"Signor," he said haughtily, "why should you believe that I speak a falsehood? I am a poor man, and I attend to my own business. I have no time to listen to foolish gossip. You say there is such a body. I would not be impolite, signor, so I simply say that of it I know nothing at all. I must beg you to ask no further questions."

Through all this Teresa had continued to mutter and moan about her brother. They could do nothing to comfort her. d.i.c.k tried it, but his Italian was poor, and he entreated the professor to say something soothing to the girl.

Gently the old man placed an arm about her shoulders.

"My child," he said, "your brother was a brave, man, but he could not escape the decree of this terrible band. He knew he could not escape, and he entreated Richard, as a great favor, to take you to America and deliver you to friends of your family who are there. This we shall do.

Trust us."

"I do trust you, signor," she sobbed; "but I cannot forget the terrible thing I saw-my brother slain before my eyes! I can never forget that!"

"No wonder, dear child. You should be thankful you escaped from those men."

"Until I am far away from Venice I shall not feel that I have escaped.

Nicola Mullura will do everything in his power to place his b.l.o.o.d.y hands on me. I shall live in constant terror of him."

"He shall never touch you!" cried Zenas. "Boys, she fears the wretch, Mullura, will get possession of her."

"Teresa," said d.i.c.k, using as good Italian as he could command, "we swear to defend you with our lives. You may depend on us."

"You are such brave boys-such wonderfully brave boys!" murmured the girl.

"I can't say it in dago talk," put in Brad; "but you bet your boots, Teresa, that what my pard has promised, we'll back up. You hear me shout!"

CHAPTER XX.

THE OATH OF TERESA.

Fearing she might do something rash in her distress and occasional spells of delirium, d.i.c.k and Brad took turns watching over Teresa that night.

The girl was given one of the three rooms taken by the professor and the boys in a private house. It was useless to urge her to retire. With the horror of what had happened, upon her, and in great fear that Mullura would find her, she kept her clothes on and slept on the outside of the bed. The door between that room and the adjoining one, in which the boys remained that they might be near her, was left slightly ajar at her request.

It was long past midnight before she slept at all. When they peered in, they discovered her lying staring up at the ceiling, her face pale and her lips moving, as if in prayer.

"Pard," said Brad, "she sure is a right pretty girl."

"She is," agreed d.i.c.k. "But you mustn't forget Nadia Budthorne, old man."

"Now quit!" remonstrated the Texan soberly. "No danger that I'll get smashed on this girl, partner. My sympathy for her is aroused a heap, that's all."

"When a fellow becomes very sympathetic for a pretty girl, he's liable to fall in love with her. I fancy your sympathy was aroused for Nadia, to begin with."

"Well, I don't judge it was a case of sympathy between you and June Arlington."

"She certainly deserves sympathy," said d.i.c.k. "Think of her fine brother!"

"I don't want to think of him!" growled the Texan. "Of all onery coyotes, he certain is the worst!"

"He's about as bad as they make 'em," nodded d.i.c.k.

"And to think that you even fancied there could be any good in him! Long ago you could have turned him out of Fardale by speaking a word, but you let up on him until at last he drove you out. Pard, I say fair and open that I like you a-plenty, but I do think you made a mistake with Arlington. You must know it now."

d.i.c.k was silent for some moments.

"Perhaps you are right," he finally confessed. "I suppose you are. But I had rather make a mistake by being too generous than to make one in the opposite direction. It isn't natural for me to be easy with an enemy. I love revenge. But I took my brother for my model. I'm not sorry, either.

I think I have changed my revengeful nature to a certain degree. The best friend Frank has in the world, Bart Hodge, was originally his bitterest enemy. Had Frank been revengeful, Hodge might have been ruined. He says so himself. Even if Frank were to make a hundred mistakes in generosity, that one instance-that one good result-would more than outweigh them all. Had I been revengeful, I should have fought Hal Darrell to the bitter end. Such a struggle between us must have been disastrous for one of us at Fardale. I became satisfied that there was little chance that Arlington would reform, and, after becoming thus satisfied, I continued to be lenient with him. You know I gave my promise to his sister, and I couldn't go back on my word."

"She must be a whole lot sore with herself for exacting such a promise.

Wonder what she thinks about it now?"

"I don't know. I'll know some time. But Arlington is not going to triumph in the end. I shall return to Fardale. We're both going back with the professor. Then it will be my day."

"And I sure hope you make the most of it. If you get your innings, it will be up to you to rub it into Arlington good and hard."

This led them to speculating about what was taking place at the old school while they were traveling in foreign lands. They remained talking in low tones until finally, on peering into the next room, it was found that Teresa had fallen asleep.

Brad went to bed, with the understanding that he was to be called at a certain hour for the purpose of remaining on guard during the latter part of the night. Already Professor Gunn was snoring in his room.

Buckhart was soon sleeping. About an hour later d.i.c.k heard a low, moaning sound coming from the girl's room.

He hastened to the door.

Teresa was sitting on the edge of the bed, her hands clasped over her heart, staring fixedly at the wall, the moaning sound issuing from her pale lips. Merriwell lost no time in reaching her side.

"What is it?" he asked. "Is there anything I can do, Teresa?"

"Look!" she whispered. "I see him-I see my brother, dead on the stairs!

Nicola Mullura has killed him!"

"There, there!" said the boy, soothingly, trying his best to speak her language so she would understand. "You must sleep-you must try to forget it for a while."

Night pa.s.sed and morning came, and a great change had come over Teresa.

She even greeted her friends with a smile!

"I am glad to see you feel better, Teresa," said d.i.c.k.

"I do feel better, good friend. I am almost happy now."

"Great horn spoon!" muttered Brad. "And she saw her brother done to death last night! Trouble runs off these Venetians like water off a duck."

They had breakfast, and through it all the girl maintained the same unnatural light and lively manner.

After breakfast she suggested that, in order to bring no further peril on them, she should depart.

"Not at all!" cried Zenas. "You must remain right here. I am going to the authorities. I am going to inform them all about this band of Ten.