' she said,
and ran to her retirement.

'I fancy that 's about all that you are fit for,' Herr Johannes
remarked, with his eyes on the impersonator of Beppo, who bore the
scrutiny carelessly, and after seeing that Vittoria had left nothing
on the carriage-seats, directed his steps to the kitchen, as became his
functions. Herr Johannes beckoned to a Tyrolese maid-servant, of whom
Beppo had asked his way. She gave her name as Katchen.

'Katchen, Katchen, my sweet chuck,' said Herr Johannes, 'here are ten
florins for you, in silver, if you will get me the handkerchief of that
man: you have just stretched your finger out for him.'

According to the common Austrian reckoning of them, Herr Johannes had
adopted the right method for ensuring the devotion of the maidens of
Tyrol. She responded with an amazed gulp of her mouth and a grimace of
acquiescence. Ten florins in silver shortened the migratory term of the
mountain girl by full three months. Herr Johannes asked her the hour
when the officers in command had supper, and deferred his own meal till
that time. Katchen set about earning her money. With any common Beppo it
would have been easy enough--simple barter for a harmless kiss. But this
Beppo appeared inaccessible; he was so courtly and so reserved; nor is
a maiden of Tyrol a particularly skilled seductress. The supper of the
officers was smoking on the table when Herr Johannes presented himself
among them, and very soon the inn was shaken with an uproar of greeting.
Katchen found Beppo listening at the door of the salle. She clapped her
hands upon him to drag him away.

'What right have you to be leaning your head there?' she said, and
threatened to make his proceedings known. Beppo had no jewel to give,
little money to spare. He had just heard Herr Johannes welcomed among
the officers by a name that half paralyzed him. 'You shall have anything
you ask of me if you will find me out in a couple of hours,' he
said. Katchen nodded truce for that period, and saw her home in the
Oberinnthal still nearer--twelve mountain goats and a cow her undisputed
property. She found him out, though he had strayed through the court
of the inn, and down a hanging garden to the borders of a torrent
that drenched the air and sounded awfully in the dark ravine below. He
embraced her very mildly. 'One scream and you go,' he said; she felt the
saving hold of her feet plucked from her, with all the sinking horror,
and bit her under lip, as i