was two
stories in height. The roof was still good, but the windows were gone.
There was no door, but half a dozen or so of the brigands stood there,
and formed a sufficient guard to prevent the escape of any prisoner.
These men had dark, wicked eyes and sullen faces, which afforded fresh
terror to Mrs. Willoughby. She had thought, in her desperation, of
making some effort to escape by bribing the men, but the thorough-bred
rascality which was evinced in the faces of these ruffians showed her
that they were the very fellows who would take her money and cheat her
afterward. If she had been able to speak Italian, she might have
secured their services by the prospect of some future reward after
escaping; but, as it was, she could not speak a word of the language,
and thus could not enter upon even the preliminaries of an escape.

On reaching the house the ruffians stood aside, staring hard at them.
Mrs. Willoughby shrank in terror from the baleful glances of their
eyes; but Minnie looked at them calmly and innocently, and not without
some of that curiosity which a child shows when he first sees a
Chinaman or an Arab in the streets. Girasole then led the way up
stairs to a room on the second story.

It was an apartment of large size, extending across the house, with a
window at each end, and two on the side. On the floor there was a heap
of straw, over which some skins were thrown. There were no chairs, nor
was there any table.

"Scusa me," said Girasole, "miladi, for dis accommodazion. It gifs me
pain, but I promise it sall not be long. Only dis day an' dis night
here. I haf to detain you dat time. Den we sall go to where I haf a
home fitter for de bride. I haf a home wharra you sall be a happy
bride, mees--"

"But I don't want to stay here _at all_ in such a horrid place," said
Minnie, looking around in disgust.

"Only dis day an' dis night," said Girasole, imploringly. "Aftaire you
sall have all you sall wis."

"Well, at any rate, I think it's very horrid in you to shut me up
here. You might let me walk outside in the woods. I'm so _aw_fully
fond of the woods."

Girasole smiled faintly.

"And so you sall have plenty of de wood--but to-morra. You wait here
now. All safe--oh yes--secura--all aright--oh yes--slip to-night, an'
in de mornin' early you sall be mine. Dere sall come a priest, an' we
sall have de ceremony."

"Well, I think it was very unkind in you to bring me to such a horrid
place. And how can I