Shining on her beautifully
fair countenance showed it paler than usual with terror, while tears
glittered in her fine dark eyes. "O caro mio!" would she murmur,
shuddering at every atrocious circumstance of the story.
"Corragio, mia vita!" was the reply, as the husband gently and fondly
tapped the white hand that lay upon his arm.
The Englishman alone preserved his usual phlegm, and the fair Venetian
was piqued at it.
She had pardoned him a want of gallantry towards herself, though a sin
of omission seldom met with in the gallant climate of Italy, but the
quiet coolness which he maintained in matters which so much affected
her, and the slow credence which he had given to the stories which had
filled her with alarm, were quite vexatious.
"Santa Maria!" said she to husband as they retired for the night, "what
insensible beings these English are!"
In the morning all was bustle at the inn at Terracina.
The procaccio had departed at day-break, on its route towards Rome, but
the Englishman was yet to start, and the departure of an English
equipage is always enough to keep an inn in a bustle. On this occasion
there was more than usual stir; for the Englishman having much property
about him, and having been convinced of the real danger of the road,
had applied to the police and obtained, by dint of liberal pay, an
escort of eight dragoons and twelve foot-soldiers, as far as Fondi.
Perhaps, too, there might have been a little ostentation at bottom,
from which, with great delicacy be it spoken, English travellers are
not always exempt; though to say the truth, he had nothing of it in his
manner. He moved about taciturn and reserved as usual, among the gaping
crowd in his gingerbread-colored travelling cap, with his hands in his
pockets. He gave laconic orders to John as he packed away the thousand
and one indispensable conveniencies of the night, double loaded his
pistols with great sang-froid, and deposited them in the pockets of
the carriage, taking no notice of a pair of keen eyes gazing on him
from among the herd of loitering idlers. The fair Venetian now came up
with a request made in her dulcet tones, that he would permit their
carriage to proceed under protection of his escort. The Englishman, who
was busy loading another pair of pistols for his servant, and held the
ramrod between his teeth, nodded assent as a matter of course, but
without lifting up his eyes. The fair Venetian was not accustomed to
such indifference. "O Dio!" ejaculated she softly as she retired, "como
sono freddi questi Inglesi." At length off they set in gallant style,
the eight dragoons prancing in front, the twelve foot-soldiers marching
in rear, and carriages moving slowly in the centre to enable the
infantry to keep pace with them.
