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"Croppo is not far wrong," I said, glad of the opportunity thus offered of imposing on the ignorance and credulity of the natives. "He seemed surprised that he could not frighten me the other night. Tell him he was much more in my power than I was in his, dear Valeria," I added, looking tenderly into his eyes.
If you wish to get anything out of him you must be excessively civil. What does he care about my ears?" And I laughed with such scornful contempt that Croppo this time felt that he had made a fool of himself; and I observed the lovely girl behind, while the corners of her mouth twitched with suppressed laughter, make a sign of caution.
I said, a bright idea suddenly striking me; "suppose I were to write to my Government how would that do?" Croppo was evidently puzzled: my cheerful and unembarrassed manner apparently perplexed him. He had a suspicion that I was even capable of the audacity of making a fool of him, and yet that proposition about the Government rather staggered him. There might be something in it.
Addio, caro Inglese; mind you wait till you hear me snoring." Then she lingered, and I heard a sigh. "What is it, sweet Valeria?" and I covered her hand with kisses. "I wish Croppo had blue eyes like you." This was murmured so softly that I may have been mistaken, but I'm nearly sure that was what she said; then she drew softly away, and two minutes afterwards I heard her snoring.
By the by, was that man much hurt that I was obliged to trip up?" "Hurt! Santa Maria! he is dead, with a bullet through his heart. Croppo says it must have been magic, for he had searched you and he knew you were not armed, and he was within a hundred yards of you when poor Pippo fell, and he heard no sound."
"Croppo is not far wrong," I said, glad of the opportunity thus offered of imposing on the ignorance and credulity of the natives. "He seemed surprised that he could not frighten me the other night. Tell him he was much more in my power than I was in his, dear Valeria," I added, looking tenderly into her eyes.
"Then eat this," and she passed me a tin pannikin full of cold macaroni, which would just go through the opening. "Dear Valeria," I said, with my mouth full, "how good and thoughtful you are!" "Hush! he'll hear." "Who?" "Croppo." "Where is he?" "Asleep in the bed just behind me." "How do you come to be in his bedroom?" "Because I'm his wife." "Oh!"
"Come, amico mio, you will have to give us the names of some of your friends." "I am tolerably intimate with his Holiness the Pope, and I have a bowing acquaintance with the King of Naples, whom may God speedily restore to his own," I replied, in a light and airy fashion, which seemed exceedingly to exasperate the man called Croppo.
"I shall never see you again, Signer Inglese," she said, with a sigh; "for Croppo says it is not safe, after what happened the night before last, to stay another hour. Indeed he went off yesterday, leaving me orders to follow to-day; but I went first to put your sketch-book under the bush where the donkey fell, and where you will find it."
"How on earth am I to let you escape, dear Valeria?" I whispered, giving her a sort of affectionate nudge: the position of our arms prevented my squeezing hers, as I could have wished, and the two troopers kept behind us, watching us, I thought, suspiciously. "It is quite impossible now don't attempt it," she answered; "perhaps there may be an opportunity later." "Was that Croppo who got away?"
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