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lo these thirty years. And for what crime? None other than that I would not belie my troth, root out my strong love for him who marches with the legions of the cross in Holy Land, (for O, he is not dead!) and wed with him! Save us, O, save thy persecuted suppliants!" She flung herself at his feet and clasped his knees. "Ha!-ha!-ha!" shouted the brutal Leonardo. "Priest, to thy work!" and he dragged the weeping dame from her refuge. "Say, once for all, will you be mine?--for by my halidome, that breath that uttereth thy refusal shall be thy last on earth!" "NE-VER?" "Then die!" and the sword leaped from its scabbard. Quicker than thought, quicker than the lightning's flash, fifty monkish habits disappeared, and fifty knights in splendid armor stood revealed! fifty falchions gleamed in air above the men-at-arms, and brighter, fiercer than them all, flamed Excalibur aloft, and cleaving downward struck the brutal Leonardo's weapon from his grasp! "A Luigi to the rescue! Whoop!" "A Leonardo! 'tare an ouns!'" "Oh, God, Oh, God, my husband!" "Oh, God, Oh, God, my wife!" "My father!" "My precious!" [Tableau.] === Count Luigi bound his usurping brother hand and foot. The practiced knights from Palestine made holyday sport of carving the awkward men-at-arms into chops and steaks. The victory was complete. Happiness reigned. The knights all married the daughter. Joy! wassail! finis! "But what did they do with the wicked brother?" "Oh nothing--only hanged him on that iron hook I was speaking of. By the chin." "As how?" "Passed it up through his gills into his mouth." "Leave him there?" "Couple of years." "Ah--is--is he dead?" "Six hundred and fifty years ago, or such a matter." "Splendid legend--splendid lie--drive on." We reached the quaint old fortified city of Bergamo, the renowned in history, some three-quarters of an hour before the train was ready to start. The place has thirty or forty thousand inhabitants and is remarkable for being the birthplace of harlequin. When we discovered that, that legend of our driver took to itself a new interest in our eyes. Rested and refreshed, we took the rail happy and contented. I shall not tarry to speak of the handsome Lago di Gardi; its stately castle that holds in its stony bosom the secrets of an age so remote that even tradition goeth not back to it; the imposing mountain scenery that ennobles the landscape ther
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