"Will you be good enough to allow me to leave this room, Signor della Rebbia," said the prefect, and he stamped his foot in his impatience.

"Saveria! Saveria!" shouted Orso, "open the door, in the devil's name!"

"One moment," said Brandolaccio. "We have to slip away first, on our side. Signor Prefetto, the custom, when people meet in the house of a mutual friend, is to allow each other half an hour's law, after departure."

The prefect cast a scornful glance at him.

"Your servant, signorina, and gentlemen all!" said Brandolaccio. Then stretching out his arm, "Hi, Brusco," he cried to his dog, "jump for the Signor Prefetto!"

The dog jumped; the bandits swiftly s.n.a.t.c.hed up their arms in the kitchen, fled across the garden, and at a shrill whistle the door of the room flew open as though by magic.

"Signor Barricini," said Orso, and suppressed fury vibrated in his voice, "I hold you to be a forger! This very day I shall charge you before the public prosecutor with forgery and complicity with Bianchi. I may perhaps have a still more terrible accusation to bring against you!"

"And I, Signor della Rebbia," replied the mayor, "shall lay my charge against you for conspiracy and complicity with bandits. Meanwhile the prefect will desire the gendarmes to keep an eye upon you."

"The prefect will do his duty," said that gentleman sternly. "He will see the public order is not disturbed at Pietranera; he will take care justice is done. I say this to you all, gentlemen!"

The mayor and Vincentello were outside the room already, and Orlanduccio was following them, stepping backward, when Orso said to him in an undertone:

"Your father is an old man. One cuff from me would kill him. It is with you and with your brother that I intend to deal."

Orlanduccio's only response was to draw his dagger and fly like a madman at Orso. But before he could use his weapon Colomba caught hold of his arm and twisted it violently, while Orso gave him a blow in the face with his fist, which made him stagger several paces back, and come into violent collision with the door frame. Orlanduccio's dagger dropped from his hand. But Vincentello had his ready, and was rushing back into the room, when Colomba, s.n.a.t.c.hing up a gun convinced him that the struggle must be unequal. At the same time the prefect threw himself between the combatants.

"We shall soon meet, Ors' Anton'!" shouted Orlanduccio, and slamming the door of the room violently, he turned the key in the lock, so as to insure himself time to retreat.

For a full quarter of an hour Orso and the prefect kept their places in dead silence, at opposite ends of the room. Colomba, the pride of triumph shining on her brow, gazed first at one and then at the other, as she leaned on the gun that had turned the scale of victory.

"What a country! Oh, what a country!" cried the prefect at last, rising hastily from his chair. "Signor della Rebbia, you did wrong! You must give me your word of honour to abstain from all violence, and to wait till the law settles this cursed business."

"Yes, Signor Prefetto, I was wrong to strike that villain. But I did strike him, after all, and I can't refuse him the satisfaction he has demanded of me."

"Pooh! no! He doesn't want to fight you! But supposing he murders you?

You've done everything you could to insure it."

"We'll protect ourselves," said Colomba.

"Orlanduccio," said Orso, "strikes me as being a plucky fellow, and I think better of him than that, monsieur. He was very quick about drawing his dagger. But perhaps I should have done the same thing in his place, and I'm glad my sister has not an ordinary fine lady's wrist."

"You are not to fight," exclaimed the prefect. "I forbid it!"

"Allow me to say, monsieur, that in matters that affect my honour the only authority I acknowledge is that of my own conscience."

"You sha'n't fight, I tell you!"

"You can put me under arrest, monsieur--that is, if I let you catch me.

But if you were to do that, you would only delay a thing that has now become inevitable. You are a man of honour yourself, monsieur; you know there can be no other course."

"If you were to have my brother arrested," added Colomba, "half the village would take his part, and we should have a fine fusillade."

"I give you fair notice, monsieur, and I entreat you not to think I am talking mere bravado. I warn you that if Signor Barricini abuses his authority as mayor, to have me arrested, I shall defend myself."

"From this very day," said the prefect, "Signor Barricini is suspended.

I trust he will exculpate himself. Listen to me, my young gentleman, I have a liking for you. What I ask of you is nothing to speak of. Just to stay quietly at home till I get back from Corte. I shall only be three days away. I'll bring back the public prosecutor with me, and then we'll sift this wretched business to the bottom. Will you promise me you will abstain from all hostilities till then?"

"I can not promise that, monsieur, if, as I expect, Orlanduccio asks me to meet him."

"What, Signor della Rebbia! Would you--a French officer--think of going out with a man you suspect of being a forger?"

"I struck him, monsieur!"

"But supposing you struck a convict, and he demanded satisfaction of you, would you fight him? Come, come, Signor Orso! But I'll ask you to do even less, do nothing to seek out Orlanduccio. I'll consent to your fighting him if he asks you for a meeting."

"He will ask for it, I haven't a doubt of that. But I'll promise I won't give him fresh cuffs to induce him to do it."

"What a country!" cried the prefect once more, as he strode to and fro.

"Shall I never get back to France?"

"Signor Prefetto," said Colomba in her most dulcet tones, "it is growing very late. Would you do us the honour of breakfasting here?"

The prefect could not help laughing.

"I've been here too long already--it may look like partiality. And there is that cursed foundation-stone. I must be off. Signorina della Rebbia!

what calamities you may have prepared this day!"

"At all events, Signor Prefetto, you will do my sister the justice of believing her convictions are deeply rooted--and I am sure, now, that you yourself believe them to be well-founded."

"Farewell, sir!" said the prefect, waving his hand. "I warn you that the sergeant of gendarmes will have orders to watch everything you do."

When the prefect had departed--

"Orso," said Colomba, "this isn't the Continent. Orlanduccio knows nothing about your duels, and besides, that wretch must not die the death of a brave man."

"Colomba, my dear, you are a clever woman. I owe you a great deal from having saved me from a hearty knife-thrust. Give me your little hand to kiss! But, hark ye, let me have my way. There are certain matters that you don't understand. Give me my breakfast. And as soon as the prefect had started off send for little Chilina, who seems to perform all the commissions she is given in the most wonderful fashion. I shall want her to take a letter for me."

While Colomba was superintending the preparation of his breakfast, Orso went up to his own room and wrote the following note:

"You must be in a hurry to meet me, and I am no less eager. We can meet at six o'clock to-morrow morning in the valley of Acquaviva. I am a skilful pistol-shot, so I do not suggest that weapon to you. I hear you are a good shot with a gun. Let us each take a double-barrelled gun. I shall be accompanied by a man from this village. If your brother wishes to go with you, take a second witness, and let me know. In that case only, I should bring two with me.

"ORSO ANTONIO DELLA REBBIA."

After spending an hour with the deputy-mayor, and going into the Barricini house for a few minutes, the prefect, attended by a single gendarme, started for Corte. A quarter of an hour later, Chilina carried over the letter my readers have just perused, and delivered it into Orlanduccio's own hands.

The answer was not prompt, and did not arrive till evening. It bore the signature of the elder Barricini, and informed Orso that he was laying the threatening letter sent to his son before the public prosecutor. His missive concluded thus: "Strong in the sense of a clear conscience, I patiently wait till the law has p.r.o.nounced on your calumnies."

Meanwhile five or six herdsmen, summoned by Colomba, arrived to garrison the della Rebbia Tower. In spite of Orso's protests, _archere_ were arranged in the windows looking onto the square, and all through the evening offers of service kept coming in from various persons belonging to the village. There was even a letter from the bandit-theologian, undertaking, for himself and Brandolaccio, that in the event of the mayor's calling on the gendarmes, they themselves would straightway intervene. The following postscript closed the letter:

"Dare I ask you what the Signor Prefetto thinks of the excellent education bestowed by my friend on Brusco, the dog? Next to Chilina, he is the most docile and promising pupil I have ever come across."