An Italian Count.

friends ever to get married , " she responded , with such inimitable voice and honest manner that he burst into a laugh , iu which she joined . " Nevermind , " she added , still laughing . " My noble robber ceased his gallantries in

a degree , and after a while I learned that his grace , elegance , and dignity , covered a heartless , selfish , utterly cruel , and murderous character . However , they gave us a good supper of roast-venison and fruits . There were no potatoesbut plenty of hard

, bread and good butter—cakes and honey came afterward . My chief did the honours of the table , which was a flat , projecting rock , covered with a rich crimson cloth , which I suspect had once covered the graceful shoulders of some rich captive .

" The smooth tongue of our treacherous captor did not blind me to the danger of our situation . We had not been brought to this depot" of murder and plunder for the mere pleasure of the enjoyment of our

company . They don ' t stop travelling carriages on stormy nights among the mountains for purposes of friendship or conviviality . You may suppose I did not sleep at all that night . An old-fashioned clock , such as are used in many of the inns in that country , struck the hours upon my

waiting ears till morning . The bandits had dispersed in clefts of the cavern . I could hear the rain dripping from the rocks . Here and there a torch flared dismally in the gloom , only making the thick darkness aboveand the strangeicturesque

perspec-, , p tive below , more ghastly and phantasmal . My couch was composed of beautiful leopard skins , and formed a luxurious resting-place , but I was so much occupied in watching the shadow-like spectres that flitted along the granite walls and niches that I could

think of little else . I felt sure that every precaution had been taken to guard the cave , and did not , therefore , make any effort for our release .

' The next day passed gloomily . Early in the morning the bandits left the cave , and we were cared for by four or five dark Italian women , so throughly destitute of beaut y that I ventured to imagine them male robbers dressed in female garments

. Several of them bore marks of great brutality of treatment . I asked one of them how she had lost so many fingers . She answered me nothing , but , as you will hear , have since learned the reason .

" The band came in again at the close of the day . They talked a great deal , and seemed angrily disputing . They brought no . prisoners . Not long after that the chief of the bandits came toward where I satand threw himself on a heap of skins

, near me . He required of me the names of the people I knew in Naples and other cities in which we had sojonrned . Two of them were rich bankers . I saw his eye glisten as he wrote them down in his tablets .

" ' It is customary , ' he said , ' and I tell yon this because I appreciate your extraordinary courage , to send to the friends of the prisoners some token or other memento that will appeal to their humanity ; in other words , ' he added , with a sarcastic

smile , ' their pockets . For instance , last month I had a very pretty countess here , and I sent her seal-ring and one earring , with a very small clipping of the ear attached—nothing that would disfigure " her permanently , upon nry honour , ' he said , seeing the shudder which I could not conceal . ' Sometimes I sent a batch of

pretty ringlets ; it is only occasionally I remove the finger with the ring . ' "' You are a monster ! ' said I , feeling it impossible to restrain my indignation . Would you believe it ? He laughed and looked pleased . "' Now I was thinking , ' he went on , ' in case your brother were to be represented—'

" ' Don ' t touch him ! ' 1 exclaimed , forgetting everything in this new terror ; ' he is ill and feeble , it might kill him . If it must be , and you thirst for blood , I can better part with my whole hand then he with a finger . ' I held out my hand and

he had the audacity to press his hateful lips upon it . '" I admire you more for your courage than your beauty , ' he said , and then I thought I had cause for trembling . I shall never forget his lookor my inward

, terror . Instantly I snatched my crucifix . "' For the sake of God ! ' I cried , and thrust it close to his eyes , ' Let us go !'" He started and crossed himself violently . His eyes alarmed me with their fire , which did not seem vindictive . He evidently

relented , whateverhispurposemighthavebeen , and declared that I should not be harmed . All he wished from me was a letter B 2