Jack Harkaway and His Son's Escape From the Brigand's of Greece

MIDNIGHT MARAUDE

he got scolded for being so long upon an errand of

th twenty excuses, all of whic

rigand had called after her had

the Contessa Maraviglia for the lette

h was to be given by the contessa at the Palazzo

ly that Mr. Mole was a most graceful dancer, and that it would be an eternal shame for a

Mr. Mole received from the maid

which, being translated, means

g around him and dropping his e

sa Maraviglia,"

e her a pier

r was a sort of puzz

ant. She can accept no refusal, as the fête is especially organised in honour of Signo

this singular letter, until

clearly in English on account of her imperfect knowledge of

tion, it transpi

est under the circumstances, and t

cently; "why, you have made

so?" said Mo

s smitten, sir, with your attract

u c

cour

arvey, thank you," re

ontessa know that the

vanity was ti

it would be cruel

severe air, "no, sir; I don't.

looked

do you

are a ma

y, I

ck, relentlessly; "that you have had thre

't,

e or les

k, D

elp for it; you will ha

ev

ontessa has heard of you

ha

ow of the little matters which have happened s

tle matters," he glanced

er, and then he read t

aid with an air of determinat

s

es

your absence would be s

and me, Harvey;

oked fr

Mole, I beg, don't; i

earth do

but she has lived in the land of the Borgi

rve

ere slighted, she

ed precious u

ey," said he; "my personal attraction

rassment, Mr. Mole was not alt

is back to the best advantage, and was very ev

at gravity; "your fatal beauty is

al beauty," Mr. M

trong dose for ev

rvey," said he, "

head with gre

s is to be pitied. Her love is likely to turn to violent hate if she finds herself slight

e turne

tried t

o, that told how he felt more pl

n faltering tones; "it sounds like some

ries you know, Mr. Mole, a m

rve

ll cut a throat or stab a man

O

k corners. These people can poison you, too, with a bouquet o

rve

ir

sh to make me

n you t

ight, and disturb Mrs. Mole, a

g you advice; but pray understand the

ery unpleasant to have a c

I'll be bound, forty men within a mile of this house wh

self-satisfied,

u thin

now

uffs over his hands, as he stomped ac

bear me witness that I only go for reasons of prudence, and that I

returned Di

, I go d

rta

guise would y

said Dick. "I should think that you o

" said Mole. "W

with the air of one discussing a grave pr

ole g

not a bal

y queen

ick; don'

the gentler sex, what do you say to t

k that such a costu

become you. You will look the part to the life: it wants a

ut my-my wood

rk ones, and here they are,"

it was

his disguise was to be well-known

his shoulder Mole's wooden legs, in case any thing happe

to go as a

character of Quasimodo, t

s Caesar, a costume which his fine, stalw

a, the huntress, and Mrs. Harve

went in dresses of the

and Harry Girdwood, who were richly habited as

h the garden door a m

like a mendicant monk, and as they appro

ggars!" said M

his cowl, and stood asid

passed on, and when they were out of hearing, she drop

ing, father, although those rich English c

muttered his thanks, and the girl retired

cant monk whistled a low but very distinct n

come up trap-doors in the earth, s

ed monk to the first who came up, "

n addressed by the mendicant monk,

patience, Toro

ah

learn that

ted Toro, harshly. "How

rka

es

sh knight

keep up his character, and give it a r

mendicant friar, "or you

sk my lif

that you live here imperils i

" said

ady they were upon a footing of equality, for the two adventur

t fell out that they who had made the acquaintance of the brigand's gang under such v

to r

aid Toro, "does Jeffe

es

disgu

us Ca

ved, and his lowering brow was as express

ill for J

fight, and he, Toro

as as bitter

ld be

th the doughty Anglo-Americ

led to achieve, the assassi

ded the mendicant friar, or Hunston, as it would be better

d

Mathias?" he asked of

irl we stopped with her

off, we may as well se

oo

his friar's cowl

hunt for this," he said,

are

that the dainty little

ers much easier for

he sham mendicant friar, and the t

n them and the house as far as they could, when just as they gained the sh

ers exchanged

tered Mathias the capt

long hunting-knif

og was ou

little Mike, for a touch with that ugly in

s a half-opened window, and int

gns o

to be silent, but Mike refused emphatically to be comforted; thereup

d not q

he garden to see if there was really any

dah, that the skirts of her dress actually brushed asid

th Marietta to herself, "and all abou

the garden and discovered the gard

'm getting as nervous as a cat ever since those men stopped us and made me kiss them, the beasts. Ugh I how I loathe them, although there was one of them that was really not very bad-looking. I wonder where that poor ol

s, Marietta re-e

on balcony and pushing open the glass doo

e remnants of a very sumptuous

take a glas

id,

e good liquor mounted to his brain, he grew generous, and he

ed down a good half of it

inished it off

aled himself, he mad

as no o

a so

as hi

scertain in what particular part of it the

they could content themselv

nd knives and forks from the dinner table in a nap

k through the roo

o listen, and assuring himself tha

nding there we

nto the seventh room, and jus

coming u

could

e stairs and listen

there was no retreat, so he crept upon tip-to

m, dimly lighte

nly been lately vacated, and that one or more of

oking-glass let into the wall as a pan

the footsteps on the stairs, and every

re," thought the robber, "else

"make her sure" by toying

der the bed, just in time, as the p

up the lamp, and by its l

urls off her face. "I should have looked better than some of them, I'll be bound. I'm dea

ome few minutes, and

d be goin

vastly li

d out, and then he saw pretty Marietta's

now, for, shocking to relate,

ay a bashful man, so

, he stared wit

tood before the glass, that such a despe

igand chief, walked up and down before the glass, shooting admir

Why are we not all about equal? I'm as good as the b

nd republican sentiments, she bustled

b was to put awa

Spanish skirt of pink satin,

hould look in thi

ide her to test the colou

utif

and, really, we are by no means sure but t

t the

er own loveliness, she plaited her hair, and, twisting it up into a rich knot b

watche

e, and, shameless rascal! chuckled to thi

er, "if I don't look the prettiest se?orita alive, why, call me-call me anything

through a Spanish bolero with considerable grace and de

doggerel, and maybe give

t Mar

y has

ter or

r form

stnut

Spani

ipse all

maske

hy, Ma

y?-a

p, you'

urage a

impudent little maid whirled round, s

was en

he kept himself

une upon the stage,"

conquest; a double conques

tured, and she was scarcely

an do just as Cenerentola (Cinderella) did, and who knows but that some prince mi

too, and tripped

off to t

e last half hour her life hun

ar, the three brigands prepa