They were compelled to listen to the parley, which at that moment he had commenced making.
"Signori," he said, taking his teeth out of the young girl"s hair, but still keeping the plait close to his lips, "I"m not going to make a long speech. I see you"re impatient, and might not care to listen to it.
You want my blood; you are thirsting for it. I am in your power, and you can take it. But if I am to die, so shall Lucetta Torreani. Yes; she dies along with me. Stir but a finger, any one of you; either draw a trigger, or make a movement to come inside, and that moment my poniard pierces her breast!"
The spectators stood silent, their breathing suppressed, and their eyes angrily gleaming upon the speaker.
"Don"t mistake what I"ve said for an idle threat," he continued. ""Tis no time for talking nonsense. I know that my life is forfeit to the laws, and that you would show me about as much mercy as you would a trapped wolf. Be it so; but in killing your wolf, you won"t save your lamb. No! _Sangue di Madonna_! She shall suffer along with me. If I can"t have her in life, I shall in death!"
The expression upon the brute"s face, as he gave utterance to the threat, was revolting in its very earnestness. No one, who saw it, doubted his intention to do as he said. In fact, a movement at that instant made by him caused a vivid apprehension that he was about to carry out his threat; and the spectators stood transfixed, as if the blood had become frozen in their veins. But no; he was only preparing for further parley.
"What do you want us to do?" inquired Rossi, the leader of the victorious Revolutionists. "I suppose you know who we are. You see we are not the soldiers of the Pope?"
"_Cospetto_!" exclaimed the bandit, with a scornful toss of the head, "a child could have told that. I had no fear of seeing the brave _bersaglieri_ of his Holiness here. They don"t relish the air of these remote mountains! That"s how you"ve been able to surprise us. Enough, _signori_. I know who you are; and now for my proposal."
"Well, what is it?" demanded several of the spectators, chafing with impatience at the continued talk, and indignant at seeing the young lady still trembling in the bandit"s embrace. "Let us hear what you have to propose."
"Absolute freedom for myself, and such of my men as you have captured.
Those you have killed may remain with you; and I hope you will give them Christian burial. And if any have escaped, they can take their chances; I don"t stipulate for them. For myself and comrades, who are your prisoners, I demand release, and a promise that we shall not be pursued.
Do you agree to it?"
The leaders outside turned to one another, and commenced discussing the proposal. It was painful to think of accepting such terms, letting the red-handed criminals escape. They had long been the terror of the district, committing outrages of every conceivable kind. Now that they were captured, and could be rooted out, it would be a shame, a disgrace to the Revolutionists--whose natural enemies the bandits had always been--to let them go free again, afterwards to recommence their depredations. Thus spoke several of the party.
On the other side, there was the danger in which stood the young lady-- the absolute certainty that she would be sacrificed.
It is needless to say that Luigi Torreani, Henry Harding, and several others, urged the acceptance of the proposal, as also the chief Rossi.
"And if we comply with your demands, what then?" asked the latter.
"What then! Why, the signorina shall be given up. That is all you want, I suppose?"
"Are you ready to give her up now?"
"Oh no!" returned the brigand with a scornful laugh; "that would be delivering up the goods before they are paid for. We bandits don"t make such loose bargains."
"Then what do you require us to do?"
"You must withdraw your men to the top of the ridge, where the pa.s.s leads out northward. Mine, set free, shall go up to that on the south.
We can then see one another. You, signor, can yourself remain here with me, and receive the captive. You have nothing to fear, seeing that I have but one hand, and that a lame one. On your part I must have a promise that there shall be no treason."
"I am willing to give it," responded Rossi, the _signor_ addressed, and who felt he was speaking the sentiment of his followers. "It must be in the form of an oath."
"Agreed. I am ready to take it, now."
"No; not till we have daylight. We must postpone it till the morning.
It is near, and you won"t have long to wait."
This was true enough. The scheme could not be carried out in the darkness, without risking treason on one side or the other. Both parties could perceive this.
"Meanwhile," continued the bandit, "I must put out the light inside here, else you may contemplate stealing a march on me by trying to get in from behind. I don"t intend to let you surround me; and in the darkness I shall be safe. So, _buono notte, signori_!"
A fresh thrill of apprehension ran through the veins of the spectators.
More especially was this felt by Luigi Torreani and his English friend.
The thought of the young girl being left alone in the darkness--alone with the brutal ruffian, even though they were themselves close by-- filled them with horrible fears. Once more they were racking their brains for some plan to prevent such a perilous compromise. But they could not think of any that did not also compromise the safety of Lucetta. They had their guns c.o.c.ked, ready to shoot Corvino down, had a chance presented itself. But there came none; his body was screened by that of the girl--a shot ill-aimed, and she only might receive it.
Half frantic, they saw the bandit stoop towards the lamp, with the intention of extinguishing it. Before he could succeed, a third personage appeared upon the scene--a form that darted quickly through the door behind.
It was a woman of wild aspect, in whose hand could be seen a stiletto glittering under the dim light. With a spring like that of an enraged tigress, she placed herself close behind the bandit; and, uttering a quick angry cry, plunged the poniard into his side.
Relaxing his grasp upon the girl, he turned round to defend himself; but almost on the instant staggered back against the wall.
His captive, finding herself released, glided instinctively towards the window. But it was not the intention of the murderess she should escape; and with the b.l.o.o.d.y poignard still grasped in her hand, she sprang quickly after.
Fortunately her intended victim had got close up to the bars, and was protected by a score of gun-barrels and sword-blades thrust through-- among them the sword that had been s.n.a.t.c.hed from Guardiola.
A volley was succeeded by an interval of deep silence inside the room.
When the smoke cleared away, two dead bodies were seen lying upon the floor; which, under the light of the lamp, could be distinguished as those of Corvino and his murderess.
Lucetta Torreani was saved!
CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE.
THE ROMAN REPUBLIC.
"Long live the Roman Republic!"
Such was the cry resounding through the streets of Rome in the year 1849; and among the voices vociferating it were those of Luigi Torreani and Henry Harding.
But while the young Englishman was helping the cause of freedom abroad, older Englishmen at home were plotting its destruction. At that time a Secret Convention was sitting _en permanence_, composed of representatives from most of the crowned heads in Europe; its purpose being to arrange ways and means by which the spark of Liberty should be trodden out, wherever it should show itself.
In Hungary it had flared up into a brilliant flame: short-lived; for by the aid of Russian bayonets it was soon stifled. The same result had followed in France--the ends and means being slightly different.
Diplomacy again exerted its influence; and backed by British gold-- secretly but profusely spent--succeeded in placing upon the Presidential chair a man foresworn to change that chair into a throne. And with this same corrupting metal, and the sinister influence derived from a great historic name, he was but too sure of success. Then a President in name--an Emperor in embryo--encouraged by the secret a.s.sistance of the other crowned heads, he was soon to have France at his feet.
It only required a trick to disfranchise the two millions of Houses, and then the French a.s.sembly would be sufficiently conservative to transform the Republic into an Empire! There was still danger to be apprehended from the _blouses_.
How was this grand disfranchis.e.m.e.nt to be effected?
An astute diplomacy easily supplied the answer: "Let England snub the French amba.s.sador. Let France recall him. Let there be a pretended att.i.tude of mutual hostility, and while that is maintained the a.s.sembly can take its measures."
The counsel was followed. The minister was snubbed and recalled. Then while the British bull-dog was barking at Dover, and the Gallic c.o.c.k crowing at Calais, the betrayed _blouses_, with angry faces turned towards England, instead of having their eyes upon their own National a.s.sembly, were by this packed parliament speedily stripped of the privilege of voting.
In Hungary the game had been more open; though there, as in France, Liberty fell by the basest of all betrayals.
And again, in Baden the same foul play, though there the Secret Convention decided to settle it by the sword. The perjured King of Prussia was the man called upon to wield it, and his hireling soldiers proved too strong for the patriots of the Schwarzwald.
Once more, at the eleventh hour, another spark of that eternal flame of freedom appeared in an unexpected quarter--the very hotbed of despotism, political and religious--in the ancient city of Rome. And again sat the Secret Convention: an eminent English diplomate the most active of its members--he of all others the most successful cajoler of peoples--he whose long career had been a succession of betrayals. He has gone hence without witnessing their exposure. For all that, history will one day expose them.
Once more then sat the Secret Conclave; and once more went forth the edict for this fresh spark of Liberty, that had sprung up in agonised Italy, to be stifled like the rest. There was no need to use artifice.