to you than to me." Every one expected an explosion on Carlini's part; but to their great surprise, he took a glass in one hand and a flask in the other, and filling it,—"Your health, Diavolaccio," said he calmly, and he drank it off, without his hand trembling in the least. Then sitting down by the fire, "My supper," said he; "my expedition has given me an appetite."—"Well done, Carlini!" cried the brigands; "that is acting like a good fellow;" and they all formed a circle round the fire, while Diavolaccio disappeared. Carlini ate and drank as if nothing had happened. The bandits looked on with astonishment at this singular conduct until they heard footsteps. They turned round, and saw Diavolaccio bearing the young girl in his arms. Her head hung back, and her long hair swept the ground. As they entered the circle, the bandits could perceive, by the firelight, the unearthly pallor of the young girl and of Diavolaccio. This apparition was so strange and so solemn, that every one rose, with the exception of Carlini, who remained seated, and ate and drank calmly. Diavolaccio advanced amidst the most profound silence, and laid Rita at the captain's feet. Then every one could understand the cause of the unearthly pallor in the young girl and the bandit. A knife was plunged up to the hilt in Rita's left breast. Every one looked at Carlini; the sheath at his belt was empty. "Ah, ah," said the chief, "I now understand why Carlini stayed behind." All savage natures appreciate a desperate deed. No other of the bandits would, perhaps, have done the same; but they all understood what Carlini had done. "Now, then," cried Carlini, rising in his turn, and approaching the corpse, his hand on the butt of one of his pistols, "does any one dispute the possession of this woman with me?"—"No," returned the chief, "she is thine." Carlini raised her in his arms, and carried her out of the circle of firelight. Cucumetto placed his sentinels for the night, and the bandits wrapped themselves in their cloaks, and lay down before the fire. At midnight the sentinel gave the alarm, and in an instant all were on the alert. It was Rita's father, who brought his daughter's ransom in person. "Here," said he, to Cucumetto, 'here are three hundred piastres; give me back my child. But the chief, without taking the money, made a sign to him to follow. The old man obeyed. They both advanced beneath the trees, through whose branches streamed the moonlight. Cucumetto stopped at last, and pointed to two persons grouped at the foot of a tree."
""There," said he, "demand thy child of Carlini; he will tell thee what has become of her;" and he returned to his companions. The old man remained motionless; he felt that some great and unforeseen misfortune hung over his head. At length he advanced toward the group, the meaning of which he could not comprehend. As he approached, Carlini raised his head, and the forms of two persons became visible to the old man's eyes. A woman lay on the ground, her head resting on the knees of a man, who was seated by her; as he raised his head, the woman's face became visible. The old man recognized his child, and Carlini recognized the old man. "I expected thee," said the bandit to Rita's father.—"Wretch!" returned the old man, "what hast thou done?" and he gazed with terror on Rita, pale and bloody, a knife buried in her bosom. A ray of moonlight poured through the trees, and lighted up the face of the dead.—"Cucumetto had violated thy daughter," said the bandit; "I loved her, therefore I slew her; for she would have served as the sport of the whole band." The old man spoke not, and grew pale as death. "Now," continued Carlini, "if I have done wrongly, avenge her;" and withdrawing the knife from the wound in Rita's bosom, he held it out to the old man with one hand, while with the other he tore open his vest.—"Thou hast done well!" returned the old man in a hoarse voice; "embrace me, my son." Carlini threw himself, sobbing like a child, into the arms of his mistress's father. These were the first tears the man of blood had ever wept.