drawing-room at the Casa Bianca, in the
midst of the united family!

"Forgive our rough joke, Everard!" exclaimed Mr. Greville, clapping him
heartily on the shoulder. "I had never intended to let it go so far. I
thought a fight on the road would do you no harm, for there _are_
dangers in Sicily to reckless young strangers who like to run risks,
and you might easily have found yourself in greater trouble than you
imagine at Targia Vecchia, if I had not sent Tomaso to shadow you. The
people down there know his reputation with a revolver, and don't care to
interfere. Never mind, lad! You came very well out of it! You certainly
showed us what you were made of, just now. On the whole, I think you
turned the tables on us!"

Everard was still standing gazing round the room, at Ernesto and
Vittore, who had been his captors, at Mr. Greville, at Aimee and
Rosalia, who were laughing at the joke. He turned white and red with
passion, and for the moment looked capable of knocking down Ernesto as
he had threatened to treat the supposed brigands. A glance from Mr.
Stacey, however, steadied him. Above everything Everard was a gentleman.
By a supreme effort he controlled himself.

"I think it's an abominable shame!" declared Carmel, turning upon
Ernesto with blazing eyes. "Daddy never meant you to bind him and bring
him up here like that--only to frighten him for a minute on the road.
You know he did! I'll never forgive you, Ernesto! _Never!_ If this is a
specimen of our Sicilian hospitality, Everard won't want to come to the
Casa Bianca again! My cousins didn't treat me to practical jokes at the
Chase! They gave me an English welcome!"

"Let me make peace!" said Signora Greville, coming forward and taking
Everard's hand in her pretty Italian fashion. "Our guest knows, I hope,
that we meant no discourtesy to him. For all he has suffered we claim
his pardon. Is it not so, Ernesto and Vittore? He has, indeed, shown us
how a brave Englishman can behave in a position of danger, and we admire
his courage. I think we ought to congratulate him on the splendid way he
has taken a joke which certainly went much farther than was intended."

At that, everybody crowded round Everard, making pretty speeches, for
all realized that the mock adventure had been real enough to him at the
time.

"I should faint if I thought I were taken by a brigand!" shivered Aimee.

"I should die outright!" declared Rosalia.

"Your property is back in your pocke