ly. 'I hope so indeed,' said I, 'for if there were any
meaning in his words I should be sorry for you, Erminia.' 'I want no
one's pity,' was her curt reply; and then she went off without so much
as good night, and from the defiance of her manner I first discovered
that she was really implicated. And being sincerely her well-wisher I
hurried after her, so as to walk on by her side. 'You know me to be
your friend,' said I, 'if you will not believe Domenico, believe me
Erminia, it will be your ruin if you have anything to do with the
captain. He is a fine fellow, but he will not marry you, Erminia, for
all that; indeed, he cannot, for he is a Lutheran, but, in addition, he
would not wish it. Therefore, even if Il Rosso did not make good his
threat, nothing but mischief could come of the affair,' and so on,
according as my friendship for the girl inspired me. She, meanwhile,
walked straight on in silence without once raising her eyes. So at
length I left her with a faint hope of having made some impression on
her mind. The great dog came to meet me at the door of my house, which
told me that his master was returned from shooting. I went up to his
room at once, and found him with his English rifle in his hand, having
taken it to pieces to clean, and a couple of dead birds before him.
'You have lost something, Sor Gustavo,' said I, 'there on the market
place your secrets have been discussed so loudly, that all the gossips
in the village are acquainted with them.' And I went on to tell him of
Redbeard's threats, adding that he did not know our people if he
supposed they were not in earnest, and that if he really had triumphed
and won Erminia's coy heart, he ought for both their sakes to be on his
guard and break it off, and get out of the scrape the best way he
could. And being once fairly started I could not refrain from taking
Domenico's part, and declaring that all friendship would be at an end
between us if he made Erminia unhappy. There were plenty of others who
would be no great loss. But to see the Pearl of the whole Sabina
trampled in the mire was what I could not endure, and so I told him to
his face that if I discovered him going after Erminia, I could no
longer be his host, and that he might look out for some other quarters.
To all this he answered nothing further than what Erminia had once told
me, 'You are not over wise, Fra Angelico,' and continued polishing up
the locks and barrel of his rifle, and puffing the blu