" I said; "besides,
I should be poor plunder for robbers."

"But you have friends, who would pay to ransom you, I suppose, if you
were captured?"

"My life is not worth a hundred scudi to any of them," I replied,
laughing; "but I am willing to forego the please of drawing you now,
_bellissima_, if you will tell me where you live, and let me come and
paint you there at my leisure."

"You're a brave one," she said, with a little laugh; "there is not
another man in all Ascoli who would dare to pay me a visit without an
escort of twenty soldiers. But I am too grateful for your amiability to
let you run such a risk. _Addio_, Signor Inglese. There are many reasons
why I can't let you draw my picture, but I am not ungrateful, see!"--and
she offered me her cheek, on which I instantly imprinted a chaste and
fraternal salute.

"Don't think that you've seen the last of me, _carrissima_," I called
out, as she turned away. "I shall live on the memory of that kiss till I
have an opportunity of repeating it."

And as I watched her retreating figure with an artist's eye, I was
struck with its grace and suppleness, combined, as I had observed
while she was helping me to lead the donkey, with an unusual degree of
muscular strength for a woman.

The spot at which this episode had taken place was so romantic that
I determined to make a sketch of it, and the shades of evening were
closing in so fast that they warned me to hurry if I would reach the
town before dark. I had just finished it and was stooping to pick up by
air-gun, when I heard a sudden rush, and before I had time to look up I
was thrown violently forward on my face, and found myself struggling in
the embrace of a powerful grasp, from which I had nearly succeeded in
freeing myself, when the arms which were clasping me were reinforced by
several more pairs, and I felt a rope being passed round my body.

"All right, signors!" I exclaimed. "I yield to superior numbers. You
need not pull so hard; let me get up, and I promise to go with you
quietly." And by this time I had turned sufficiently on my back to see
that four men were engaged in tying me up.

"Tie his elbows together and let him get up," said one; "he is not
armed. Here, Giuseppe, carry his stick and paint-box while I feel his
pockets. _Corpo di Baccho!_ twelve bajocchi," he exclaimed, producing
those copper coins with an air of profound disgust. "It is to be hoped
he is worth more to his friends. Now, young man