be in your theatre the day
after to-morrow."

Then Nicolo leapt to his feet and pressed Pasquale in so close an
embrace that he gasped and panted quite out of breath.

At this moment Marianna entered the room. Signor Pasquale tried to
frighten her away again by the look of resentment which he hurled at
her; she, however, took not the slightest notice of it, but going
straight up to Musso, addressed him as if in anger,--"It is in vain for
you, Signor Nicolo, to attempt to entice my dear uncle to go to your
theatre. You are forgetting that the infamous trick lately played by
some reprobate seducers, who were lying in wait for me, almost cost the
life of my dearly beloved uncle, and of his worthy friend Splendiano;
nay, that it almost cost my life too. Never will I give my consent to
my uncle's again exposing himself to such danger. Desist from your
entreaties, Nicolo. And you, my dearest uncle, you will stay quietly at
home, will you not, and not venture out beyond the Porta del Popolo
again at night-time, which is a friend to nobody?"

Signor Pasquale was thunderstruck. He opened his eyes wide and stared
at his niece. Then he rewarded her with the sweetest endearments, and
set forth at considerable length how that Signor Nicolo had pledged
himself so to arrange matters as to avoid every danger on the return
home.

"None the less," said Marianna, "I stick to my word, and beg you most
earnestly, my dearest uncle, not to go to the theatre outside the Porta
del Popolo. I ask your pardon, Signor Nicolo, for speaking out frankly
in your presence the dark suspicion that lurks in my mind. You are, I
know, acquainted with Salvator Rosa and also with Antonio Scacciati.
What if you are acting in concert with our enemies? What if you are
only trying with evil intent to entice my dear uncle into your theatre
in order that they may the more safely carry out some fresh villainous
scheme, for I know that my uncle will not go without me?"

"What a suspicion!" cried Nicolo, quite alarmed. "What a terrible
suspicion, Signora! Have you such a bad opinion of me? Have I such an
ill reputation that you conceive I could be guilty of this the basest
treachery? But if you think so unfavourably of me, if you mistrust the
assistance I have promised you, why then let Michele, who I know
rescued you out of the hands of the robbers--let Michele accompany you,
and let him take a large body of gendarmes with him, who can wait for
you outside the t