The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-09

Sii' WAS strung up for tfouple
 when the next Sunday came, and I'll
 tell what I had done had broken the
 pledge and burgled Corhuccis villa in
 my best manner during his absence in Naples. Not that it gave me the slightest
 trouble, but no human being could have told that had been in when I came out
 And had stolen nothing, mark you, but only borrowed 8 revolver from a drawer | in the Counts desk with one or two
 trifiing accessories, for by this time had the measure of these damned Neapoli- | tans. They are spry enough with knife. but you show them the business end of a shooting Iron and they'll streak like rabbits for the nearest hole. But the re- volver wasn't for my own use. It was for Faustina, and I taught her how to use 1t in the cave down there by the sea shooting at candles stuck upon the rock | The noise in the cave was something frightful. but high up above 1t couldn't | be heard at all, as we proved to each others satisfaction pretty early in the proceedings. So now Faustina was armed with munitions of self-defense. and I knew enough of her character to enter tain no doubt as to their spirited use upon occasion. Between the two of us in fact, our friend Stefano seemed toler- ably certain of a warm weekend
 "But the Saturday brought word that the Count was not coming this week, being In Rome on business and unable to return in time, so for whole Sunday we were promised peace, and made bold plans accordingly There was no further merit in hushing this thing up. Let him who wins her take and keep Faustine' Yes, but let him win her openly or lose her and be damned to him! So on the Sunday I was going to have it out with her people-with the Count and Stefano as soon as they showed their noses. had no fnducement. remember, ever to re- turn to surreptitious life within cab fare of Wormwood Scrubbs. Faustitna and the bay of Naples were quite good enough for me. And the prehistoric man in me rather exulted in the idea of fighting for my de- sire.
 ..on the Saturday however we were to meet for the last time as heretofore just once more in secret. down there in the cave, as soon as might be after dark. Neither of us minded if we were kept for hours; each knew that in the end the other would come. and there was charm of it's own even in waiting for such knowledge. But that night I did lose patience. not in the cave but up above, where first on one pretext and then on another the direttore kept me going until smelled a rat. He was not given to exacting overtime. this direttore whose only fault was his servile subiec- ton to our common boss. It seemed pretty obvious, therefore, that he was acting up- on some secret instructions from Cor bucci himself and the moment suspect cd this I asked him to his face if it was not the case. And it was; he admitted 1t with many shrugs. being a conveniently weak person. whom one felt almost ashamed of bullying as the occasion de- manded.
 sarhe fact was. however, that the Count had sent for him on finding he had to go to Rome, and had said he was very sorry to go Just then as among other things he intended to speak to me about Faustina. Stefano had told him all about his row with her, and moreover, that 1t was on my account. which Faustina nev- CT told me, though had guessed as much for myself Well. the Count was going to take his jackals part for all he was worth, which was just exactly what I expected him to do. He intended going for me on his return, but meanwhile 1 was not to make hay in his absence, and so this tool of direttore had orders to keep me at 1t night and day. l under took not to give the poor beast away, but at the same time told him l had not the faintest intention of doing another stroke of work that night.
 Tt was very dark, and I remember knocking my head against the oranges as I ran up the long, shallow steps which ended the journey between the directore's lodge and the villa itself. But at the back of the villa was the garden I spoke about, and also bare chunk of the cliff where it was bored by that subterranean stair. So I saw the stars ciose overhead. and the flshermens torches far below, the coastwise lights and the crimson hieroglyph that spelt Vesuvius, before plunged into the darkness of the shaft And that was the last time I appreciated the unique and peaceful charm of this outlandish spot
 "The stair was in two long flights, with an air-hole or two at the top of the up- per one, but not another pin-prick till you come to the iron gate at the bottom of the lower. As you may read of an infinitely lighter place, in finer work Of fiction than you are ever likely to write, Bunny, it was gloomy at noon, dark as midnight at dusk, and black as the ninth plague of Egypt at midnight l won't swear to my quotation. but will to those stairs They were as black that night as the inside of the safest safe in the strongest strong room in the Chancery Lane deposit. Yet had not got far down them with my bare feet before l heard somebody else coming up in zoots. You may imagine what a turn that gave me. It could not be Faustina, who went bare- foot three seasons of the four and yet there was Faustina waiting for me down below. What a fright she must have hadi And all at once my own blood ran cold; for the man sang like Kettle as he plodded up and up. It was, 1t must be- the short wind6d Count himself, whom we all supposed to be in Rome!
 ssTJigher he came and nearer, nearer, slowly, yet hurriedly now stopping to cough and gasp, now taking few steps fo eIephantine assault. I should have enioyed the situation If 1t had not been for poor Faustina in the cave; as It was I was with nameless fears But could not resist giving that grampus Corbucci one had moment on account. A crazy hand-rail ran up one wall, so l carefully f,attened myself against the other, and he nassed within six inches of me, pu1nng and wheezing like q brass band. l let him 20 a few steps higher, and then l let hime have 1t with both lungs.
 sBuona sera, eccelenza signori! roared after him. And a scream came down in answer--such a scream. dozen different terrors were in 1t; ana inc wheezing had stopped with the old scoundrel's heart.
 Chi sta lag he squeaked at last, giD- bering and whimpering like whipped monkey, so that I could not bear to miss his face and get a match. all ready to strike.
 Arturo signori.'
 '.He didn't repeat my name' nor did ne damn me in heaps He did nothing put wheeze for a good minute. and when ne smoke 1t was with insinuating civility Ill his best English d..
 {" Come nearer, Arturo. You are in the lower regions down there. l want to speak with you - sa,a