accomplishing what Salvator and Antonio's craft was
unable to accomplish.

That same night there was heard in the Via Ripetta before Signor
Pasquale's house such a chorus of fearful screams and of cursing and
raving and abuse that all the neighbours were startled up out of their
sleep, and a body of gendarmes, who had been pursuing a murderer as far
as the Spanish Square, hastened up with torches, supposing that some
fresh deed of violence was being committed. But when they, and a crowd
of other people whom the noise had attracted, came upon the anticipated
scene of murder, they found poor little Pitichinaccio lying as if dead
on the ground, whilst Michele was thrashing the Pyramid Doctor with a
formidable bludgeon. And they saw the Doctor reel to the floor just at
the moment when Signor Pasquale painfully scrambled to his feet, drew
his rapier, and furiously attacked Michele. Round about were lying
pieces of broken guitars. Had not several people grasped the old man's
arm he would assuredly have run Michele right through the heart. The
ex-bravo, on now becoming aware by the light of the torches whom he had
been molesting, stood as if petrified, his eyes almost starting out of
his heady "a painted desperado, on the balance between will and power,"
as it is said somewhere. Then, uttering a fearful scream, he tore his
hair and begged for pardon and mercy. Neither the Pyramid Doctor nor
Pitichinaccio was seriously injured, but they had been so soundly
cudgelled that they could neither move nor stir, and had to be carried
home.

Signor Pasquale had himself brought this mishap upon his own shoulders.

We know that Salvator and Antonio complimented Marianna with the finest
serenade that could be heard; but I have forgotten to say that to the
old gentleman's very exceeding indignation they repeated it during
several successive nights. At length Signor Pasquale whose rage was
kept in check by his neighbours, was foolish enough to have recourse to
the authorities of the city, urging them to forbid the two painters to
sing in the Via Ripetta. The authorities, however, replied that it
would be a thing unheard of in Rome to prevent anybody from singing and
playing the guitar where he pleased, and it was irrational to ask such
a thing. So Signor Pasquale determined to put an end to the nuisance
himself, and promised Michele a large reward if he seized the first
opportunity to fall upon the singers and give them a good sound
drubb