nd's Bride.--Sudden, amazing,
overwhelming, bewildering, tremendous, astounding, overpowering,
and crushing Discovery.--The Situation.--Everybody confounded.--The
Crowd at Sorrento.--The Landlord's Prayers.--The Virago calls for
Vengeance._

The brigand put his gun down upon the sofa, and motioned to David
to take a seat. He then left the room, and David heard his voice
calling,--

"Laura! Laura!"

A light footstep sounded in the next room, and the brigand returned,
followed by a woman.

This woman's appearance astonished David. She was a lady. She was
young, beautiful, bright as a vision, dressed simply, but in the
modern fashion altogether. She had a very sweet face, and a bewitching
smile, and as she entered she looked at David in some surprise.

Then this great, big, bluff, bearded, broad-shouldered, beetle-browed,
brusque bully of a brigand; this fierce, ferocious, bloodthirsty,
relentless, ruthless ruffian; this hard-hearted, implacable,
inexorable villain; this cruel, vengeful, vindictive, griping,
grasping, scowling fiend; this demoniac miscreant, without pity,
and without remorse, opened his month.

And this is what he said, in first-rate ENGLISH!--"See here, Laura;
I've picked up a poor wretch of a Bohemian--can't speak a word of
any language, and had to explain by signs. Well, you know I'm great
on gestures; so I worked his story out of him. It seems he came to
Naples with his father, mother, and two sisters, and they all went
on horseback up Vesuvius. Well, somehow they were captured by
brigands, and were carried off; but the father, who, I believe, is
a medical man, managed to drug the food of the scoundrels, and
carried off his family. Well, they got to the shore, found a boat,
and set out for Naples. After sailing a little distance, a squall
struck the boat, and it upset. All were drowned except this poor
lad, who managed to cling to the boat, and drifted, or was blown,
ashore here on the cove, just down there, last night. He was
senseless all night, and only came to himself a little while ago,
and I picked him up just as he was reviving. He says he is alone
in the world, and has appealed to me to help him. Poor lad! my
heart fairly aches for him. He says he hasn't got a penny of money,
and implores me to help him. Of course I've tried to comfort him;
for I've told him that he may make my house his home, and I've
promised to give him whatever money he wants, and move heaven and
earth to get hi