m seem very weighty and valuable, and deceive the
inn-keepers."

"But," interrupted the child eagerly, "the three young ladies had
trimmings of gold on their clothes; and one of them, the prettiest, had
round her neck a row of round, shining, white things, and oh! they were
so beautiful!" and she clasped her hands in an ecstasy of admiration,
her voice trembling with excitement.

"Those must be pearls," muttered Agostino to himself, "and they will be
worth having--provided they are real--but then they do make such perfect
imitations now-a-days, and even rich people are mean enough to wear
them."

"My dear Agostino, my good Agostino," continued Chiquita, in her most
coaxing tones, and without paying any attention to his mutterings, "will
you give me the beautiful, shining things if you kill that lady?"

"They would go so well with your rags and tatters!" he answered
mockingly.

"But I have so often kept watch for you while you slept, and I have run
so far to tell you when any one was coming, no matter how cold it was,
nor how my poor, bare feet ached--and I have never once kept you waiting
for your food, when I used to carry it to you in your hiding places,
even when I was bad with the fever, or my teeth chattering with the
chill, and I so weak that I could hardly drag myself along. Oh Agostino!
do remember what I have done for you, and let me have the beautiful,
shining things."

"Yes, you have been both brave and faithful, Chiquita, I admit; but we
have not got the wonderful necklace yet, you know. Now, tell me, how
many men were there in the party."

"Oh! a great many. A big, tall man with a long beard; an old, fat
man--one that looked like a fox--two thin men, and one that looked like
a gentleman, though his clothes were very old and shabby."

"Six men," said Agostino, who had counted them on his fingers as she
enumerated them, and his face fell. "Alas! I am the only one left of our
brave band now; when the others were with me we would not have minded
double the number. Have they arms, Chiquita?"

"The gentleman has a sword, and so has the tall, thin man--a very long
one."

"No pistols or guns?"

"I didn't see any," answered Chiquita, "but they might have left them in
the chariot, you know; only Maitre Chirriguirri or Mionnette would have
been sure to send you word if they had, and they said nothing to me
about them."

"Well, we will risk it then, and see what we can do," said Agostino
resolutely. "F