CHAPTER XIV.

THE PEASANTS OF ROCCA DEL PAPA.

S

THE PARCE OF MY LIFE.

HE loves Bernardo !" rung in my heart: it was the arrow

of death which poisoned my whole blood, which drove me onward, and silenced even the voice which cried within me, 66 Thou hast murdered thy friend and brother!"

I instinctively rushed through bushes and underwood, climbing over the stone walls which fenced in the vineyards on the hill-side. The cupola of St. Peter's lit up the atmosphere to a great distance: thus shone forth the altar of Cain and Abel, when the murderer fled.

For many hours, I wandered uninterruptedly forward; nor did I pause, until I reached the yellow Tiber, which cut off my further progress. From Rome onwards, down to the Mediterranean, no bridge was to be met with, nor even a boat, which could have conveyed me over. This unexpected impediment was as the stab of a knife, which, for a moment, cut in sunder the worm that gnawed at my heart; but it speedily grew together again, and I felt that my whole misfortune was twofold.

Not many paces from me I perceived the ruins of a tomb, larger in circumference, but more desolate, than that in which I had lived as a child with the old Domenica. Three horses were tied to one of the overturned blocks of stone, and were feeding from the bundles of hay which were fastened to their necks.

A wide opening led, by a few deep steps, into the vault of the tomb, within which a fire was burning. Two strong-built peasants, wrapped in their sheep-skin cloaks, with the wool outwards, and in large boots and pointed hats, in which was fastened a picture of the Virgin, stretched themselves before

the fire, and smoked their short pipes. A shorter figure, wrapped in a large gray cloak, and with a broad, slouching hat, leaned against the wall, while he drank from a flask of wine to a farewell and a happy meeting. Scarcely had I contemplated the whole group, before I was myself discovered. They snatched up their weapons which lay beside them, as if they apprehended a surprise, and stepped hastily towards me. "What do you seek for here?" they asked.

"A boat to take me across the Tiber," I replied.

"You may look for that a long time," they returned. "Here is neither bridge nor boat, unless folks bring them with them."

But," began one of them, while he surveyed me from top to toe, "you are come a long way out of the high-road, signor, and it is not safe out o' nights. Cæsar's band may still have long roots, although the holy father has been using the spade, till he has perhaps worked his own hand off. "

"You should, at least," remarked another, "have taken some arms with you. See what we have done a threefold charge in the gun, and a pistol in the belt, lest the piece should miss fire."

"Yes, and I have also taken a good little case-knife with me," said the first speaker, and drew out of his belt a sharp and bright knife, with which he played in his hand.

“Stick it again in its sheath, Emidio," said the second; "the strange gentleman gets quite pale: he is a young man who cannot bear such sharp weapons. The first, best villain, will get from him his few scudi us he would not so easily manage. Do you see?" said the fellow to me; "give us your money to keep, and so it will be quite safe.”

“All that I have you can take,” replied I, weary of life, and obtuse from suffering; "but no great sum will you get."

It was evident to me in what company I now found myself. I quickly felt in my pocket, in which I knew there were two scudi; but, to my astonishment, found there a purse. I drew it forth it was of woman's work; I had seen it before, in the hands of the old lady at Annunciata's: she must have thrust it into my pocket at the last moment, that I might have spare money for my unhappy flight. They snatched all three at the

full purse; and I shook out its contents upon the flat stone before the fire.

"Gold and silver!" cried they, as they saw the white louisd'or shining among the piastres. "It would have been a sin if the beautiful souls had fallen into robbers' hands."

"Kill me now," said I, "if such be your intention; so there may be an end of my sufferings."

"Madonna mia!" exclaimed the first, "what do you take us for? We are honest peasants from Rocca del Papa. We kill no Christian brother. Drink a glass of wine with us, and tell us what compels you to this journey."

"That remains my secret," said I, and eagerly took the wine which they offered to me; for my lips burned for a refreshing draught.

They whispered to each other; and then the man in the broad hat rose up, nodded familiarly to the others, looked jestingly into my face, and said, "You'll pass a cold night after the warm, merry evening!" He went out, and we soon heard him galloping.

"You wish to go over the Tiber?" said one: "if you will not go with us, you will have to wait a long time. Seat yourself behind me on my horse, for to swim after its tail would not be much to your liking."

Secure I was not in this place; I felt my home was with the outlawed. The fellow assisted me upon a strong, fiery horse, and then placed himself before me.

'Let me fasten this cord around you," said the fellow, “or else you may slip off, and not find the ground." He then threw a cord fast round my back and arms, flinging it round himself at the same time, so that we sat back to back; it was not possible for me to move my hands. The horse advanced slowly into the water, trying every step before he took it. Presently the water reached the saddle-bow; but, laboring powerfully, he gained at length the opposite shore. As soon as we had reached this, the fellow loosened the cord which bound me to him, yet only to secure my hands still more firmly to the girths.

"You might fall off and break your neck," said he. "Hold only fast, for now we cut across the Campagna.”

He struck his heels into the sides of the horse; the other did the same; and away they sped, like well-accustomed horsemen, over the great desolate plain. I held myself fast both with hands and feet. The wind caught up the fellow's long, black hair, which flapped upon my cheeks. We sped on past the fallen grave-stones: I saw the ruined aqueduct, and the moon which, red as blood, rose upon the horizon, whilst light, white mists flew past us.

That I had killed Bernardo was separated from Annunciata and my home, and now, in wild flight, bound upon the horse of a robber, was speeding across the Campagnaseemed all to me a dream, a horrible dream! Would that I might speedily awake, and see these images of terror dissipate themselves! I closed my eyes firmly, and felt only the cold wind from the mountains blowing upon my cheek.

"Now we shall be soon under grandmother's petticoat," said the rider when we approached the mountains. “Is it not a good horse which we have? Then it has also had this year St. Antonio's blessing: my fellow decked him out with bunches of silken ribbons, opened the Bible before him, and sprinkled him with holy water; and no devil, or evil eye, can have any influence on him this year."

Daylight began to dawn on the horizon when we reached the mountains.

"It begins to get light," said the other rider," and the signor's eyes may suffer: I will give him a parasol;" and with that he threw a cloth over my head, which he bound so fast that I had not the slightest glimmering of sight. My hands were bound: I was thus entirely their captive, and, in my distress of mind, submitted to everything.

I observed that we were ascending for some time: then we rapidly descended again; twigs and bushes struck me in the face; we were upon an altogether unused path. At length I was made to dismount: they conducted me forward, but not a word was said: at length we descended one step through a narrow opening. My soul had been too much occupied with itself for me to remark in what direction we had entered the mountains; yet we could not have gone very deep into them. It was not till many years afterwards that the place became

known to me: many strangers have visited it, and many a painter has represented on canvas its character and coloring. We were at the old Tusculum. Behind Frascati, where the sides of the hills are covered with chestnut woods and lofty laurel hedges, lie these ruins of antiquity. Tall white thorns and wild roses shoot up from the steps of the amphitheatre. In many places of the mountains are deep caves, brick-work vaults, almost concealed by a luxuriant growth of grass and underwood. Across the valley may be seen the lofty hills of Abruzzi, which bound the Marshes, and which give to the whole landscape a character of great wildness, that here, amid the ruins of a city of antiquity, is doubly impressive. They conducted me through one of these openings in the mountain, half concealed with depending evergreen and twining plants. At length we came to a stand. I heard a low whistle; and, immediately afterwards, the sound of a trapdoor, or door which opened. We again descended some steps deeper, and I now heard several voices. The cloth was removed from my eyes, and I found myself in a spacious vault. Large-limbed men, in sheep-skin cloaks, like my conductors, sat and played at cards around a long table, upon which burned two brass lamps, with many wicks, which strongly lighted up their dark, expressive countenances. Before them stood wine in great bottles. My arrival excited no astonishment: they made room for me at the table, gave me a cup of wine, and a piece of their sausage, keeping up a conversation, in the mean time, in a dialect which I did not understand; which seemed, however, to have no reference to me.

I felt no hunger, but only a burning thirst, and drank the wine. I cast my eyes around me, and saw that the walls were covered with arms and articles of clothing. In one corner of the vault was a still deeper apartment. From its roof depended two hares, which were partly skinned, and beneath these I perceived yet another being. A meagre old woman, with a singular, almost youthful bearing, sat there immovably, and spun flax upon a hand spindle. Her silver-white hair had loosened itself from the knot into which it had been fastened, and hung down over one cheek, and round her yellowbrown neck, and her dark eye was steadfastly fixed upon the

ΤΟ