word of what you are going to tell us; having told you this,
begin."
"Once upon a time" —
"Well, go on." Signor Pastrini turned toward Franz, who seemed
to him the more reasonable of the two; we must do him justice, — he
had had a great many Frenchmen in his house, but had never been
able to comprehend them. "Excellency," said he gravely, addressing
Franz, "if you look upon me as a liar, it is useless for me to say
anything; it was for your interest I" —
"Albert does not say you are a liar, Signor Pastrini," said
Franz, "but that he will not believe what you are going to tell us,
— but I will believe all you say; so proceed."
"But if your excellency doubt my veracity" —
"Signor Pastrini," returned Franz, "you are more susceptible
than Cassandra, who was a prophetess, and yet no one believed her;
while you, at least, are sure of the credence of half your
audience. Come, sit down, and tell us all about this Signor
Vampa."
"I had told your excellency he is the most famous bandit we have
had since the days of Mastrilla."
"Well, what has this bandit to do with the order I have given
the coachman to leave the city by the Porta del Popolo, and to
re-enter by the Porta San Giovanni?"
"This," replied Signor Pastrini, "that you will go out by one,
but I very much doubt your returning by the other."
"Why?" asked Franz.
"Because, after nightfall, you are not safe fifty yards from the
gates."
"On your honor is that true?" cried Albert.
"Count," returned Signor Pastrini, hurt at Albert's repeated
doubts of the truth of his assertions, "I do not say this to you,
but to your companion, who knows Rome, and knows, too, that these
things are not to be laughed at."
"My dear fellow," said Albert, turning to Franz, "here is an
admirable adventure; we will fill our carriage with pistols,
blunderbusses, and double-barrelled guns. Luigi Vampa comes to take
us, and we take him — we bring him back to Rome, and present him to
his holiness the Pope, who asks how he can repay so great ahis holiness the Pope, who asks how he can repay so great a
service; then we merely ask for a carriage and a pair of horses,
and we see the Carnival in the carriage, and doubtless the Roman
people will crown us at the Capitol, and proclaim us, like Curtius
and the veiled Horatius, the preservers of their country." Whilst
Albert proposed this scheme, Signor Pastrini's face assumed an
expression impossible to describe.
"And pray," asked Franz, "where are these pistols,
blunderbusses, and other deadly weapons with which you intend
filling the carriage?"
"Not out of my armory, for at Terracina I was plundered even of
my hunting-knife."
"I shared the same fate at Aquapendente."
"Do you know, Signor Pastrini," said Albert, lighting a second
cigar at the first, "that this practice is very convenient for
bandits, and that it seems to be due to an arrangement of their
own." Doubtless Signor Pastrini found this pleasantry compromising,
for he only answered half the question, and then he spoke to Franz,
as the only one likely to listen with attention. "Your excellency
knows that it is not customary to defend yourself when attacked by
bandits."
"What!" cried Albert, whose courage revolted at the idea of
being plundered tamely, "not make any resistance!"
"No, for it would be useless. What could you do against a dozen
bandits who spring out of some pit, ruin, or aqueduct, and level
their pieces at you?"
"Eh, parbleu! — they should kill me."
The inn-keeper turned to Franz with an air that seemed to say,
"Your friend is decidedly mad."
"My dear Albert," returned Franz, "your answer is sublime, and
worthy the `Let him die,' of Corneille, only, when Horace made that
answer, the safety of Rome was concerned; but, as for us, it is
only to gratify a whim, and it would be ridiculous to risk our
lives for so foolish a motive." Albert poured himself out a glass
of lacryma Christi, which he sipped at intervals, muttering some
unintelligible words.
"Well, Signor Pastrini," said Franz, "now that my companion isunintelligible words.
"Well, Signor Pastrini," said Franz, "now that my companion is
quieted, and you have seen how peaceful my intentions are, tell me
who is this Luigi Vampa. Is he a shepherd or a nobleman? — young or
old? — tall or short? Describe him, in order that, if we meet him
by chance, like Bugaboo John or Lara, we may recognize him."
"You could not apply to any one better able to inform you on all
these points, for I knew him when he was a child, and one day that
I fell into his hands, going from Ferentino to Alatri, he,
fortunately for me, recollected me, and set me free, not only
without ransom, but made me a present of a very splendid watch, and
related his history to me."
"Let us see the watch," said Albert.
Signor Pastrini drew from his fob a magnificent Breguet, bearing
the name of its maker, of Parisian manufacture, and a count's
coronet.
"Here it is," said he.
"Peste," returned Albert, "I compliment you on it; I have its
fellow" — he took his watch from his waistcoat pocket — "and it
cost me 3,000 francs."
"Let us hear the history," said Franz, motioning Signor Pastrini
to seat himself.
"Your excellencies permit it?" asked the host.
"Pardieu!" cried Albert, "you are not a preacher, to remain
standing!"
The host sat down, after having made each of them a respectful
bow, which meant that he was ready to tell them all they wished to
know concerning Luigi Vampa. "You tell me," said Franz, at the
moment Signor Pastrini was about to open his mouth, "that you knew
Luigi Vampa when he was a child — he is still a young man,
then?"
"A young man? he is only two and twenty; — he will gain himself
a reputation."
"What do you think of that, Albert? — at two and twenty to be
thus famous?"
"Yes, and at his age, Alexander, Caesar, and Napoleon, who have
all made some noise in the world, were quite behind him."
"So," continued Franz, "the hero of this history is only two and
twenty?"
"Scarcely so much."
"Is he tall or short?"
"Of the middle height — about the same stature as his