Litchfield enquirer., 1880-11-11
WHOLE NO. 1898,

| Will WIuuOWS lOOklLS d pTtClSGlY opposite
direction, and into what had once been q large
hall, but now looked more like courtyard
half of the arched roof having fallen in, ex-
posing the sky, over which the rising moon
now shed its pale light. 'Richettas assurances
that we would now be undisturbed were so
confident that, soon after she left, Miss Os-
! born retired to sleep on an old couch in one of
| the apartments. while Benton and / disposed
ourselves upon blankets in the other.
| He soon fell asleep; but, notwithstanding
| fatigue, that portmanteau kept me awake
| Could it not be distracted from the custody of
| the man who claimed it as his property, and.
concealed among the ruins till some more
| favorable opportunity offered of carrying it
| off There were corners enough about where
| things might lie undisturbed for years and,
much meditating over this question, Igently
went cut into the courtyard without disturb
ing my companion The rain and clouds had
| passed away, leaving a night serenely beaati-
fnl; and the half moon, without as yet throw-
ing its rays into the court silyered the broken
| stones and sparkled on the wet leaves which
were the outlines above. There was, however,
sufficient light to see that a wooden gallery
ran above the rooms which we occupied.
had no difficulty in getting up to it, and
when once there, a broken segment of wall
enabled me to mount on the top of the ruin
overlooking the garden and the rooms occu-
| PAOA Wy OhO 0uN IuO hiuiOeCCAS' NJ
first further progress seemed impossible Sd
thick were the creepers, so steep the descent;
and matters lay SO at the top that 1t would
have required "a close search for any one
mounting from beneath, to discover the gap in
the roof through which had risen. However
after some trouble and few scratches man. :
aged to reach the limb of large chestnut tree,
and so to descend into the garden. If was
discovered there could be no great harm in it,
h sTu1or RI fho 0ho6 fho Slnnfn
courtyard, where the Roman and portion of ,
+ the muleteers had gone to sleep. There were
the mules, there was the luggage, aud there
even was my portmanteau, and could per-
ceive round iGdentation made beside it in a a,
heap of sacks by the portly figure of the Ro-
man. But, to my surprise, the Roman him
self was not there, neither. were any other of
the nuleteers. Possibly they might all be slowed
away in the kitchen and adjoining rooms but %
Of this could not feel certain, though it was
evident, in the stiffness of the night even
through the closed door, that number of per-
sons were sleeping inside. . .A'l .'A
Here was great temptation But then it
is nasty thing TO be discovered stealing even
your own portmanteau If detected was in p
nopestion to prove any just claim to it; if it
had really been found at the bottom of a ra-
vine, the Roman certainly was in possession
for the time being; the only broad fact which
ing portion of the baggage, and the Lynch
law of the muleteers would probable be ad-
ministered in very summary and severe man.
ner, Here was ground for hesitation but
then, on the other hand, the delusion under
which the Roman labored might be fatal to
any arrangement with him on the matter, and ?
destructive to its contents, while much trOub-
lie, time and expense might be involved in get
ting it seized at Lucca or Leghorn, aud salts -
vi ho foil To nj
conviction to which came was, that it would
be better to leave 1t alone; but then men do
not always act according to their convictions, y
and found myself carrying it away, and con-
cealing it in gap in the ruin near the chest
nut-tree
This had scarcely been done, and had Just
mounted into the tree, when two men, the
Roman and 'Richetta's uncle, crossed the
moonlight from different directions and stood
In the shade beneath. af,aL r.r4sig stT
$50 the Forestieri are not there, said the,
latter in low tone. ''If l dared to make
'Richetta speak! but no, curses upon her; If
my brother found me meddling in the matter
should have to starye somewhere out of
Milaggio and the Lucchese hills. They must
be hid somewhere, and this is curious old
place but if you gave me a hundred ducats
couldn't tell you where, and dare not, if /
could And, besides, have you never heard
haunts. this old place He leapt over the ter
race there out on to the stones in the river be-
low. People do say that if you see him you
are sure to meet violent DEATH | should
not stand here just now, were it not moonlight.
and so many of you about-Jesu! what is
that p
The Roman, who was not wanting in super
stltious fear, was affected by the story, and
was startled, as we'll as his companion, by a
oil
but he was determined sort of fellow, and
after listening some time without hearing
anything more, he said, "Look here, Niccolo!
it is not ghost | am afraid Of when warm
flesh and blood tempt me. No harm will
come of it, | swear by the mother of Christ
but never desired anything so much as, Just.
for moment, to press the red lips OF one of
those English ladies. Understand il is 4 fancy
of mine and it never burned in me so much
as now. The others want to brighten the H.
glesi into giving us lot Of money, and that is
all very well but see if in confusion j don't
manage to snatch q kiss 1t will do, no harm
and may make, them pay down all the readier.a
There will be noise enough. and you and
'Richetta can come then and see no mischief
is done. / would not try this were old Matteoi
here-he knows too much, and yet is good,
man with both the dogma and the police: but
you, you sniyelling hound I've seen you
pnt your hand to blocker job than this
which, after all, is only q joke; and should
like to know who are the men in Milaggio,!
always excepting your brother, whs would
hear or see anything, If we searched the place
all night and all tO-morrow-if we drew the
necks of those two young cocks and carried
of the girl into the, mountains.l / think L.
know place between this and Bologna where
she would be received without any questions
asked. tell you, you had better let me have
my way, or worse mag come of it. Il saw7the
Lady, and, BY -, | shall see her again. /
know web what that spy With his German
talk came into the kitchen for He wanted TO
know what. we WERE sfter. but /. was too
much for him. He thought wa, drunk for
the night-drunk bel ! have some wine
III MY blood, but not d drop IN my head!
Now, Niccolo If you are not to tell me, how
about Maria isn't her brother still alive g. g..
$50 help me God" said Niccolo, in a low
are than you do" l have always thought
there must be some place of hiding up there
but never dare COUP at night for fear OF the
Bloody Ghost, and never during the day lest
should be seen, for Mattee has looked very
black on me ever since - ever since" and
here the wretch seemed to gasp for breath.
HE has as much as said that Ills mothers
memory would not save me if bis suspicious
were confirmed, and has told me to beware Of
rn1eddling with matters in which 1, have no
concern. /" /"
Come, now r said the head muleteer, SO
Jokes joke; but you carried it too far, they
do suspect. No more Of that croakine, But
there is something IN what you say Il
Shouldn't wonder il there be some nice little
nest up there, and this tree seems Just the way
up. Per Bacco! it is worth trying, and ! shall
bring my own comrades Let the others
sleep, and don't you think ! shall ever be such
q villain as yonrselff' ~ A''o''Sl' ~ 7@'q
Of course no time was lost in returning to
Benton, awakening him, and briefly eommu-
nicating the substance of what had.heard.
It at once occurred to both Of us that the best
way would be to escape intott q garden, and
from thence further if possible. while theltuf-