THE NEXT MORNING Franz woke first, and instantly rang the bell. The sound had not yet died away when Signor Pastrini himself entered.

"Well, excellency," said the landlord triumphantly¹, and without waiting for Franz to question him, "I feared yesterday, when I would not promise you anything, that you were too late--there is not a single carriage to be had--that is, for the last three days of the carnival²."

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

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

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

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

"That is to say, excellency," replied Pastrini, who was desirous of keeping up the dignity of the capital of the Christian³ world in the eyes of his guest, "that there are no carriages to be had from Sunday to Tuesday evening, but from now till Sunday you can have fifty if you please."

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

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

"My friend," said Morcerf, "let us enjoy the present without gloomy forebodings for the future."

"At least we can have a window?"

"Where?"

"In the Corso."

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

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

"Well," said Franz to Albert, "do you know what is the best thing we can do? It is to pass the Carnival at Venice; there we are sure of obtaining gondolas⁴ if we cannot have carriages."

"Ah, the devil, no," cried Albert; "I came to Rome to see the Carnival, and I will, though I see it on stilts⁵."

"Bravo! an excellent idea. We will disguise ourselves as monster pulchinellos or shepherds of the Landes, and we shall have complete success."

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

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

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

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

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

"Now go," returned Franz, "or I shall go myself and bargain with your affettatore, who is mine also; he is an old friend of mine, who has plundered⁶ me pretty well already, and, in the hope of making more out of me, he will take a less price than the one I offer you; you will lose the preference, and that will be your fault."

"Do not give yourselves the trouble, excellency," returned Signor Pastrini, with the smile peculiar⁷ to the Italian speculator when he confesses defeat; "I will do all I can, and I hope you will be satisfied."

"And now we understand each other."

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

"In an hour."

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

An hour after the vehicle was at the door; it was a hack⁹ conveyance¹⁰ which was elevated to the rank of a private carriage in honor of the occasion, but, in spite of its humble¹¹ exterior¹², the young men would have thought themselves happy to have secured it for the last three days of the Carnival. "Excellency," cried the cicerone, seeing Franz approach the window, "shall I bring the carriage nearer to the palace?"

Accustomed as Franz was to the Italian phraseology, his first impulse was to look round him, but these words were addressed to him. Franz was the "excellency," the vehicle was the "carriage," and the H?tel de Londres was the "palace." The genius for laudation characteristic of the race was in that phrase.

Franz and Albert descended¹³, the carriage approached the palace; their excellencies stretched their legs along the seats; the cicerone sprang into the seat behind. "Where do your excellencics wish to go?" asked he.

"To Saint Peter's first, and then to the Colosseum," returned Albert. But Albert did not know that it takes a day to see Saint Peter's, and a month to study it. The day was passed at Saint Peter's alone. Suddenly the daylight began to fade away; Franz took out his watch--it was half-past four. They returned to the hotel; at the door Franz ordered the coachman to be ready at eight. He wished to show Albert the Colosseum by moonlight, as he had shown him Saint Peter's by daylight. When we show a friend a city one has already visited, we feel the same pride as when we point out a woman whose lover we have been. He was to leave the city by the Porta del Popolo, skirt the outer wall, and re-enter by the Porta San Giovanni; thus they would behold¹⁵ the Colosseum without finding their impressions dulled by first looking on the Capitol, the Forum¹⁶, the Arch of Septimus Severus, the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, and the Via Sacra. They sat down to dinner. Signor Pastrini had promised them a banquet; he gave them a tolerable repast. At the end of the dinner he entered in person. Franz thought that he came to hear his dinner praised, and began accordingly, but at the first words he was interrupted. "Excellency," said Pastrini, "I am delighted to have your approbation¹⁷, but it was not for that I came."

"Did you come to tell us you have procured¹⁹ a carriage?" asked Albert, lighting²⁰ his cigar.

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

"It is much more convenient at Paris,--when anything cannot be done, you pay double, and it is done directly."

"That is what all the French say," returned Signor Pastrini, somewhat piqued²¹; "for that reason, I do not understand why they travel."

"But," said Albert, emitting a volume of smoke and balancing his chair on its hind¹⁴ legs, "only madmen, or blockheads like us, ever do travel. Men in their senses do not quit their hotel in the Rue²² du Helder, their walk on the Boulevard de Gand, and the Café de Paris."

It is of course understood that Albert resided in the aforesaid street, appeared every day on the fashionable walk, and dined frequently at the only restaurant where you can really dine, that is, if you are on good terms with its frequenters. Signor Pastrini remained silent a short time; it was evident that he was musing²³ over this answer, which did not seem very clear. "But," said Franz, in his turn interrupting his host's meditations²⁴, "you had some motive²⁵ for coming here, may I beg to know what it was?"

"Ah, yes; you have ordered your carriage at eight o'clock precisely²⁶?"

"I have."

"You intend visiting Il Colosseo."

"You mean the Colosseum?"

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

"These are my words exactly."

"Well, this route is impossible."

"Impossible!"

"Very dangerous, to say the least."

"Dangerous!--and why?"

"On account of the famous Luigi Vampa."

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

"What! do you not know him?"

"I have not that honor."

"You have never heard his name?"

"Never."

"Well, then, he is a bandit, compared to whom the Decesaris and the Gasparones were mere²⁷ children."

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

"I forewarn you, Signor Pastrini, that I shall not believe one 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 liar⁸, 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 susceptible²⁸ than Cassandra, who was a prophetess, and yet no one believed her; while you, at least, are sure of the credence²⁹ 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 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 armory³¹, 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 spoke³³ 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 sublime³⁴, and worthy³⁵ 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 whim³⁶, 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 sipped³⁷ at intervals³⁸, muttering some unintelligible³⁹ 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, recollected⁴⁰ me, and set me free, not only without ransom⁴¹, 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 maker⁴², 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.

"" cried Albert, "you are not a preacher, to remain standing⁴³!"

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, C?sar, 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 stature⁴⁴ as his excellency," returned the host, pointing to Albert.

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

"Go on, Signor Pastrini," continued Franz, smiling at his friend's susceptibility. "To what class of society does he belong?"

"He was a shepherd-boy attached to the farm of the Count of San-Felice, situated⁴⁵ between Palestrina and the lake of Gabri; he was born at Pampinara, and entered the count's service when he was five years old; his father was also a shepherd, who owned a small flock, and lived by the wool and the milk, which he sold at Rome. When quite a child, the little Vampa displayed a most extraordinary precocity⁴⁶. One day, when he was seven years old, he came to the curate of Palestrina, and asked to be taught to read; it was somewhat difficult, for he could not quit his flock; but the good curate went every day to say mass at a little hamlet too poor to pay a priest and which, having no other name, was called Borgo; he told Luigi that he might meet him on his return, and that then he would give him a lesson, warning him that it would be short, and that he must profit as much as possible by it. The child accepted joyfully⁴⁸. Every day Luigi led his flock to graze on the road that leads from Palestrina to Borgo; every day, at nine o'clock in the morning, the priest and the boy sat down on a bank by the wayside, and the little shepherd took his lesson out of the priest's breviary. At the end of three months he had learned to read. This was not enough--he must now learn to write. The priest had a writing teacher at Rome make three alphabets--one large, one middling, and one small; and pointed⁵⁰ out to him that by the help of a sharp instrument he could trace the letters on a slate⁵¹, and thus learn to write. The same evening, when the flock was safe at the farm, the little Luigi hastened to the smith at Palestrina, took a large nail, heated and sharpened it, and formed a sort of stylus. The next morning he gathered an armful of pieces of slate and began. At the end of three months he had learned to write. The curate, astonished at his quickness and intelligence, made him a present of pens, paper, and a penknife. This demanded new effort, but nothing compared to the first; at the end of a week he wrote as well with this pen as with the stylus. The curate related the incident to the Count of San-Felice, who sent for the little shepherd, made him read and write before him, ordered his attendant to let him eat with the domestics, and to give him two piastres a month. With this, Luigi purchased books and pencils. He applied⁵² his imitative powers to everything, and, like Giotto, when young, he drew on his slate sheep, houses, and trees. Then, with his knife, he began to carve all sorts of objects in wood; it was thus that Pinelli, the famous sculptor⁵³, had commenced.

"A girl of six or seven--that is, a little younger than Vampa--tended sheep on a farm near Palestrina; she was an orphan⁵⁴, born at Valmontone and was named Teresa. The two children met, sat down near each other, let their flocks mingle⁵⁵ together, played, laughed, and conversed⁵⁶ together; in the evening they separated the Count of San-Felice's flock from those of Baron⁵⁷ Cervetri, and the children returned to their respective farms, promising³² to meet the next morning. The next day they kept their word, and thus they grew up together. Vampa was twelve, and Teresa eleven. And yet their natural disposition⁵⁸ revealed itself. Beside his taste for the fine arts, which Luigi had carried as far as he could in his solitude⁵⁹, he was given to alternating fits of sadness and enthusiasm, was often angry and capricious, and always sarcastic⁶⁰. None of the lads of Pampinara, Palestrina, or Valmontone had been able to gain any influence over him or even to become his companion. His disposition (always inclined to exact concessions⁶¹ rather than to make them) kept him aloof⁶² from all friendships. Teresa alone ruled by a look, a word, a gesture, this impetuous character, which yielded beneath the hand of a woman, and which beneath the hand of a man might have broken, but could never have been bended. Teresa was lively and gay, but coquettish to excess. The two piastres that Luigi received every month from the Count of San-Felice's steward⁶³, and the price of all the little carvings⁶⁴ in wood he sold at Rome, were expended⁶⁵ in ear-rings, necklaces, and gold hairpins⁶⁶. So that, thanks to her friend's generosity⁶⁷, Teresa was the most beautiful and the best-attired⁶⁹ peasant near Rome. The two children grew up together, passing all their time with each other, and giving themselves up to the wild ideas of their different characters. Thus, in all their dreams, their wishes, and their conversations, Vampa saw himself the captain of a vessel⁷⁰, general of an army, or governor of a province. Teresa saw herself rich, superbly attired, and attended by a train of liveried domestics. Then, when they had thus passed the day in building castles in the air, they separated their flocks, and descended from the elevation⁷¹ of their dreams to the reality of their humble position.

"One day the young shepherd told the count's steward that he had seen a wolf come out of the Sabine mountains, and prowl around his flock. The steward gave him a gun; this was what Vampa longed for. This gun had an excellent barrel, made at Breschia, and carrying a ball with the precision of an English rifle; but one day the count broke the stock, and had then cast the gun aside. This, however, was nothing to a sculptor like Vampa; he examined the broken stock, calculated what change it would require to adapt the gun to his shoulder, and made a fresh stock, so beautifully carved that it would have fetched fifteen or twenty piastres, had he chosen to sell it. But nothing could be farther from his thoughts. For a long time a gun had been the young man's greatest ambition. In every country where independence has taken the place of liberty, the first desire of a manly⁷² heart is to possess a weapon, which at once renders him capable of defence or attack, and, by rendering⁷⁴ its owner terrible, often makes him feared. From this moment Vampa devoted⁷⁵ all his leisure time to perfecting himself in the use of his precious weapon; he purchased powder and ball, and everything served him for a mark--the trunk of some old and moss-grown olive-tree, that grew on the Sabine mountains; the fox, as he quitted his earth on some marauding excursion; the eagle that soared above their heads: and thus he soon became so expert, that Teresa overcame the terror she at first felt at the report, and amused herself by watching him direct the ball wherever he pleased, with as much accuracy as if he placed it by hand.

"One evening a wolf emerged from a pine-wood hear which they were usually stationed, but the wolf had scarcely advanced ten yards ere he was dead. Proud of this exploit, Vampa took the dead animal on his shoulders, and carried him to the farm. These exploits had gained Luigi considerable reputation. The man of superior abilities always finds admirers, go where he will. He was spoken of as the most adroit⁷⁶, the strongest, and the most courageous⁷⁷ contadino for ten leagues around; and although Teresa was universally allowed to be the most beautiful girl of the Sabines, no one had ever spoken to her of love, because it was known that she was beloved by Vampa. And yet the two young people had never declared their affection; they had grown together like two trees whose roots are mingled⁷⁸, whose branches intertwined, and whose intermingled perfume rises to the heavens. Only their wish to see each other had become a necessity, and they would have preferred death to a day's separation. Teresa was sixteen, and Vampa seventeen. About this time, a band of brigands⁸⁰ that had established itself in the Lepini mountains began to be much spoken of. The brigands have never been really extirpated⁸¹ from the neighborhood of Rome. Sometimes a chief is wanted, but when a chief presents himself he rarely has to wait long for a band of followers⁸².

"The celebrated⁸³ Cucumetto, pursued in the Abruzzo, driven out of the kingdom of Naples, where he had carried on a regular war, had crossed the Garigliano, like Manfred, and had taken refuge on the banks of the Amasine between Sonnino and Juperno. He strove to collect a band of followers, and followed the footsteps of Decesaris and Gasperone, whom he hoped to surpass. Many young men of Palestrina, Frascati, and Pampinara had disappeared. Their disappearance⁸⁴ at first caused much disquietude; but it was soon known that they had joined Cucumetto. After some time Cucumetto became the object of universal attention; the most extraordinary traits of ferocious⁸⁵ daring and brutality⁸⁶ were related of him. One day he carried off a young girl, the daughter of a surveyor of Frosinone. The bandit's laws are positive; a young girl belongs first to him who carries her off, then the rest draw lots for her, and she is abandoned to their brutality until death relieves her sufferings. When their parents are sufficiently⁸⁷ rich to pay a ransom, a messenger is sent to negotiate; the prisoner is hostage for the security of the messenger; should the ransom be refused, the prisoner is irrevocably lost. The young girl's lover was in Cucumetto's troop; his name was Carlini. When she recognized her lover, the poor girl extended her arms to him, and believed herself safe; but Carlini felt his heart sink, for he but too well knew the fate that awaited her. However, as he was a favorite with Cucumetto, as he had for three years faithfully served him, and as he had saved his life by shooting a dragoon who was about to cut him down, he hoped the chief would have pity on him. He took Cucumetto one side, while the young girl, seated at the foot of a huge pine that stood in the centre of the forest, made a veil of her picturesque⁸⁸ head-dress to hide her face from the lascivious⁸⁹ gaze of the bandits. There he told the chief all--his affection for the prisoner, their promises of mutual⁹⁰ fidelity⁹¹, and how every night, since he had been near, they had met in some neighboring ruins.

"It so happened that night that Cucumetto had sent Carlini to a village, so that he had been unable to go to the place of meeting. Cucumetto had been there, however, by accident, as he said, and had carried the maiden⁹³ off. Carlini besought⁹⁴ his chief to make an exception in Rita's favor, as her father was rich, and could pay a large ransom. Cucumetto seemed to yield to his friend's entreaties⁹⁵, and bade him find a shepherd to send to Rita's father at Frosinone. Carlini flew joyfully to Rita, telling her she was saved, and bidding her write to her father, to inform him what had occurred, and that her ransom was fixed⁹⁶ at three hundred piastres. Twelve hours' delay was all that was granted--that is, until nine the next morning. The instant the letter was written, Carlini seized it, and hastened to the plain to find a messenger. He found a young shepherd watching his flock. The natural messengers of the bandits are the shepherds who live between the city and the mountains, between civilized⁹⁷ and savage⁹⁸ life. The boy undertook the commission, promising to be in Frosinone in less than an hour. Carlini returned, anxious to see his mistress, and announce the joyful⁴⁷ intelligence. He found the troop in the glade⁹⁹, supping off the provisions exacted as contributions from the peasants; but his eye vainly sought Rita and Cucumetto among them. He inquired where they were, and was answered by a burst of laughter. A cold perspiration¹⁰⁰ burst from every pore, and his hair stood on end. He repeated his question. One of the bandits rose, and offered him a glass filled with Orvietto, saying, 'To the health of the brave Cucumetto and the fair Rita.' At this moment Carlini heard a woman's cry; he divined the truth, seized the glass, broke it across the face of him who presented it, and rushed towards the spot whence the cry came. After a hundred yards he turned the corner of the thicket¹⁰¹; he found Rita senseless in the arms of Cucumetto. At the sight of Carlini, Cucumetto rose, a pistol in each hand. The two brigands looked at each other for a moment--the one with a smile of lasciviousness¹⁰² on his lips, the other with the pallor of death on his brow. A terrible battle between the two men seemed imminent¹⁰³; but by degrees Carlini's features relaxed, his hand, which had grasped one of the pistols in his belt, fell to his side. Rita lay between them. The moon lighted the group.

"'Well,' said Cucumetto, 'have you executed your commission?'

"'Yes, captain,' returned Carlini. 'At nine o'clock to-morrow Rita's father will be here with the money.'--'It is well; in the meantime, we will have a merry night; this young girl is charming, and does credit to your taste. Now, as I am not egotistical, we will return to our comrades and draw lots for her.'--'You have determined¹⁰⁴, then, to abandon her to the common law?" said Carlini.

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

"'I thought that my entreaties'--

"'What right have you, any more than the rest, to ask for an exception?'--'It is true.'--'But never mind,' continued Cucumetto, laughing, 'sooner or later your turn will come.' Carlini's teeth clinched¹⁰⁵ convulsively.

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

"Cucumetto departed, without losing sight of Carlini, for, doubtless, he feared lest he should strike him unawares; but nothing betrayed a hostile design on Carlini's part. He was standing, his arms folded, near Rita, who was still insensible. Cucumetto fancied for a moment the young man was about to take her in his arms and fly; but this mattered little to him now Rita had been his; and as for the money, three hundred piastres distributed among the band was so small a sum that he cared little about it. He continued to follow the path to the glade; but, to his great surprise, Carlini arrived almost as soon as himself. 'Let us draw lots! let us draw lots!' cried all the brigands, when they saw the chief.

"Their demand was fair, and the chief inclined his head in sign of acquiescence¹⁰⁶. The eyes of all shone fiercely as they made their demand, and the red light of the fire made them look like demons¹⁰⁷. The names of all, including Carlini, were placed in a hat, and the youngest of the band drew forth¹⁰⁸ a ticket; the ticket bore the name of Diovolaccio. He was the man who had proposed to Carlini the health of their chief, and to whom Carlini replied by breaking the glass across his face. A large wound, extending from the temple to the mouth, was bleeding profusely¹⁰⁹. Diovalaccio, seeing himself thus favored by fortune, burst into a loud laugh. 'Captain,' said he, 'just now Carlini would not drink your health when I proposed it to him; propose mine to him, and let us see if he will be more condescending¹¹⁰ to you than to me.' Every one expected an explosion on Carlini's part; but to their great surprise, he took a glass in one hand and a flask¹¹¹ in the other, and filling it,--'Your health, Diavolaccio,' said he calmly, and he drank it off, without his hand trembling in the least. Then sitting down by the fire, 'My supper,' said he; 'my expedition has given me an appetite.'--'Well done, Carlini!' cried the brigands; 'that is acting¹¹² like a good fellow;' and they all formed a circle round the fire, while Diavolaccio disappeared. Carlini ate and drank as if nothing had happened. The bandits looked on with astonishment¹¹³ at this singular conduct until they heard footsteps. They turned round, and saw Diavolaccio bearing the young girl in his arms. Her head hung back, and her long hair swept the ground. As they entered the circle, the bandits could perceive, by the firelight, the unearthly pallor of the young girl and of Diavolaccio. This apparition¹¹⁴ was so strange and so solemn, that every one rose, with the exception of Carlini, who remained seated, and ate and drank calmly. Diavolaccio advanced amidst the most profound silence, and laid Rita at the captain's feet. Then every one could understand the cause of the unearthly pallor in the young girl and the bandit. A knife was plunged¹¹⁵ up to the hilt in Rita's left breast. Every one looked at Carlini; the sheath at his belt was empty. 'Ah, ah,' said the chief, 'I now understand why Carlini stayed behind.' All savage natures appreciate a desperate deed. No other of the bandits would, perhaps, have done the same; but they all understood what Carlini had done. 'Now, then,' cried Carlini, rising in his turn, and approaching the corpse¹¹⁶, his hand on the butt¹¹⁷ of one of his pistols, 'does any one dispute the possession of this woman with me?'--'No,' returned the chief, 'she is thine.' Carlini raised her in his arms, and carried her out of the circle of firelight. Cucumetto placed his sentinels for the night, and the bandits wrapped themselves in their cloaks, and lay down before the fire. At midnight the sentinel gave the alarm, and in an instant all were on the alert. It was Rita's father, who brought his daughter's ransom in person. 'Here,' said he, to Cucumetto, 'here are three hundred piastres; give me back my child. But the chief, without taking the money, made a sign to him to follow. The old man obeyed. They both advanced beneath the trees, through whose branches streamed the moonlight. Cucumetto stopped at last, and pointed to two persons grouped at the foot of a tree.

"'There,' said he, 'demand thy child of Carlini; he will tell thee what has become of her;' and he returned to his companions. The old man remained motionless; he felt that some great and unforeseen misfortune hung over his head. At length he advanced toward the group, the meaning of which he could not comprehend. As he approached, Carlini raised his head, and the forms of two persons became visible to the old man's eyes. A woman lay on the ground, her head resting on the knees of a man, who was seated by her; as he raised his head, the woman's face became visible. The old man recognized his child, and Carlini recognized the old man. 'I expected thee,' said the bandit to Rita's father.--'Wretch!' returned the old man, 'what hast thou done?' and he gazed with terror on Rita, pale and bloody¹¹⁸, a knife buried in her bosom¹¹⁹. A ray of moonlight poured through the trees, and lighted up the face of the dead.--'Cucumetto had violated thy daughter,' said the bandit; 'I loved her, therefore I slew¹²⁰ her; for she would have served as the sport of the whole band.' The old man spoke not, and grew pale as death. 'Now,' continued Carlini, 'if I have done wrongly, avenge¹²¹ her;' and withdrawing the knife from the wound in Rita's bosom, he held it out to the old man with one hand, while with the other he tore open his vest.--'Thou hast done well!' returned the old man in a hoarse¹²² voice; 'embrace me, my son.' Carlini threw himself, sobbing¹²³ like a child, into the arms of his mistress's father. These were the first tears the man of blood had ever wept. 'Now,' said the old man, 'aid me to bury my child.' Carlini fetched two pickaxes; and the father and the lover began to dig at the foot of a huge oak, beneath which the young girl was to repose¹²⁴. When the grave was formed, the father kissed her first, and then the lover; afterwards, one taking the head, the other the feet, they placed her in the grave. Then they knelt on each side of the grave, and said the prayers of the dead. Then, when they had finished, they cast the earth over the corpse, until the grave was filled. Then, extending his hand, the old man said; 'I thank you, my son; and now leave me alone.'--'Yet'--replied Carlini.--'Leave me, I command you.' Carlini obeyed, rejoined his comrades, folded himself in his cloak, and soon appeared to sleep as soundly as the rest. It had been resolved the night before to change their encampment. An hour before daybreak, Cucumetto aroused his men, and gave the word to march. But Carlini would not quit the forest, without knowing what had become of Rita's father. He went toward the place where he had left him. He found the old man suspended from one of the branches of the oak which shaded his daughter's grave. He then took an oath of bitter vengeance¹²⁵ over the dead body of the one and the tomb of the other. But he was unable to complete this oath, for two days afterwards, in an encounter with the Roman carbineers, Carlini was killed. There was some surprise, however, that, as he was with his face to the enemy, he should have received a ball between his shoulders. That astonishment ceased when one of the brigands remarked to his comrades that Cucumetto was stationed ten paces in Carlini's rear when he fell. On the morning of the departure from the forest of Frosinone he had followed Carlini in the darkness, and heard this oath of vengeance, and, like a wise man, anticipated it. They told ten other stories of this bandit chief, each more singular than the other. Thus, from Fondi to Perusia, every one trembles at the name of Cucumetto.

"These narratives¹²⁶ were frequently the theme of conversation between Luigi and Teresa. The young girl trembled very much at hearing the stories; but Vampa reassured¹²⁷ her with a smile, tapping the butt of his good fowling-piece, which threw its ball so well; and if that did not restore her courage, he pointed to a crow, perched on some dead branch, took aim, touched the trigger, and the bird fell dead at the foot of the tree. Time passed on, and the two young people had agreed to be married when Vampa should be twenty and Teresa nineteen years of age. They were both orphans¹²⁸, and had only their employers' leave to ask, which had been already sought and obtained. One day when they were talking over their plans for the future, they heard two or three reports of firearms, and then suddenly a man came out of the wood, near which the two young persons used to graze their flocks, and hurried towards them. When he came within hearing, he exclaimed. 'I am pursued; can you conceal¹²⁹ me?' They knew full well that this fugitive¹³⁰ must be a bandit; but there is an innate¹³¹ sympathy between the Roman brigand⁷⁹ and the Roman peasant and the latter is always ready to aid the former. Vampa, without saying a word, hastened to the stone that closed up the entrance to their grotto¹³², drew it away, made a sign to the fugitive to take refuge there, in a retreat unknown to every one, closed the stone upon him, and then went and resumed his seat by Teresa. Instantly afterwards four carbineers, on horseback, appeared on the edge of the wood; three of them appeared to be looking for the fugitive, while the fourth dragged a brigand prisoner by the neck. The three carbineers looked about carefully on every side, saw the young peasants, and galloping¹³⁴ up, began to question them. They had seen no one. 'That is very annoying,' said the brigadier; for the man we are looking for is the chief.'--'Cucumetto?' cried Luigi and Teresa at the same moment.

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

"'Yes, it is very annoying,' said Vampa; 'but we have not seen him.'

"Then the carbineers scoured¹³⁵ 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 crevices¹³⁶ in the granite¹³⁷ he had seen the two young peasants talking with the carbineers, and guessed the subject of their parley¹³⁸. He had read in the countenances¹⁴⁰ of Luigi and Teresa their steadfast¹⁴¹ 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 pretext¹⁴² of saluting¹⁴³ 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 distinguished¹⁴⁴ 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 ornaments¹⁴⁵ in her hair, and gayest glass beads,--she was in the costume of the women of Frascati. Luigi wore the very picturesque garb¹⁴⁶ 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 villa⁹² brilliantly illuminated¹⁴⁷, but thousands of colored lanterns were suspended from the trees in the garden; and very soon the palace overflowed¹⁴⁸ to the terraces, and the terraces to the garden-walks. At each cross-path was an orchestra, and tables spread with refreshments¹⁴⁹; 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 embroidered¹⁵⁰ 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 apron¹⁵¹ 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 obedience¹⁵², 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 assent¹⁵³. Luigi slowly relinquished¹⁵⁴ Teresa's arm, which he had held beneath his own, and Teresa, accompanied by her elegant cavalier, took her appointed place with much agitation¹⁵⁵ 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 frivolous¹⁵⁶ and coquettish, and thus the embroidery¹⁵⁷ and muslins, the cashmere waist-girdles, all dazzled her, and the reflection of sapphires¹⁵⁸ and diamonds almost turned her giddy brain.

"Luigi felt a sensation hitherto unknown arising in his mind. It was like an acute pain which gnawed¹⁵⁹ 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 ardent¹⁶⁰ 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 assassination¹⁶¹. 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 dagger¹⁶² 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 potent¹⁶³ than our affected¹⁶⁴ and studied elegancies. She had almost all the honors of the quadrille, and if she were envious¹⁶⁵ of the Count of San-Felice's daughter, we will not undertake to say that Carmela was not jealous of her. And with overpowering compliments her handsome cavalier led her back to the place whence he had taken her, and where Luigi awaited her. Twice or thrice during the dance the young girl had glanced at Luigi, and each time she saw that he was pale and that his features were agitated¹⁶⁶, once even the blade of his knife, half drawn¹⁶⁷ from its sheath, had dazzled her eyes with its sinister¹⁶⁸ glare. Thus, it was almost tremblingly that she resumed her lover's arm. The quadrille had been most perfect, and it was evident there was a great demand for a repetition, Carmela alone objecting to it, but the Count of San-Felice besought his daughter so earnestly, that she acceded¹⁶⁹. One of the cavaliers then hastened to invite Teresa, without whom it was impossible for the quadrille to be formed, but the young girl had disappeared. The truth was, that Luigi had not felt the strength to support another such trial, and, half by persuasion¹⁷⁰ and half by force, he had removed Teresa toward another part of the garden. Teresa had yielded in spite of herself, but when she looked at the agitated countenance¹³⁹ of the young man, she understood by his silence and trembling voice that something strange was passing within him. She herself was not exempt¹⁷¹ from internal emotion, and without having done anything wrong, yet fully⁴⁹ comprehended that Luigi was right in reproaching her. Why, she did not know, but yet she did not the less feel that these reproaches were merited. However, to Teresa's great astonishment, Luigi remained mute, and not a word escaped his lips the rest of the evening. When the chill of the night had driven away the guests from the gardens, and the gates of the villa were closed on them for the festa in-doors, he took Teresa quite away, and as he left her at her home, he said,--

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

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

"'He was right,' said Luigi. 'Do you desire it as ardently¹⁷² as you say?'--'Yes.'--'Well, then, you shall have it!'

"The young girl, much astonished, raised her head to look at him, but his face was so gloomy and terrible that her words froze to her lips. As Luigi spoke thus, he left her. Teresa followed him with her eyes into the darkness as long as she could, and when he had quite disappeared, she went into the house with a sigh.

"That night a memorable¹⁷³ event occurred, due, no doubt, to the imprudence of some servant who had neglected to extinguish the lights. The Villa of San-Felice took fire in the rooms adjoining the very apartment of the lovely Carmela. Awakened¹⁷⁴ in the night by the light of the flames, she sprang out of bed, wrapped herself in a dressing-gown, and attempted to escape by the door, but the corridor by which she hoped to fly was already a prey¹⁷⁵ to the flames. She then returned to her room, calling for help as loudly as she could, when suddenly her window, which was twenty feet from the ground, was opened, a young peasant jumped into the chamber¹⁷⁶, seized her in his arms, and with superhuman skill and strength conveyed her to the turf of the grass-plot, where she fainted. When she recovered, her father was by her side. All the servants surrounded her, offering her assistance. An entire wing of the villa was burnt down; but what of that, as long as Carmela was safe and uninjured? Her preserver was everywhere sought for, but he did not appear; he was inquired after, but no one had seen him. Carmela was greatly troubled that she had not recognized him. As the count was immensely rich, excepting the danger Carmela had run,--and the marvellous manner in which she had escaped, made that appear to him rather a favor of providence¹⁷⁷ than a real misfortune,--the loss occasioned by the conflagration¹⁷⁸ was to him but a trifle.

"The next day, at the usual hour, the two young peasants were on the borders of the forest. Luigi arrived first. He came toward Teresa in high spirits, and seemed to have completely forgotten the events of the previous evening. The young girl was very pensive¹⁷⁹, but seeing Luigi so cheerful, she on her part assumed a smiling air, which was natural to her when she was not excited or in a passion. Luigi took her arm beneath his own, and led her to the door of the grotto. Then he paused. The young girl, perceiving that there was something extraordinary, looked at him steadfastly¹⁸⁰. 'Teresa,' said Luigi, 'yesterday evening you told me you would give all the world to have a costume similar to that of the count's daughter.'--'Yes,' replied Teresa with astonishment; 'but I was mad to utter such a wish.'--'And I replied, "Very well, you shall have it."'--'Yes,' replied the young girl, whose astonishment increased at every word uttered by Luigi, 'but of course your reply was only to please me.'

"'I have promised no more than I have given you, Teresa,' said Luigi proudly. 'Go into the grotto and dress yourself.' At these words he drew away the stone, and showed Teresa the grotto, lighted up by two wax lights, which burnt on each side of a splendid mirror; on a rustic¹⁸¹ table, made by Luigi, were spread out the pearl necklace and the diamond pins, and on a chair at the side was laid the rest of the costume.

"Teresa uttered a cry of joy, and, without inquiring whence this attire⁶⁸ came, or even thanking Luigi, darted¹⁸² into the grotto, transformed into a dressing-room. Luigi pushed the stone behind her, for on the crest¹⁸³ of a small adjacent hill which cut off the view toward Palestrina, he saw a traveller on horseback, stopping a moment, as if uncertain of his road, and thus presenting against the blue sky that perfect outline which is peculiar to distant objects in southern climes. When he saw Luigi, he put his horse into a gallop¹³³ and advanced toward him. Luigi was not mistaken. The traveller, who was going from Palestrina to Tivoli, had mistaken his way; the young man directed him; but as at a distance of a quarter of a mile the road again divided into three ways, and on reaching these the traveller might again stray from his route, he begged Luigi to be his guide. Luigi threw his cloak on the ground, placed his carbine on his shoulder, and freed from his heavy covering, preceded the traveller with the rapid step of a mountaineer, which a horse can scarcely keep up with. In ten minutes Luigi and the traveller reached the cross-roads. On arriving there, with an air as majestic¹⁸⁴ as that of an emperor, he stretched his hand towards that one of the roads which the traveller was to follow.--"That is your road, excellency, and now you cannot again mistake.'--'And here is your recompense,' said the traveller, offering the young herdsman some small pieces of money.

"'Thank you,' said Luigi, drawing back his hand; 'I render a service, I do not sell it.'--'Well,' replied the traveller, who seemed used to this difference between the servility of a man of the cities and the pride of the mountaineer, 'if you refuse wages, you will, perhaps, accept a gift.'--'Ah, yes, that is another thing.'--'Then,' said the traveller, 'take these two Venetian sequins and give them to your bride, to make herself a pair of earrings¹⁸⁵.'

"'And then do you take this poniard,' said the young herdsman; 'you will not find one better carved between Albano and Civita-Castellana.'

"'I accept it,' answered the traveller, 'but then the obligation will be on my side, for this poniard is worth more than two sequins.'--'For a dealer¹⁸⁶ perhaps; but for me, who engraved¹⁸⁷ it myself, it is hardly worth a piastre.'

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

"Sinbad the Sailor." he said.

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

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

"Proceed!" said he to the host.

"Vampa put the two sequins haughtily¹⁸⁸ into his pocket, and slowly returned by the way he had gone. As he came within two or three hundred paces of the grotto, he thought he heard a cry. He listened to know whence this sound could proceed. A moment afterwards he thought he heard his own name pronounced distinctly. The cry proceeded from the grotto. He bounded like a chamois, cocking his carbine as he went, and in a moment reached the summit of a hill opposite to that on which he had perceived the traveller. Three cries for help came more distinctly to his ear. He cast his eyes around him and saw a man carrying off Teresa, as Nessus, the centaur¹⁸⁹, carried Dejanira. This man, who was hastening towards the wood, was already three-quarters of the way on the road from the grotto to the forest. Vampa measured the distance; the man was at least two hundred paces in advance of him, and there was not a chance of overtaking him. The young shepherd stopped, as if his feet had been rooted to the ground; then he put the butt of his carbine to his shoulder, took aim at the ravisher, followed him for a second in his track, and then fired. The ravisher stopped suddenly, his knees bent¹⁹⁰ under him, and he fell with Teresa in his arms. The young girl rose instantly, but the man lay on the earth struggling in the agonies of death. Vampa then rushed towards Teresa; for at ten paces from the dying man her legs had failed her, and she had dropped on her knees, so that the young man feared that the ball that had brought down his enemy, had also wounded his betrothed¹⁹¹. Fortunately, she was unscathed, and it was fright alone that had overcome Teresa. When Luigi had assured himself that she was safe and unharmed, he turned towards the wounded man. He had just expired, with clinched hands, his mouth in a spasm¹⁹² of agony, and his hair on end in the sweat of death. His eyes remained open and menacing. Vampa approached the corpse, and recognized Cucumetto. From the day on which the bandit had been saved by the two young peasants, he had been enamoured of Teresa, and had sworn she should be his. From that time he had watched them, and profiting by the moment when her lover had left her alone, had carried her off, and believed he at length had her in his power, when the ball, directed by the unerring skill of the young herdsman, had pierced his heart. Vampa gazed on him for a moment without betraying the slightest emotion; while, on the contrary, Teresa, shuddering¹⁹³ in every limb, dared not approach the slain¹⁹⁴ ruffian but by degrees, and threw a hesitating glance at the dead body over the shoulder of her lover. Suddenly Vampa turned toward his mistress:--'Ah,' said he--'good, good! You are dressed; it is now my turn to dress myself.'

"Teresa was clothed from head to foot in the garb of the Count of San-Felice's daughter. Vampa took Cucumetto's body in his arms and conveyed it to the grotto, while in her turn Teresa remained outside. If a second traveller had passed, he would have seen a strange thing,--a shepherdess watching her flock, clad in a cashmere grown, with ear-rings and necklace of pearls, diamond pins, and buttons of sapphires, emeralds, and rubies¹⁹⁵. He would, no doubt, have believed that he had returned to the times of Florian, and would have declared, on reaching Paris, that he had met an Alpine¹⁹⁶ shepherdess seated at the foot of the Sabine Hill. At the end of a quarter of an hour Vampa quitted the grotto; his costume was no less elegant than that of Teresa. He wore a vest of garnet-colored velvet¹⁹⁷, with buttons of cut gold; a silk waistcoat covered with embroidery; a Roman scarf tied round his neck; a cartridge-box worked with gold, and red and green silk; sky-blue velvet breeches, fastened above the knee with diamond buckles¹⁹⁸; garters of deerskin, worked with a thousand arabesques¹⁹⁹, and a hat whereon hung ribbons of all colors; two watches hung from his girdle, and a splendid poniard was in his belt. Teresa uttered a cry of admiration²⁰⁰. Vampa in this attire resembled a painting by Leopold Robert, or Schnetz. He had assumed the entire costume of Cucumetto. The young man saw the effect produced on his betrothed, and a smile of pride passed over his lips.--'Now,' he said to Teresa, 'are you ready to share my fortune, whatever it may be?'--'Oh, yes!' exclaimed the young girl enthusiastically.--'And follow me wherever I go?'--'To the world's end.'--'Then take my arm, and let us on; we have no time to lose.'--The young girl did so without questioning her lover as to where he was conducting her, for he appeared to her at this moment as handsome, proud, and powerful as a god. They went towards the forest, and soon entered it. We need scarcely say that all the paths of the mountain were known to Vampa; he therefore went forward without a moment's hesitation²⁰¹, although there was no beaten track, but he knew his path by looking at the trees and bushes, and thus they kept on advancing for nearly an hour and a half. At the end of this time they had reached the thickest of the forest. A torrent²⁰², whose bed was dry, led into a deep gorge²⁰³. Vampa took this wild road, which, enclosed between two ridges²⁰⁴, and shadowed by the tufted umbrage²⁰⁵ of the pines, seemed, but for the difficulties of its descent, that path to Avernus of which Virgil speaks. Teresa had become alarmed at the wild and deserted²⁰⁶ look of the plain around her, and pressed closely against her guide, not uttering a syllable²⁰⁷; but as she saw him advance with even step and composed countenance, she endeavored to repress her emotion. Suddenly, about ten paces from them, a man advanced from behind a tree and aimed at Vampa.--'Not another step,' he said, 'or you are a dead man.'--'What, then,' said Vampa, raising his hand with a gesture of disdain²⁰⁸, while Teresa, no longer able to restrain her alarm, clung closely to him, 'do wolves rend⁷³ each other?'--'Who are you?' inquired the sentinel.--'I am Luigi Vampa, shepherd of the San-Felice farm.'--'What do you want?'--'I would speak with your companions who are in the glade at Rocca Bianca.'--'Follow me, then,' said the sentinel; 'or, as you know your way, go first.'--Vampa smiled disdainfully at this precaution on the part of the bandit, went before Teresa, and continued to advance with the same firm and easy step as before. At the end of ten minutes the bandit made them a sign to stop. The two young persons obeyed. Then the bandit thrice imitated the cry of a crow; a croak²⁰⁹ answered this signal.--'Good!' said the sentry²¹⁰, 'you may now go on.'--Luigi and Teresa again set forward; as they went on Teresa clung tremblingly to her lover at the sight of weapons and the glistening²¹¹ of carbines through the trees. The retreat of Rocca Bianca was at the top of a small mountain, which no doubt in former days had been a volcano--an extinct volcano before the days when Remus and Romulus had deserted Alba to come and found the city of Rome. Teresa and Luigi reached the summit, and all at once found themselves in the presence of twenty bandits. 'Here is a young man who seeks and wishes to speak to you,' said the sentinel.--'What has he to say?' inquired the young man who was in command in the chief's absence.--'I wish to say that I am tired of a shepherd's life,' was Vampa's reply.--'Ah, I understand,' said the lieutenant²¹²; 'and you seek admittance into our ranks?'--'Welcome!' cried several bandits from Ferrusino, Pampinara, and Anagni, who had recognized Luigi Vampa.--'Yes, but I came to ask something more than to be your companion.'--'And what may that be?' inquired the bandits with astonishment.--'I come to ask to be your captain,' said the young man. The bandits shouted with laughter. 'And what have you done to aspire²¹³ to this honor?' demanded the lieutenant.--'I have killed your chief, Cucumetto, whose dress I now wear; and I set fire to the villa San-Felice to procure¹⁸ a wedding-dress for my betrothed.' An hour afterwards Luigi Vampa was chosen captain, vice³⁰ Cucumetto deceased."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"And how does he behave towards travellers?"

"Alas²¹⁴! his plan is very simple. It depends on the distance he may be from the city, whether he gives eight hours, twelve hours, or a day wherein to pay their ransom; and when that time has elapsed he allows another hour's grace. At the sixtieth minute of this hour, if the money is not forthcoming, he blows out the prisoner's brains with a pistol-shot, or plants his dagger in his heart, and that settles the account."

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

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

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

"By the Porta del Popolo or by the streets, your excellencies?"

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

"Ah, my dear fellow," said Albert, rising, and lighting his third cigar, "really, I thought you had more courage." So saying, the two young men went down the staircase, and got into the carriage.

第二天早晨，弗兰兹先醒了，他一醒来就拉铃叫人。铃声未绝，派里尼老板就亲自进来了。

“啊，阁下，”店主不等弗兰兹问他，就得意地说，“昨天我不敢答应你们，因为你们来得太晚了，马车一辆都雇不到了，就是说，在狂欢节的最后三天里。”

“是的，”弗兰兹答道，“就是在那最最关键的几天里。”

“什么事？”阿尔贝进来问道，“雇不到马车吗？”

“一点不错，我的好人，”弗兰兹说道，“你是第一遭碰到这样的事吧。”

“好吧！你们这座名垂千古的大城真是一个呱呱叫的好城市。”

“我是说，先生，”派里尼很想在他的客人面前保持基督世界首都的尊严，就回答说，“从星期天到星期二晚上没有车，但从现在到星期天，您要五十辆都有。”

“啊！那还有点想头，”阿尔贝说道，“今天是星期二，谁能料到从现在到星期天之间会发生什么事呢？”

“会有一万个或一万二千个旅客到来，”弗兰兹答道，“那找车子就会更困难。”

“我的朋友，”马尔塞夫说道，“让我们尽情享受现在吧，别去担心将来了。”

“至少，”弗兰兹问道，“我们可以租到一个窗口吧？”

“哪儿的？

“当然要望得到高碌街的呀。”

“啊，一个窗口！”派里尼老板大声说道，“绝对不可能。杜丽亚宫的六层楼上本来还剩一个，但已经以每天二十威尼斯金洋的租金租给一位俄国亲王了。”

两个青年人瞠目结舌地互相望了一下。

“喂，”弗兰兹对阿尔贝说，“你知道我们最好的办法是什么？是到威尼斯去度狂欢节，那儿我们即使雇不到马车，一定可以弄到一只小艇的。”

“啊，见鬼！不，”阿尔贝大声说道。“我到罗马就是来看狂欢节的，我非看到它不可，就是叫我踩着高跷也要看。”

“这个念头妙极了，那样对吹灭蜡烛头再方便不过了。我们可以扮成滑稽鬼怪或是兰德斯牧童，就可以大获全胜了。”

“从现在到星期天早晨，两位阁下还要雇马车吗？”

“咦！”阿尔贝说，“你以为我们准备象律师的小伙计那样用两只脚在罗马的街上跑吗？”

“我马上遵命给两位阁下去办，只是我得先告诉你们，马车每天要花掉你们六个毕阿士特。”

“我可不是一位百万富翁，不象我们那位邻居，”弗兰兹说道，“我警告你，我到罗马来过四次了，各种马车的价钱我都知道。今天，明天，后天，我们一共给你十二个毕阿士特，那样你已经很可以赚一笔钱了。”

“但是，阁下，”派里尼说道，他还想达到他的目的。

“去吧，”弗兰兹答道，“不然我就自己去和你的搭档讲价钱，我也认识他，他是我的老朋友，从我身上捞去更多的钱，他所要的价钱会比我现在给你的还要少。到那时你可就赚不到帽子钱了，只能怪你自己了。”

“阁下不必亲自劳驾！”派里尼老板带着一个意大利投机家自认失败的那种微笑回答说，“我尽力去办就是了，我希望能使您满意。”

“那么我们彼此心照不宣了。”

“您希望车子什么时候来？”

“一小时以内。”

“一小时以内它就会在门口等着您的。”

一小时以后，马车的确已在等着那两位青年人了。那是一辆别脚的出租马车，现在却已被高抬了身价，当作一辆私家轿车了；它虽然其貌不扬，但这两个青年在狂欢节的最后三天里能弄到这样一辆马车，已算是很不错的了。

“阁下，”向导看到弗兰兹走到窗口面前，就大声喊道，“要我把花车驶近王宫来吗？”

弗兰兹对于意大利人的措辞虽然早已习惯了，但他的第一个冲动还是环顾一下四周。这句话是冲他说的。弗兰兹“阁下”，蹩脚马车是“花车”，而伦放旅馆是“王宫’。意大利人爱恭维的习惯在那句话里已表现得很充分了。

弗兰兹和阿尔贝走下楼来时，花车已驶到了王宫前面，两位阁下把他们的两腿搁到座位上，向导则跳进了他们后面的座位里。“两位阁下要到哪儿去？”他问。

“先到圣·彼得教堂，然后再到斗兽场。”阿尔贝回答。

阿尔贝不知道要想看遍圣·彼得教堂得花上一天的功夫，而要研究它则要花上一个月的时间。一天的时间在圣·彼得教堂一处过去了。突然间，日光开始黯淡起来。弗兰兹摸出表来一看，已经四点半钟了。他们回到了旅馆，在旅馆门口，弗兰兹吩咐车夫在八点钟再来。他要领阿尔贝在月光下去观赏斗兽场，正如他曾领他在白天里游览圣·彼得教堂一样。当我们领一位朋友去游览一个我们已经去玩过的城市的时候，我们心中的得意，就象我们指出一个曾做过我们情妇的女人一样。他要从波波罗门出城，绕城一周，再从圣·乔凡尼门进城，这样，他们就可以在去斗兽场的途中顺便看看朱庇特神殿，古市场，色铁穆斯·塞维露斯宫的拱门，安多尼的圣殿和萨克拉废墟。

他们坐下来进餐。派里尼老板原先答应请他们吃一顿酒席的，而事实上却只给了他们一顿马马虎虎的便餐。用完晚餐以后，他亲自进来了。弗兰兹以为他是来听他们称赞他的晚餐的，于是就开始称赞起来，但他才说了几个字，店主就打断他们的话。“阁下，”他说，“蒙您称赞，我很高兴，但我不是为这点而来的。”

“你是来告诉我们马车找到了吗？”阿尔贝问，一边点上了一支雪茄烟。

“不，两位阁下最好还是不必去想那件事了吧。在罗马，事情有办得到和办不到之分，一件事情要是已经告诉您办不到了，那就完了。”

“在巴黎就方便得多啦，当一件事办不到的时候，你只要付双倍的价钱，就马上办到了。”

“法国人都是那么说的，”派里尼老板答道，语气中略微含着一点不快，“既然如此，我真不明白他们何必还要出门旅行。”

“是啊，”阿尔贝喷出一大口烟，翘起椅子的两条腿，晃着身子说道，“只有疯子或象我们这样的傻子才会出门旅行。凡是头脑清醒的人是不肯离开他们海尔达路的大厦，放弃他们在林荫大道上的散步和巴黎咖啡馆的。”

不用说，阿尔贝肯定是住在上面所提到的那条街上的，每天都要很出风头地去散一会儿步，而且常常到那家唯一真正可以吃点东西的咖啡馆去的，当然，你还得和侍者有交情。派里尼老板沉默了一会儿，显然在体会这几句回答的话，他似乎不十分明白。

“但是，”这一次轮到弗兰兹来打断店主的沉思了。“你是有事才来的，请问是什么事？”

“啊，是的，您吩咐马车八点钟来？”

“是的。”

“听说您想到斗兽场去玩？”

“你是说圆形剧场？”

“那都一样。您告诉车夫从波波罗门出城，绕城一周，再从圣·乔凡尼门进城？”

“我是这样说。”

“唉，这条路是不能走的呀。”

“不能走？”

“至少得说得非常危险的。”

“危险！为什么？”

“因为那个大名鼎鼎的罗吉·万帕。”

“请问这位大名鼎鼎的罗吉·万帕是谁呀？”阿尔贝问道。

“他在罗马或许是大名鼎鼎的，但我可以向你保证，他在巴黎却是闻所未闻的。”

“什么！您不认识他吗？”

“我没有那种荣幸。”

“您从来没有听说过他的名字吗？”

“从来没有。”

“好吧，那么我告诉您，他是一个强盗，如果把狄西沙雷和盖世皮龙同他相比，他们简直就象是小孩子啦。”

“嘿，那么，阿尔贝，”弗兰兹大声叫道，“你终于碰到一个强盗了！”

“我预先警告你，派里尼老板，不论你要告诉我们什么话，我可一个字都不会相信的。我们先把这一点说明了，你爱怎么说就怎么说吧，我可以听。从前有一个时候，唉，说下去吧！”

派里尼老板转向弗兰兹，他觉得这两个人之中还是弗兰兹比较理智一些。我们一定得说句公道话，在他的旅馆里住过的法国人并不少，但他却从来无法了解他们。“阁下，”他严肃地对弗兰兹说，“假如您把我看做一个撒谎的人，那我就什么都不必说了，我是为了你们好才……”

“阿尔贝并没有说你是一个撒谎的人呀，派里尼老板，”弗兰兹说道，“他只是说不相信你而已。但你说的话我都相信，请说吧。”

“但阁下知道，假如有人怀疑我的诚实的话”

“派里尼老板，”弗兰兹答道，“你简直比卡莎德拉还要多心，她是一个预言家，却还是没有一个人肯相信她，那么你的听众至少还该打个对折吧。好了，算了，告诉我们这位万帕先生究竟是谁。”

“我已经告诉过阁下，他是我们从马特里拉那个时代以来最有名的强盗。”

“哦，这个强盗同我吩咐车夫从波波罗门出城再从圣·乔凡尼门入城又是什么关系呢？”

“这是因为，”派里尼老板答道，“您从那个城门出去是没有问题的，但我非常怀疑您能从另外那个城门回来。”

“为什么？”弗兰兹问。

“因为在天黑以后，出了城门五十码以外就难保安全了。”

“你凭良心说，那是真的吗？”阿尔贝大声问道。

“子爵阁下，”派里尼老板觉得阿尔贝这种再三怀疑他讲话的真实性的态度大大地伤了他的心，就回答说，“我没有跟您说话，而是在跟您的同伴说话，他知道罗马，而且也知道这种事情是不应该加以嘲笑的。”

“我的好人呀，”阿尔贝转向弗兰兹说，“这倒是一次很妙的冒险，我们可以把我们的马车里装满了手枪，散弹枪，双铳枪。罗吉·万帕来捉我们的时候，我们就捉住他，把他带回罗马城里，晋献给教皇陛下，教皇看到我们干了这么件大好事，就会问他怎样才能报答我们，而我们却说只要一辆轿车，两匹马，于是我们就可以坐在马车里看狂欢节了，而罗马老百姓一定会拥我们到朱庇特神殿去给我们加冠，表扬我们一番，象对待卫国英雄库提斯和柯克莱斯一样。”

当阿尔贝讲这番话的时候，派里尼老板的脸上露出了一种无法形容的表情。

“请问，”弗兰兹问道，“这些手枪，散弹枪，和其他各种你想装满在马车里的厉害武器在哪儿呢？”

“我的武器库里可没有，因为在特拉契纳的时候，连我那把猎刀都给人偷去了。”

“我在阿瓜本特也遭到了同样的命运。”

“你知不知道，派里尼老板，”阿尔贝点起第二支雪茄烟说道，“这个办法对付强盗非常方便，这种作风很有点和他们相似吧？”

派里尼老板一定觉得这种玩笑未免太讨苦吃了，因为他对这些问题只回答了一半，而且是向弗兰兹说的，只有弗兰兹似乎还象是在用心听他讲话似的。

“阁下知道，受强盗攻击的时候，通常总是不加抵抗的。”

“什么！”阿尔贝喊道，他的豪勇的性格立刻显示出他反对象这样服服帖帖地让人来抢，“一点都不抵抗吗？”

“不，因为那是没有用的。当十多个强盗从地沟，破房子，或阴沟里一齐跳出来，向你攻击的时候，你怎么能抵抗呢？”

“哦！情愿他们杀了我。”

旅馆老板转向弗兰兹，神色之间象是在说：“你的朋友一定是发疯了。”

“我亲爱的阿尔贝，”弗兰兹答道，“你的回答太伟大了，倒很有高乃依说那句‘让他去死吧’时的气概。只是奥拉斯作那样答复的时候，当时是关系着罗马的存亡，而我们这儿只不过是随便去玩玩的问题，为了随便去玩玩拿我们的生命去冒险，那未免太荒唐了吧。”

“啊，一点不错！”派里尼老板大声说道，“说得好！这才说得有点道理！”

阿尔贝给自己倒了一杯红葡萄洒，不时地喝上一口，嘴里喃喃地说着一些让人听不清楚的话。

“好了，派里尼老板，”弗兰兹说道，“我的同伴现在不说话了，而你也知道我的性情是很爱和平的，那么告诉我这个罗吉·万帕是怎么样的一个人。是一个牧童还是一个贵族，年轻还是年老，高个子还是矮个子，把他描写一下，如果我们碰巧遇见他，象让·斯波加或勒拉那样，我们或许可以认识他。”

“这几点，谁都无法对您说得再清楚了，因为我认识他的时候，他还只是一个小孩子，有一天，我从费伦铁诺到阿拉特里去的路上落到了他的手里，我真走运，他还记得我，不但不要赎金就放了我，还送给我一只非常华贵的表，而且把他的身世讲给了我听。”

“让我们来看看那只表。”阿尔贝说道。

派里尼老板从他的裤袋里掏出一只布累古怀表，上面刻着制造者的名字，巴黎的印戳和一顶伯爵的花冠。

“就是这只。”他说道。

“啊唷！”阿尔贝答道”我恭喜你了，我也有一只这样的表，”他从背心口袋里掏出了他的表，“它可花了我三千法郎呢”

“我们来听听他的身世吧。”弗兰兹说道。他拖过了一张安乐椅，示意请派里尼老板坐下。

“两位阁下允许我坐吗？”店东问道。

“坐吧！”阿尔贝大声说道，“你又不是传道者，用不着站着讲话！”

店主向他们每人恭恭敬敬地鞠了一个躬，然后坐了下来，这表示他就要把他们所想知道的关于罗吉·万帕的事都讲出来了。“你说，”正当派里尼老板要开口的时候，弗兰兹说道，“你认识罗吉·万帕的时候，他还是一个小孩子，那么，他现在还是一个青年人了？”

“一个青年人！他刚满二十二岁呢。噢，他是一个血气方刚的游荡子弟，他将来总得有一个立身之道的，这一点你们相信好了。”

“你觉得如何？阿尔贝，二十二岁就如此闻名了。”

“真不错，在他这个年龄，名闻全球的亚历山大，凯撒和拿破仑还没露头角哩。”

“哦，”弗兰兹又说道，“这个故事的主角才只有二十二岁吗？”

“刚满，我已经告诉过您啦。”

“他是高个子还是矮个子？”

“中等身体，同这位阁下的身体差不多。”店主指着阿尔贝回答说。

“谢谢你这样比较。”阿尔贝鞠了一躬说道。

“说下去吧，派里尼老板，”弗兰兹又说道，并对他那位朋友的多心微笑了一下。“他是属于社会中哪一阶级的呢？”

“他是圣费里斯伯爵农庄里的一个牧童，那个农庄在派立斯特里纳和卡白丽湖之间。他出生在班壁那拉，五岁时就到了伯爵的农庄里去做事。他的父亲是一个牧羊人，自己有一小群羊，剪了羊毛，挤了羊奶，就拿到罗马来卖，以此为生。小万帕的个性从小就非常特别。当他还只有七岁的时候，有一天，他到派立斯特里纳的教士那儿去，求他教他读书写字。这件事多少有点困难，因为他不能离开他的羊群，那位好心的教士每天要到一个小村子里去做一次弥撒。那个小村子太穷了，养不起一个教士，也没有什么正式的村名，叫博尔戈。他告诉万帕说，他每天从博尔戈回来的时候可以见他一次，利用那个时间教他一课，并且预先告诉他，只能教短短的一课，他一定要特别用功，来利用这短短的见面的时间。那孩子欢喜地接受了。每天，罗吉带着他的羊群到那条从派立斯特里纳到博尔戈去的路上去吃草。每天早晨九点钟，教士和孩子就在路边的一条土堤上坐下来，小牧童就从教士的祈祷书上学功课。三个月以后，他已经能够朗朗上口了。这还不够，他还要学写字。教士从罗马的一位教书先生那儿弄来了三套字母，一套大楷，一套中楷，一套小楷，教他用一种尖利的东西在石板上学写字母。晚上，当羊群平安地赶进农庄以后，小罗吉就急忙到派立斯特里纳的一个铁匠家里，要来了一只大钉子，敲呀磨呀的把它制成了一支古色古香的铁笔。第二天早晨，他拾了许多片石板，开始做起功课来。三个月以后，他已学会写字了。教士看他这样聪明，很是惊奇，就送了他几支笔，一些纸和一把削笔刀。他又重新学起来，但当然已不象最初那样困难了。一星期以后，他用笔写字已和用铁笔写得一样好了。教士把这桩奇闻讲给圣费里斯伯爵听，伯爵派人把小牧童叫了来，叫他当面写给他看，读给他听，吩咐他的贴身仆人让他和家仆一起吃饭，每个月给他两个毕阿士特，罗吉就用这笔钱来买书和铅笔。他的模仿能力本来就很强，象琪奥托小时候一样，他也在他的石板上画起羊呀，房屋呀，树林呀来。然后他又用小刀来雕刻各样的木头东西，大名鼎鼎的雕刻家庇尼里也就是这样开始的。

“有一个六七岁的姑娘，就是说，她比万帕还要小一点，也在派立斯特里纳的一个农庄上放羊。她是一个孤儿，是在凡尔蒙吞出生的，名叫德丽莎。两个孩子碰到了一起，他们便并排坐下来，让他们的羊群混在一起，一起玩，一起笑，一起谈天，到黄昏的时候，他们把圣费里斯伯爵的羊和雪维里男爵的羊分开，两个孩子就各自回到他们的农庄里去，并约定第二天早晨再会，第二天他们果然都没有失约。他们就这样一起长大起来，直到万帕十二岁，德丽莎十一岁。这时，他们的天性显露了出来。罗吉依旧非常钦慕各种优美的艺术，当他独自一个人的时候，就拚命学习，他经常容易冲动，一会儿发愁，一会儿热情，一会儿又要生气，反复无常，而且老是带着一种讥讽的态度。班壁那拉，派立斯特里纳，或凡尔蒙吞附近的男孩子没有一个能左右他的，甚至连成为他的伙伴都够不上。他的天性（老是要旁人让步，自己从来不肯退让）使他高高在上，交不到什么朋友。只有德丽莎可以用一个眼色，一个字，或一个手势使他服服帖帖。他这种暴烈的性格到了一个女人手里虽然变得如此温存，但假如对方是个男人，则不论是谁，他就要反抗，非闹个天翻地覆不可。

“德丽莎却正巧相反，她很活泼，很快活，只是太爱撒娇。罗吉每月从圣德里斯伯爵的管家那儿得来的两个毕阿士特和他的木刻小玩意儿在罗马卖得的钱，都花在买耳环呀，项链呀和金发夹呀等等东西上去了，正是靠了她朋友的慷慨，德丽莎才成了罗马附近最美丽和打扮得最漂亮的农家女。这两个孩子渐渐地一同长大起来，整天厮守在一起过活，各人随着各人不同的性格做着种种梦想。在他们所有的梦想，希望和谈话里，万帕看到他自己成了一艘大船的船主，一军的将帅或一省的总督。德丽莎则看到自己发了财，穿戴得非常华丽，有许多穿制服的仆人侍候着他。当他们这样各自建造着空中楼阁度过一天的时间以后，他们就把他们的羊群分开，从梦想的世界里一下子跌回到他们现实的卑贱地位的世界里。

“有一天，那个年轻牧童告诉伯爵的管家，说他看见沙坪山里来了一只狼，窥伺他的羊群。管家给了他一支枪，这正是万帕求之不得的东西。这支枪极好，是布雷西亚的出品，子弹射出就象英国的马枪一样准确，但有一天，伯爵摔破了枪托，于是就把那支枪扔在一边不用了。这一点，在象万帕这样的一个雕刻家看来是不算一回事的。他把那个旧枪托检查了一遍，计算着把它怎样改造一下才能使枪适合他的肩头，然后他做了一个新枪托，上面刻着极美丽的花纹，假如他愿意拿出去卖，准可以得到十五个或二十个毕阿士特，但他当然不会想到这一点。能得到一支枪早就是这少年最大的愿望。在第一个以独立代替自由的国家里，凡是有大丈夫气概的男子汉，他心里的第一个愿望，就是想弄到一支枪，有了枪，他就可以防御或进攻，有了枪，就常常可以使人怕他。从此以后，万帕就把他全部的空余时间都用来练习使用这宝贵的武器上了，他买了火药和子弹，无论什么东西都可以被他拿来当目标——长在沙坪山上的、满身苔藓的橄榄树的老树干，从地洞里钻出来觅食的狐狸，在他们头顶上翱翔的老鹰。所以不久他的枪法就非常准确了，以致最初一听到枪声就害怕的德丽莎也克服了她的恐惧，竟能很有兴趣地看着他随心所欲地发弹射物，其准确程度，真象弹靶近在几尺一样。

“有一天傍晚，一只狼从松树林里走出来，他俩常常坐在那松林附近的，所以那只狼还没有走上十步，就送了命。万帕立了这一功很得意，就把那只死狼背在肩膀上，回到了农庄里。凡此种种，已使罗吉在农庄一带有了一定的声望。一个人只要能力高超，不论走到哪儿，总会有崇拜他的人。他被公认为是方圆三十里以内最精明，最强壮和最勇敢的农夫，尽管德丽莎也被公认为沙坪山下最美貌的姑娘，但从来没有人去和她谈恋爱，因为大家都知道，罗吉喜欢她。可是这两个人却从来不曾向对方表示过他们的爱情。他们并肩长大了起来，就象两棵在地下根须纠缠，空中丫枝交错，花香同时升上天空的树一样。只是他们相互会面成了必不可少的事情，他们情愿死也不愿有一天的分离。那一年，德丽莎十七岁，万帕十八岁。一股土匪盘据了黎比尼山，开始惹得附近的居民纷纷议论起来。罗马附近的土匪实际上从来没有真正被消灭干净过。只不过有时少了一个首领而已，但只要再有一个首领出现，他是不会缺少一批喽罗的。

“大名鼎鼎，在那不勒斯闹得天翻地覆的古古密陀，在阿布鲁齐被人追得走投无路，被赶出了那不勒斯的国境，他就象曼弗雷德那样越过了加里利亚诺山，穿过了松尼诺和耶伯那交界的地方，逃避到了阿马森流域。他设法重新组织了一队人马，学狄西沙雷和盖世皮龙的榜样横行霸道起来，但他的雄心是想超过这两位前人的。派里斯特里纳，弗垃斯卡蒂和班壁娜拉有许多青年人失踪了。他们的失踪最初引起了很大的不安，但不久就得知他们都投到古古密陀手下当喽罗去了。没多久，古古密陀就成了大家所关注的焦点，都纷纷谈论他的凶猛，大胆和残忍等种种特性。有一天，他抢了一个年轻姑娘，她是弗罗齐诺内一个土地丈量员的女儿。强盗的法律是严明的，凡是抢到年轻女子，第一就该归那个把她抢来的人享用，然后其余的人抽签轮流享用她，她一直要被他们蹂躏到死才能脱离苦海。假如她的父母有钱，有力量付出一笔赎金，他们就派人去接洽。被抢去的肉票就成了信差安全的人质。要是付不出赎金，肉票就一去不回了。那个姑娘的恋人也在古古密陀的队伍里，他名叫卡烈尼。当她认出自己的恋人的时候，那可怜的姑娘便向他伸出双手，求救并相信自己可以安全了，但卡烈尼却觉得他的心在往下沉，因为他对于那等待在她前面的命运知道得太清楚了。但是，由于他是古古密陀的亲信；由于他已忠心耿耿地在他手下效力了三年；由于他曾射死过一个快要砍倒古古密陀的龙骑兵，救过他的命，因而他希望他会可怜他。他把他拉到一边，那年轻姑娘则坐在树林中央的一棵大松树底下，松树和她那美丽的头饰合成了一张面幕，把她的脸遮了起来，这样就躲开了强盗们那穷凶极恶的贪婪的眼睛。他把一切都对古古密陀讲了出来：他怎样爱那姑娘，他们怎样互誓贞节，和怎样从他到这儿附近来了以后天天和她在一间破屋里相会。

“事情是这样的，那天晚上古古密陀曾派卡烈尼到邻村去公干，所以他无法到那个地方去赴约了。可是，古古密陀却到了那儿，据他说纯属偶然，然后就顺便把姑娘带了来。卡烈尼恳求他的头儿为丽达破一次例，因为她的父亲很有钱，可以出一大笔赎金。古古密陀对他朋友的请求似乎让了步，吩咐他去找一个牧童送信到弗罗齐诺内给她的父亲。卡烈尼高高兴兴跑到丽达那儿，告诉她她已经得救了，吩咐她写信给她的父亲，把事情告诉他，她的赎金定为三百毕阿士特。时间只限十二小时。也就是说，到第二天早晨九点钟为止。信一写好，卡烈尼就一把抓到手里，急急忙忙地奔到山下去找信差了。他发现有一个少年牧童在牧羊。牧童好象天生是强盗的信差似的，因为他们正巧生活在城市和山林之间，文明生活和原始生活之间。那牧童接受了这项使命，答应在一小时之内跑到弗罗齐诺内。卡烈尼就返回来了，一心只想早点见到他的情人，并告诉她这个好消息。他发现他的同伙们都坐在树林里一片空旷的草地上，正在那儿享用从农家勒索得来的贡品。他的眼光在这一堆人中寻找丽达和古古密陀，但却扑了个空。他问他俩到哪儿去了，回答他的是一阵哄笑。一股冷汗从他每一个毛孔里冒了出来，他的头发根根都竖了起来。他又问了一遍。有一个强盗站起来，递过来一满杯甜酒，说道：“为勇敢的古古密陀和漂亮的丽达的健康干杯！”正在这个时候，卡烈尼听到了一个女人的叫喊声，他立刻明白了是怎么回事，他夺过酒杯，向那个献酒的人劈头盖脸扔过去，然后向那发出喊声的地方冲了过去。跑了一百码以后，他转过一座密林的拐角，就发现丽达昏迷不醒地躺在古古密陀的怀里。一看到卡烈尼，古古密陀就站起身来，每只手里都握着手枪。那两个土匪互相对视了一会儿，一个唇边挂着猥亵的微笑，一个脸色象死人一样惨白，看来这两个人之间似乎就要发生什么可怕的事情了，但卡烈尼的脸渐渐松弛了下来。他的一只抓着腰带上的手枪的手也垂到了身边。丽达躺在他们之间。月光照亮了这三个人。

“喂，”古古密陀说道，‘任务完成了吗？’‘是的，头儿，’卡烈尼答道，‘明天早晨九点钟，丽达的父亲就会带着钱到这儿来的。’‘很好，现在，我们来快快活活地过一夜吧。这个姑娘很漂亮，配得上你。喂，我并不自私，我们到伙计们那儿去给她抽签吧。’‘那么说，你决定要把她按常规处置了？’卡烈尼说道。‘为什么为她破例？’‘我以为我刚才的请求，’‘你比其它的人多些什么，你有什么权利要求例外？’‘我当然有权利。’‘算了吧，’古古密陀大笑着说道，‘迟早总会轮到你的。’卡烈尼拚命咬紧牙。‘现在，喂，’古古密陀一面向其他那些强盗走去，一面说，’‘你来不来？‘我马上就来。’古古密陀一边走一边用眼睛瞟着卡烈尼，深怕会遭他暗算，但卡烈尼这方面却毫无敌意的表示。他叉着双手站在丽达的身边，丽达依旧昏迷着。古古密陀猜想那青年会抱起她逃走的，但这一点现在和他已没有什么关系了，他已经享用过丽达了。至于那笔钱，三百毕阿士特给全体一分，钱就少得可怜了，他要不要都无所谓，他继续顺着小径向那片草地走去，使他大为惊奇的是：卡烈尼几乎和他同时到达。‘我们来抽签吧！我们来抽签吧！’山贼们一见到他们的头儿，就叫喊起来。

“他们的要求是很公道的，头儿点点头表示允许。他们提出这个要求的时候眼睛里都射出凶光，加上火堆所发出的红光，使他们看上去简直象一群恶魔。所有人的名字，包括卡烈尼的在内，都写在纸上并放在一顶帽子里，由队里最年轻的那个人摸出一张来，那一张上写的名字是达伏拉西奥。他就是那个向卡烈尼建议为他们的头儿祝福，而被卡烈尼用玻璃杯砸了脸的人。他的脸上划开了一道大口子，从太阳穴直到嘴边，血还在不断地流着。达伏拉西奥看到他的运气这样好，就高声狂笑着说‘头儿，刚才我向卡烈尼建议，为祝福你一杯，他不肯。现在请你建议为我干一杯，看他是否肯赏脸，’每一个人都以为卡烈尼此时会发脾气，但使他们惊奇的是：他竟一手拿起一只酒杯，一手拿起一只酒瓶，满满的倒了一杯。‘祝你健康，达伏拉西奥，’他镇定地说着，然后一口喝干了酒连手都不颤一下。他在火堆旁边坐了下来，‘我的晚餐呢，’他说，‘跑了这么远的路，我的胃口倒开了。’‘干得好，卡烈尼！’强盗们喊道，‘这才象条好汉。’于是他们围成了一个圆圈，围着火堆坐下来，而达伏拉西奥则不见了，卡烈尼泰然自若地又吃又喝，象是根本没发生过什么事一样。强盗们惊奇地望着他，弄不懂他何以竟能如此泰然自若，他们正在纳闷的时候，听到身后的地面上传来一阵沉重的脚步声。他们回过头去，看见达拉西奥抱着那个年轻女子过来。她的头往后仰着，长发扫着地面。当他们进入圈子中央的时候，强盗们才借着火光看清楚那年轻女子和达伏拉西奥都面无人色。这一幕突然出现的景象是这样奇特，这样严肃，以致大家都站了起来，只有卡烈尼例外，他仍旧坐着，镇定地吃着喝着。达伏拉西奥在极端肃静的气氛中走前几步，把丽达放到了土匪头儿脚下，于是大家立刻明白了那年轻女子和那强盗面色惨白的原因了。一把短刀齐柄直插在丽达的左胸上。每个人都望着卡烈尼，卡烈尼腰带上的刀鞘空了。‘呀，呀！’头儿说道，‘我现在懂得卡烈尼为什么要迟一步来了。’“他们虽然天性野蛮，却能了解这种拚死的举动。别的强盗或许不会做出同样的事来，但他们却都懂得卡烈尼的这种举动。‘喂，’卡烈尼站起来向那尸首走过去，一手握着手枪柄，大声说道，‘现在还有谁要来和我争这个女人？’‘不会有人争了，’土匪头儿答道，‘她是你的了。’卡烈尼双手抱起她，走出了火光圈外。古古密陀派了守夜的哨兵，众强盗便用他们的大氅裹着身体，在火堆前面躺了下来。半夜里，哨兵发出警告，全体立刻戒备起来。原来是丽达的父亲亲自带着他女儿的赎金来了。‘喂，’他对古古密陀说，‘三百毕阿士特在这儿了，把我的孩子还给我吧。’土匪头儿没有伸手去接钱，做了一个手势叫他跟他走。老人遵命。他们两个在树林底下向前走，月光从树枝的空隙里直泻下来。最后，古古密陀收住了脚步，指着一棵树下两个聚在一起的人。‘喏，’他说，‘向卡烈尼去要你的孩子吧，她怎么样了，他会告诉你的。’说完他回到他的伙伴们那儿去了。

“老人一动不动地站在那儿，他感觉到某种意外的大祸临头了。他终于向那聚在一起的人影走去，心里却不明白发生了什么事。当他走近一些的时候，卡烈尼抬起头，于是两个人的形体便呈现在老人的眼前了。一个女的躺在地上，她的头枕在一个坐在她身边的男人的腿上，那男的一抬头，女的面孔也就可以看到了。老人认出了那躺着的女人正是自己的女儿。卡烈尼也认出了老人。‘我知道你会来的。’强盗对丽达的父亲说。‘畜牲！’老人答道，‘你把她怎么了？’他恐怖地凝视着丽达，丽达全身惨白，血迹斑斑，胸膛上插着一把短刀。一线月光从树缝里透进来，照亮了死者的脸。‘古古密陀糟踏了你的女儿，’强盗说，‘我爱她，所以我杀了她，不然她就要给全体当靶子用了。’老人一句话都不说了，脸色变得象死人一样白。‘喂，’卡烈尼又说道，‘要是我做错了，你就为她报仇吧。’于是他从丽达胸膛的伤口里抽出那把短刀，一手把刀递给老人，一手撕开他的背心。‘你干得好！’老人用一种嘶哑的声音答道，‘拥抱我吧，我的孩子。’卡烈尼一头扑进了他情人的父亲的怀里，象个小孩子似地呜呜咽咽地哭了起来。这是那个杀人不怕血腥气的人生平第一次流泪。‘唉，’老人说道，‘现在帮我来埋我的孩子吧。’卡烈尼去拿了两把鹤嘴锄，于是那父亲和那情人就开始在一棵大橡树脚下挖掘起来，准备让那年轻姑娘长眠在橡树底下。坟坑挖好以后，那做父亲的先抱了抱她，又抱了抱那情人，然后，他们一个扛头，一个扛脚，把她放了进去。然后他们各自跪在坟的一边，给死者做祷告。做完祷告以后。他们就把泥土盖到尸首上面，直到把坟坑填平。然后，老人伸出一只手，说道，‘谢谢你，我的孩子，现在让我一个人儿在这儿呆一会儿。’‘可是’卡烈尼答道。‘离开我，我命令你。’卡烈尼只得服从，回到了他的同伴那儿，用大氅裹住身体，不久也象其余那些人一样地睡熟了。

“他们在前一天晚上就决定要换一个地方扎营。破晓前一小时，古古密陀喊醒了他的部下们，下令出发。但卡烈尼不肯离开树林，他要知道丽达的父亲究竟怎么样了才肯走。他向昨晚那个地方走去。于是发现老人已吊死在那棵荫覆他女儿坟墓的橡树丫枝上。他对着老人的尸体和恋人的坟墓郑重地发了一个复仇的誓言。但他没能完成他的誓言，因为两天以后，在一场对罗马骑兵的遭遇战里，卡烈尼被杀死了。他的死大家都有点惊异，因为他是面向敌人的，不应该从后背上吃子弹。那种惊奇后来也就平息了，因为有一个土匪告诉他的伙伴们说，当卡烈尼倒下的时候，古古密陀正在他后面十步远的地方。离开弗罗齐诺内树林的那天早晨，古古密陀曾在暗中跟在卡烈尼的后面，听到了他报仇的誓言，于是象所有狡诈的人一样，他设法阻止了那个誓言的实践。

“关于这个强盗，他们另外还讲了十来个诸如此类的故事，也都同样离奇。所以，从丰迪到庇鲁斯，大家一听到古古密陀的名字就要发抖。这些传闻常常是罗吉和德丽莎谈话时的主题。那姑娘每听到讲这种故事就吓得发抖。但万帕却总是拍拍他那支百无一失的好猎枪的枪柄，用微笑来劝她放心，假如那还不能恢复她的勇气的话，他就瞄准一只落在一条枯枝上的乌鸦，扳动枪机，那只鸟就打死落到了树脚下。时间一天天的过去了，这对青年互相约定，当万帕二十岁，德丽莎十九岁的时候，他们就结婚。他们都是孤儿，只要向他们的雇主告一次假就得了，这一点，他们已经问过，而且得到了允许。有一天，当他们正在谈论未来的计划的时候，突然听到两三声枪响，接着就见一个男人突然从这两个青年常常放羊的草地附近的树林里出来，急急忙忙地向他们奔过来。当他奔到听得到话的地方的时候，就喊道：‘有人追我，你们能不能把我藏起来？’他们十分清楚，这个亡命者一定是个强盗，但在罗马十匪和罗马农民之间，天生存在着一种同情心。而后者总是很乐于帮助前者的。万帕一句话也没说，急忙奔到那块隐蔽他们洞口石头前面，把石头移开，叫那个亡命者躲进了这个谁都不知道的秘密洞穴，然后把石头盖好，走去仍旧和德丽莎坐在一块儿。过了一会儿，四个骑兵在树林边上出现了，其中的三个似乎在寻找那亡命者，第四个则拖着一个俘虏来的土匪的脖子。那三个骑兵向四下里张望了一会儿，看到了这个青年农民，就疾驰着跑来，问他们有没有看见过个什么人。‘真讨厌，’为首的那个队长说，‘我们所找的那个人是个强盗头儿。’‘古古密陀吗？’罗吉和德丽莎同时喊出声来。‘是呀，’队长答道，‘他那颗头可值一千罗马艾居呢，假如你们帮我们捉住他，你们就可以分到五百。’两个年轻人互相换了一下眼色。那位队长一时觉得很有希望。五百罗马艾居等于三千法郎，而三千法郎在这一对快要结婚的穷孤儿来说可算是一大笔钱了。‘是的，这可是真讨厌，’万帕说，‘但我们没有看见他。’“于是那些骑兵就四下里搜索了一阵子，但到处都找不到，过了一会儿，他们走远了。于是万帕重把石板移开，古古密陀就爬出来。他从石板缝里已看到了这两个青年农民和骑兵在谈话，并且已猜到他们谈话的内容。他从罗吉和德丽莎的脸上看出他们决不肯出卖他，于是他从口袋里掏出了满满一袋金子来，送给了他们。万帕骄傲地昂着头不屑一顾，而德丽莎的眼里却露出了兴奋，她想到用这袋金子可以买到所有那些漂亮的衣服和华丽的首饰。

“古古密陀是一个老奸巨猾的恶棍，他表面上是个土匪，实际是一条赤练蛇，德丽莎的那种目光顿时使他想到：讨她做一位压寨夫人倒很合适。他走回到树林里去了，一路上借口向他的救命恩人致敬，几次停步回顾。过了几天，他们没有再看见古古密陀，也没有听人说到他。狂欢节快要到了。圣费里斯伯爵宣布要开一次盛大的化装舞会，凡是罗马有地位的人都请来参加。德丽莎非常想去参加这次舞会。罗吉去请求那位作他的保护人的管家，允许他俩夹杂在村中的仆役里参加舞会。这一点被允许了。伯爵最钟爱他的女儿卡美拉，这次的舞会就是为讨她喜欢而开的。卡美拉的年龄和身材和德丽莎恰巧一模一样，而德丽莎也如卡美拉一样漂亮。舞会的那天晚上，德丽莎尽可能把自己打扮得漂漂亮亮的戴上她那最灿烂的发饰和最华丽的玻璃珠链；她穿着弗拉斯卡蒂妇女的时兴的服装。罗吉则穿着罗马农民在假日才穿的那种非常美丽的服装。他们两人都混在——他们只能如此——仆役和农民队里。

“这一场宴会真华丽，不但别墅里灯火通明，而且还有几千只五颜六色的灯笼挂在花园里的树上。不久，宾客们就从府邸里拥到露台上，从露台拥到花园的走道上。在小径的每一个交叉口上，都有一队乐队，桌子四散摆开，上面堆满了各种饮料和点心。来宾们收住脚步，组成四对一组的舞队，各自随意选了一块地方跳起舞来。卡美拉打扮得象一个松尼诺农妇。她的帽子上绣着珍珠，她的金发针上嵌着钻石，她的腰带是土耳其绸做的，上面绣着几朵大花，她的短衫和裙子是克什米尔呢子做的，她的围裙是印度麻纱的，她胸衣上的纽子都是大粒的珍珠。她那两位同伴的服装，一位象一个内图诺农妇，另一位象一个立西阿农妇。那四个男子都是罗马最有钱和最高贵的人家里的子弟，他们身上充分表现出意大利式的潇洒，关于这一点，世界上任何其他国家的确都比不上。他们都穿着农民的服装，代表阿尔巴诺，韦莱特里，契维塔卡斯特拉纳和索拉四处地方。不用说，这些农民的服装，也象那些女人的一样，是灿烂耀目地缀满了金银珠宝的。

“卡美拉想跳一次清一色的四对舞，但还少一个女的。她环顾四周，但来宾中没有一个人的衣服和她或她的舞伴的相似的。圣费里斯向她指了指农民队里那挽住罗吉臂膀的德丽莎。‘您允许我吗，父亲！’卡美拉说道。‘当然啦，’伯爵答道，‘我们不是在度狂欢节吗？’卡美拉就转过去对那个同她讲话的青年讲了几句话，并用手指了指德丽莎。那青年人向着那只可爱的手指的方向看了一眼，鞠躬表示服从，然后走到德丽莎面前，邀请她去参加由伯爵的女儿所领舞的四对舞。德丽莎觉得象有一团火掠过了她的脸，她望了望罗吉，罗吉不得不表示同意。他慢慢地松开了德丽莎的手臂，那本来是夹在自己的手臂底下的，而德丽莎，在她那位舞伴的陪伴下，非常兴奋地站到了那贵族式的四对舞中她所该站的位置上。当然罗，在艺术家的眼里，德丽莎那种古板严谨的服装，与卡美拉和她同伴的比较起来，的确风格很不相同。但德丽莎原是生性轻佻而好卖弄风骚的，所以那些刺绣呀，花纱呀，克什米尔呢子的腰带呀什么的，都使她目迷心醉，而那蓝宝石和金刚钻的反光几乎使她的脑子晕眩起来。

“罗吉觉得他的头脑里浮起了一种以前从未有过的感觉。那种感觉象是在一口口地痛咬他的心，然后又毛骨悚然地透过他的骨脊，钻进了他的血管里，弥漫到了他全身。他的眼睛紧盯着德丽莎和她的舞伴的每一个动作。当他们的手相触的时候，他觉得自己都快要晕过去了；他的脉搏剧烈地跳着，象是有一只钟在他的耳边大敲特敲。当他们交谈的时候，虽然德丽莎只是低垂着眼胆怯地听她的舞伴一个人讲，但从那个美貌的青年男子的热情的目光里，罗吉看得出他是在讲赞美她的话，他只觉得天昏地旋，种种地狱里的声音都在他耳边低语，叫他去杀人，去行刺。他深怕这种强烈的情感使他无法克制自己，于是就一手抓住他身边靠着的那棵树的丫枝，另外那只手则痉挛似地紧握住他腰带上那把柄上雕花的匕首，时时不自觉地把它抽出鞘来。罗吉吃醋啦，他觉得，在她的野心和那种爱出风头的天性的影响下，德丽莎或许会抛弃他的。

“那个年轻的农家女，最初很胆怯，德丽莎是漂亮的，但漂亮两个字还不足以形容她。德丽莎具有那种娇美的野草闲花的魅力，那比我们矫揉造作的那种高雅的仪态更诱人得多。那一次四对舞的风头几乎都被她一个人抢去了，而假如说她在妒嫉圣费里斯伯爵的女儿，我可不敢担保卡美拉不妒嫉她。她这位漂亮的舞伴一面向她竭力恭维，一面领她回到了他邀请她的地方，就是罗吉在等她的地方。在那次跳舞的期间，这位年轻姑娘不时地瞟一眼罗吉，而每次她都看到他脸色苍白，情绪激动，有一次，他的刀甚至已有一半出了鞘，那寒森森的刀光刺得她眼花。所以当她重新挽起她情人的臂膀的时候，她几乎有点发抖了。那一次的四对舞跳得非常成功，自然大家热烈地要求再来一次。只有卡美拉一个人表示反对，但圣费里斯伯爵对他女儿的要求太恳切了，她终于也同意了。于是有一个舞伴就急忙去请德丽莎，因为没有她就组不成四对舞，但那年轻姑娘却已经不见了。实际上，罗吉再也没有力量来多经受一次这样的考验了，所以他半劝半拉地把德丽莎拖到花园的另外一边去了。德丽莎不由自主地随他摆布着，但当她看到那青年人的激动的脸色时，她从他那沉重和颤动的声音里懂得他的心里一定在乱想。她自己也禁不住内心的激动，虽然她并没有做错什么事，却总觉得罗吉应该责备她，什么原因，她自己也不知道，她总觉得，她是该受责备的。可是，使德丽莎大为惊奇的是，罗吉却仍旧哑口无言，那天晚上他始终没再讲一个字。但当夜的寒峭把来宾们从花园里赶走，别墅的门户都关上，举行室内的宴会时，他就带她走了。他把她送到了家里，说道：‘德丽莎，当你在圣费里斯伯爵的小姐对面跳舞的时候，你心里在想些什么？’‘我想，’年轻姑娘生性就是十分坦率的，于是就回答说，‘我情愿减一半寿命换得一套她所穿的那种衣服。’‘你的舞伴对你说了些什么？’‘他说这就看我自己了，只要我说一句话就得了。’‘他说得不错，’罗吉说，‘你真是象你所说的那样一心想得到它吗？’‘是的。’‘好吧，那么，你就会得到的！’“年轻姑娘非常惊奇，抬起头来望着他，但他的脸是这样的阴沉可怕，以致她的话一到嘴边就僵住了。罗吉这样说了以后就走了。德丽莎一直目送他在黑暗中消失，才长叹一声走进了她的房间。

“那天夜里发生了一件很大的意外事故，无疑的是由于某个仆人的疏忽，没有把灯熄灭而引起的。圣费里斯的府邸起了火，起火的房间正在可爱的卡美拉的隔壁。她在黑夜里被火光惊醒，跳下床来，用一件睡衣裹住身体，想从门口逃出去，但她想逃走的那条走廊已经充满了烟火。于是她只得回到房间里，拼命大声呼救，突然间，她那离地二十尺高的窗户打开了，一个青年农民跳进房间里来，抓住了她的两臂，用超人的技巧和力气把她带到了草地上，一到那儿，她就昏过去了。当她苏醒过来时候，她的父亲已在她身边。所有的仆人都围在四周，服侍她。这一场大火烧掉了府邸的一整排厢房，但既然卡美拉安然无恙，那又算得了什么呢？大家到处找她的救命恩人，但那个人却不见面了；到处打听，但谁都不曾见过他。卡美拉因为自己当时没看他，心里感到老大的不舒服。伯爵极其有钱，只要卡美拉脱了险，从她这样神奇地脱险这一点看来，他觉得并不是真正遭祸，反而倒是上天新赐的一次恩惠，火灾的损失在他只是一件小事。

“第二天，还是那个时间，这个年轻农民又在树林边上相会了。罗吉先到。他兴高采烈的向德丽莎走来，似乎已把昨天晚上的事完全忘记了。那姑娘显然在想心事，但看到罗吉这样高兴，她也就装出一副微笑来，当没有兴奋的情绪来打扰她的时候，这原是很自然的。罗吉挽住她的手臂，领她到地洞门口，停下来。那青年姑娘觉察到一定有什么特别的事发生了，就怔怔地望着他。‘德丽莎，’罗吉说，‘昨天晚上你告诉我说，你情愿拿世界上一切来换取一套伯爵的女儿所穿的那样的衣服。’‘是的，’德丽莎惊奇地回答说，‘但我只是说说玩玩的’‘而我回答说，很好，你就会得到地。’‘是呀，’姑娘回答，罗吉的话愈来愈使她惊奇了，‘但你那么说当然只是为了让我高兴罢了。’‘我答应你的话已经办到啦，德丽莎，’罗吉得意洋洋地说，‘到洞里去把衣服穿起来吧。’说着，他就移开那块石板，指着洞口给德丽莎看，洞里已点着两支蜡烛，每支蜡烛旁边都有一面很华美的镜子。在一张罗吉亲手制作的古色古香的桌子上，放着珍珠项链和钻石发针，在旁边的一张椅子上，堆着其余的服饰。

“德丽莎喜出望外地惊叫了一声，也不问这套服饰是哪儿来的，甚至也不谢谢罗吉，就钻进了那个已变成一间更衣室的洞里。罗吉把石板给她盖好，因为这时他看到一座介于他和派立斯特里纳之间的近处小山顶上，有一个骑马的旅客，在那儿停了一会儿，象是不知该走哪条路似的，在淡青色的天空下，可以很清楚地看出他的轮廓。他一看到罗吉，就纵马疾弛，向他奔来。罗吉没有猜错，这位旅客是从派立斯特里纳到蒂沃利去的，已经走错了路。罗吉就把路指给了他，因为从那儿出去四分之一里的地方，道路就分成了三条，到了那三岔路门，旅客或许又会迷路，所以他就请求他给他带一段路。罗吉把他的大氅扔在地上，摆脱了这件笨重的衣服，他扛起马枪，甩开山里人那种马都追不上的飞快的步子跑在旅客的前面。不到十分钟，罗吉和那旅客就到了那个交叉路口。一到那儿，他就以一种皇帝般的神气，威严地用手指着一条旅客该走的路。‘那就是你的路，大人，现在你不会再弄错的了。’‘这是你的报酬。’旅客说着，摸出了几个小钱给那青年牧人。‘谢谢你，’罗吉缩手说道，‘我是给你帮忙的，不是图你的钱的。’‘好吧，’那旅客似乎看惯了都市里人的奴隶性和山里人的骄傲，深知其间的区别似的，他就说道，‘假如你不肯接受钱，送你一笔礼或许是肯收的吧。’‘啊，是的，那是另一回事了。’‘那么，’旅客说道，‘收下这两个威尼斯金洋吧，给你的新娘叫她自己去买一对耳环吧。’‘那么也请你收下这把匕首，’青年牧人说道，‘在阿尔巴诺和契维塔卡斯特拉纳这一带，你再找不到一把比这雕刻得更好的了。’‘我接受了，’旅客答道，‘但那样我可占便宜啦，因为这把匕首可不仅仅值两块金洋呢。’‘在一个商人，或许如此，但在我，这是我亲自雕刻的，它还值不了一个毕阿士特呢。’‘你叫什么名字？’旅客问。‘罗吉·万帕。’那牧人回答说，他答话的那种态度，就象他在说‘我是马其顿国王亚历山大’一样。‘你呢？’‘我，’旅客说道，‘我叫水手辛巴德。’弗兰兹·伊皮奈吃了一惊。“水手辛巴德？”他说。

“是的，”讲故事人说，“那旅客对万帕就自称这名字。”

“咦，你为什么要反对这个名字，”阿尔贝问道。“这个名字漂亮极了，老实说，叫这个名字的那位先生，他的种种冒险的故事我在小时候可是很感兴趣的。”

弗兰兹不再多说了。水手辛巴德这个名字大概已唤醒了他的种种回忆。“讲下去吧！”他对店主说道。

“万帕大模大样地把那两块金洋放进了口袋里，转回身慢慢地向来路走去。当他走到离地洞两三百步的时候，他觉得听到了一声喊叫，仔细听了听，想辨别这个声音是从哪儿来的。

于是他清清楚楚地听到了是在喊他自己的名字。那声音是从地洞那面传过来的。他象一只羚羊似的跳向前去，一边跑，一边在他的马枪里装上了弹药，一会儿，就到达了一座小山顶上。这座山正和他看见旅客时所站的那座遥遥相对。一到那儿，喊救命的声音就听得更清楚了。他用目光四下里搜索着，看见一个人正在抢德丽莎，正象尼苏斯抢蒂茄美拉一样。这个人正向树林里急忙奔去，从地洞到树林的这一段路他已走了四分之三。万帕估计了一下距离，那人至少已比他多走了两百步，想追上他是不可能的了。这青年牧人站定了，脚下象生了根似的，他们马枪的枪托抵住肩头，瞄准那个抢人犯，用枪口跟了他一秒钟，然后开了枪。那抢人犯突然停住了脚步，膝一弯，就和抱在他怀里的德丽莎一起跌倒在地上。那青年姑娘立刻爬了起来，而那个男的却躺在地上，在临死的痛苦中挣扎着。万帕急忙向德丽莎冲过去。因为她刚离开那临死的人几步远，两腿就支持不住跪了下来，所以这个青年人深恐那颗打倒他敌人的子弹也伤着了他的未婚妻。万幸的是，她连皮也没擦破一点，德丽莎只是受惊过度。罗吉看到她的确平安无恙以后，才转身向那受伤的人走过去。那家伙刚刚断了气，只见他捏紧了拳头，嘴巴歪在一边，头发直竖，满头大汗。他的眼睛依旧恶狠狠地睁着。万帕走近尸体，认出他正是古古密陀。

“这强盗自从那天被这两个农家青年救了以后，就看中了德丽莎，发誓要把她弄到手。从那时起，他就在暗中盯着他们，利用她的情人为旅客领路只剩她一人的时机，来抢她了，他以为终于把她弄到手了，却想不到青年牧人那百无一失的子弹射穿了他的心。万帕定睛望着他，脸上毫不动容，而德丽莎却正巧相反，她的手脚都在发抖，不敢走近那已被杀死的匪徒身边。但她还是慢慢地走了过去，从他情人的肩后向那死人畏缩地瞟了一眼。突然间，万帕转向他的情人。‘啊，啊！’他说，‘好了，好了！’你已经打扮好了，现在要轮到我来打扮一下了。’“德丽莎从头到脚都穿着费里斯伯爵女儿的衣服。万帕抱起古古密陀的尸体，搬到了地洞，这一次可要轮到德丽莎留在外面了。这时要是再有一个旅客经过，他就会看到一件怪事，一个牧羊女在牧羊，身上却穿着克什米尔呢子的长袍，戴着珍珠的耳环和项链，钻石的夹针，以及翡翠，绿宝石，红宝石的纽扣。他无疑会以为自己已回到了弗洛琳的时代，到了巴黎，就会到处宣布，说他遇到过一位阿尔卑斯山上的牧羊神女坐在沙坪山的脚下。一刻钟之后，万帕从洞里出来了，他的服饰并不比德丽莎逊色。他穿着一件榴红色天鹅绒的上衣，上面钉着雪亮的金纽扣；一件绣满了花的缎子背心，脖子上围着一条罗马的领巾；挂着一只用金色，红色和绿色丝锦绣花的弹药盒；天蓝色天鹅绒的短裤，裤脚管到膝头上部为止，是用钻石纽扣扣紧了的。一双阿拉伯式的鹿皮长统靴和一顶拖着五色丝带的帽子。他的腰带上挂着两只表，皮带里拖着一把精致的匕首。德丽莎羡慕地叫了一声。万帕穿上这套服饰，活象是李奥波·罗勃脱或许尼兹油画里的人物。他把古古密陀的全副行头都借用啦，那青年人看出这套服饰在他未婚妻身上所产生的效果了，于是一个得意的微笑存现在他的嘴唇上。‘现在，’他对德丽莎说，‘你愿不愿意和我有福同享，有难同当？’‘噢，是的！’那年青姑娘热情地喊道。‘不论到哪儿都肯跟我去吗？’‘跟你到世界的尽头。’‘那么挽住我的手臂，我们走吧，我们不能再浪费时间啦。’那年青姑娘就挽起她情人的手臂，也不问他究竟要领她到哪儿去，因为在她看来，这时他简直象一位天神似的漂亮，骄傲和有力。他们向树林里走去，不久就走到了树林里。山上的小径万帕当然都是很熟悉的。所以他径自向前走去，一点都不犹豫。山上虽然没有现成的路，但只要看一眼树木和草丛，他就知道该怎么走，他们就这样向前走了一个半钟头。最后，他们走到了树木最茂密的地方。前面有一条小溪，直通到一个深深的峡谷里，小溪的河床是干涸的。万帕顺着这条荒僻的路走着，两边都是山岭，山坡上东一簇西一簇地长着松树，但看来这些松树似乎很难于繁殖，这条路倒象是维吉尔所说的通到阴曹地府去的火山口。德丽莎看到周围这一片荒废凄凉的景色，就害怕起来，紧紧地贴在她的领路人身上，吓得一个字都不敢讲，但看到他仍以平稳的脚步泰然自若地向前趟着，她也就竭力抑制住自己的情绪。突然间，约莫离他们十步远的地方，一棵树背后闪出个人来，用枪瞄准万帕。

‘站住，’他喊到，‘再走一步就打死你！’‘什么，喂！’万帕抬手做了一个轻蔑的姿势说道，可是德丽莎再也抑制不住她的惊慌，紧紧地贴到了他身上。‘狼还吃狼吗？’‘你是什么人？’‘我是罗吉·万帕，对费里斯农庄的牧羊人。’‘你来干什么？’‘我要和你那些在比卡山凹里的同伴讲。’‘那么，跟我来吧，’那哨兵说道，‘要是你认得路，就在前面带路吧。’万帕对于强盗的这种防范轻蔑地笑了一下，就越到德丽莎的前面领头走，脚步仍象刚才一样的坚定和安闲。走了十分钟，那强盗示意叫他们停步。这一对青年男女遵命照办。于是那强盗学了三声鸡叫，一声老鸦叫答复了这个暗号。‘好！’德丽莎一路走，一路抖抖索索地紧贴着她的情人，因为她看到树林里露出了兵器，马枪的刺刀在闪闪发光。比卡山凹是在一座小山的山顶上，在从前这儿无疑的是一座火山，一座在雷默斯和罗默罗斯逃出阿尔伯，来建筑起罗马城以前就熄灭了的火山。德丽莎和罗吉到达了山顶，顿时发现他们已站在二十个强盗的前面。‘这个小伙子想来和你们说话。’哨兵说道。‘他有什么话要说？’一个青年问道，他是首领离开时代替统率的人。‘我想说，我过厌了牧羊人的生活。’万帕这样回答。‘啊，我懂啦，’副首领说道，‘你要求加入我们的一伙是吗？欢迎！’几个强盗大声喊道，他们是费罗西诺，班壁娜拉和阿纳尼人，本来就认识罗吉·万帕的。‘是的，但我这次来的目的还不止要做你们的同伴。’‘那么要做什么！’强盗们惊异地问道。‘我来要求做你们的队长。’那青年说道。强盗们大笑起来。‘你凭什么要求得到这个殊荣？’副首领问道。‘我杀死了你们的首领古古密陀，我现在穿的就是他的衣服，我放火烧了圣费里斯的府邸，借此给我的未婚妻弄到了一套结婚礼服。’于是一个钟头之后，罗吉·万帕就被选为队长，代替那已死的古古密陀了。”

“唉，我亲爱的阿尔贝，”弗兰兹转过去对他的朋友说道，“你对于公民罗吉·万帕有何感想？’”

“我说他是一个神话里的人物，”阿尔贝答道，“从来不存在的。”

“什么叫神话里的人物？”派里尼问道。

“说起来话长啦，我亲爱的店家，”弗兰兹答道。“而你说万帕大人现在是在罗马附近做生意吗？”

“是呀，他胆大在强盗中真可说是前无古人的了。”

“那么警察始终抓不到他吗？”

“咦，你知道，他和平原上的牧人，海上的渔夫，沿岸的走么贩子都交情很好。他们到山里去找他，他却在海上，他们跟他到海上，他却到了大海洋里，他们再追他，他却突然躲到季利奥岛，加奴地，或是基督山这种小岛上去了。当他们到那儿去搜捕他的时候，他又突然在阿尔巴诺，蒂沃利，或立西亚出现了。”

“他对待旅客是怎么样呢？”

“什么？他的办法很简单。他根据离城的远近，限定时间为小时，十二小时，或是一天，在这个时间内叫他们把赎金送出来，过了那时间期限，他再宽限一小时或再过一小时的第六十分钟上，假使钱还没有送到，他就用手枪把肉票的脑髓打出来，或是把他的短刀插进他的心脏，就算了结了。”

“唉，阿尔贝，”弗兰兹问他的同伴，“你还要从环城马路兜到斗兽场去吗？”

“当然例外，”阿尔贝说，“假如那条路上风景好的话。”

时钟敲了九下，门开了，一个车夫出现在门口，“大人，”他说，“车子准备好了。”

“好吧，那么，”弗兰兹说，“我们到斗兽场去吧。”

“请问大人，是从波波罗门走还是从大街走？”

“从大街走，当然啦！从大街走！”弗兰兹大声说道。

“啊，我的好人，”阿尔贝一边说，一边站起身来，点着了他第三支雪茄，“真的，我还以为你挺勇敢呢。”说着，这两个青年走下楼梯，钻进了马车里。

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