threatened to
annihilate him, to tear him to pieces in the madness of their fury.
They talkt of gaolers and chains; the inquisitors drew near; when
Pietro started up as in a frenzy, thrust and struck about him with
clencht fists, and seemed to spread himself out to a gigantic size. He
walkt up to Crescentia's body that lay smiling like the picture of a
saint, gazed at her once more, and then passed roaring and with
flashing eyes through the crowd.

A new horrour seized the people; they made room for the huge form; all
moved out of his way. Thus Pietro came to the open street: but the mob
now bethought themselves, and with cries and curses and revilings
pursued the fugitive, who ran hastily onward, while his long robes
flew far behind him, and the gold chain beat and rattled upon his
breast and shoulders. The rabble, as they could not catch him, tore up
the stones from the pavement, and threw them after him; and wounded,
bleeding, dripping with sweat, his teeth chattering from fear, Pietro
at last reacht the threshold of his house.

He hid himself in the innermost apartments; and Beresynth came forward
inquisitively, asking all sorts of questions, to meet the mob and the
rush of the people.

"Fall upon the maskt devil! the familiar!" they all shouted: "tear in
pieces the profane creature who never yet set foot in a church!"

He was dragged and pusht into the street; no answer was made to his
inquiries and intreaties, to his howls and shrieks, nor indeed was
anything heard through the stormy tumult except curses and threats of
death. "Bring me before the magistrate!" at length screamed the dwarf;
"there my innocence will be made clear as day."

The constables were summoned, and seizing him led him toward the
prison. All the people prest after him. "In here with him!" cried the
chief of the officers: "chains and faggots are waiting for thee."

He tried to tear himself away from them; the constables laid hold on
him and shoved him to and fro: one seized him by the collar, another
by the arm, the next clung round his leg to hold him fast, a fourth
caught his head to make quite sure of him.

While they were pulling him backward and forward in this way amid
shouts and curses and laughter, on the sudden they all started off
from one another; for each had got nothing but a piece of clothing, a
sleeve, cap, or shoe of the monster; he himself was nowhere to be
seen. He could not have run away; he seemed to have vanisht; bu