prepared.

After this the valet drove back with the vetturino, promising to come
as early as possible on the following day.

During Obed's conversation with the valet the ladies had been in the
hotel, and had therefore heard nothing of what had been said. They
were quite ignorant of the existence of any danger, and Obed thought
it the best plan to keep them in ignorance, unless actual danger
should arise. For his own part, he had meant what he said. He was
aware that there was danger; he knew that the country was in an
unsettled and lawless condition, and that roving bands of robbers
were scouring the papal territories. From the very consciousness that
he had of this danger, he had decided in favor of stopping. He
believed the road to be more dangerous than the inn. If there was to
be any attack of brigands, he much preferred to receive it here; and
he thought this a more unlikely place for such an attack than any
other.

The warning of the valet made a sufficiently deep impression upon him
to cause him to examine very carefully the position of his rooms, and
the general appearance of the house. The house itself was as strong
as a fortress, and a dozen men, well posted, could have defended it
against a thousand. But Obed was alone, and had to consider the
prospects of one man in a defense. The rooms which he occupied
favored this. There were two. One was a large one at the end of the
house, lighted by one small window. This his family and Zillah
occupied; somewhat crowded, it is true, yet not at all uncomfortable.
A wide hearth was there, and a blazing peat fire kept down the chill
of the marshy exhalations. Outside of this was a smaller room, and
this was Obed's. A fire was burning here also. A window lighted it,
and a stout door opened into the hall. The bed was an old-fashioned
four-posted structure of enormous weight.

All these things Obed took in with one rapid glance, and saw the
advantages of his position. In these rooms, with his revolver and his
ammunition, he felt quite at ease. He felt somewhat grieved at that
moment that he did not know Italian, for he wished very much to ask
some questions of the old inn-keeper; but this was a misfortune which
he had to endure.

As long as the daylight lasted Obed wandered about outside. Then
dinner came, and after that the time hung heavily on his hands. At
last he went to his room; the family had retired some time before.
There was a good supply of peat, and with