CHAPTER XLVIII. GASPARO'S STORY CONTINUED.
"The words of Alba revealed to me the horrible crime that had beenperpetrated. I raised her fainting form, and laid her upon my pallet,for my parents were both dead, and I dwelt alone. Now I could, for thefirst time, realize the full and sweet beauty of my heart's love. Thesight of this lovely creature almost lessened my aversion to the vilefratricide and his unlawful passion. Alba had never related to mewhat had passed on that night, and as I did not wish to awaken painfulrecollections, I had always avoided interrogating her upon the subject,so that I knew nothing of the dispute and murder. But the priest,supposing me aware of his misdeeds, and jealous of my love for Alba,schemed, as only a fiend could, to annihilate me through his owncrime, though not daring to accuse me openly. He had hinted to his mostintimate friends that I was his brother's murderer, and offered all hepossessed to certain bravos if they would undertake to kill me.
"You can still perceive, in spite of my age, and the troubles that haveweighed me down, that I was agile when a youth, and that I was capableof taking care of myself against ten priests. Well, Alba had come totell me of her father's death and the priest's calumnies. And thisscoundrel had me waylaid, as she warned me, so that I ran a narrowescape of losing my life. He had paid several cut-throats handsomely todestroy me. I was always, however, on my guard, and seldom went out ofthe house without my carbine; and my faithful little dog Lion could hearthe movement of a small bird a hundred paces off, and would wag his tailand prick up his ears at the slightest sound. My poor, poor dog! he wasa victim to his love for me."
And here the sensitive heart of the old chief, Gasparo, obliged him topause a moment.
"Yes, those devils, daring one of my walks to S------, contrived topoison him.
"From S------ to my forest-home several thick places in the cover hadto be passed. Here the bravos had hidden themselves once or twice, but,frustrated by my vigilance, and frightened at my carbine, they madetheir retreat as soon as I appeared, and informed the priest that theyshould give up the enterprise. Father Giacomo did not understand this,and finally persuaded them, after offering a higher sum, and regalingthem abundantly with food and wine, to make another attempt, in which hehimself was to accompany them. With his three highwaymen, he took up aposition one evening near my little house, concealing themselves behinda large bush that grew by the side of the narrow path which led to it,and which they knew I should be obliged to pass.
"My poor Lion was dead, and on this occasion, in spite of all myprecautions, I was taken by surprise. Four almost simultaneous shotswere fired upon me from the bush, and a furious cry of 'Die' wasuttered by the would-be assassins, who rushed upon me expecting to' findme mortally wounded. But not so, for I was saved as by a miracle. Allfour balls struck me, and three of them slightly wounded me, the mostserious hurt being caused by the first shot, which carried off, as yousee, a piece of my left ear; the second struck against my leathern belt,smashing only a few of my cartridges; the third pierced my hat, grazingmy head; and the fourth grazed my right shoulder, occasioning a slightscratch.
"The first person who approached me was the priest, holding a carbine inhis left hand and a poniard in the right. He was like a demon to behold,for rage and hatred; but my shot was more effective than his, and in onemoment he was rolling at my feet, uttering frightful groans. I knockedover one of the bravos with my second discharge, whereupon the othertwo, seeing the figure their companions had cut, and noting the pistolsstill left in my belt, took to their heels and fled. This was the firsttime I had shed blood, and I felt some remorse as I regarded the deadbodies of the priest and his tool. In any other country I might haveescaped unpunished by pleading the law of self-defense; for though I hadno witnesses, the case was clear, and the rancor which the priest boreto me was so well known that it would not have been difficult to provemy innocence. But under the priestly government it is another matter,and the destroyer of one of their body would have no chance of escape;so I thought it best to flee the country.
"Then began the eventful history of my so-called brigandage; and I swearto you that amongst all the agents sent out of this world by my hand,there has not been one who did not first attempt my life. Many youngmen, persecuted like me by the clergy, followed me to my place ofretreat; and very soon I had organized so formidable a band, thatthe Papal Government treated with me almost as with an equal power.Assassins or thieves by profession I never would receive into mycompany. The unfortunate of all grades were aided by me, and if theauthorities of the priesthood were sometimes assaulted, it was only towarn them to cease their acts of injustice and infamy.
"In this manner I passed many years, in reality more of a ruler over theRoman country than he who sits in the Quirinal, until the creatures ofthat cunning court, seeing they could do nothing with me by force,had recourse to treachery. That bright jewel of holiness, my relative,Cardinal A--------, whom may God reward! contributed more than any oneelse to my capture. I had the weakness to trust his specious promises,and remained, in consequence, fourteen years in irons, in a miserableprison. But the justice of God will at last find out those evil doersand punish them, for they are verily the scourge of humanity.
"When in the Papal galleys I heard of you, Orazio, and of yourcourageous resistance to the tools of the Vatican, and I assure you Iprayed; Heaven that I might become before I died your assistant andcompanion. My prayer was heard, and I only desire to devote the shortremainder of my life to the cause defended by you and your noblecomrades."
Julia was interested in the narrative of the famous bandit, and aftersympathizing with him, was about to ask Orazio to relate some passagesof his career, when, looking around at the company, she perceivedfrom their looks that repose after the fatigues of the day had becomenecessary; and, as the hour was late, she abandoned the idea, andwatched with curiosity the preparations for sleeping in the open air.
Fresh branches from the trees were strewn upon the most level portionsof the ground, under some of the gigantic oaks of the wood, and thusa magnificent sylvan couch was spread apart for the women, who wereto rest together, covered with the cloaks of their beloved ones. Muziooffered his to Julia, with a beseeching look, and paid her with a glanceof the deepest gratitude when she graciously accepted it. In the meantime Orazio and his friends placed guards and sentinels around, and gaveorders to sound the _reveille_ at dawn.
There, under the trees, extended on the turf, slept those upon whom thehopes of all true Romans hung. For Rome, after eighteen centuries oflethargy and shame, was beginning to awake and claim again a place ofhonor on the earth for her who was once its mistress.