'Now,' said the old man, 'aid me to bury my child.'
Carlini fetched two pickaxes; and the father and the lover began to dig at the foot of a huge oak, beneath which the young girl was to repose.
When the grave was formed, the father kissed her first, and then the lover; afterwards, one taking the head, the other the feet, they placed her in the grave.
Then they knelt on each side of the grave, and said the prayers of the dead.
Then, when they had finished, they cast the earth over the corpse, until the grave was filled.
Then, extending his hand, the old man said;
'I thank you, my son; and now leave me alone.'—'Yet'—replied Carlini.—'Leave me, I command you.'
Carlini obeyed, rejoined his comrades, folded himself in his cloak, and soon appeared to sleep as soundly as the rest.
It had been resolved the night before to change their encampment.
An hour before daybreak, Cucumetto aroused his men, and gave the word to march.
But Carlini would not quit the forest, without knowing what had become of Rita's father.
He went toward the place where he had left him.
He found the old man suspended from one of the branches of the oak which shaded his daughter's grave.
He then took an oath of bitter vengeance over the dead body of the one and the tomb of the other.
But he was unable to complete this oath, for two days afterwards, in an encounter with the Roman carbineers, Carlini was killed.
There was some surprise, however, that, as he was with his face to the enemy, he should have received a ball between his shoulders.
That astonishment ceased when one of the brigands remarked to his comrades that Cucumetto was stationed ten paces in Carlini's rear when he fell.
On the morning of the departure from the forest of Frosinone he had followed Carlini in the darkness, and heard this oath of vengeance, and, like a wise man, anticipated it.
They told ten other stories of this bandit chief, each more singular than the other.
Thus, from Fondi to Perusia, every one trembles at the name of Cucumetto.
"These narratives were frequently the theme of conversation between Luigi and Teresa.
The young girl trembled very much at hearing the stories; but Vampa reassured her with a smile, tapping the butt of his good fowling-piece, which threw its ball so well; and if that did not restore her courage, he pointed to a crow, perched on some dead branch, took aim, touched the trigger, and the bird fell dead at the foot of the tree.
Time passed on, and the two young people had agreed to be married when Vampa should be twenty and Teresa nineteen years of age.
They were both orphans, and had only their employers' leave to ask, which had been already sought and obtained.
One day when they were talking over their plans for the future, they heard two or three reports of firearms, and then suddenly a man came out of the wood, near which the two young persons used to graze their flocks, and hurried towards them.
When he came within hearing, he exclaimed.
'I am pursued; can you conceal me?'
They knew full well that this fugitive must be a bandit; but there is an innate sympathy between the Roman brigand and the Roman peasant and the latter is always ready to aid the former.
Vampa, without saying a word, hastened to the stone that closed up the entrance to their grotto, drew it away, made a sign to the fugitive to take refuge there, in a retreat unknown to every one, closed the stone upon him, and then went and resumed his seat by Teresa.
Instantly afterwards four carbineers, on horseback, appeared on the edge of the wood; three of them appeared to be looking for the fugitive, while the fourth dragged a brigand prisoner by the neck.
The three carbineers looked about carefully on every side, saw the young peasants, and galloping up, began to question them.
They had seen no one.
'That is very annoying,' said the brigadier; for the man we are looking for is the chief.'—'Cucumetto?' cried Luigi and Teresa at the same moment.
"'Yes,' replied the brigadier; 'and as his head is valued at a thousand Roman crowns, there would have been five hundred for you, if you had helped us to catch him.'
The two young persons exchanged looks.
The brigadier had a moment's hope.
Five hundred Roman crowns are three thousand lire, and three thousand lire are a fortune for two poor orphans who are going to be married.
"'Yes, it is very annoying,' said Vampa; 'but we have not seen him.'
"Then the carbineers scoured the country in different directions, but in vain; then, after a time, they disappeared.
Vampa then removed the stone, and Cucumetto came out.
Through the crevices in the granite he had seen the two young peasants talking with the carbineers, and guessed the subject of their parley. He had read in the countenances of Luigi and Teresa their steadfast resolution not to surrender him, and he drew from his pocket a purse full of gold, which he offered to them.
But Vampa raised his head proudly; as to Teresa, her eyes sparkled when she thought of all the fine gowns and gay jewellery she could buy with this purse of gold.
"Cucumetto was a cunning fiend, and had assumed the form of a brigand instead of a serpent, and this look from Teresa showed to him that she was a worthy daughter of Eve, and he returned to the forest, pausing several times on his way, under the pretext of saluting his protectors.
Several days elapsed, and they neither saw nor heard of Cucumetto.
The time of the Carnival was at hand.
The Count of San-Felice announced a grand masked ball, to which all that were distinguished in Rome were invited.
Teresa had a great desire to see this ball.
Luigi asked permission of his protector, the steward, that she and he might be present amongst the servants of the house. This was granted.
The ball was given by the Count for the particular pleasure of his daughter Carmela, whom he adored.
Carmela was precisely the age and figure of Teresa, and Teresa was as handsome as Carmela.