be hard on me, for I was in one of those places of penance for three
weeks before your uncle got me a pardon and took me to his house to be
your nurse. Don Alberto frightened me--I was weak, cowardly--I let him
in!'

'Poor Pina! Then it is all true? He told me your story, but I did not
believe him.'

'It is all true. It was to be revenged on the Senator that I wanted you
to run away. But even so, I have helped you to be happy, for I know you
are. For the happiness you have had through me, forgive me! Do not leave
me here at Don Alberto's mercy, for the sake of Heaven! He means to
carry you off, I am sure he does; and if you escape him, he will visit
it all on me!'

Her hands strained on the back of the chair till the knuckles whitened
with the effort, while her body quivered as if she had been struck.
Ortensia understood that she had told the truth, and that the mere
thought of physical pain almost drove her mad.

'I will take you with me to Naples,' Ortensia said. 'You will be safe
there. I am sorry for you; but how can I trust a woman who is so easily
frightened?'

'Easily!' groaned Pina. 'You do not know what it is!'

But she took her mistress's hand and kissed it gratefully, with many
tearful blessings.

'I must confess something else,' she said presently, 'though it is
Cucurullo's business as well as mine. We have been so much afraid that
Don Alberto would try to carry you off by some daring stroke that
Cucurullo has secretly asked help of the two Venetian gentlemen, who are
still here, and they have promised to watch over you and protect you as
far as they can, even at the risk of their lives.'

'Cucurullo should not have gone to them without asking his master's
consent,' said Ortensia, not altogether pleased. 'Do you know what Don
Alberto told me? He said that Count Trombin and Count Gambardella are
Bravi, the most famous in Italy!'

'It is not possible,' replied Pina, shaking her head. 'I do not believe
it!'

'Don Alberto told me the truth about you, it seems,' Ortensia said
rather coldly. 'Why should he have invented a story about the other two
who signed the marriage register as witnesses? And besides, if he meant
to carry me off by force, would he not very likely employ just such men
to do the deed for him?'

Pina did not try to answer this argument, but her face showed her
incredulity.

'I have told you what I know,' she said. 'If anything should happen,
and if one of those two gentlemen sh