The gentlemen were eased of their purses and their watches; the ladies of their jewels, and the whole party were on the point of being carried up into the mountain, when fortunately the appearance of soldiery at a distance obliged the robbers to make off with the spoils they had secured, and leave the Popkins family to gather together the remnants of their effects, and make the best of their way to Fondi.

When safe arrived, the alderman made a terrible blustering at the inn; threatened to complain to the ambassador at Naples, and was ready to shake his cane at the whole country.The dandy had many stories to tell of his scuffles with the brigands, who overpowered him merely by numbers.As to the Misses Popkins, they were quite delighted with the adventure, and were occupied the whole evening in writing it in their journals.They declared the captain of the band to be a most romantic-looking man; they dared to say some unfortunate lover, or exiled nobleman:and several of the band to be very handsome young men—“quite picturesque!”

“In verity,” said mine host of Terracina, “they say the captain of the band is un galant uomo.”

“A gallant man!” said the Englishman.

“I’d have your gallant man hang’d like a dog!”

“To dare to meddle with Englishmen!” said Mr. Hobbs.

“And such a family as the Popkinses!” said Mr. Dobbs.

“They ought to come upon the country for damages!” said Mr. Hobbs.

“Our ambassador should make a complaint to the government of Naples,” said Mr. Dobbs.

“They should be requested to drive these rascals out of the country,” said Hobbs.

“If they did not, we should declare war against them!” said Dobbs.

The Englishman was a little wearied by this story, and by the ultra zeal of his countrymen, and was glad when a summons to their supper relieved him from a crowd of travellers.He walked out with his Venetian friends and a young Frenchman of an interesting demeanor, who had become sociable with them in the course of the conversation.They directed their steps toward the sea, which was lit up by the rising moon.The Venetian, out of politeness, left his beautiful wife to be escorted by the Englishman.The latter, however, either from shyness or reserve, did not avail himself of the civility, but walked on without offering his arm.The fair Venetian, with all her devotion to her husband, was a little nettled at a want of gallantry to which her charms had rendered her unaccustomed, and took the proffered arm of the Frenchman with a pretty air of pique, which, however, was entirely lost upon the phlegmatic delinquent.

Not far distant from the inn they came to where there was a body of soldiers on the beach, encircling and guarding a number of galley slaves, whowere permitted to refresh themselves in the evening breeze, and to sport and roll upon the sand.

“It was difficult,” the Frenchman observed, “to conceive a more frightful mass of crime than was here collected.The parricide, the fratricide, the infanticide, who had first fled from justice and turned mountain bandit, and then, by betraying his brother desperadoes, had bought a commutation of punishment, and the privilege of wallowing on the shore for an hour a day, with this wretched crew of miscreants!”

The remark of the Frenchman had a strong effect upon the company, particularly upon the Venetian lady, who shuddered as she cast a timid look at this horde of wretches at their evening relaxation.“They seemed,” she said, “like so many serpents, wreathing and twisting together.”

The Frenchman now adverted to the stories they had been listening to at the inn, adding, that if they had any further curiosity on the subject, he could recount an adventure which happened to himself among the robbers and which might give them some idea of the habits and manners of those beings.There was an air of modesty and frankness about the Frenchman which had gained the good-will of the whole party, not even excepting the Englishman.They all gladly accepted his proposition; and as they strolled slowly up and down the seashore, he related the following adventure.