ls, and whose brother you defrauded of a picture." Then the fourth,
"Do you know me, Splendiano? I am Ghigi, the Neapolitan painter,
whom you despatched with your powders." And lastly all four together,
"Woe--woe--woe upon thee, Splendiano Accoramboni, cursed Pyramid
Doctor! We bid you come--come down to us beneath the earth.
Away--away--away with you! Hallo! hallo!" and so saying they threw
themselves upon the unfortunate Doctor, and, raising him in their
arms, whisked him away like a whirlwind.

Now, although Signor Pasquale was a good deal overcome by terror, yet
it is surprising with what remarkable promptitude he recovered courage
so soon as he saw that it was only his friend Accoramboni with whom the
spectres were concerned. Pitichinaccio had stuck his head, with the
flower-bed that was on it, under Capuzzi's mantle, and clung so fast
round his neck that all efforts to shake him off proved futile.

"Pluck up your spirits," Capuzzi exhorted Marianna, when nothing more
was to be seen of the spectres or of the Pyramid Doctor; "pluck up your
spirits, and come to me, my sweet little ducky bird! As for my worthy
friend Splendiano, it's all over with him. May St. Bernard, who also
was an able physician and gave many a man a lift on the road to
happiness, may he help him, if the revengeful painters whom he hastened
to get to his Pyramid break his neck! But who'll sing the bass of my
canzonas now? And this booby, Pitichinaccio, is squeezing my throat so,
that, adding in the fright caused by Splendiano's abduction, I fear I
shall not be able to produce a pure note for perhaps six weeks to come.
Don't be alarmed, my Marianna, my darling! It's all over now."

She assured him that she had quite recovered from her alarm, and begged
him to let her walk alone without support, so that he could free
himself from his troublesome pet. But Signor Pasquale only took faster
hold of her, saying that he wouldn't suffer her to leave his side a
yard in that pitch darkness for anything in the world.

In the very same moment as Signor Pasquale, now at his ease again, was
about to proceed on his road, four frightful fiend-like figures rose up
just in front of him as if out of the earth; they wore short flaring
red mantles and fixed their keen glittering eyes upon him, at the same
time making horrible noises--yelling and whistling. "Ugh! ugh! Pasquale
Capuzzi! You cursed fool! You amorous old devil! We belong to your
fraternity; we are the e