It Was On The Fourth Of
November, A Beautiful Serene Day, That We Had Assembled In The Saloon
At The Sound Of The First Dinner-Bell.
The family were surprised at the
absence of the prince's confessor.
They waited for him in vain, and at
length placed themselves at table. They first attributed his absence to
his having prolonged his customary walk; and the first part of the
dinner passed without any uneasiness. When the dessert was served,
however, without his making his appearance, they began to feel anxious.
They feared he might have been taken ill in some alley of the woods;
or, that he might have fallen into the hands of robbers. At the
interval of a small valley rose the mountains of the Abruzzi, the
strong-hold of banditti. Indeed, the neighborhood had, for some time,
been infested by them; and Barbone, a notorious bandit chief, had often
been met prowling about the solitudes of Tusculum. The daring
enterprises of these ruffians were well known; the objects of their
cupidity or vengeance were insecure even in palaces. As yet they had
respected the possessions of the prince; but the idea of such dangerous
spirits hovering about the neighbourhood was sufficient to occasion
alarm.
The fears of the company increased as evening closed in. The prince
ordered out forest guards, and domestics with flambeaux to search for
the confessor. They had not departed long, when a slight noise was
heard in the corridor of the ground floor. The family were dining on
the first floor, and the remaining domestics were occupied in
attendance.
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