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There was a sound of stealthy footsteps in the room at this moment, and the old duke glanced over his shoulder apprehensively, while Diavolo bent to one side to peer round the chair his grandfather was sitting in, which was between him and the door. "It's one of the dogs," he said carelessly. "Father Ricardo is out, I think." The duke looked relieved.
"Listen! there is some one at Rene's door! Don't you hear the footsteps of many men. Can they have arrested the Ruggieri?" "Ah, diavolo! this is prudence indeed. The king has not shown his usual impetuosity. But where will they imprison them? Let us go down into the street and see."
The finale of the act is occupied with the development of the scheme between Lorenzo, Beppo, and Giacomo, to ensnare Fra Diavolo and compass his death; and with the final tragedy, in which Fra Diavolo meets his doom at the hands of the carbineers, but not before he has declared Zerlina's innocence. This finale is strong and very dramatic, and yet at the same time simple, natural, and unstudied.
"What do you mean by disturbing me so late at night?" he drawled plaintively; "bringing in such a beastly lot of fresh air with you too. You make me shiver." "Don't be a fool, Diavolo," Angelica answered. "You know you're delighted to see me. How nice you look with your hair all tousled! I wish my hair was fair like yours. Oh! I have such a lot to tell you."
Their passionate appreciation of all things beautiful betrayed itself in the way they gazed at her; and hers was the only presence that ever subdued them for a moment. "I like her in white and gold," Angelica remarked to Diavolo when she had looked her longest. "So do I," Diavolo rejoined with a nod of satisfaction. "My dear children!" Lady Fulda exclaimed.
"Diavolo!" said Nino, running his fingers through his curly black hair, "it is indeed serious. Where are they going?" "How should I know?" asked De Pretis angrily. "I care much more about losing the lesson than about where they are going. I shall not follow them, I promise you. I cannot take the basilica of St. Peter about with me in my pocket, can I?"
"You can paint mine if you like," said Angelica. "No, I shan't. I shall paint my own." "No, you paint mine, and I'll paint yours," Angelica suggested. "Well, both together, then," Diavolo answered. "Honest Injin," Angelica agreed, and they set to work. Evadne sat with her embroidery in her lap and watched them.
But the episode made a lasting impression on Diavolo, as was apparent in much that he said, and particularly in some remarks which he made during a conversation he had with his grandfather toward the end of the year.
But, after all," she broke off, defending herself, "I only arrived at this by slow degrees, and I never should have come so far at all if Diavolo had stuck to me; but he got into a state of don't-care-and-can't-be-bothered, and separated his work from mine by going to Sandhurst.
Angelica hugged Diavolo heartily when they met, and then, being the taller of the two, she put her arm round his neck, and all three strolled slowly on toward us, Mr. Ellis and Mr. Kilroy having already come up on to the terrace and sat down. While greeting the two latter I lost sight of the Heavenly Twins, and when I looked at them again something had evidently gone wrong.
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