第93章

"And that he may be known," continued the Englishman's strange protector, "to the eye and to the ear, I place around him the white sash, and I give him the sacred watchword, 'Peace to the Brave.' Signor, when you wear this sash, the proudest in these parts will bare the head and bend the knee.Signor, when you utter this watchword, the bravest hearts will be bound to your bidding.Desire you safety, or ask you revenge--to gain a beauty, or to lose a foe,--speak but the word, and we are yours:

we are yours! Is it not so, comrades?"

And again the hoarse voices shouted, "Amen, Amen!""Now, signor," whispered the bravo, "if you have a few coins to spare, scatter them amongst the crowd, and let us be gone."Glyndon, not displeased at the concluding sentence, emptied his purse in the streets; and while, with mingled oaths, blessings, shrieks, and yells, men, women, and children scrambled for the money, the bravo, taking the rein of the horse, led it a few paces through the village at a brisk trot, and then, turning up a narrow lane to the left, in a few minutes neither houses nor men were visible, and the mountains closed their path on either side.

It was then that, releasing the bridle and slackening his pace, the guide turned his dark eyes on Glyndon with an arch expression, and said,--"Your Excellency was not, perhaps, prepared for the hearty welcome we have given you.""Why, in truth, I OUGHT to have been prepared for it, since the signor, to whose house I am bound, did not disguise from me the character of the neighbourhood.And your name, my friend, if Imay so call you?"

"Oh, no ceremonies with me, Excellency.In the village I am generally called Maestro Paolo.I had a surname once, though a very equivocal one; and I have forgotten THAT since I retired from the world.""And was it from disgust, from poverty, or from some--some ebullition of passion which entailed punishment, that you betook yourself to the mountains?""Why, signor," said the bravo, with a gay laugh, "hermits of my class seldom love the confessional.However, I have no secrets while my step is in these defiles, my whistle in my pouch, and my carbine at my back." With that the robber, as if he loved permission to talk at his will, hemmed thrice, and began with much humour; though, as his tale proceeded, the memories it roused seemed to carry him farther than he at first intended, and reckless and light-hearted ease gave way to that fierce and varied play of countenance and passion of gesture which characterise the emotions of his countrymen.

"I was born at Terracina,--a fair spot, is it not? My father was a learned monk of high birth; my mother--Heaven rest her!--an innkeeper's pretty daughter.Of course there could be no marriage in the case; and when I was born, the monk gravely declared my appearance to be miraculous.I was dedicated from my cradle to the altar; and my head was universally declared to be the orthodox shape for a cowl.As I grew up, the monk took great pains with my education; and I learned Latin and psalmody as soon as less miraculous infants learn crowing.Nor did the holy man's care stint itself to my interior accomplishments.Although vowed to poverty, he always contrived that my mother should have her pockets full; and between her pockets and mine there was soon established a clandestine communication; accordingly, at fourteen, I wore my cap on one side, stuck pistols in my belt, and assumed the swagger of a cavalier and a gallant.At that age my poor mother died; and about the same period my father, having written a History of the Pontifical Bulls, in forty volumes, and being, as I said, of high birth, obtained a cardinal's hat.From that time he thought fit to disown your humble servant.He bound me over to an honest notary at Naples, and gave me two hundred crowns by way of provision.Well, signor, I saw enough of the law to convince me that I should never be rogue enough to shine in the profession.So, instead of spoiling parchment, I made love to the notary's daughter.My master discovered our innocent amusement, and turned me out of doors; that was disagreeable.

But my Ninetta loved me, and took care that I should not lie out in the streets with the Lazzaroni.Little jade! I think I see her now with her bare feet, and her finger to her lips, opening the door in the summer nights, and bidding me creep softly into the kitchen, where, praised be the saints! a flask and a manchet always awaited the hungry amoroso.At last, however, Ninetta grew cold.It is the way of the sex, signor.Her father found her an excellent marriage in the person of a withered old picture-dealer.She took the spouse, and very properly clapped the door in the face of the lover.I was not disheartened, Excellency; no, not I.Women are plentiful while we are young.

So, without a ducat in my pocket or a crust for my teeth, I set out to seek my fortune on board of a Spanish merchantman.That was duller work than I expected; but luckily we were attacked by a pirate,--half the crew were butchered, the rest captured.Iwas one of the last: always in luck, you see, signor,--monks'

sons have a knack that way! The captain of the pirates took a fancy to me.'Serve with us?' said he.'Too happy,' said I.

Behold me, then, a pirate! O jolly life! how I blessed the old notary for turning me out of doors! What feasting, what fighting, what wooing, what quarrelling! Sometimes we ran ashore and enjoyed ourselves like princes; sometimes we lay in a calm for days together on the loveliest sea that man ever traversed.

And then, if the breeze rose and a sail came in sight, who so merry as we? I passed three years in that charming profession, and then, signor, I grew ambitious.I caballed against the captain; I wanted his post.One still night we struck the blow.