ot proceed
from any human breast.

"Santa Maria!" said the voice.

"If I stir from this spot I shall
never find it again," thought Ri-
naldo, when he had recovered his
usual presence of mind. "If I knock,
I shall be discovered. What am I
to do?"

"Who is here?" asked the voice.

"Hallo!" cried the brigand; "do
the toads here talk?"

"I am the Duke of Bracciano.
Whoever you may be, if you are not
a follower of the Duchess', in the
name of all the saints, come towards
me."

220 OLYMPIA

"I should have to know where to
find you, Monsieur le Duc," said Ri-
naldo, with the insolence of a man
who knows himself to be necessary.

"I can see you, my friend, for my
eyes are accustomed to the darkness.
Listen: walk straight forward--
good; now turn to the left--come
on--this way. There, we are close
to each other."

Rinaldo putting out his hands as
a precaution, touched some iron
bars.

"I am being deceived," cried the
bandit.

"No, you are touching my cage.

OR ROMAN REVENGE 221

Sit down on a broken shaft of por-
phyry that is there."

"How can the Duke of Bracciano
be in a cage?" asked the brigand.

"My friend, I have been here for
thirty months, standing up, unable
to sit down----But you, who are
you?"

"I am Rinaldo, prince of the Cam-
pagna, the chief of four-and-twenty
brave men whom the law describes
as miscreants, whom all the ladies
admire, and whom judges hang in
obedience to an old habit."

"God be praised! I am saved.
An honest man would have been
afraid, whereas I am sure of coming
to an understanding with you,"
cried the Duke. "Oh, my worthy

222 OLYMPIA

deliverer, you must be armed to the
teeth."

"_E verissimo_" (most true).

"Do you happen to have--"

"Yes, files, pincers--_Corpo di
Bacco_! I came to borrow the treas-
ures of the Bracciani on a long
loan."

"You will earn a handsome share
of them very legitimately, my good
Rinaldo, and we may possibly go
man hunting together--"

"You surprise me, Eccellenza!"

"Listen to me, Rinaldo. I will
say nothing of the craving for
vengeance that gnaws at my heart.
I have been here for thirty months
--you too are Italian--you will un-
OR ROMAN REVENGE 223

derstand me! Alas, my friend, my
fatigue and my horrible incarce