steps from the road-side: they were about to begin their breakfast,
- when some one brought them word that Pascal Bruno was quietly coming along
- the road from the direction of Divieto: as they had no time to conceal
- themselves, they waited for him where they were, and when he was within
- fifty yards of the inn, they sallied out and drew up before the door,
- without, however, appearing to notice him. Bruno, on his side, saw these
- preparations for the attack without any apparent uneasiness, and, instead
- of retracing his steps, an easy task, he put his horse into a gallop and
- continued his journey. As soon as the soldiers perceived his intention,
- they got their muskets ready, and the moment he passed before them, the
- whole company saluted him with a general discharge; but neither horse nor
- rider was touched, and they emerged safe and sound from the cloud of smoke
- in which they had been for an instant enveloped. The soldiers looked at
- them and shook their heads, and proceeded to recount what had happened to
- the judge of Spadafora.
- </p>
- <p>
- The report of this adventure reached Bauso the same evening; and several
- of the inhabitants, whose imagination was more lively than that of their
- neighbours, began to think Pascal Bruno was enchanted, and that lead and
- iron when they struck him became soft and flattened. The next day this
- assertion was proved by incontestable evidence; for they found his jacket
- at the justice’s door, pierced in thirteen places by bullets, and the
- thirteen flattened balls were found in one of the pockets. Some
- unbelievers, however, and among them was Caesar Alletto, a notary of
- Calvaruso, from whose lips we had these particulars, maintained that the
- bandit himself, having miraculously escaped from the volley of musketry,
- and wishing to profit by the circumstance, had hung his jacket to a tree
- and pierced it with bullets in thirteen places. But, notwithstanding this
- opinion, the majority were convinced of his bearing a charmed life, and
- the terror Pascal already inspired was considerably increased.
- </p>
- <p>
- This dread of Bruno was so great and so well established that, spreading
- from the lower orders, it had infected even the higher classes, and to
- such an extent that, a few months before the time at which we have
- arrived, being in want of two hundred ounces of gold for one of his
- philanthropic projects (it was to rebuild an inn which had been burnt
- down), he addressed himself to the Prince of Butera to obtain a loan of
- the money, describing to him a place in the mountains where he would go to
- receive it, and begging of him to bury it at the precise spot, so that on
- the night he mentioned he might go and seek it. In case this request,
- which, however, more resembled a command, was not attended to, Bruno
- warned the prince there would be open war between the king of the
- mountains and the king of the plains; but that if, on the contrary, the
- prince would be kind enough to lend it to him, the two hundred ounces of
- gold would be faithfully returned out of the first money he should be able
- to carry off from the royal treasure.
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince of Butera was one of those characters which have become
- extremely rare in modern times: he was one of the ancient Sicilian
- nobility, as adventurous and chivalrous as the Normans, by whom their
- constitution and society were formed. His name was Hercules, and he seemed
- formed after the model of that ancient hero. He could knock down a restive
- horse with a blow of his fist; break a bar of iron, half an inch thick, on
- his knee; and bend a piastre with his finger. An occurrence, in which he
- had exhibited the greatest presence of mind, had made him the idol of the
- people of Palermo. In 1770, there was a scarcity of bread in the city; a
- riot was the consequence; the governor had appealed to the <i>ultima ratio</i>,
- and the cannon were drawn out in the Toledo street; the people were moving
- towards the guns; the gunner, with match in hand, was in the act of firing
- on the people, when the Prince of Butera seated himself over the mouth of
- a cannon, as coolly as if it had been a chair, and in that situation made
- so eloquent and rational a speech that the mob dispersed of its own
- accord, and the gunner threw away the match, and the gun returned into the
- arsenal innocent of human blood. But this was not the only cause of his
- popularity.
- </p>
- <p>
- He was in the habit every morning of walking on his terrace, which
- overlooked the Place de la Marine, and as the gates of his palace were
- open to everybody, at daybreak he always found a number of poor people
- assembled; on that account he constantly wore a huge buckskin waistcoat,
- whose immense pockets were filled every morning by his servant with
- carlins and half-carlins, all of which, to the very last piece,
- disappeared during his walk, and that with words and actions that belonged
- to himself alone, so that he always seemed as if he was about to knock
- down those on whom he was bestowing charity.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your excellency,” said a poor woman, surrounded by her family, “have pity
- on a poor mother with five children.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “An excellent reason,” replied the prince, in an angry tone; “am I their
- father?” and shaking his fist in her face, he dropped a handful of money
- into her apron.
- </p>
- <p>
- “My lord prince,” said another, “I am without food.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You fool,” replied the prince, giving him a cuff, and at the same time
- enough to procure him food for a week; “do I make bread? Why do you not go
- to the baker’s?”
- </p>
- <p>
- On this account, whenever the prince passed along the street every head
- was uncovered, and if he had said the word, he might have been made King
- of Sicily; but that idea never entered his head, and so he remained Prince
- of Butera.
- </p>
- <p>
- This liberality of his, however, met with a reprover, and that within the
- walls of the prince’s palace, and this reprover was his major-domo. It is
- clear that a man with a character like that we have endeavoured to trace
- must necessarily keep a splendid table; in fact, he kept in every sense of
- the word open house, so that every day he had from five-and-twenty to
- thirty guests at the least to dine with him; among these, seven or eight
- were perfect strangers to him; while, on the other hand, there were others
- who seated themselves as regularly as boarders at a table d’hôte.
- </p>
- <p>
- Among these last there was a certain Captain Altavilla, who had gained his
- epaulettes by following Cardinal Ruffo from Palermo to Naples; and who
- returned from Naples to Palermo with a pension of a thousand ducats.
- Unfortunately, the captain was somewhat of a gambler, and this would have
- caused his pension to be insufficient for his wants, if he had not
- discovered two plans by means of which his quarterly pay had become the
- least important part of his revenue; the first of these plans, and one, as
- I have already said, that was open to all the world, was to dine every day
- with the prince; and the second was, every day, with the most scrupulous
- regularity, to put the silver cover of the plate off which he had dined
- into his pocket.
- </p>
- <p>
- The manouvre continued for some time before this daily abstraction was
- noticed; but, well furnished as the plate-chests of the prince might be,
- they began to exhibit certain vacant spaces. The suspicions of the
- major-domo immediately fell on the follower of Cardinal Ruffo; he,
- therefore, carefully watched him, and after two or three days his
- suspicions were changed into certainty.
- </p>
- <p>
- He immediately informed the prince of the discovery he had made, who
- reflected for an instant, and then answered, that so long as the captain
- merely took his own cover he should take no notice; but that if he put his
- neighbour’s into his pocket, why then he would consider how he would act.
- In consequence of this, Captain Altavilla continued to be one of the most
- regular guests of his excellency Prince Hercules de Butera.
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince was at Castrogiovanni, where he had a villa, when Bruno’s
- letter was brought to him. He read it, and asked if the messenger was
- waiting for an answer. He was told, “no” and immediately he put the letter
- into his pocket, with as much <i>sang froid</i> as if it had merely been
- on some trivial subject.
- </p>
- <p>
- The night fixed upon by Bruno had arrived; the spot he had indicated in
- his letter was on the southern ridge of mount Etna, near one of the
- numerous extinct volcanoes that were indebted for their existence of a day
- to its eternal fires—an existence, nevertheless, sufficient for the
- destruction of cities. The volcano in question was called Montebaldo; for
- each of these terrible hills received a name at the time it was raised up
- from the earth. Ten minutes’ walk from its base a colossal and isolated
- tree arose, called the chesnut of a hundred horses, because around its
- trunk, the circumference of which is equal to 178 feet, and beneath its
- foliage, which of itself forms a forest, a hundred horsemen and their
- steeds can take shelter.
- </p>
- <p>
- It was at the root of this tree Bruno was to seek the money he wished to
- borrow of the prince; consequently, about eleven o’clock in the evening he
- left Centorbi, and towards midnight he began to discern by the light of
- the moon the gigantic tree, and the small house built between its stems,
- in which its immense produce is harvested. As he drew near, Pascal thought
- he could distinguish a shadow cast upon one of the five trunks which arose
- from the same root. Soon afterwards the shade appeared a reality; the
- bandit stopped, cocked his carbine, and cried, “Who goes there?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “A man, to be sure!” exclaimed a powerful voice. “Why, zounds! you did not
- expect the money could come alone?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “No, certainly not,” said Bruno; “but I did not think the man who brought
- it would have been bold enough to wait for my coming.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then you are not acquainted with Prince Hercules de Butera? that is all.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “How! yourself my lord?” said Bruno, throwing his carbine over his
- shoulder and advancing hat in hand to the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, it is I, you rogue,” replied the prince; “I, who thought a bandit
- might be in want of money the same as any other man; and I did not wish to
- refuse my purse even to a bandit, only I took the fancy of bringing it
- myself for fear he should imagine I was afraid of him.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your excellency is worthy of your high reputation,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And you, are you deserving of yours?” asked the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It depends upon how I have been spoken of to your excellency,” said
- Bruno, “for I have more than one reputation.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Good,” continued the prince; “I see you are not deficient in ability or
- resolution; I admire brave men, let me meet with them where I will. Listen
- to me; will you change your Calabrian dress for the uniform of a captain
- and fight against the French? I will raise a company for you on my own
- estates, and purchase your epaulettes.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Thank you, my lord, thank you,” said Bruno, “your offer is like that of a
- magnificent prince; but I have a certain act of vengeance to accomplish
- that will keep me for some time longer in Sicily; after that we shall
- see.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said the prince, “you are free; but, believe me, you had better
- accept my offer.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I cannot, your excellency,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well then,” said the prince, “here is the money you asked for; go to the
- devil with it, and take care you don’t get yourself hanged on the gibbet
- opposite my door on the Place de la Marine.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno balanced the purse in his hand.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It seems to me that the purse is very heavy, my lord,” said he.
- </p>
- <p>
- “That is because I did not wish a fellow like you should be able to brag
- that he had fixed a limit to the liberality of the Prince of Butera; so,
- instead of the two hundred ounces of gold you asked for, I have put three
- hundred in the purse.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Whatever sum you have been pleased to bring, my lord, it shall be
- faithfully returned to you,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I give; I never lend,” said the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And I borrow or I steal—I never beg,” replied Bruno; “take back
- your purse, my lord, I shall address myself to Prince Ventimille, or to
- Prince de la Cattolica.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, let it be so,” said the prince; “I never met with a more capricious
- bandit: four rascals like you would drive me mad; so I shall leave.
- Farewell!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Adieu, my lord!” said Bruno, “and may St Rosalie protect you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince departed, with his hands in the pockets of his buckskin
- waistcoat, and whistling a favourite air; Bruno remained motionless
- watching his departure, and it was not until he had lost sight of him that
- he, on his side, retired, heaving a deep sigh.
- </p>
- <p>
- The next day, the innkeeper whose house had been burned down received, by
- the hands of Ali, the Prince of Butera’s three hundred ounces of gold.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0005" id="link2HCH0005">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER IV.—THE ROBBER’S CASTLE.
- </h2>
- <p>
- Some time after the event we have just related, Bruno learnt that a convoy
- of money, escorted by four gens-d’armes and a brigadier was about to leave
- Messina for Palermo; it was the ransom of the Prince Moncada Paterno;
- which, in consequence of a financial operation, which did great honour to
- the imagination of Ferdinand the Fourth, had just helped to swell the
- Neapolitan budget instead of increasing the treasure of Casuba, according
- to its first destination.
- </p>
- <p>
- The following is the history of the transaction, as it was told me in
- Sicily, and, as it is as curious as it is authentic, we think it deserves
- the trouble of being told; besides, it will give some idea of the simple
- manner in which taxes are imposed in Sicily.
- </p>
- <p>
- We have already related the manner in which the Prince de Moncada Paterno
- was made prisoner by the Barbary Corsairs near the little village of
- Tugello, on his return from the island of Pantalleria. He was carried,
- along with all his followers, to Algiers, and there the price of his
- ransom and that of his attendants was modestly fixed at the sum of five
- hundred thousand piastres (about one hundred thousand pounds sterling),
- half to be paid before his departure, and the other half after his return
- to Sicily.
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince wrote to his steward to inform him of the situation in which he
- found himself placed, and desired him to send, as quickly as possible, the
- two hundred and fifty thousand piastres in exchange for which he was to be
- liberated. As the Prince of Moncada Paterno was one of the richest
- noblemen in Sicily, the sum was easily made up and sent to Africa; and
- faithful to his promise, like a true follower of the prophet, the Dey
- released the Prince of Paterno, taking his word of honour that before a
- year had passed by he would remit the remaining two hundred and fifty
- thousand piastres.
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince returned to Sicily and endeavoured to collect the sum necessary
- for the second instalment of his ransom in his own principality, when an
- order came from Ferdinand IV., who, seeing that he was at war with the
- regency, had no wish that his subjects should enrich his enemies; he
- therefore opposed the proceedings of the prince, and ordered the two
- hundred and fifty thousand piastres in question to be paid into the
- treasury at Messina.
- </p>
- <p>
- The Prince of Paterno, who was a man of honour a well as a faithful
- subject, obeyed the order of his sovereign and the voice of his conscience
- at the same time, so that his ransom cost him seven hundred and fifty
- thousand piastres, two-thirds of which were sent to the infidel Corsair,
- and the other third placed at Messina in the hands of the Prince de
- Carini, the agent of the Christian pirate. This was the sum the viceroy
- was sending to Palermo, the seat of government, under the escort of four
- gens-d’armes and a brigadier; the last being likewise charged with the
- duty of delivering a letter from the prince to his dear Gemma, whom he
- requested to join him at Messina, where the business of government would
- still detain him for several months.
- </p>
- <p>
- On the evening when the convoy would have to pass near Bauso, Bruno
- unfastened his four Corsican dogs, crossed the village, of which he had
- become the lord, in their company, and placed himself in ambuscade on the
- road between Divieto and Spadafora. He had remained there about an hour,
- when he heard the wheels of a waggon and the tramp of horsemen. He looked
- to the priming of his carbine, satisfied himself that his dagger was not
- fixed in its sheath, whistled to his dogs, who laid themselves down at his
- feet, and remained standing upright in the middle of the road.
- </p>
- <p>
- A few minutes afterwards, the convoy appeared at a turning in the road,
- and advanced to within fifty paces of the man who was waiting for its
- coming up. When the gens-d’armes perceived him, they hailed him with, “Who
- goes there?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Pascal Bruno,” replied the bandit; and, at the sound of a peculiar
- whistle, his powerful dogs, trained for the purpose, fiercely attacked the
- little troop.
- </p>
- <p>
- At the name of Pascal Bruno, the four gens-d’armes had taken to their
- heels, and the dogs by natural instinct pursued the runaways. The
- brigadier, who remained alone by the waggon, drew his sabre and rushed at
- the bandit. Pascal raised his carbine to his shoulder as coolly and slowly
- as if he were about to shoot at a mark, determining not to fire until the
- horseman was within ten paces of him; but the instant he placed his finger
- on the trigger, and before he had time to fire, both horse and man rolled
- in the dust. Ali had stealthily followed without saying a word to Bruno,
- and seeing the brigadier about to charge him, he had crawled along the
- road like a serpent and cut the horse’s hamstrings with his yataghan. As
- to the brigadier, his fall was so rapid and unexpected that his head
- struck against the stones, and he was rendered totally insensible.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno went up to him, after satisfying himself that there was no feint
- attempted to be practised upon him, and with the assistance of Ali he
- placed him in the waggon he had so lately escorted; then placing the reins
- in the hands of the young Arab, he desired him to take the waggon and the
- brigadier to the fortress. Bruno himself then went up to the wounded
- horse, took the brigadier’s carbine from the saddle, to which it was
- attached, and searched in the holsters and took out a roll of paper which
- he found there; he then whistled to his dogs, who returned with their
- mouths covered with blood, and followed the capture he had just made.
- </p>
- <p>
- When he arrived in the court-yard of his little fortress, he closed the
- gate behind him, took the brigadier (who was still insensible) on his
- shoulder, carried him into a room, and placed him on a mattress on which
- he was in the habit of throwing himself with all his clothes on; then,
- whether through forgetfulness or imprudence, he placed the carbine he had
- taken from the saddle in a corner, and left the room.
- </p>
- <p>
- Five minutes afterwards the brigadier opened his eyes, looked round, and
- found himself in a place that was completely unknown to him; and,
- believing he was under the influence of a dream, he felt round him to
- ascertain whether he was really awake. It was then that he felt a pain in
- his forehead, and placing his hand on it, he withdrew it covered with
- blood: he found that he was wounded. The wound brought back his
- recollection, and he remembered he had been stopped on the road by a
- single man, deserted in a most cowardly manner by the gens-d’armes who
- accompanied him, and that at the instant he was about to attack that man
- his horse suddenly fell; beyond that he could recall nothing to his mind.
- </p>
- <p>
- The brigadier was a brave man, but he felt that the responsibility of this
- disastrous adventure rested on him, and his heart was filled with shame
- and rage at the disgraceful conduct of his men. He looked round the room
- to discover if possible where he was; but everything was strange to him.
- He rose, went to the window, and saw that it overlooked the country. It
- was then that a ray of hope entered his breast, for he could easily leap
- out of the window, go in search of assistance, and return and avenge
- himself upon his captor.
- </p>
- <p>
- He had just opened the window for the purpose of executing his project
- when, casting a parting glance into the chamber, he perceived his carbine
- standing near the head of the bed; at this unexpected sight his heart beat
- violently, for other thoughts besides those of flight instantly took
- possession of his mind. He looked round to ascertain whether he was really
- alone, and when he was satisfied that no one had seen or could see him, he
- seized the weapon, in which he saw a more hazardous means of safety, but a
- speedier vengeance. After having ascertained that the priming was safe,
- and finding, by passing the ramrod down the barrel, that it was loaded, he
- replaced it where he had found it, and lay down as if he had not as yet
- recovered his senses; but he had scarcely stretched himself out on the
- mattress before Bruno entered the room.
- </p>
- <p>
- He had a piece of lighted fir in his hand, which he threw into the
- fire-place, where he set fire to the wood already placed there for the
- purpose; then he went to a cupboard formed in the wall, and took out two
- plates, two glasses, two flasks of wine, and a roast shoulder of mutton,
- which he placed on the table, and appeared to be waiting until the
- brigadier recovered his consciousness that he might do the honours of the
- repast.
- </p>
- <p>
- The room in which the scene we are narrating took place was longer than it
- was wide, having a single window at one end, a single door at the other,
- and the chimney between the two. The brigadier, now a captain of the
- gens-d’armes at Messina, who has given us all these particulars, was lying
- down, as we have said, parallel to the window; Bruno was standing before
- the fire-place, with his eyes vaguely fixed on the door, and he appeared
- to become every instant more and more thoughtful.
- </p>
- <p>
- This was the moment for which the brigadier was waiting—the decisive
- moment when he must stake everything for one object—life against
- life, head against head. He rose, resting upon his left hand, and
- stretched out his other slowly towards his carbine, but without taking his
- eye off Bruno; he took hold of it between the lock and the butt-end, and
- then remained an instant in that position without daring to make another
- movement, alarmed even at the beating of his own heart, which was so
- violent that the bandit might almost have heard it had he not been so
- entirely lost in thought; then, seeing that he gave himself up to his fate
- as it were, he resumed his confidence, rose on one knee, looked once more
- at the window, his only means of retreat, placed the carbine to his
- shoulder, took aim at Bruno like a man who knew that his life depended on
- his self-possession, and fired.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno quietly stooped down, picked up something that lay at his feet, held
- the object to the light, and, turning towards the brigadier, who remained
- mute with astonishment—
- </p>
- <p>
- “Comrade,” he said, “when next you attempt to shoot me let your balls be
- of silver, for unless they are they will be only flattened against me in
- this manner. However, I am happy you have so far recovered yourself, for I
- begin to feel hungry; we will, therefore, if it is agreeable, sit down to
- our supper.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The brigadier remained in the same attitude in which he had fired, his
- hair bristling on his head, and the perspiration standing in thick drops
- on his forehead. The next instant the door opened, and Ali, yataghan in
- hand, rushed into the room.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is nothing, my boy, nothing,” said Bruno; “the brigadier discharged
- his carbine, that is all; make yourself easy, and go to rest; have no fear
- for me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Ali left the room without answering, and went and laid himself down across
- the first door-way upon the panther’s skin that served him for a bed.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” continued Bruno, turning towards the brigadier and filling the two
- glasses with wine, “did you not hear me?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I did,” replied the brigadier, rising, “and since I have not been able to
- kill you, were you the very devil himself, I would drink with you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Uttering these words, he walked boldly up to the table, took up the glass,
- touched the brim of Bruno’s, and drank off the wine at a draught.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What is your name?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Paolo Tommassi, brigadier of gens-d’armerie, at your service,” was the
- reply.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, Paolo Tommassi,” continued Bruno, placing his hand on his shoulder,
- “you are a brave fellow, and I have a great inclination to make you a
- promise.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “What is it?” asked the brigadier.
- </p>
- <p>
- “To let no one but you,” said Bruno, “obtain the reward of three thousand
- ducats that is set upon my head.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “That is an excellent idea,” observed the brigadier.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Truly so; but it must first come to maturity,” said Bruno; “in the
- meantime, as I am not yet tired of my life, take a seat, and let us sup;
- and we will talk the matter over by-and-by.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “May I cross myself before I eat?” said Tommassi. “Certainly,” replied
- Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I thought it might, perhaps, be unpleasant to you,” said the brigadier;
- “we are not always sure.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Anything you like,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- The brigadier made the sign of the cross, seated himself at the table, and
- attacked the shoulder of mutton like a man whose conscience was perfectly
- at ease, and who knew that he had done, under very difficult and trying
- circumstances, all that a brave soldier could do. Bruno kept him nobly in
- countenance; and, certainly, to see these two men seated at the same
- table, drinking out of the same bottle, and helping themselves from the
- same dish, no one would have imagined that each in his turn had, within
- the last hour, done all he could to kill the other.
- </p>
- <p>
- For an instant they were both silent, partly on account of the important
- business in which they were engaged, and partly from the preoccupation of
- their minds. Paolo Tommassi was the first to give utterance to the double
- idea on which his mind was engaged.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Comrade,” he said, “you live well here; it must be allowed you have
- excellent wine, certainly, and you do the honours of the table like a
- right-good fellow; but I acknowledge I should enjoy all this much better
- if I knew when I was to leave here.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “To-morrow morning, I presume,” replied Bruno. “You will not keep me here
- as a prisoner, then?” asked the brigadier, eagerly.
- </p>
- <p>
- “A prisoner! why what the devil should I do with you here?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Hem!” said the brigadier, “so far it is not so bad; but—” he
- continued, evidently embarrassed, “that is not all.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “What else is there?” said Bruno, filling the brigadiers glass.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Why—is—” said the brigadier, holding his glass up before the
- lamp; “it is rather a delicate question, you see.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Go on,” said Bruno; “I am listening.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You will not be angry, I hope, at what I am about to say?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I think you ought to know my character better by this time,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “True, true, you are not irritable, I know that well,” said the brigadier.
- “I am speaking about a certain waggon—there, now its out.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “That is down in the court-yard,” observed Bruno, holding his glass up to
- the light in his turn.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am rather doubtful,” replied the brigadier; “but you understand me, I
- cannot go without my waggon.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Very well, then, you shall take it with you,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Untouched?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Hum!” said Bruno; “it will not be much short, considering the sum it
- contains. I shall only take what I am absolutely in need of.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Are you in want of much?” asked the brigadier, with anxiety.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I want three thousand ounces,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, that is reasonable enough,” said the brigadier; “a good many people
- would not be so delicate as you are.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You may make yourself quite easy in the matter, for I will give you a
- receipt for what I take,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Talking of receipts,” said the brigadier, rising, “that’s well thought
- of, for it reminds me of some papers I had in my holsters.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Don’t make yourself uneasy about them,” observed Bruno; “here they are.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You will do me the greatest service by returning them to me,” said the
- brigadier.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I know that,” said Bruno, “for I have satisfied myself of their
- importance; the first is your brigadier’s commission; I have made a note
- at the foot of that, declaring that you have conducted yourself so well
- that you deserve to be made a quarter-master. The second is my
- description, and I have taken the liberty to make a few small corrections
- as to particular signs; for instance, I have added charmed: the third
- paper is a letter from his excellency the viceroy to the Countess Gemma,
- of Castel Nuovo; and I have too much gratitude for this lady, who has lent
- me this castle of hers, to place any restraint on her loving
- correspondence. Here are your papers, my brave fellow; one more glass to
- your health, and sleep tranquilly. To-morrow, at five o’clock, we will put
- you on your road; it is much more prudent, I can assure you, to travel by
- day than by night, for perhaps you may not always have the good fortune of
- falling into such good hands.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I think you are right,” said Tommassi, rolling up his papers, “and you
- appear to me to be an honester fellow than many more apparently honest
- folks of my acquaintance.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am happy to leave you with such favourable impressions on your mind,”
- said Bruno, “you will sleep the more pleasantly; by-the-by, I must give
- you one caution, do not go down into the court-yard, or my dogs might by
- chance make a meal of you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Thank you for the caution,” said the brigadier. “Good-night,” exclaimed
- Bruno, and he went out of the room, leaving the brigadier to continue his
- supper, or go to sleep till the hour appointed for his departure.
- </p>
- <p>
- Next morning at five o’clock, according to agreement, Bruno entered his
- guest’s chamber, whom he found up and ready to start, he conducted him
- down stairs, and led him to the gate; there was the waggon, together with
- a magnificent horse, and all the harness that belonged to the animal Ali’s
- yataghan had rendered unserviceable. Bruno begged of his friend, Tommassi,
- to accept of this present as a keepsake. The brigadier was too well
- pleased to allow the offer to be made twice; he therefore mounted his new
- steed, started the team in the waggon, and left quite delighted with his
- new acquaintance.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno watched his departure, and when he was about twenty paces off, he
- cried out, “Above all, do not forget to give the beautiful Countess Gemma
- the Prince of Carini’s letter.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Tommassi made a sign with his head and disappeared round the corner of the
- road.
- </p>
- <p>
- And now, if our readers wish to know how Pascal Bruno was not killed by
- the discharge of Tommassi’s carbine, we will give them the answer we
- received from Signor Caesar Aletto, the notary of Calvaruso: it is, that
- it is probable that on the road to the fortress, the bandit took the
- precaution of removing the bullet from the carbine. But Paolo Tommassi
- always considered that it was a much simpler explanation to attribute it
- to magic.
- </p>
- <p>
- We give our readers both these opinions, and they are at perfect liberty
- to adopt that which suits them best.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0006" id="link2HCH0006">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER VI.—A BANDIT’S GRATITUDE.
- </h2>
- <p>
- It may well be imagined that the report of exploits like these were not
- confined to the little village of Bauso: it was the general theme of
- conversation among all classes. Nothing was talked of in all Sicily but
- the brave brigand who had taken possession of the Castel Nuovo, and who,
- from thence, like an eagle from his eyry, swooped down upon the plain,
- sometimes to attack the great, and at others to assist the weak: thus he
- was always on the popular side. Our readers will, therefore, not be
- astonished that our hero’s name was heard pronounced at the palace of
- Prince Butera, who had given a splendid entertainment at his mansion, the
- Place de la Marine.
- </p>
- <p>
- Knowing the character of this prince, we can easily guess what a <i>fête</i>
- must be when given by him. The one in question, however, exceeded in
- splendour the ideas of the most fertile imagination. It was like an
- Arabian Nights’ dream, and the remembrance of it is perpetuated in
- Palermo, although Palermo is a fairy city, and is still celebrated for its
- unsurpassed magnificence.
- </p>
- <p>
- Imagine the most splendid saloons lined with mirrors from the ceiling to
- the floor, some leading to trellised walks, from the summit of which the
- richest grapes of Syracuse and Lipari were hanging; others to ample square
- spaces, surrounded by beautiful orange and pomegranate trees, covered with
- blossoms and fruit at the same time: these spaces were devoted to dancing
- English and French dances. As to the waltzers, they wound their mazy
- career round two immense marble reservoirs, from each of which sprang up
- beautiful jets of water, which, from the reflection of many-coloured
- lamps, by which the whole was illuminated, fell like glittering showers of
- diamonds. From these delightful spots long alleys issued, sprinkled with
- golden-coloured sand, and leading to a little hill, surrounded with silver
- vessels, containing every refreshment that could be desired, and overhung
- by trees covered with crystal instead of natural fruits: finally, on the
- summit of this hill, and facing the paths that led to it, was a <i>buffet</i>
- in four divisions, constantly replenished by means of some internal
- mechanism. To render the whole more fairylike and enchanting, the
- musicians were invisible, and the sound alone of their instruments reached
- the ears of the guests. It might indeed have been supposed to be a <i>fête</i>
- given by the genii of the air.
- </p>
- <p>
- At the same time, to animate these magical decorations, you must imagine
- the most beautiful women and the most elegant cavaliers of Palermo dressed
- in costumes each exceeding its neighbour in splendour and singularity—each
- with a mask on the face or in the hand, breathing the balmy air,
- intoxicated with the invisible harmony, and dreaming or talking of love;
- but even then, you would be far from drawing a picture of this night equal
- to that preserved in the memories of those that were present when I passed
- through Palermo thirty-two years after it took place.
- </p>
- <p>
- Among the groups that wandered through the alleys and saloons, there was
- one beyond all others which attracted the attention of the crowds; it was
- that which followed in the train of the beautiful Countess Gemma, and
- which she drew after her as a planet does its satellites. She had but that
- instant entered, accompanied by five others, who, like herself, had
- assumed the costume of the thirteenth century—a dress so simple and
- elegant, and which, at the same time, appeared to be expressly chosen to
- set off the figure to advantage, and she advanced in the midst of a murmur
- of admiration, led by the Prince de Butera himself, who, disguised as a
- mandarin, received her at the entrance, and preceded her to present her,
- as he said, to the daughter of the Emperor of China.
- </p>
- <p>
- As it was imagined that our Amphytrion intended some new surprise, they
- all followed the prince eagerly, and the <i>cortège</i> increased at every
- step it took.
- </p>
- <p>
- He stopped at length at the entrance of a pagoda guarded by two Chinese
- soldiers, who, at a given signal, opened the door of an apartment entirely
- furnished with foreign objects, in the midst of which seated on a kind of
- chair, and dressed in a magnificent Chinese costume, which alone had cost
- thirty thousand francs, was the Princess de Butera, who rose as soon as
- she saw the countess approach, followed by a cloud of officers, mandarins,
- and attendants, each more dazzling, fierce-looking, or droll than his
- neighbour. This apparition had something so Eastern and fantastic in it,
- that the whole assemblage, accustomed as they were to luxury and
- magnificence, uttered an exclamation of astonishment. They surrounded the
- princess, touched her robe, embroidered with precious stones, shook the
- golden bells in her pointed hat, and for an instant the attention of the
- assembly was withdrawn from the beautiful Gemma and entirely centred in
- the lady of the house. Every one complimented and admired her, and among
- those who uttered the most exaggerated praise was Captain Altavilla, whom
- the prince had continued to receive at his dinner parties, to the great
- discomfiture of his major-domo, and who had dressed himself in full
- uniform for the purpose, it may be, of disguise.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said the Prince of Butera to the Countess of Castel Nuovo; “what
- do you think of the daughter of the Emperor of China?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I must say,” replied Gemma, “that it is a happy thing for His Majesty,
- Ferdinand IV., that the Prince of Carini is at Messina at this moment, for
- he might be induced, with a heart like his, out of regard for the
- daughter, to give up Sicily to the father, and we should be obliged to
- have another Sicilian Vespers against the Chinese.”
- </p>
- <p>
- At this instant, the Duke of Moncada Paterno, in the dress of a Calabrian
- bandit, went up to the princess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Will her highness permit me,” said the duke, “as a connoisseur, to
- examine her magnificent costume?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Sublime daughter of the sun,” said Captain Altavilla, pointing to the
- prince, “take care of your golden bells, for I warn you, that you have to
- do with Pascal Bruno.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “The princess,” exclaimed a voice, “would be safer in the company of
- Pascal Bruno than in that of a certain follower of Cardinal Ruffo of my
- acquaintance; Pascal Bruno is a murderer, not a thief—a bandit, and
- not a cutpurse.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well answered,” observed the Prince of Butera.
- </p>
- <p>
- The captain bit his lips.
- </p>
- <p>
- “By-the-by,” said the Prince de la Cattolica, “have you heard of his last
- exploit?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Whose?” asked the Duke of Moncada.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Pascal Bruno’s,” said the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “No; what has he done?” asked the duke.
- </p>
- <p>
- “He has stopped a convoy of money sent by the Prince of Carini to
- Palermo,” replied the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “My ransom!” exclaimed the duke.
- </p>
- <p>
- “By heaven!” said the prince, “your excellency will, after all, be
- sacrificed to the infidels.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Zounds! the king will surely not require me to have a second reckoning
- with him,” replied Moncada.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Let your excellency be reassured,” said the voice which had just before
- addressed Altavilla; “Pascal Bruno only took three thousand ounces from
- the two hundred and fifty thousand piastres belonging to King Ferdinand
- IV.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And how do you know that, my young Albanian?” said the Prince de la
- Cattolica, who was close by the speaker—a handsome young man, from
- twenty-six to twenty-eight years of age, and dressed in the costume of
- Vina.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I have heard it reported,” said the Greek, carelessly, and playing with
- his yataghan; “besides, if your excellency wishes for particulars, here is
- a person who can give them to you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The party thus pointed out to public curiosity was no other than our old
- acquaintance, Paolo Tommassi, who, strict in the performance of his duty,
- had immediately on his arrival repaired to the Countess de Castel Nuovo’s
- residence; but not finding her there, and hearing of the fete, he took
- advantage of his situation as envoy from the viceroy to enable him to gain
- admission to the gardens of the Duke de Butera.
- </p>
- <p>
- In an instant he found himself in the centre of an immense circle and
- subjected to a thousand questions; but Paolo Tommassi was, as we have
- seen, a bold fellow, and was not easily put out of countenance: he,
- therefore, commenced by delivering the prince’s letter to the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Prince,” said Gemma, after having read the missive she had received, “you
- never suspected you were giving me a farewell fête; the viceroy orders me
- to proceed to Messina, and being a faithful subject, I shall begin my
- journey to-morrow. Thanks, my friend!” she continued, turning to Paolo
- Tommassi and handing him her purse; “you may now retire.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Tommassi endeavoured to take advantage of this permission of the countess,
- but he was too closely surrounded to make good his retreat easily; he was,
- consequently, obliged to surrender at discretion—the condition of
- his liberty being an exact account of his recent encounter with Pascal
- Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- He related it, it must be acknowledged, with all the simplicity of real
- courage; he told his auditors, without any superfluous addition, how he
- had been made prisoner; how he was taken to the fortress of Castel Nuovo;
- how he fired at the bandit without the ball taking any effect; and how,
- finally, the latter sent him away, making him a present of a magnificent
- horse in exchange for that which he had lost.
- </p>
- <p>
- Everybody listened to this tale, which bore the impress of truth, with the
- silent attention of belief, with the exception of Captain Altavilla, who
- raised some doubts as to the veracity of the honest brigadier; but,
- luckily for Paolo Tommassi, the Prince de Butera himself came to his
- assistance.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I will lay a wager,” he said, “that nothing can be more true than what
- the brigadier has told us, for all the details appear to me to be
- perfectly in accordance with the character of Pascal Bruno.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You know him, then?” said the Prince de Moncada Paterno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I do. I was in his company one night,” replied the Prince de Butera.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And where was that?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “On your estates.”
- </p>
- <p>
- It was now the prince’s turn; he related how Pascal and he had met at the
- chesnut of a hundred horses; how he, the Prince of Butera, had offered him
- a company, which he had refused; and, finally, how he had lent him three
- hundred ounces of gold.
- </p>
- <p>
- At this last information, Altavilla could not restrain his mirth.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And you think, my lord,” said he, “that Bruno will bring them back?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am certain of it,” replied the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Now we are on this subject,” interrupted the Princess of Butera, “is
- there any one else in this company who has seen Pascal Bruno, and who has
- spoken to him? I dote upon tales of brigands, they make me ready to die
- with fright.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “There is the Countess of Castel Nuovo,” observed the Albanian; “she has
- seen him.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Gemma started, and every one looked at her as if to interrogate her.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Can it be true?” said the prince, turning towards her.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes,” said Gemma, trembling; “but I had forgotten it.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “He remembers it,” muttered the young man.
- </p>
- <p>
- All the company pressed round the princess, who in vain endeavoured to
- make excuses; she in her turn was obliged to relate the scene with which
- we opened this tale to tell how Bruno entered her chamber; how the prince
- fired at him; and how the bandit, to avenge himself, entered the villa on
- the nuptial day and killed Teresa’s husband. This history was the most
- terrible of all, and it produced a deep sensation in the minds of the
- listeners; something like a shudder ran through the whole assembly, and
- had it hot been for the dresses of the guests, you would hardly have
- thought you were present at a fête.
- </p>
- <p>
- “On my honour,” said Captain Altavilla, who was the first to break
- silence, “the greatest crime the bandit has committed is in rendering this
- fête so melancholy; I could have pardoned him all his other misdeeds; but
- for this I swear, by my epaulettes, I will have vengeance; and from this
- moment I devote myself to his pursuit.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you speak seriously, Captain Altavilla?” said the Albanian.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, on my honour!” replied the captain; “and I here declare there is
- nothing I so much wish for as to meet him face to face.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “That is not impossible,” observed the Albanian, coolly.
- </p>
- <p>
- “To the man who will render me that service,” said the captain, “I will
- give—”
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is useless to offer a reward, captain,” interrupted the young man; “I
- know a man who will render you that service for nothing.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And when can I meet with this man?” repeated Altavilla, affecting a smile
- of doubt.
- </p>
- <p>
- “If you will follow me, I will tell you,” replied the stoical Albanian.
- </p>
- <p>
- With these words the Albanian withdrew, as if he were inviting the captain
- to follow him.
- </p>
- <p>
- The captain hesitated for an instant, but he had said too much to draw
- back; all eyes were turned upon him, and he saw that the least show of
- timidity would ruin his reputation; and besides, he considered the
- proposal was a joke.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Come on,” he cried, “for the honour of the ladies and he followed the
- Albanian.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you know who that young lord disguised as a Greek is?” said the
- countess, with a trembling voice, and addressing the Prince de Butera.
- </p>
- <p>
- “No, on my soul, I do not,” said he. “Does any one here know him?”
- </p>
- <p>
- Everybody looked, but no one answered.
- </p>
- <p>
- “With your permission,” said Paolo Tommassi, carrying his hand to his hat;
- “I know him.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And who is he, my brave brigadier?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “<i>Pascal Bruno</i>, my lord,” replied Tommassi.
- </p>
- <p>
- The countess screamed and fainted away; and this incident put a sudden end
- to the fête.
- </p>
- <p>
- An hour afterwards, the Prince de Butera had retired to his chamber, and,
- seated in front of his desk, was arranging some papers, when his
- major-domo entered.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What’s the matter, Jacomo?” asked the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I always told you so, my lord,” said the major-domo.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, what have you always told me?” asked the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “That your goodness would only encourage him,” replied Jacomo.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Who do you mean?” asked the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Captain Altavilla,” replied Jacomo.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What has he done?” asked the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What has he done, my lord?” said Jacomo. “First, your excellency will
- recollect I apprised you of his regularly putting his silver cover in his
- pocket.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, go on,” said the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I beg your pardon,” said Jacomo; “but your excellency answered, that so
- long as he only pocketed his own, nothing was to be said.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I recollect I said so perfectly well,” said the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, my lord,” said Jacomo, “to-day, it seems that he has not only taken
- his own, but his neighbours’ also, for there are eight missing.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ha! that’s quite another affair,” said the prince; “I must communicate
- with him on the matter.”
- </p>
- <p>
- He took a sheet of paper, and wrote the following note:—
- </p>
- <p>
- “Prince Hercules de Butera has the honour of informing Captain Altavilla,
- that as he no longer dines at home, and being by this fortuitous
- circumstance deprived of the pleasure of seeing him as previously, he begs
- he will accept the trifle he sends herewith as a small indemnity for the
- change this determination must make in his arrangements.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Stay,” continued the prince, giving the major-domo fifty ounces
- (twenty-six pounds sterling), “take this money, and deliver it and the
- letter to-morrow to Captain Altavilla.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Jacomo, who knew it was no use speaking after the prince had decided,
- bowed and left the room. The prince continued quietly arranging his papers
- when, at the end of about ten minutes, hearing a noise at the door of his
- room, he raised his head, and saw a man dressed as a Calabrian peasant
- standing on the threshold, with his hat in one hand and a bundle in the
- other.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Who is there?” said the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I, my lord,” replied the peasant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And who are you?” asked the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Pascal Bruno,” replied the visitor.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And what do you come for?” asked the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “First, my lord,” said Pascal Bruno, advancing and emptying his hat full
- of gold on the desk; “first, I have brought you the three hundred ounces
- you so kindly lent me: they were employed for the purpose I mentioned to
- you—the inn that was burnt down has been rebuilt.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ah, ah! you are a man of your word,” said the prince; “well, I am glad of
- it.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal inclined his head.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then,” he added, after a short pause, “I have brought you back eight
- silver covers, with your arms and cypher on them, which I found in the
- pocket of a certain captain who, most likely, robbed you of them.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Zounds,” said the prince, “it’s singular they should be brought back by
- you; and now, what have you in that bundle?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “In this bundle,” said Bruno, “is the head of a wretch who abused your
- hospitality, and which I have brought you as a proof of my sworn devotion
- to your service.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Saying this, Pascal Bruno untied the handkerchief, and taking the head of
- Captain Altavilla by the hair, he placed it, all bleeding as it was, on
- the duke’s desk.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What the devil am I to do with such a present as this?” said the prince.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What you please, my lord,” replied Pascal Bruno, who bowed and left the
- room.
- </p>
- <p>
- The Prince of Butera remained alone for an instant with his eyes fixed on
- the head, balancing himself in his arm-chair, and whistling his favourite
- tune; he then, after an instant, rang the bell, and his major-domo made
- his appearance.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Jacomo,” said the prince, “it is of no use going to Captain Altavilla’s
- to-morrow morning; tear up the letter; keep the fifty ounces, and throw
- this carrion on the dung-heap.”
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0007" id="link2HCH0007">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER VII.—A BRIGAND’S VENGEANCE.
- </h2>
- <p>
- At the time of which we are speaking—that is, about the beginning of
- the year 1804, Sicily was almost in an uncivilised state, from which the
- return of King Ferdinand and its occupation by the English have partially
- emancipated it. At the present day, the road which now leads from Palermo
- to Messina, passing through Taormina and Catana, was not formed, and the
- only one that existed, we do not say good, but practicable to go from one
- capital to the other, was that which, passing along the sea-coast, went
- through Termini and Cephalu; abandoned for its new rival, it is at present
- scarcely frequented, except by artists in search of the magnificent
- prospects it discloses at every turn. The only mode of travelling on this
- road, on which no post was established, was formerly, as at present, on
- the back of a mule, in a litter carried by two horses, or in your own
- carriage, relays of horses being sent on before, and placed at every
- fifteen leagues.
- </p>
- <p>
- So that the Countess Gemma de Castel Nuovo, when about to leave for
- Messina, at which place the Prince of Carini had written to her to join
- him, was obliged to choose one of these three modes. Travelling on a mule
- was too fatiguing for her, and a journey in a litter, besides the
- inconveniences of this mode of transport, the principal of which was its
- slow progress, was apt to produce a feeling like sea-sickness. The
- countess therefore decided, without any hesitation, in favour of the
- carriage, and sent forward relays of horses to four stations on the road,
- that is, to Termini, Cephalu, Saint Agatha, and Melazzo.
- </p>
- <p>
- Besides these precautions, the courier was ordered to lay in a store of
- provisions at each of these spots, for the inns are so notoriously
- deficient in the necessaries of life, that every traveller is advised when
- he leaves Messina to provide himself for the journey—to purchase
- cooking utensils, and to hire a cook; to these preparations an experienced
- Englishman on one occasion added a tent, on account of the deplorable
- state of the houses of entertainment.
- </p>
- <p>
- I know not whether it was a learned man, acquainted with ancient Sicily,
- or a shrewd observer who thoroughly understood modern Sicily, for whom
- they were at this instant preparing supper at the sign of the Cross, the
- inn which had been rebuilt with the Prince of Butera’s three hundred
- ounces, and situated on the road from Palermo to Messina, between Ficara
- and Patti.
- </p>
- <p>
- The activity of the innkeeper and his wife, who, under the directions of a
- foreign cook, were at the same time engaged upon fish, flesh, and fowl,
- proved that the man for whom the culinary apparatus was in requisition was
- determined not only to have enough, but had no objection to a superfluity.
- </p>
- <p>
- He came from Messina, travelling in a carriage, and with his own horses.
- He had stopped because the situation of the inn pleased him, and having
- extracted from his trunk everything the most experienced traveller could
- require—linen, plate, even bread and wine—he was led into the
- best room, where he lighted some perfumed pastilles in a silver vase, and
- waited till his dinner was ready, seated on a rich Turkey carpet, and
- smoking the finest Mount Sinai tobacco in his amber chibouk, carelessly
- caressing at the same time a magnificent Corsican dog of the largest size
- that was lying at his feet.
- </p>
- <p>
- He was attentively observing the wreaths of sweet-scented smoke as they
- escaped from his lips and condensed themselves on the ceiling, when the
- door of the apartment opened, and the host, followed by a domestic in the
- countess’s livery, appeared on the threshold.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your excellency,” said the worthy man, bowing to the ground.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What’s the matter?” asked the traveller, but without turning his head,
- and in a decided Maltese accent.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your excellency,” said the host, “it is the Countess Gemma, of Castel
- Nuovo.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well!” replied the traveller.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Her carriage has been obliged to stop at my poor inn,” said the host,
- “because one of her horses became so lame that she is unable to proceed.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, go on,” said the traveller.
- </p>
- <p>
- “She had calculated,” said the host, “having no expectation of this
- accident when she left St. Agatha this morning, on sleeping at Melazzo
- this evening, where she has relays, so that she is entirely unprovided
- with everything.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Tell the countess that my cook and larder are at her service,” said the
- traveller.
- </p>
- <p>
- “A thousand thanks in my mistress’s name,” said the servant; “but as the
- countess will, no doubt, be obliged to pass the night in this inn, while a
- relay of horses is brought hither from Melazzo, and as she is equally
- unprovided for night as for day, she would be glad to know if your
- excellency would have the gallantry to—”
- </p>
- <p>
- “More than that,” said the traveller; “let the countess occupy my
- apartment—this room will do for her lady’s-maid, whom she will not
- be sorry to have near her. As for myself, I am a man accustomed to fatigue
- and privations; I will content myself with the first room that is
- disengaged; go, therefore, and tell the countess she can step up at once—the
- room is at liberty, and our worthy host will do the best he can for me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Speaking thus, the traveller rose, whistled to his dog, and followed the
- host; and the servant at once descended to accomplish his mission.
- </p>
- <p>
- Gemma accepted the traveller’s offer as a queen would the homage of a
- subject, and not as a woman who accepts a service from a stranger; she was
- so accustomed to see everything submit to her will, and everybody obey her
- voice, and even her look, that she saw nothing striking in the extreme
- gallantry of the traveller.
- </p>
- <p>
- It is true she looked so beautiful as she moved towards the apartment,
- resting on the arm of her attendant, that every one bent before her. She
- was dressed in a most elegant riding-habit, fitting tightly over the arms
- and bust, and ornamented with silk braiding. For fear of the cold air of
- the mountains, she wore round her neck a beautiful sable boa, purchased by
- the Prince Carini of a Maltese merchant who had brought it from
- Constantinople. On her head she wore a little black velvet hat, of a
- fanciful shape, like the head-dresses worn in the middle ages; and her
- long and magnificent tresses hung down in ringlets after the English
- fashion. But, prepared as she was to find a room ready to receive her, she
- could not avoid being astonished when she entered at the elegant manner in
- which the traveller had concealed the poor appearance of the apartment.
- </p>
- <p>
- All the utensils of the toilet were of silver, the cloth that covered the
- table was of the finest texture, and the oriental perfumes burning on the
- mantelpiece seemed fit for a harem.
- </p>
- <p>
- “See, Gidsa, am I not predestined?” said the countess; “an awkward servant
- shoes my horses badly, I am obliged to stop, and my good genius, who finds
- me in this state of embarrassment, builds a fairy palace for me on the
- road.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Has madame la comtesse,” said Gidsa, “no suspicion who this good genius
- may be?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Really none,” said the countess.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It seems to me,” said the waiting-maid, significantly, “that madame la
- comtesse ought to be able to guess!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I swear to you, Gidsa,” said the countess, falling into a chair, “that I
- am in a state of perfect ignorance. Come, what are your ideas on the
- subject?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “My ideas?” said the girl. “Madame, I trust you will pardon me, although
- my ideas are very natural.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Oh! certainly,” replied the countess; “speak as you think.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I think,” said the girl, “that perhaps his highness the viceroy, knowing
- that your ladyship was on the road, had not patience to wait for your
- arrival, and”—
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your idea,” said the countess, “is amazingly good; indeed, it is more
- than probable. Besides, who, if it were not he, would have arranged a room
- like this for the purpose of giving it up to me? Now listen, you must say
- nothing if Rodolpho is preparing a surprise for me. I would give myself up
- entirely to it; I would not lose one of the emotions his unexpected
- presence would occasion me. It is agreed, therefore, that it is not the
- viceroy, but that the stranger is an unknown traveller; so keep your
- probabilities to yourself, and leave me in my state of doubt; besides, if
- it should be him, I shall have divined his presence, not you. How kind my
- dear Rodolpho is to me! how he foresees everything! Oh! how much he loves
- me!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And the dinner,” said Gidsa, “that has been prepared with so much care;
- do you believe <i>that</i> the result of mere accident?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Chut! I believe nothing; I profit by the good things heaven has sent me,
- and I thank God for them. See what a lucky thing it is that this plate is
- here! if I had not met with this noble traveller, how should I have been
- able to eat off anything else? Look at this silver goblet, you might say
- it was engraved by Benvenuto. Give me some drink, Gidsa.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The attendant filled the goblet with water, and then added a few drops of
- Lipari malvoisie, and the countess sipped it, apparently more for the
- purpose of carrying the cup to her lips than because she was thirsty; it
- seemed as though, by the sympathetic touch of her lips, she endeavoured to
- discover whether it really was the man who loved her who had thus provided
- for the wants of a woman accustomed to all that luxury and magnificence
- which becomes almost an essential necessary to those who have been used to
- it from infancy.
- </p>
- <p>
- Supper was served, and the countess ate like a fine lady, that is, tasting
- of all, like the humming-bird, the bee, or the butterfly; but, full of
- thought and anxiety, while she was eating, she kept her eyes constantly
- fixed on the door, and started every time it opened—her bosom was
- oppressed and her eyes moist; at length, she fell by degrees into a
- delicious state of languor for which she herself could not account. Gidsa
- perceived it and became uneasy.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Is your ladyship unwell?” asked the anxious attendant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “No,” replied Gemma, in a feeble voice; “but do you not find these
- perfumes extremely oppressive?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Does your ladyship wish me to open the window?” asked Gidsa.
- </p>
- <p>
- “No, no,” replied the countess, “pray do not; I seem as if I should die,
- but death appears to be so sweet. Take off my hat, it feels so heavy, I
- cannot bear it.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Gidsa obeyed, and Gemma’s long hair hung down in ringlets nearly to the
- ground.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you feel like me, Gidsa,” asked the countess, “an incomprehensible
- feeling of pleasure? A kind of heavenly sensation flows through my veins:
- I must have drank a charmed philter; help me to rise, and lead me to the
- mirror.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Gidsa supported the countess and led her towards the mantelpiece; when she
- reached it, she rested both elbows upon it, placed her head in her hands,
- and looked at her beautiful face in the glass.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Now, let everything be taken away, then undress me, and leave me alone.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The attendant obeyed her mistress; the servants of the countess cleared
- the table, and when they had left, Gidsa performed the second part of her
- mistress’s orders, who still remained before the glass, merely raising her
- arms languidly one after the other, to make it just possible for her maid
- to perform the necessary duties, which were in a short time accomplished—the
- countess still remaining in the species of ecstacy into which she was
- plunged; then, as her mistress had directed her, she went out and left her
- alone.
- </p>
- <p>
- The countess completed the remainder of her toilet in a state resembling
- somnambulism; she retired to rest, and remained for an instant leaning on
- her elbow, with her eyes fixed on the door; then by degrees, and
- notwithstanding all her efforts to keep awake, her eyelids became heavy,
- her eyes closed, and she sank upon her pillow, heaving a long deep sigh,
- and murmuring Rodolpho’s name.
- </p>
- <p>
- The next morning, when she awoke, Gemma stretched out her hand as if she
- expected to find some one by her side; but she was alone, and for a few
- minutes her eyes wandered round the chamber, and then turned and fixed
- themselves on the table by the bedside. An open letter lay upon it, she
- took it up and read:—
- </p>
-<pre xml:space="preserve">
- “<i>Madame la Comtesse</i>,—I could have taken the vengeance of
- a brigand upon you; I preferred to indulge myself in the
- pleasure of a prince! but that, when you awake, you may not
- imagine you have been in a dream, I have left you a proof of
- the reality; look in your mirror.
-
- “Pascal Bruno.”
- </pre>
- <p>
- Gemma’s whole frame shuddered, and a cold perspiration covered her
- forehead; she stretched out her arm towards the bell-rope that she might
- call for assistance, but womanly instinct arrested her arm, and collecting
- all her strength, she sprang out of bed, ran to the glass, and uttered a
- cry of horror. Her hair and eyebrows were completely shorn!
- </p>
- <p>
- She hastily dressed herself, and enveloping her head in her veil, threw
- herself into her carriage, and ordered it to be driven back to Palermo.
- </p>
- <p>
- The instant she arrived there, she wrote to Prince Carini, telling him
- that her confessor, as an expiation for her sins, had ordered her to shave
- off her eyebrows and hair, and retire for twelve months to a convent.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0008" id="link2HCH0008">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER VIII.—-TREACHERY.
- </h2>
- <p>
- On the 1st of May, 1805, there was a high festival at Castel Nuovo: Pascal
- Bruno was in excellent humour, and gave a supper to one of his best
- friends, Placido Tomaselli, an honest dealer in contraband, belonging to
- the village of Gesso, and to two females the latter had brought with him
- from Messina. This delicate attention sensibly effected Bruno, and that he
- might not be behindhand in politeness with so provident a comrade, he
- determined to perform the honours of his domicile after the fashion of the
- best society. Accordingly, the finest wines of Sicily and Calabria were
- selected from the cellars of the fortress, the most noted cooks of Bauso
- were placed in requisition, and all that singular luxury was displayed to
- which at times it pleased the hero of our history to resort.
- </p>
- <p>
- The guests had only just begun dinner when Ali brought Placido Tomaselli a
- letter, which a countryman from Gesso had placed in his hands. Placido
- read it, and crumbling it up in a violent passion, exclaimed—
- </p>
- <p>
- “Upon my word he has chosen his time very nicely.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “What is it, comrade?” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Perdition! why, a summons from Captain Luigi Cama, of Villa San
- Giovanni.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “What, our purveyor of rum?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes,” replied Placido; “he informs me he is off the shore, and has a full
- cargo which he wishes to dispose of before the custom-house officers hear
- of his arrival.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Business before all things,” replied Bruno. “I’ll wait for you. I am in
- very good company, so make yourself easy; if you are not too long gone,
- you will find everything you leave, and more than you can take away.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is only an hour’s work,” replied Placido, appearing to yield to the
- reasoning of his host; “the beach is only about five hundred yards from
- this spot.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And there is the whole night before us,” observed Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “A good appetite, comrade,” said Placido. “A successful expedition,
- master,” said Bruno. Placido left the castle, and Bruno remained with the
- two women, and, as he had promised his guest, proceedings did not suffer
- by his absence. Bruno was amiable enough for any two, and the conversation
- began to assume the most animated character, when the door opened, and a
- new actor appeared on the scene. Pascal turned round and recognised the
- Maltese merchant we have already spoken of several times, of whom he was
- one of the best customers.
- </p>
- <p>
- “By St. Gregory!” he exclaimed, “you are welcome; and the more so, if you
- have brought any of those Turkish pastilles, a packet of Latakia tobacco,
- and a few Tunisian shawls; by-the-by, your opium acted admirably.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am glad of it,” replied the Maltese; “but on this occasion, I have come
- on quite another business.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ah! you have come to sup with me, is that it?” asked Bruno. “Pray sit
- down, sit down, and once again you are welcome; there, that is a seat fit
- for a king.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your wine is excellent, I know, and these ladies are charming,” replied
- the Maltese; “but I have something very important to speak to you about.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “To me?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, to you,” replied the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well go on,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I must speak to you alone,” said the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, then,” said Bruno, “I’ll hear you tomorrow, my worthy captain.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “But I must inform you immediately,” said the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, then, speak before the company,” said Bruno; “we have not too many
- here, and I make it a rule when I feel comfortable never to disturb
- myself, even if my life were at stake.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “That is the very subject I wish to allude to,” said the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Bah!” replied Bruno; “heaven looks after honest men; here’s to your
- health, captain.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The Maltese emptied his glass.
- </p>
- <p>
- “That’s right; now sit down and let me hear your sermon, we’ll listen to
- you with proper attention.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The merchant perceived he must give in to the whim of his host, and he
- consequently obeyed him.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, now then, what is it?” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “First, then,” continued the Maltese, “you know that the justices of
- Calvaruso, Spadafora, Bauso, Saponara, Divito, and Domita have been
- arrested.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I have heard something about it,” said Pascal Bruno, carelessly, at the
- same time emptying his glass of Marsala, the best wine in Sicily.
- </p>
- <p>
- “But do you know the cause of their arrest?” inquired the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I guess at it,” said Bruno; “is it not because the Prince of Carini,
- being in an extremely ill-humour on account of his mistress having retired
- to a convent, has taken it into his head that they have been too slow, and
- have shown too little skill in their attempts to arrest a certain Pascal
- Bruno, whose head is worth two thousand ducats?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Exactly so,” said the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “You see,” said Bruno, “I am quite aware of what is going on.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yet, for all that,” said the Maltese, “there may be some circumstances of
- which you are still ignorant.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “God is great! as Ali says,” replied Bruno; “but go on, and I will
- acknowledge my ignorance; I wish for nothing so much as instruction.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said the Maltese, “the six judges have met together, and each has
- put down twenty-five ounces—that makes one hundred and fifty
- ounces.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Or, in other words,” replied Bruno, in the same careless tone, “eighteen
- hundred and ninety livres. You see, if my books are not well regulated, it
- is not for want of arithmetic. Well, what next?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “After that,” continued the merchant, “they offered this sum to two or
- three men, known as your common associates, if they would assist them in
- capturing you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Let them offer it,” said Bruno; “I am quite certain they will not meet
- with a traitor within ten leagues.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You deceive yourself,” answered the Maltese; “the traitor is found.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ha!” exclaimed Bruno, knitting his brow and grasping his dagger; “and how
- do you know that?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Why, my good fellow,” said the merchant, “in the simplest way in the
- world; yesterday I was at the house of the Prince de Goto, governor of
- Messina, who sent for me for the purpose of purchasing some Turkish goods,
- when a servant entered the room and whispered a few words in his ear.
- ‘Very well,’ said the prince, ‘let him come in.’ He then made a sign to me
- to go into an adjoining room for a short time; I obeyed, and as he never
- suspected that I was acquainted with you, I overheard a conversation that
- concerned you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It was the traitor,” said the Maltese; “he undertook to open the doors of
- your fortress, and to place you in their hands unarmed while you were at
- supper; and he himself engaged to conduct the gens-d’armes to your
- dining-room.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And do you know who this man is?” demanded Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes,” said the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “His name?” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Placido Tomaselli.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Confusion!” exclaimed the bandit; “he was here but an instant ago.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And has he left the castle?” inquired the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Just before you came in,” replied Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then,” said the merchant, “he has gone after the police and the soldiers;
- for, as far as I can see, you were about to sit down to supper.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You see I was,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then I am right; and if you wish to escape, you have not a minute to
- lose.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I fly!” cried Bruno, laughing. “Ali! Ali!” and Ali entered the room.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Close the gates of the castle, my lad, and turn three of my dogs loose in
- the court-yard, and send the fourth, Lionna, upstairs, and get the
- ammunition ready.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The women began to scream.
- </p>
- <p>
- “My goddesses, you must be quiet,” observed Bruno, with an imperative
- look; “we must have no singing here; silence, and instantly, if you
- please.”
- </p>
- <p>
- And the women were silent.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Captain, you must keep these ladies company; for my part, I must go my
- rounds.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno seized his carbine, buckled on his cartouche-box, and went towards
- the door; but as he was about to leave the room he stood still and
- listened.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What is the matter?” said the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you not hear my dogs bark? The enemy is close at hand; they were not
- long behind you;—are they not fine beasts? Silence, my tigers!”
- continued Bruno, opening one of the windows and giving a peculiar whistle;
- “all right, all right, I am on my guard.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The dogs gave a low growl and were then silent.
- </p>
- <p>
- The women and the Maltese trembled with terror, expecting something
- dreadful was about to happen, and at the same moment Ali entered the room
- with Pascal’s favourite bitch, Lionna: the noble creature went straight up
- to her master, reared up on her hind legs, and placing her paws on his
- shoulders, she looked intelligently at him and gave a short bark.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, yes, Lionna, you are a fine beast,” said Bruno, patting the dog
- fondly on the head; “come on, my beauty, come along.”
- </p>
- <p>
- And he went out, leaving the Maltese and the two women in the supper
- apartment.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal went down into the court-yard, where he found the three dogs
- evincing great uneasiness, but without giving any indication that the
- danger was very pressing; he then opened the garden door and began to walk
- round its bounds. Suddenly Lionna stopped, snuffed the air, and walked
- straight up to one part of the enclosure: as soon as she reached the wall,
- she reared up on her hind legs, as if she intended to scale it, grinding
- her teeth, and uttering a low growl, at the same time looking back at her
- master: Pascal Bruno was close behind her.
- </p>
- <p>
- He was at once aware that an enemy was concealed, and that at no great
- distance, and recollecting that the window of the room in which Paoli
- Tomassi had been confined directly overlooked this spot, he ran quickly up
- stairs, followed by Lionna, who with open throat and fiery eyes seemed to
- guess her master’s intention; and crossing the room in which the two women
- and the Maltese were anxiously awaiting the end of the adventure, she went
- into an adjoining chamber, in which there was no light and the window was
- open. She had scarcely entered when, crouching quietly on the ground, she
- crawled like a serpent towards the window, and when within a few feet of
- the casement, before Bruno could prevent her, she sprang through the
- opening like a panther, and alighted on the ground without injury,
- although the height was at least twenty feet.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal was at the window nearly as soon as the dog; he saw her make three
- bounds towards an olive-tree, and then heard a cry of agony: Lionna had
- seized a man by the throat, who was concealed behind the tree.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Help! help!” exclaimed a voice, which Pascal recognised as that of
- Placido. “Help, it is I! Call off your dog, or she will tear me to
- pieces.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Hold him, Lionna!” exclaimed Bruno, “kill him, my good dog! Death to the
- traitor!”
- </p>
- <p>
- Placido at once saw that Bruno had discovered all, and uttering a cry of
- pain and rage, a mortal combat ensued between the dog and the man. Bruno,
- resting on his carbine, calmly contemplated this singular duel by the
- uncertain light of the moon. He could perceive two bodies, whose forms
- were indistinct, struggling, rolling on the ground, and rising again, and
- seeming as if they were but one: for the space of ten minutes he heard
- their confused cries, but could not distinguish those of the dog from the
- man. At the end of that time a dreadful cry was heard, and one of them
- fell to rise no more—it was the man.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno whistled to Lionna, again crossed the supper-room, without uttering
- a word, and went rapidly down stairs to open the door to his favourite
- bitch; but at the very instant she entered, bleeding from wounds inflicted
- with a knife, and even from the bites of her antagonist, he saw the
- musket-barrels of soldiers glittering in the rays of the moon, and
- advancing up the road that led from the village to the fortress. He at
- once barricaded the door, and again entered the room in which he had left
- his trembling guests. The Maltese was drinking, and the women saying their
- prayers.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well!” said the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, captain?” answered Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What has become of Placido Tomaselli?” asked the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “His business is settled,” replied Bruno; “but there is another legion of
- devils coming upon us.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And what do you mean next to do?” asked the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Kill as many as I can in the first instance,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And then?” inquired the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Fire the fortress,” said Bruno, coolly, “and then—blow myself up
- along with the rest.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The women hearing this began to scream most lustily.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ali,” said Pascal, “take these ladies into the vaults, and give them all
- they ask for except a candle, for fear they should set fire to the powder
- before the proper time.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The poor terrified creatures fell on their knees.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Come, make haste!” cried Bruno, stamping his feet; “do as I order you.”
- </p>
- <p>
- And he uttered these words with such a look and accent, that the two girls
- rose and followed Ali without daring to utter another word of complaint.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And now, captain,” said Bruno, as soon as they were gone, “put out the
- lights, and get into some corner where the bullets cannot reach you; for
- the musicians have arrived and the ball is about to begin.”
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0009" id="link2HCH0009">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER IX.—THE SIEGE.
- </h2>
- <p>
- A few moments after, Ali again entered the room, carrying on his shoulders
- two or three muskets of the same calibre, and a basket full of cartridges.
- Pascal Bruno opened all the windows, that he might be able to face in any
- direction, and Ali, taking a musket in his hand, was about to place
- himself at one of them.
- </p>
- <p>
- “No, my boy,” said Pascal, in an affectionate and parental tone of voice,
- “that is no one’s duty but mine; I have no wish to attach your fate to
- mine; I do not wish to drag you into the surf along with me; you are
- young; nothing, as yet, has removed your life out of the beaten track;
- take my advice, continue to live like the rest of the world.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” replied the youth, with his gentle voice, “why do you not wish
- me to defend you as Lionna did? You know I have none to look to but you in
- the world, and that, if you die, I must die with you!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “No, Ali,” said Bruno, “if I die, I shall perhaps leave behind me some
- mysterious and terrible mission to be accomplished, which I can trust to
- no one but my child; my boy, therefore, must live to do what his father
- commands him.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is right,” said Ali; “the father is the master, and the child must
- obey.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Ali seized Pascal’s hand, and kissed it.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Can I be of no service to you, father?” observed the lad.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes; load the guns,” said Bruno, and Ali addressed himself to the task,
- </p>
- <p>
- “And what can I do?” said the Maltese, from the corner in which he had
- ensconced himself.
- </p>
- <p>
- “You, captain? you shall have the task of carrying the flag of truce if it
- be needful.”
- </p>
- <p>
- At this instant Pascal Bruno saw the muskets of a second troop descending
- the mountain: they advanced in so direct a line towards the isolated
- olive-tree, at the foot of which lay the body of Placido, that it was
- evident it was the appointed place of rendezvous.
- </p>
- <p>
- Those who marched first stumbled over the corpse. Upon this they formed a
- circle round it; but no one could recognise it, the teeth of Lionna had so
- much disfigured it; however, as it was at this olive-tree Placido had
- appointed a meeting, and as the body was at its foot, and no other living
- being in the neighbourhood, it was evident that the dead man was Placido
- himself.
- </p>
- <p>
- The soldiers accordingly guessed that their plot had been discovered, and,
- consequently, that Bruno was on his guard; they, therefore, began to
- consider how they should act.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal, standing at the window, watched all their movements; but the moon
- issuing suddenly from behind a cloud, a ray of light fell upon his figure,
- and one of the soldiers seeing him, pointed him out to his comrades.
- </p>
- <p>
- “The bandit! the bandit!” was heard from all the troops, and a volley of
- shot was instantly poured in at the window.
- </p>
- <p>
- A few of the balls flattened themselves against the wall, others whistled
- past the ears and over the head of the party at whom they were directed,
- and lodged in the mouldings of the ceiling.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal replied by discharging four muskets in succession as they were
- handed to him by Ali: four men fell.
- </p>
- <p>
- The soldiers, who were not troops of the line, but a kind of national
- guard organised for the protection of the high road, hesitated a little
- when they saw death pay them so sudden a visit; for all the men, reckoning
- on Placido’s treason, had entertained the hope of making an easy capture:
- instead of which, it was now evident that it was an absolute siege they
- were about to undertake, and they were in want of everything necessary for
- that purpose.
- </p>
- <p>
- The walls of the little fortress were lofty, and the gates strong—they
- had neither ladders nor hatchets. There was, however, the possibility of
- killing Pascal while at the window levelling his musket; but this seemed
- but a poor chance to men who believed their adversary was invulnerable.
- </p>
- <p>
- Accordingly, the most prudent manouvre seemed to be to retire out of
- gunshot and deliberate on their future proceedings; but their retreat was
- not rapid enough to prevent Pascal Bruno despatching two more messengers
- of death after them.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal, perceiving that the siege was raised for an instant, went to the
- opposite window that overlooked the village: the discharge of the muskets
- had attracted the attention of the first party, so that he had scarcely
- shown himself at the opening when he was saluted with a shower of bullets;
- but the same miraculous good luck again preserved him. It seemed like
- enchantment: while, on his side, every shot he fired told upon the
- soldiers, and Pascal was made aware of his success by the oaths they
- uttered.
- </p>
- <p>
- A similar occurrence happened to this troop as to the other; its ranks
- were thrown into disorder, but, instead of taking to flight, they stood up
- close against the walls of the fortress, and by this manouvre they made it
- impossible for Bruno to fire without thrusting half his body out of the
- window; and, as the bandit thought it impolitic to expose himself to
- unnecessary danger, the firing in consequence of this mutual act of
- prudence ceased for an instant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Have we got rid of them?” asked the Maltese; “may we cry Victory!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Not yet,” observed Bruno, “it is only a suspension of arms; the enemy
- have, no doubt, gone to the village to procure ladders and hatchets; we
- shall, no doubt, soon have news of them. But make yourself easy,”
- continued the bandit, filling two glasses; “as we cannot remain quiet with
- them, we must give them something in return. Ali, go and fetch a barrel of
- powder.—Here’s to your health, captain!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “What are you going to do with the powder?” asked the Maltese, with an
- uneasy look.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Oh! not much; but you shall see!” replied Bruno. Ali entered the room,
- bearing on his shoulder the barrel of gunpowder.
- </p>
- <p>
- “That’s right,” said Bruno; “now take a gimlet and make a hole in the
- barrel.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Ali obeyed with the passive readiness that was the distinctive mark of his
- devotion to Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- While this was going on, Pascal tore up a napkin into strips, which he
- tied together, and rolled them in the powder he took out of a cartridge;
- he then put this match into the hole Ali had made in the barrel, and
- closed it with wet powder, which had the effect also of keeping the match
- in its place. He had scarcely finished his preparations when the sound of
- a hatchet was heard at the gate.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Am I a good prophet?” said Bruno, as he rolled the barrel towards the
- door of the chamber which overlooked a staircase leading to the castle
- court, and then going back to fetch a piece of lighted fir from the fire.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ah!” said the Maltese, “now I begin to understand what you are going to
- do.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” said Ali, “they are coming from the mountain with ladders.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno ran to the window from which he had fired in the first instance and
- plainly saw his adversaries, who had procured the scaling implement they
- so much needed, and, ashamed of their first retreat, were returning to the
- charge with renewed confidence.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Are the guns loaded?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, father,” replied Ali, handing him a carbine.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno, without looking back, took the gun the boy offered him, slowly
- brought it to his shoulder, and levelled with more care than he had yet
- exhibited; he fired, and one of the two men who carried the ladder fell.
- </p>
- <p>
- Another man took his place, and Bruno took a second musket: the other
- soldier fell by the side of his comrade.
- </p>
- <p>
- Two other men succeeded those who were killed and fell in their turn; upon
- this the scaling party, leaving their ladder, retired a second time, after
- firing another volley as useless as their previous discharges.
- </p>
- <p>
- In the meantime, those who were besieging the gate redoubled their blows,
- and the dogs on their side barked furiously; every moment the blows became
- more violent and the barking fiercer. At length, one side of the gate was
- forced in and two or three men entered by the opening; and by the cries of
- distress they uttered, their comrades judged that they had fallen into the
- hands of more terrible enemies than they had calculated on; but they could
- not fire upon the dogs without the risk of killing the men.
- </p>
- <p>
- After a short time, one party of the besiegers had entered through the
- door one after the other; the court was soon filled, and then began a
- combat, like one of those that were exhibited in the ancient circus,
- between the soldiers and the four monstrous dogs, who fiercely defended
- the narrow staircase that led to the first floor of the fortress.
- Suddenly, the door at the top of the staircase opened, and the barrel of
- powder Bruno had prepared bounded from stair to stair and exploded like a
- bombshell in the midst of the combatants.
- </p>
- <p>
- The explosion was terrible; one of the walls fell in ruins, and everything
- in the court-yard was blown to atoms.
- </p>
- <p>
- The besiegers were for an instant stupefied; but in the meantime the two
- troops had united themselves, and presented an effective force of more
- than 300 men. A deep feeling of shame overwhelmed the multitude when they
- saw themselves kept in check by a single man.
- </p>
- <p>
- The leaders took advantage of this feeling to encourage them, and a breach
- having been made by the fall of the wall, they marched up to it in a body
- in good order, and having cleared every obstacle, they spread themselves
- over the whole of the court-yard and were soon before the staircase.
- </p>
- <p>
- When they reached this spot, there was another moment of hesitation: at
- length some of them, encouraged by their comrades, began to ascend the
- stairs, the rest of the party following. The staircase was soon carried;
- but those who were at the head would soon have felt an inclination to
- retreat if it had been possible; this, however, was no longer the case—they
- were obliged, therefore, to attempt the door, which yielded without
- resistance.
- </p>
- <p>
- The besiegers, uttering shouts of triumph, ran round the first chamber;
- but at that instant the door of the second room opened, and the soldiers
- perceived Bruno seated on a barrel of gunpowder, a pistol in each hand,
- while the terrified Maltese rushed through the open, doorway crying out,
- in accents so full of truth and terror as to leave no doubt on the
- subject:—
- </p>
- <p>
- “Stand back! stand back!” he cried, “the fortress is mined; if you advance
- another step we shall all be blown to atoms!”
- </p>
- <p>
- The door was closed as if by enchantment, and the shouts of victory were
- changed into cries of terror. The whole body of the besiegers might have
- been seen precipitating themselves down the narrow staircase that led to
- the court-yard—some among them leaped through the windows—it
- seemed as if every man felt the ground tremble beneath his feet, and at
- the end of five minutes Bruno was again master of his fortress.
- </p>
- <p>
- As to the Maltese, he took advantage of the opportunity and left the
- castle.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal, no longer hearing any sound, arose and went to the window. The
- siege had been converted into a blockade; a guard was placed at every
- opening, and the men who performed this duty had sheltered themselves from
- the bandit’s fire behind carts and barrels. It was evident that a new plan
- for carrying on the campaign had been adopted.
- </p>
- <p>
- “So it seems they intend to starve us out,” observed Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “The dogs!” exclaimed Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do not insult the poor beasts who died while defending us, call them <i>men—men!</i>”
- said Bruno, smiling sarcastically.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father!” said Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, my boy,” said Bruno, kindly.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you not see?” said Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “That light!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ay, truly,” said Bruno; “what can it mean? It cannot be daybreak yet;
- and, besides, it comes from the north, and not the east.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “The village is on fire!” exclaimed Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “By heavens you are right!” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- At that instant loud cries of distress were heard; Bruno rushed to the
- door and found himself face to face with the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Is that you, captain?” said Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, it is I—I myself, don’t deceive yourself and take me for
- another; I come as a friend.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “You are welcome,” said Bruno; “but what has taken place?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “That which has taken place is,” said the Maltese, “that, in utter despair
- at not having taken you, the soldiers set fire to the village, and refuse
- to assist in extinguishing it unless the villagers will consent to march
- against you, as they have had enough of it themselves.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And the peasants?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Have refused,” said the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ay, ay—I knew that beforehand,” said Bruno; “they had rather that
- all their houses should be burned to the ground than touch a hair of my
- head. Well, captain, go back to those who sent you, and tell them to
- extinguish the flames.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “What do you mean?” asked the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I will give myself up,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Give yourself up, father?” cried Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes, but I promised to surrender to one man alone, and I will only give
- myself up to him. Let them, therefore, as I have said—let them put
- out the flames, and then send to Messina in search of the man I shall
- name.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And who is this man?” asked the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Paolo Tomassi, a brigadier in the gendarmerie,” replied Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Have you any other request to make?” asked the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “One only,” replied Bruno, and he spoke to the Maltese in a whisper.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I hope you are not asking for my life?” said Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Have I not told you I should perhaps require your assistance after my
- death?” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Pardon me, father,” said Ali, “I had forgotten that.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Away, captain, and do as I have said,” said Bruno; “when I see the flames
- extinguished I shall know my terms are accepted.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you not wish me to be the bearer of the news?” asked the merchant.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Did I not say you should be my negociator? By-the-by,” continued Pascal,
- “how many houses are burnt?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Two when I came away,” replied the Maltese.
- </p>
- <p>
- “There are three hundred and fifteen ounces in this purse, distribute them
- among the sufferers.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Adieu!” said the Maltese, shaking Bruno by the hand.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno threw his pistol away, again seated himself on his powder barrel and
- fell into a deep reverie.
- </p>
- <p>
- The young Arab extended himself on his tiger’s skin, and remained
- motionless, closing his eyes as if he slept. By degrees the light of the
- fire expired—Bruno’s conditions had been accepted.
- </p>
- <p>
- At the expiration of about an hour, the door of the room opened, and a man
- appeared on the threshold, who, perceiving that neither Bruno nor Ali
- noticed him, gave an affected cough.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno turned round and perceived Paolo Tomassi.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Ah! is that you, brigadier?” said he, smiling; “it is a pleasure to send
- for you—you have not kept us waiting long.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Why, no,” replied the brigadier, “they met me on the road about a quarter
- of an hour ago as I was bringing up my party, and they said that you
- wanted to see me.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is true,” said Bruno; “I wanted to show you that I am a man of my
- word.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Zounds, I know that well enough,” said the brigadier.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And as I promised that you should receive the three thousand ducats in
- question,” said Bruno, “I wish to keep my word.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Perdition!” said the brigadier, with great energy.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What do you mean, comrade?” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I mean,” said the brigadier, “that I would rather gain three thousand
- ducats in any other manner—in the lottery, for instance.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “And why so?” asked Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Because you are a fine fellow, and men like you are scarce,” was the
- brigadier’s reply.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Bah! what’s that to you?” said Bruno; “it will be promotion for you,
- brigadier.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I know it,” replied Paolo, with a look of despair. “And so you mean to
- deliver yourself up?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I surrender,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “On your honour?” said Paolo.
- </p>
- <p>
- “On my honour,” replied Bruno; “therefore, you may send all those rascals
- away. I wish to have nothing more to do with them.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Paolo Tomassi went to the window.
- </p>
- <p>
- “You may all of you retire,” he cried; “I will answer for the prisoner: go
- and report his capture at Messina.” The soldiers shouted for joy.
- </p>
- <p>
- “And now,” said Bruno to the brigadier, “we will finish the supper these
- fools interrupted.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “With all my heart,” replied Paolo, “for I have come eight leagues in
- three hours, and I am dying with hunger and thirst.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said Bruno, “since you are so well inclined, and as we have but
- one night to spend in each other’s company, let us pass it merrily. Ali,
- go and fetch the ladies out of the cellar, if they have not been
- frightened to death.”
- </p>
- <p>
- Ali performed his mission, and the party enjoyed themselves as best they
- could. In the morning, the brigadier and his prisoner set out for Messina.
- </p>
- <hr />
- <p>
- Five days after the events we have just related, the Prince of Carini was
- informed, in the presence of the beautiful Gemma, who had just ended her
- penance at the Convent of the Visitation, and who had only eight days
- previously returned to the world, that at length his orders had been
- executed, and that Pascal Bruno was taken and placed in one of the prisons
- of Messina.
- </p>
- <p>
- “In that case, the Prince of Goto will pay the three thousand ducats
- promised for his capture; see that the brigand is tried and afterwards
- executed.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Dear prince,” said Gemma, in that gentle voice to whose appeal the count
- could refuse nothing, “I have always been curious to see this man of whom
- I have heard so much.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Your wish shall be gratified, my dear angel; he shall be hanged at
- Palermo.”
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0010" id="link2HCH0010">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER X.—THE CHAPELLE ARDENTE.
- </h2>
- <p>
- According to the promise he had made his favourite, the Prince of Carini
- ordered the condemned man to be sent from Messina to Palermo; and Pascal,
- under a large escort of gendarmerie, was conveyed to the prison of that
- city, situated behind the royal palace, and near to the asylum for
- lunatics.
- </p>
- <p>
- Towards the evening of the second day, a priest entered his dungeon.
- Pascal rose when he saw the holy man: but, notwithstanding all the
- entreaties of the priest, Pascal resolutely refused to confess. The priest
- continued to exhort him to unburden his guilty mind; but nothing could
- induce Pascal to perform this last office of religion. And the priest,
- perceiving he could not overcome his obstinacy, asked him the reason.
- </p>
- <p>
- “The reason,” said Bruno, “is, that I do not wish to commit a sacrilegious
- act.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “In what manner, my son?” inquired the priest.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Is not the first condition of a good confession,” said Bruno, “not only
- the acknowledgment of your own sins, but the forgiveness of those of your
- neighbour?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Certainly,” said the priest, “there can be no complete confession without
- that.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said Bruno, “I have <i>not</i> forgiven; my confession would
- therefore be imperfect, and I have no inclination to make a bad
- confession.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Is it not,” said the priest, “more likely that you have such enormous
- crimes to acknowledge that you fear they will be too great to expect
- pardon? But comfort yourself, God is merciful; and where there is
- repentance there is always hope.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Nevertheless, my father,” said Bruno’, “if between your absolution and my
- death, a wicked thought I have not the power to control should—”
- </p>
- <p>
- “The benefit of your confession would be lost,” said the priest.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is useless then for me to confess,” observed Pascal, “for this wicked
- thought will rise.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Cannot you drive it from your mind?” asked the priest.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal smiled.
- </p>
- <p>
- “It is that thought,” said he, “that has kept me alive, father; without
- that one infernal thought, without that last hope of vengeance, do you
- think I would have allowed myself to be dragged forward as a disgraceful
- spectacle to the multitude? No! I would have strangled myself with the
- chain that binds me. At Messina, I had made up my mind to do so; and I was
- about carrying my intention into effect when an order came to convey me to
- Palermo—I thought <i>she</i> would wish to see me die.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Whom do you mean?” asked the priest.
- </p>
- <p>
- “<i>She</i>,” said Bruno, with bitter emphasis.
- </p>
- <p>
- “But if you die in this manner,” said the priest, “without repenting,
- heaven, will show you no mercy.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” said Bruno, “<i>she</i>, also, shall die without repenting, for
- she shall die at the moment she least expects it; she, also, shall die
- without a priest, and without confession; she, also, shall find, like me,
- heaven without mercy, and we shall sink to perdition together.”
- </p>
- <p>
- At this instant the gaoler entered.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” he said, “the <i>chapelle ardente</i> is prepared.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Do you still persist in your refusal to confess, my son?” said the
- priest.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I do persist,” said Bruno, quietly.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Then I shall no longer delay the mass for the dead,” said the priest,
- “which I will repeat without pressing you any further; and I trust that,
- while you listen, the Heavenly Spirit will visit you and inspire you with
- better thoughts.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “It may be so, father,” said Bruno; “but I have no reason to believe it
- will.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The gens-d’armes entered, unbound Bruno, and led him to the church of St.
- François de Sales, facing the prison, and at that moment brilliantly
- illuminated, for, according to custom, he was there to hear the mass for
- the dead and pass the night in prayer, the execution being fixed for eight
- o’clock the following morning.
- </p>
- <p>
- An iron ring was fixed in a pillar in the choir, and Pascal was secured to
- this ring by means of a chain that went round his body, but which was
- sufficiently long to enable him to reach the balustrades where the
- communicants knelt.
- </p>
- <p>
- The instant mass commenced, the officers of the lunatic asylum brought in
- a coffin, which they placed in the centre of the church: it contained the
- remains of an insane person who had died during the day, and the director
- thought the deceased might as well receive the benefit of the mass that
- was about to be celebrated for the condemned criminal who was to die.
- </p>
- <p>
- Besides, there was an economy in this arrangement, both of time and labour
- for the priest; and as it accommodated all parties, no objection was made.
- </p>
- <p>
- The sacristan lighted two tapers, one for the head and the other for the
- foot of the coffin, and the mass began.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal listened attentively during the whole service, and when it was
- over, the priest went up to him and asked him if he was in a better frame
- of mind; but the condemned man answered that, notwithstanding the mass to
- which he had listened,—notwithstanding the prayers with which he had
- accompanied it, his feelings of hatred and desire for vengeance were still
- the same.
- </p>
- <p>
- The priest told him that at seven o’clock on the following morning he
- would return and ascertain whether a night of solitude and contemplation,
- passed in a church and in presence of the crucifix, had produced any
- change in his feelings of vengeance.
- </p>
- <p>
- Bruno, as may be imagined, when left alone fell into a deep reverie. The
- whole of the varied transactions of his life passed in review before his
- eyes, from the days of his earliest infancy to that moment; and in vain he
- endeavoured to discover in those early days of his life anything that
- deserved the terrible fate that awaited his youth. He remembered only a
- filial and sacred obedience towards the kind parents the Lord had given
- him. He remembered his father’s abode—-so quiet, so innocent, and
- happy at one time—which suddenly, became, without his being aware of
- the cause, full of tears and sorrow. He remembered the day when his father
- went out, carrying with him a dagger, which on his return was covered with
- blood. He remembered the night on which the author of his being was
- arrested as a murderer; when they carried himself, still a child, into a
- <i>chapelle ardente</i> like that in which he was now confined, where he
- saw a man chained as he was now.
- </p>
- <p>
- It seemed to him as if it were some fatal influence, some capricious
- chance, some victorious superiority of evil over good, through the means
- of which all the prospects of his devoted and once virtuous family had
- been so utterly ruined.
- </p>
- <p>
- And then he even doubted the truth of the promises of happiness which
- heaven had made to man; he sought through his own distorted vision for the
- interference of that Providence of which so much was said; and fancying
- that in this, his extremity, some portion of this eternal secret would
- perhaps be revealed to him, he bowed his forehead to the earth and prayed—conjured
- the Deity, with all the fulness of his soul, to interpret to him this
- terrible enigma—to raise the corner of that mysterious veil which
- enshrouded his mind—to dispel his doubts and give him confidence
- here and hopes for hereafter.
- </p>
- <p>
- His hopes were vain; all was silent excepting that internal voice which
- still continued to exclaim—“Vengeance! vengeance! vengeance!”
- </p>
- <p>
- Then he thought the dead were charged to answer him, and that to that end
- a corpse had been placed near him: so true it is that the most
- insignificant amongst us all considers his own existence as the centre of
- the creation, imagines everything is connected with his being, and that
- his miserable body is the pivot on which the whole universe turns.
- </p>
- <p>
- He, therefore, slowly raised himself, paler from the struggle he had had
- with his mind than from any fear of the scaffold, and he turned his eyes
- towards the corpse—it was that of a female.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal shuddered without knowing why; he endeavoured to trace the features
- of that woman—(the coffin in Italy is only closed at the instant of
- interment)—but a corner of the winding-sheet had fallen over the
- face and concealed it. Suddenly, an instinctive maddening feeling reminded
- him of Teresa—Teresa, whom he had not seen since the day when he
- first broke the bonds of God and man—Teresa, who had become mad, and
- for three years had been confined in the lunatic asylum from whence the
- coffin and the corpse had been brought—Teresa, his betrothed, with
- whom, perhaps, he now found himself at the foot of that altar to which he
- had so long hoped to have conducted her while living, and where, at
- length, he had been brought by the bitter mockery of fate to rejoin her:
- she dead—himself about ignominiously to die!
- </p>
- <p>
- To remain longer in doubt was insupportable; he rushed towards the coffin
- to satisfy himself, but he was suddenly dragged back by the waist, his
- chain not being long enough to enable him to reach the corpse, and it held
- him fast to the pillar; he stretched out his arms towards the coffin, but
- he was still several feet away from the object he sought to reach.
- </p>
- <p>
- He then looked round in search of something by means of which he might be
- able to remove the corner of the veil, but he could discover nothing; he
- exerted all the power of his lungs in his endeavour to raise the corner of
- the cloth, but it remained as motionless as marble.
- </p>
- <p>
- He then turned round with a look of concentrated rage it would be
- impossible to describe, seized his chain with both hands, and collecting
- all his strength for the effort, he strove to break it; but the links were
- too firmly-attached to each other and resisted all his efforts.
- </p>
- <p>
- The cold perspiration of rage stood on his forehead; he threw himself at
- the foot of the pillar, placed his head in his hands, and remained
- motionless and mute as the statue of despair; and when the priest came in
- the morning he found him still in the same position.
- </p>
- <p>
- The reverend man approached him quietly and calmly, as became his mission
- of peace and his office as a minister of reconciliation. He thought that
- Pascal slept, but when he placed his hand upon his shoulder, the bandit
- started and raised his head.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, my son,” said the priest, “are you prepared for confession? I am
- ready to absolve you?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I will answer you presently, father; but first render me a last service,”
- said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What is it?” said the priest. “Speak!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” said Bruno, “will you raise the corner of the cloth that hides
- the features of that woman?”
- </p>
- <p>
- The priest raised the corner of the winding-sheet. Pascal had not deceived
- himself, that woman <i>was</i> Teresa!
- </p>
- <p>
- He looked upon her for an instant with the deepest sorrow, and then made a
- sign to the priest to let the linen fall: the priest obeyed him.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well, my son,” he said, “has the sight of death inspired you with any
- pious thoughts?”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Father,” said Bruno, “that woman and I were born to be happy and
- innocent; but she perjured herself, and I became a murderer. <i>She</i>
- has conducted this woman through madness, and me, through despair, to the
- tomb into which we are both about to descend to-day. Let heaven pardon
- her, if it can—I cannot!”
- </p>
- <p>
- At this instant the guards entered the church to lead Pascal to the
- scaffold.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0011" id="link2HCH0011">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER XI.—DEATH OF THE BANDIT.
- </h2>
- <p>
- The sky was magnificent, the air pure and transparent; the inhabitants of
- Palermo awoke as if it had been a holiday—the scholars at the
- colleges and schools had a holiday, and the whole population seemed to
- have assembled in the Rue de Toledo, through the whole length of which the
- condemned man would have to pass to go from the church of Saint François
- de Sales, where He had passed the night, to the Place de la Marine, where
- the execution was to take place.
- </p>
- <p>
- The windows of the houses were filled with women, whose curiosity had
- roused them from their beds before their usual time, and the nuns of the
- various convents in Palermo and its environs might be seen moving like
- shadows behind the gratings of the galleries; while on the flat roofs of
- the houses throngs of people waved to and fro like a field of grain.
- </p>
- <p>
- The condemned man was at the gates of the church placed in a cart drawn by
- mules, and preceded by a number of White Penitents, the first of whom
- carried the cross and the four last the coffin. The executioner followed
- on horseback, bearing a red flag; his two assistants on foot, one on each
- side. Behind these came a body of Black Penitents, who closed the
- procession, which advanced in the midst of a double rank of militia and
- regular troops, while, on the outskirts of the crowd, men were running
- along clothed in long gray dresses, with their heads covered with hoods,
- having openings for the eyes and mouth, holding in one hand a bell, and in
- the other a large purse or bag, collecting alms for the deliverance of the
- soul of the criminal from purgatory.
- </p>
- <p>
- It was reported also among the crowd that the criminal had refused to
- confess, and this deviation from the religious ideas entertained by all
- gave more weight to the rumours which had been spread abroad since the
- very beginning of his career, of an infernal compact between Bruno and the
- enemy of mankind. A feeling of terror, therefore, sat upon the curious yet
- mute population, and no shouts, no cries, not even a murmur, disturbed the
- dirge of death as it was chanted by the White Penitents at the head of the
- procession and the Black Penitents in the rear. Behind these last, and as
- fast as the culprit advanced along the Rue de Toledo, the spectators
- joined the procession and accompanied it towards the Place de la Marine.
- </p>
- <p>
- As to Pascal, he was the only one who appeared perfectly calm in the midst
- of this agitated mass of people, and he looked upon the crowd that
- surrounded him without humility and without ostentation, like a man who,
- understanding the duties of individuals towards society in general and the
- rights of society in respect to individuals, did not repent that he had
- forgotten the last, nor complained that it avenged the first.
- </p>
- <p>
- The procession stopped for an instant at the Place des Quatre Cantons,
- which forms the centre of the city, for so great a crowd were pressing
- forward from either side of the Rue de Cassero, that the line of troops
- was broken, and the centre of the road being crowded with people, the
- Penitents were unable to proceed.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal took advantage of this sudden halt to stand up in the cart and look
- round him, like one about to give a final order or make a last sign; but
- after a long examination of the crowd, and not seeing that of which he was
- in search, he fell back on the truss of straw that answered the purpose of
- a seat, and a cloud spread over his face which seemed to increase until
- the procession reached the Place de la Marine; then a second stoppage
- occurred, and Pascal a second time stood up.
- </p>
- <p>
- At first, he cast a careless glance to the extremity of the place opposite
- the gibbet, and then his looks ran over the immense crowd that filled the
- extensive area of the place of execution, and which appeared paved with
- human heads, with the exception of the terrace of the palace of the Prince
- de Butera, which was completely deserted. He fixed his eyes upon a rich
- balcony covered with damask, embroidered with gold, and sheltered from the
- sun by purple awnings. There, on a species of platform, and surrounded by
- the most elegant women, and the noblest lords of Palermo, the beautiful
- Gemma of Castel Nuova was seated, who, anxious to witness the last agony
- of her enemy, had caused her throne to be raised facing the scaffold.
- </p>
- <p>
- The looks of Pascal Bruno and the counters met, and seemed to dart flashes
- of hatred and vengeance: they were still gazing on each other when a
- strange cry arose among the crowd that surrounded the cart. Pascal
- started, and turning quickly to the spot from whence the sound came, his
- features not only resumed their wonted expression of calmness, but a look
- of joy spread over them.
- </p>
- <p>
- At this, instant the procession was again about to move on, when Bruno,
- with a loud voice, exclaimed—
- </p>
- <p>
- “Stop!”
- </p>
- <p>
- The word had a magical effect, the whole of the crowd seemed for an
- instant nailed to the earth, every face was turned to the condemned man,
- and a thousand eager looks were fixed upon him.
- </p>
- <p>
- “What is it you want?” said the executioner,
- </p>
- <p>
- “My confessor,” said Pascal.
- </p>
- <p>
- “The priest is gone,” said the executioner; “you sent him away.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “My usual confessor is the monk on my left hand in the crowd,” said Bruno.
- “I did not want the other; but I wish to confess to this man.”
- </p>
- <p>
- The executioner gave a look of impatience and denial; but at the same
- instant the people, who had heard the request of the condemned man, cried
- out—
- </p>
- <p>
- “The confessor! the confessor!”
- </p>
- <p>
- The executioner was obliged to submit, and the crowd made way for the
- monk: he was a tall young man, of a swarthy complexion, and seemed as if
- he were exhausted by the austerities of the cloister; he went up to the
- cart and climbed into it.
- </p>
- <p>
- At the same instant Bruno fell on his knees—this was a general
- signal; on the pavement, in the street, on the balconies at the windows,
- on the roofs of the houses, every one knelt; all excepting the
- executioner, who remained on horseback, and his assistants, who stood by
- his side. At the same instant the Penitents began to chant the prayers for
- the dying, to conceal by the voices the words of the confession.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I have been long expecting you,” observed Bruno. “I was waiting here for
- you,” replied Ali, for he it was.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I was afraid they would not keep the promise they made me,” said Bruso;
- “and that you would meet the same fate as myself.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “No,” said Ali, “they have kept their promise; I am at liberty.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Listen then,” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I am attentive,” replied Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “There, on my right hand—” Bruno turned in that direction, for his
- hands were bound, and he had no other means of pointing—“you see a
- balcony covered with gold embroidery.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes,” said Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “On that balcony is a young and beautiful woman, with flowers in her hair—”
- </p>
- <p>
- “I see her,” interrupted Ali; “she is on her knees at prayers like the
- rest.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “That woman,” said Bruno, “is the Countess Gemma, of Castel Nuova.”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Beneath whose window I was waiting when you were wounded in the
- shoulder?” asked Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Yes,” replied Bruno, “that woman is the cause of all my misfortunes; she
- forced me to commit my first crime; she has brought me here!”
- </p>
- <p>
- “Well,” said Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “I should not die in peace if I knew that she would survive me happy and
- honoured,” continued Bruno. “You may die in peace,” said the youth.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Thanks, thanks, Ali!” said Bruno, impressively.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Let me embrace you once more father,” said Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Adieu!” said Bruno.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Farewell for ever!” said Ali.
- </p>
- <p>
- The young monk embraced the culprit as a priest is in the habit of doing
- when he gives absolution to the sinner, and he then alighted from the cart
- and mingled with the crowd.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Go on,” said Bruno, imperatively; and the procession again obeyed him, as
- if the speaker had the right to command.
- </p>
- <p>
- Every one arose; Gemma reseated herself, and the procession moved on
- towards the scaffold.
- </p>
- <p>
- When it arrived at the foot of the gibbet, the executioner descended from
- his horse, mounted the scaffold, climbed up the ladder, and fixed his
- blood-coloured flag on the cross-piece above, satisfied himself that the
- cord was well fastened, and threw off his coat that he might have more
- freedom of action.
- </p>
- <p>
- Pascal immediately sprang out of the cart, thrust aside with his shoulders
- the hangmen’s men, who wished to assist him, rapidly mounted the scaffold,
- and placed himself against the ladder which he had to climb backwards. At
- the same instant, the Penitent who carried the cross placed it in front of
- the bandit, so that he might see it in its dying moments. The Penitents
- who carried the coffin seated themselves upon it, and the troops formed
- themselves into a semicircle round the scaffold, leaving in the centre the
- two bands of Penitents, the executioner, his assistants, and their victim,
- Pascal mounted the ladder, refusing all assistance, with the calmness he
- had hitherto displayed, and as Gemma’s balcony was facing him, it was even
- observed that he cast his eyes in that direction and smiled. At the same
- instant, the executioner passed the cord round his neck, seized him by the
- middle of his body, and cast him off the ladder; he then slipped down the
- cord, and pressed with his whole weight on the shoulders of the culprit,
- while the assistants, clinging to his legs, pulled at the lower part of
- his body; but suddenly the rope broke, not being able to bear the weight
- of four persons, and the whole party, the executioner, his assistants, and
- their victim, were rolling on the scaffold.
- </p>
- <p>
- One man arose before the rest—it was Pascal Bruno, whose hands had
- burst the cords with which they were tied; he stood up in the midst of a
- general silence, having in his right side a knife the executioner had in
- his rage at the accident plunged into it the whole length of its blade.
- </p>
- <p>
- “Wretch!” cried the bandit, addressing the hangman, “you are neither fit
- for an executioner nor a bandit; you can neither hang nor assassinate.”
- </p>
- <p>
- With these words, he drew out the reeking knife from his right side, and
- plunging it into his left side near his heart fell dead.
- </p>
- <p>
- Then there arose a terrific shout and a wild tumult in the crowd, some
- rushed away from the spot, while others attacked the scaffold.
- </p>
- <p>
- The body of the condemned man was carried away by the Penitents, and the
- executioner was nearly torn in pieces by the people.
- </p>
- <p>
- <a name="link2HCH0012" id="link2HCH0012">
- <!-- H2 anchor --> </a>
- </p>
- <div style="height: 4em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
- <h2>
- CHAPTER XII.—CONCLUSION.
- </h2>
- <p>
- The evening after the execution, the Prince of Carini dined with the
- Archbishop of Montreal, while Gemma, who was not admissible into the
- society of the prelate, remained at the Villa Carini.
- </p>
- <p>
- The evening was as delightful as the morning had been. From one of the
- windows of the room which was hung with blue satin, the room in which the
- first scene of our history took place, Alicudi might plainly be seen, and
- behind it, like a vapour floating on the sea, the isles of Filicudi and
- Salina. The other window overlooked a beautiful park, filled with orange
- trees and pomegranates; on the right, might be seen Mount Pellegrino from
- its base to its very summit, and on the left the view extended as far as
- Montreal.
- </p>
- <p>
- The beautiful Countess Gemma, of Castel Nuovo, had remained for some time
- at this window, her eyes fixed on the ancient residence of the Norman
- kings, and seeking in every carriage as it came towards Palermo for the
- equipage of the viceroy. But at length the darkness of the evening
- increased, and distant objects becoming indistinct, she entered her
- chamber and rang for her maid, and, fatigued as she had been by the
- emotions of the day, she retired to rest.
- </p>
- <p>
- It was late before the prince was able to relieve himself from the kind
- attentions of his host, and eleven o’clock struck by the cathedral (built
- by William the Good) before the viceroy’s carriage, drawn by four splendid
- horses, departed at a gallop. Half an hour was sufficient to enable him to
- reach Palermo, and in five minutes afterwards, he had cleared the distance
- between the city and his villa.
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince hastily proceeded to Gemma’s chamber, he attempted to enter the
- door, but it was fastened on the inside: he then went to the secret door
- that opened on the other side of the bed, close to the recess in which
- Gemma reposed. Having opened it softly, that he might not awake the
- charming sleeper, he stood a moment to gaze upon her in the sweet and
- beautiful abandonment of repose.
- </p>
- <p>
- An elaborate lamp, suspended from the ceiling by three strings of pearls,
- was the only light in the room, and its light was arranged in such a
- manner as to prevent its dazzling the eyes of the sleeper. The prince,
- therefore, leaned over the bed that he might see better.
- </p>
- <p>
- Gemma was lying with her chest almost entirely uncovered, and her boa,
- rolled round her neck, contrasted beautifully by its dark colour with the
- whiteness of her skin.
- </p>
- <p>
- The prince for an instant gazed on the enchanting statue, but its want of
- animation soon astonished him; he drew closer, and perceived that a
- strange paleness overspread her features. He bent his ear over her, but
- could not hear her respiration; he seized her hand, it was cold. Then he
- placed his arm beneath the form he loved so well, that he might warm it by
- pressing it to his breast; but he suddenly allowed it again to fall, and
- uttered a cry of anguish and horror. Gemma’s head had fallen from her
- shoulders and rolled upon the carpet.
- </p>
- <p>
- The next morning the yataghan of Ali was found beneath the window!
- </p>
- <p>
- THE END.
- </p>
- <div style="height: 6em;">
- <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
- </div>
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-<pre>
-
-
-
-
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