out of Jacopo's mouth, and were
convinced, by Johann's droop of the chin, that the tale had some truth
in it; and more when Johann yelled at the Valtelline innkeeper to know
why, then, he had come to him, if he was prepared to play him false. One
of the soldiers said bluntly, that as Angelo's appearance answered to
the portrait of a man for whom they were on the lookout, they would,
if their countryman liked, take him and give him a dose of marching and
imprisonment.

'Ach! that won't make my little Rosetta love me better,' cried Johann,
who commenced taking up a string of reproaches against women, and
pitched his carving-blade and tools abroad in the wood-dust.

'Well, now, it 's queer you don't want to fight this lad,' said Jacopo;
'he's come to square it with you that way, if you think best.'

Johann spared a remark between his vehement imprecations against the
sex to say that he was ready to fight; but his idea of vengeance was
directed upon the abstract conception of a faithless womankind. Angelo,
by reason of his detestation of Germans, temporarily threw himself into
the part he was playing to the extent of despising him. Johann admitted
to Jacopo that intervals of six months' duration in a courtship were
wide jumps for Love to take.

'Yes; amor! amor!' he exclaimed with extreme dejection; 'I could wait.
Well! since you've brought the young man, we'll have it out.'

He stepped before Angelo with bare fists. Jacopo had to interpose. The
soldiers backed Johann, who now said to Angelo, 'Since you've come for
it, we'll have it out.'

Jacopo had great difficulty in bringing him to see that it was a matter
to talk over. Johann swore he would not talk about it, and was ready to
fight a dozen Italians, man up man down.

'Bare-fisted?' screamed Jacopo.

'Hey! the old way! Give him knuckles, and break his back, my boy!' cried
the soldiers; 'none of their steel this side of the mountain.'

Johann waited for Angelo to lift his hands; and to instigate his
reluctant adversary, thumped his chest; but Angelo did not move. The
soldiers roared.

'If she has you, she shall have a dolly,' said Johann, now heated with
the prospect of presenting that sort of husband to his little Rosetta.
At this juncture Jacopo threw himself between them.

'It shall be a real fight,' he said; 'my daughter can't make up her
mind, and she shall have the best man. Leave me to arrange it all
fairly; and you come here in a couple of hours, my