Authors: George W. M. Reynolds,James Malcolm Rymer
“Oh! those miscreants would have
assuredly murdered you, my faithful Demetrius,” said the grand vizier.
“Of that, my lord, there is
little doubt,” returned the young Greek; “and I must confess that I shuddered
more than once while listening to the discourse of the cold-blooded monsters.
But Venturo and Antonio still remained behind for a few minutes, and the
discourse which took place between them, gave me a still further insight into
the characters of the gang. ‘Well, Venturo,’ said Antonio, after a short pause,
‘have you examined the packet which was intrusted to you?’ ‘I have, and the
contents are written in Greek or Arabic, or some such outlandish tongue, for I
could not read a word of them,’ answered Venturo; ‘and so I thought the best plan
was to destroy them.’ ‘You acted wisely,’ observed Antonio; ‘by the saints! it
was a good thought of mine to introduce you to my mother’s lodger as a
trustworthy messenger! If he only knew that we had shared his gold, and were
laughing at him for his credulity, he would not be over well pleased. His purse
appears to be pretty well lined, and when we have got all our present business
off our hands we will devote our attention to the lodger. The Arno is deep and
a foreigner the less in the city will not be noticed.’ ‘Not at all,’ answered
Venturo; ‘but let us now hasten to join our companions. At what time are the
officers of the inquisition to visit the cottage?’ ‘They are no doubt already
in the neighborhood,’ replied Antonio, ‘and will pounce upon their victims as
soon as young Francisco leaves
the place. Another set of officers are after the Marquis of Orsini.’ The two
miscreants then departed, continuing their conversation in a low tone as they
went along the street, but I overheard no more.”
“The wretches!” exclaimed the
grand vizier, in an excited voice. “But vengeance will light upon them yet!”
“Heaven grant that they may not
go unpunished!” said Demetrius. “Your highness may imagine the consternation
with which I had listened to the development of the damnable plots then in
progress; but I nevertheless experienced a material solace in the fact that
accident had thus revealed to me the whole extent of the danger which menaced
those whom your highness held dear. Without pausing to deliberate, I resolved,
at all risks, to proceed at once to the cottage, and, if not too late, warn
your aunt and lovely sister of the terrible danger which menaced them. Nay,
more—I determined to remove them immediately from Florence—that very
night—without an unnecessary moment’s delay. Darting along the streets, as if
my speed involved matters of life and death, I succeeded in passing the two
villains, Venturo and Antonio, before they had entered the sphere of the
brilliant illuminations of the casinos in the vale of Arno; and I beard one say
to the other, ‘There’s some cowardly knave who has just done a deed of which he
is no doubt afraid.’ Convinced by this remark that they suspected not who the
person that passed them so rapidly was, I hurried on with increasing speed, and
likewise with augmented hope to be enabled to save not only your lordship’s
aunt and sister from the officers of the inquisition, but also the young Count
of Riverola from the power of his miscreant enemies. Alas! my anticipations
were not to be fulfilled! I lost my way amongst a maze of gardens connected
with the villas bordering on the Arno; and much valuable time at such a crisis
was wasted in the circuits which I had to make to extricate myself from the
labyrinth and reach the bank of the river. At length I drew within sight of the
cottage; but my heart beat with terrible alarms as I beheld lights moving
rapidly about the house. ‘It is too late,’ I thought: and yet I rushed on
toward the place. But suddenly the door opened, and by a glare of light within,
I saw three females closely muffled in veils, led forth by several armed men.
It instantly struck me that the third must be the Countess Giulia of Arestino
to whom I heard the miscreants allude. I stopped short—for I knew that any
violent demonstration or interference on my part would be useless, and that
measures of another kind must be adopted on behalf of the victims. As the
procession now advanced from a cottage, I concealed myself in the adjacent
grove, wondering whether Count Francisco had been already arrested or whether
he had managed to elude his enemies. The procession, consisting of the officers
of the inquisition with their three female prisoners, who were dragged rather
than led along, passed by the spot where I lay concealed; and the deep sobs
which came from the unfortunate ladies, gagged though they evidently were,
filled my heart with horror and anguish. As soon as they had disappeared I
struck further
into the
grove, knowing by its situation that the outlet on the other side would conduct
me to the nearest road to that quarter of the city in which I lodged. But
scarcely had I reached the outskirts of the little wood in the direction which
I have named, when I saw a party of men moving on in front of me, through the
obscurity of the night. It struck me that this party might consist of Antonio,
Venturo, and other worthies, and I determined to ascertain whether Count
Francisco had fallen into their hands. I accordingly followed them as
cautiously as possible, taking care to skirt the grove in such a manner that I
was concealed by its deep shade, whereas those whom I was watching proceeded
further away from the trees. Thus the party in advance and myself continued our
respective paths for nearly a quarter of an hour, during which I ascertained beyond
all doubt that the men whom I was following were really the villains of the
Antonio gang, and that they had a prisoner with them who could be no other than
the Count of Riverola.
“At length the grove terminated,
and I was about to abandon further pursuit as dangerous, when it struck me that
I should be acting in a cowardly and unworthy manner not to endeavor to
ascertain the locality of the cave of which I had heard the miscreants speak,
and to which they were most probably conveying him who was so dear to the
beautiful Signora Flora. Accordingly I managed to track the party across
several fields to a grove of evergreens. But as they advanced without caring
how they broke through the crackling thickets, the noise of their movements
absorbed the far fainter sounds which accompanied my progress. So successful
was my undertaking that I was soon within twenty paces of them. But it was
profoundly dark, and I was unable to observe their movements. I computed the
distance they were from me, and calculated so as to form an idea of the exact
spot where they were standing; for, by an observation which one of the villains
let drop, I learnt that they had reached the entrance of their cavern. It also
struck me that I heard a bell ring as if in the depths of the earth, and I
concluded that this was a signal to obtain admittance. While I was weighing
these matters in my mind, Lomellino suddenly exclaimed, ‘Let the prisoner be
taken down first; and have a care, Venturo, that the bandage is well fastened.’
‘All right, captain,’ was the reply; and thus I ascertained that Lomellino was
the chief of some band most probably, I thought, of robbers; for I remembered
the allusions which had been made that evening by Antonio to a certain
predatory visit some months previously to the Riverola mansion. ‘God help
Francisco,’ I said within myself, as I reflected upon the desperate character
of the men who had him in their power; and then I was consoled by the
remembrance that he was merely to be detained as a prisoner for a period, and
not harmed.”
“Unfortunately such demons as
those Florentine banditti are capable of every atrocity,” observed the grand
vizier.
“True, my lord,” observed
Demetrius; “but let us hope that all those in whom your highness is interested,
will yet be saved.
I shall,
however, continue my narrative. Three or four minutes had elapsed since the
robbers had come to a full stop, when I knew by the observations made amongst
them, that they were descending into some subterranean place. I accordingly
waited with the utmost anxiety until I was convinced that they had all
disappeared with their prisoner; and then I crept cautiously along to the place
at which I had already reckoned them to have paused. I stooped down, and
carefully felt upon the ground, until I was enabled to ascertain the precise
point at which the marks of their footsteps had ceased. At this moment the moon
shone forth with such extreme brilliancy, that its beams penetrated the thick
foliage; and I now observed with horror that I had advanced to the very verge
of a steep precipice, on the brink of which the grove suddenly ceased. Had not
the moon thus providentially appeared at that instant, I should have continued
to grope about in the utter darkness, and have assuredly fallen into the abyss.
I breathed a fervent prayer for this signal deliverance. But not a trace of any
secret entrance to a cavern could I find—no steps, no trap-door! Well aware
that it would be dangerous for me to be caught in that spot, should any of the
banditti emerge suddenly from their cave, I was reluctantly compelled to
depart. But before I quitted the place, I studied it so well that I should have
no difficulty in recognizing it again. In fact, just at the precise spot where
the footsteps of the banditti ceased, an enormous chestnut tree, which for more
than a century must have continued to draw from the earth its nourishment,
slopes completely over the precipice, while on the right of this tree, as you
face the abyss, is a knot of olives, and on the left an umbrageous lime. These features
of the spot I committed to memory, with the idea that such a clew to the
robbers’ retreat might not eventually prove useless.
“I will extirpate that nest of
vipers—that horde of remorseless banditti!” exclaimed Ibrahim Pasha, in a tone
indicative of strong excitement.
“Your highness has the power,”
responded Demetrius; “but the Florentine authorities must be completely
impotent in respect to such a formidable horde of lawless men. The remainder of
my narrative is soon told, my lord,” returned the young Greek. “I returned to
my lodgings in safety, but determined not to remain there a single hour longer
than necessary. For apart from the resolve which I had formed already, in
consequence of the various and unforeseen incidents which had occurred, to return
to Constantinople, the murderous designs of Antonio and Venturo in respect to
myself, would have hastened my removal at all events to another lodging. That
night sleep never visited my eyes—so amazed and grieved was I at the calamities
which had befallen those who were so dear to your highness. Very early in the
morning I arose from a feverish bed and sallied forth to learn tidings of the
Marquis of Orsini. ‘For,’ thought I, ‘if this nobleman has escaped arrest by
the officers of the inquisition, he might be enabled to effect somewhat in
aiding the female victims.’ But I heard at his dwelling that he had been
arrested the previous evening on a charge of sacrilege, perpetrated
with others, in respect to the
Carmelite Convent. Frustrated in this quarter, I repaired to the principal
clerk of the criminal tribunal, and inquired the name and address of a lawyer
of eminence and repute. The clerk complied with my demand, and recommended me
to Angelo Duras, the brother of a celebrated Florentine physician.”
“Both of whom are known to me by
name,” observed the grand vizier; “and Angelo Duras is a man of unblemished
integrity. It delights me much to know you employed him.”
“I found him, too,” continued
Demetrius, “a kind-hearted and benevolent man. He received me with affability;
and I narrated to him as much as necessary of the particulars which I have
detailed to your highness. Without stating by whom I was employed, I merely
represented to him that I was deeply interested in the Francatelli family, and
that it was of the utmost importance to obtain a delay for two or three months
in the criminal proceedings instituted against those innocent females, as, in
the meantime, I should undertake a journey to a place at some considerable
distance, but the result of which would prove materially beneficial to the
cause of the accused. He observed that the interest of the Count of Arestino,
who would doubtless endeavor to hasten the proceedings in order to wreak speedy
vengeance upon his wife and the Marquis of Orsini, was very powerful to contend
against; but that gold could accomplish much. I assured him that there would be
no lack of funds to sustain even the most expensive process; and I threw down a
heavy purse as an earnest of my ability to bear the cost of the suit. He
committed to paper all the particulars that I had thought it prudent to reveal
to him, and after some consideration, said, ‘I now see my way clearly. I will
undertake that the final hearing of this case, at least so far as it regards
the Francatellis, shall be postponed for three months. You may rely upon the
fulfillment of this promise, let the Count of Arestino do his worst.’ Thus
assured, I quitted the worthy pleader, and proceeded to visit Father Marco,
who, as I had happened to learn when in conversation with your highness’ aunt,
was the family confessor. I found that excellent man overwhelmed with grief at
the calamities which had occurred; and to him I confided, under a solemn
promise of inviolable secrecy, who the present grand vizier of the Ottoman
Empire really was, and how I had been employed by you to visit Florence for the
purpose of watching over the safety of your relatives. I however explained to
Father Marco that his vow of secrecy was to cease to be binding at any moment
when the lives of the Francatellis should be menaced by circumstances that
might possibly arise in spite of all the precautions that I had adopted to
postpone the final hearing of their case; and that should imminent peril menace
those lives, he was immediately to reveal to the Duke of Florence the fact of
the relationship of the Francatellis with one who has power to punish any
injury that might be done to them. Though well knowing, my lord, the obstinancy
of the Christian states in venturing to beard Ottoman might, I considered this
precaution to be at all events
a
prudent one; and Father Marco promised to obey my injunctions in all respects.”