n a time"--

"Well, go on." Signor Pastrini turned toward Franz, who seemed to him
the more reasonable of the two; we must do him justice,--he had had a
great many Frenchmen in his house, but had never been able to comprehend
them. "Excellency," said he gravely, addressing Franz, "if you look
upon me as a liar, it is useless for me to say anything; it was for your
interest!"--

"Albert does not say you are a liar, Signor Pastrini," said Franz, "but
that he will not believe what you are going to tell us,--but I will
believe all you say; so proceed."

"But if your excellency doubt my veracity"--

"Signor Pastrini," returned Franz, "you are more susceptible than
Cassandra, who was a prophetess, and yet no one believed her; while
you, at least, are sure of the credence of half your audience. Come, sit
down, and tell us all about this Signor Vampa."

"I had told your excellency he is the most famous bandit we have had
since the days of Mastrilla."

"Well, what has this bandit to do with the order I have given the
coachman to leave the city by the Porta del Popolo, and to re-enter by
the Porta San Giovanni?"

"This," replied Signor Pastrini, "that you will go out by one, but I
very much doubt your returning by the other."

"Why?" asked Franz.

"Because, after nightfall, you are not safe fifty yards from the gates."

"On your honor is that true?" cried Albert.

"Count," returned Signor Pastrini, hurt at Albert's repeated doubts
of the truth of his assertions, "I do not say this to you, but to your
companion, who knows Rome, and knows, too, that these things are not to
be laughed at."

"My dear fellow," said Albert, turning to Franz, "here is an admirable
adventure; we will fill our carriage with pistols, blunderbusses, and
double-barrelled guns. Luigi Vampa comes to take us, and we take him--we
bring him back to Rome, and present him to his holiness the Pope, who
asks how he can repay so great a service; then we merely ask for a
carriage and a pair of horses, and we see the Carnival in the carriage,
and doubtless the Roman people will crown us at the Capitol, and
proclaim us, like Curtius and the veiled Horatius, the preservers of
their country." Whilst Albert proposed this scheme, Signor Pastrini's
face assumed an expression impossible to describe.

"And pray," asked Franz, "where are these pistols, blunderbusses, and
other deadly weapons with which you intend filling the carriage?"

"Not out of my armory, f