“Don’t scream,” she said reassuringly, “nothing shall hurt you. Chiquita promised that she would never kill nor harm the good, sweet lady, who gave her the pearls that she meant to steal.” “But what have you come in here for, my poor child?” asked Isabelle, gradually recovering her composure, but filled with surprise at this strange intrusion. “To open the great bolt on your door there that you are so careful to close every night,” answered Chiquita, in the most matter-of-fact way. “They chose me for it because I am such a good climber, and as thin and supple as a snake; there are not many holes that I cannot manage to crawl through.” “And why were you to open my door, Chiquita? so that thieves could come in and steal what few things I have here? There is nothing of value among them, I assure you.” “Oh, no!” Chiquita replied disdainfully, “it was to let the men in who were to carry you off.” “My God! I am lost!” cried poor Isabelle, wringing her hands in despair. “Not at all,” said Chiquita, “and you need not be so frightened. I shall just leave the bolt as it is, and they would not dare to force the door; it would make too much noise, and they would be caught at it; they’re not so silly as that, never fear.” “But I should have shrieked at the top of my voice, and clung to the bedstead with all my might, if they had tried to take me,” exclaimed Isabelle excitedly, “so that I would have been heard by the people in the neighbouring rooms, and I’m sure they would have come to my rescue.” “A good gag will stifle any shrieks,” said Chiquita sententiously, with a lofty contempt for Isabelle’s ignorance that was very amusing, “and a blanket rolled tightly about the body prevents any movements; that is an easy matter you see. They would have carried you off without the slightest difficulty, for the stable boy was bribed, and was to open the back door for them.” “Who has laid this wicked plot?” asked the poor, frightened, young girl, with a trembling voice, horror-stricken at the danger she had escaped. “The great lord who has given them all such heaps of money; oh! such quantities of big gold pieces—by the handful,” said Chiquita, her great dark eyes glittering with a fierce, covetous expression, strange and horrible to see in one so young. “But all the same, _you_ gave me the pearls, and he shall not hurt you; he shall not have you if you don’t want to go. I will tell them that you were awake, and there was a man in the room, so that I could not get in and open the door for them; they will all go away quietly enough; you need not be afraid. Now let me have one good look at you before I go—oh, how sweet and pretty you are—and I love you, yes, I do, ever so much; almost as much as Agostino. But what is this?” cried she suddenly, pouncing upon a knife that was lying on the table near the bed. “Why, you have got the very knife I lost; it was my father’s knife. Well, you may keep it—it’s a good one.”