hills, sent forth a slow, melancholy tolling; some oxen in the plain returning from labour, and some buffaloes that were ranging in the black marshes, tinkled their dull bells as they moved along; a shepherd boy was playing upon a rustic pipe, made by his own hands from a reed of the marsh, and a woodman afar off, blew his equally primitive zampogna, the sound of which, softened by distance, was pleasant and soothing. The querulous voice of the cicala, the croaking of frogs, the chirp of birds repairing to the wood, and the stilly flutter of the wings of the rapid bat, were also among the sounds of that quiet hour,—their union was sweet, and formed a tranquil symphony that harmonized with the scene.

--

Poor Antonietta felt it as became her, her heart melted within her, her frame quivered with delicious emotion, her large, black eyes filled with tears, and by a natural impulse which disposes us to seek participation in every deep feeling, she turned to her wretched companion. Alas! in him such sympathies had never existed, or were for ever dried up: he gazed upon the scene, it is true; his senses imbibed the sweetness of odour and sound; but with as much indifference as the wolf of his native forest: his brows were knit into their habitual frown, his eyes scowled as though he saw an enemy or a victim before him, and his hands were unconsciously playing with the haft of the dagger, and the butt end of the pistols that were fastened in his girdle. Antonietta retreated several paces from him. Anon the church bells

in the plain chimed the Ave Maria; the robber shook himself as the sound reached his ear, and began fervently to mutter his prayer to the Virgin Mother of God: Antonietta followed him,-but oh! with what different feelings. A few minutes afterwards, Peppè Tosco called her to hasten home. "I must have my supper betimes," said "when the moon rises, I must to the forest-my

he;

comrades expect me."

"But why away so soon?" said Antonietta: "it was but yester-night that you returned so sadly harassed and fatigued?"

"Ask no questions, wench-these are times of hell; by Saint Francis, they are! here we must meet, and meet again, and consult;—and for what, in sooth? why, not to secure booty, or plan expeditions; but to contrive our own safety-how to escape the pursuit of French bloodhounds. By the sainted Virgin, there will be no peace for us, until the last of these accursed strangers is sent out of the world with a bandit's knife in his heart!"

Antonietta shuddered, accustomed as she was to similar horrors, though she considered the French as merciless invaders, and thought as firmly that her fosterparent's occupation was justifiable, as the more refined daughter of a licensed hero, thinks that of her father glorious. She had hitherto possessed no means of correcting her mistake, as the people she had seen had all a fellow feeling with Peppè Tosco, and even the old monk was too much devoted to his interests, to unveil

to her the calling of his best customers, in its real deformity.

As they descended the hill, Antonietta's eye was arrested by a trim vessel, then doubling the romantic cape of Suvero, one of the extreme points of the gulf.

'Oh, see!" said she, catching the arm of the impatient Peppè Tosco, "see that beautiful white sail there, which is not quite white now, but the colour of the violets I gather in the spring,-see there! how it hurries along on the evening breeze, and look! close under the cape comes another,—'t is larger, but not so pretty."

Peppè Tosco looked, and immediately recognised a French gun-boat, convoying a large transport ;-" Now may every curse," cried he, striking his dagger hilt,

66

may every curse light upon these invaders! They are come to hunt us like bears, in our fastnesses;- but let them come, band after band; our marshes are wide and treacherous; none but a brigand can thread our forest : Calabrian cunning, and bold hearts and sure shots, and ague and fever await them-they will yet rue the Forest of Sant'Eufemia!"

The robber hastened on: as they drew near the cottage they saw an old man seated at the door, who arose hurriedly as Peppè Tosco approached, and beckoning him aside, began a conversation in a whisper, the interest of which was plainly betrayed by the violence of his gestures. A more appalling figure than this veteran villain, never occupied the pencil of Salvator Rosa, or of our

N

own countryman, Eastlake or Uwins: he was short in stature, but most robustly knit; his round head, with its straggling grey locks, was sunk between his broad shoulders; and his body, and arms, and legs, seemed to have been shortened expressly to give them more strength; his hat was high and sugar-loafed, with broad flapping brims, that shaded the upper part of his face, but could not deaden his eye, which shone from under his snowy eye-brow like a burning coal. He wore a coarse velveteen jacket, covered with silver Spanish buttons, which being open at the breast, discovered a medal of the Virgin, and a little silk bag, containing an esteemed relic: :: a broad leathern belt around his waist, supported a dagger, a large couteau de chasse, and a brace of pistols; a long heavy Spanish gun, that shewed by the polish of its stock how familiar it was to his hand, was flung over his shoulder. His feet and legs were cased in a sort of sandal, made of stripes of untanned hide, fastened under the knee with a silver buckle. Such was the exterior of Benincasa, the captain of the Sant' Eufemia banditti,— of the successful monster, whose atrocities had been the subject of dread and astonishment for so many years. The dialogue between the two brigands soon ended.— Away, let us away!" cried Benincasa aloud.

"But my supper," expostulated Peppè Tosco hesitatingly.

"Your supper, Peppè, must be eaten elsewhere to night," retorted his captain. "Our legs and our hands

must be tried ere our stomachs be satisfied,-if we succeed, our supper shall be a feast; but if we fail, by Saint Joseph, I believe some of us will have small need of food!—Come, come! ➡your gun, your powder-flask,— haste!"

Girl," cried Tosco to Antonietta, bring here my gun and horn, and the knife that's under my pillow ;Pasquale, Annarella, bear in mind my orders; remember what I told you last night, or I will cut your throats when I return."

With these words, and while his submissive underlings exclaimed, "the Madonna accompany you, the Madonna bring you safe back!"-Peppè Tosco strode after his leader, who was already out of sight among the trees. After he had proceeded a few paces, however, he turned his head to look at Antonietta, and seeing her fixed as a statue, with her arms stretched forward, and her eyes bent upon him, he walked back.

66

"What, child," said he, "you let me go away without saying a word to me?-Ah! 't is well! you care not about my coming in or my going out; you care not if I never return;-if the bullet of one of these French murderers! well, well! who will take care of you

then?"

"Oh, father!" replied the poor girl, "you set out so suddenly, I had not time to say what is here in my heart, I never can do so!"

Farewell then, now," said the robber, softened ;