"`Yes, it is very annoying,' said Vampa; `but we have not seen
him.'
"Then the carbineers scoured the country in different
directions, but in vain; then, after a time, they disappeared.
Vampa then removed the stone, and Cucumetto came out. Through the
crevices in the granite he had seen the two young peasants talking
with the carbineers, and guessed the subject of their parley. He
had read in the countenances of Luigi and Teresa their steadfast
resolution not to surrender him, and he drew from his pocket a
purse full of gold, which he offered to them. But Vampa raised his
head proudly; as to Teresa, her eyes sparkled when she thought of
all the fine gowns and gay jewellery she could buy with this purse
of gold.
"Cucumetto was a cunning fiend, and had assumed the form of a
brigand instead of a serpent, and this look from Teresa showed to
him that she was a worthy daughter of Eve, and he returned to the
forest, pausing several times on his way, under the pretext of
saluting his protectors. Several days elapsed, and they neither saw
nor heard of Cucumetto. The time of the Carnival was at hand. The
Count of San-Felice announced a grand masked ball, to which all
that were distinguished in Rome were invited. Teresa had a great
desire to see this ball. Luigi asked permission of his protector,
the steward, that she and he might be present amongst the servants
of the house. This was granted. The ball was given by the Count for
the particular pleasure of his daughter Carmela, whom he adored.
Carmela was precisely the age and figure of Teresa, and Teresa was
as handsome as Carmela. On the evening of the ball Teresa was
attired in her best, her most brilliant ornaments in her hair, and
gayest glass beads, — she was in the costume of the women of
Frascati. Luigi wore the very picturesque garb of the Roman peasant
at holiday time. They both mingled, as they had leave to do, with
the servants and peasants.
"The festa was magnificent; not only was the villa brilliantlythe servants and peasants.
"The festa was magnificent; not only was the villa brilliantly
illuminated, but thousands of colored lanterns were suspended from
the trees in the garden; and very soon the palace overflowed to the
terraces, and the terraces to the garden-walks. At each cross-path
was an orchestra, and tables spread with refreshments; the guests
stopped, formed quadrilles, and danced in any part of the grounds
they pleased. Carmela was attired like a woman of Sonnino. Her cap
was embroidered with pearls, the pins in her hair were of gold and
diamonds, her girdle was of Turkey silk, with large embroidered
flowers, her bodice and skirt were of cashmere, her apron of Indian
muslin, and the buttons of her corset were of jewels. Two of her
companions were dressed, the one as a woman of Nettuno, and the
other as a woman of La Riccia. Four young men of the richest and
noblest families of Rome accompanied them with that Italian freedom
which has not its parallel in any other country in the world. They
were attired as peasants of Albano, Velletri, Civita-Castellana,
and Sora. We need hardly add that these peasant costumes, like
those of the young women, were brilliant with gold and jewels.
"Carmela wished to form a quadrille, but there was one lady
wanting. Carmela looked all around her, but not one of the guests
had a costume similar to her own, or those of her companions. The
Count of San-Felice pointed out Teresa, who was hanging on Luigi's
arm in a group of peasants. `Will you allow me, father?' said
Carmela. — `Certainly,' replied the count, `are we not in Carnival
time?' — Carmela turned towards the young man who was talking with
her, and saying a few words to him, pointed with her finger to
Teresa. The young man looked, bowed in obedience, and then went to
Teresa, and invited her to dance in a quadrille directed by the
count's daughter. Teresa felt a flush pass over her face; she
looked at Luigi, who could not refuse his assent. Luigi slowlylooked at Luigi, who could not refuse his assent. Luigi slowly
relinquished Teresa's arm, which he had held beneath his own, and
Teresa, accompanied by her elegant cavalier, took her appointed
place with much agitation in the aristocratic quadrille. Certainly,
in the eyes of an artist, the exact and strict costume of Teresa
had a very different character from that of Carmela and her
companions; and Teresa was frivolous and coquettish, and thus the
embroidery and muslins, the cashmere waist-girdles, all dazzled
her, and the reflection of sapphires and diamonds almost turned her
giddy brain.
"Luigi felt a sensation hitherto unknown arising in his mind. It
was like an acute pain which gnawed at his heart, and then thrilled
through his whole body. He followed with his eye each movement of
Teresa and her cavalier; when their hands touched, he felt as
though he should swoon; every pulse beat with violence, and it
seemed as though a bell were ringing in his ears. When they spoke,
although Teresa listened timidly and with downcast eyes to the
conversation of her cavalier, as Luigi could read in the ardent
looks of the good-looking young man that his language was that of
praise, it seemed as if the whole world was turning round with him,
and all the voices of hell were whispering in his ears ideas of
murder and assassination. Then fearing that his paroxysm might get
the better of him, he clutched with one hand the branch of a tree
against which he was leaning, and with the other convulsively
grasped the dagger with a carved handle which was in his belt, and
which, unwittingly, he drew from the scabbard from time to time.
Luigi was jealous! He felt that, influenced by her ambitions and
coquettish disposition, Teresa might escape him.
"The young peasant girl, at first timid and scared, soon
recovered herself. We have said that Teresa was handsome, but this
is not all; Teresa was endowed with all those wild graces which are
so much more potent than our affected and studied elegancies. She