y when I went back to
the Via Ripetta after an absence of at the most two hours, with all
sorts of medicines, whom should I see but the old gentleman standing in
his own doorway fully dressed. Behind him was the Pyramid Doctor and
the deuced ex-gendarme, whilst a confused something was bobbing about
round their legs. It was, I believe, that little monster Pitichinaccio.
No sooner did the old man get sight of me than he shook his fist at me,
and began to heap the most fearful curses and imprecations upon me,
swearing that if I did but approach his door he would have all my bones
broken. 'Be off to the devil, you infamous barber-fellow,' he shrieked;
'you think to outwit me with your lying and knavery. Like the very
devil himself, you lie in wait for my poor innocent Marianna, and fancy
you are going to get her into your toils--but stop a moment! I will
spend my last ducat to have the vital spark stamped out of you, ere
you're aware of it. And your fine patron, Signor Salvator, the
murderer--bandit--who's escaped the halter--he shall be sent to join
his captain Masaniello in hell--I'll have him out of Rome; that won't
cost me much trouble.'

"Thus the old fellow raged, and as the damned ex-gendarme, incited by
the Pyramid Doctor, was making preparations to bear down upon me, and a
crowd of curious onlookers began to assemble, what could I do but quit
the field with all speed? I didn't like to come to you in my great
trouble, for I know you would only have laughed at me and my
inconsolable complaints. Why, you can hardly keep back your laughter
now."

As Antonio ceased speaking, Salvator did indeed burst out laughing
heartily.

"Now," he cried, "now the thing is beginning to be rather interesting.
And now, my worthy Antonio, I will tell you in detail all that took
place at Capuzzi's after you had gone. You had hardly left the house
when Signor Splendiano Accoramboni, who had learned--God knows in what
way--that his bosom-friend, Capuzzi, had broken his right leg in the
night, drew near in all solemnity, with a surgeon. Your bandage and the
entire method of treatment you have adopted with Signor Pasquale could
not fail to excite suspicion. The surgeon removed the splints and
bandages, and they discovered, what we both very well know, that there
was not even so much as an ossicle of the worthy Capuzzi's right foot
dislocated, still less broken. It didn't require any uncommon sagacity
to understand all the rest."

"But,