"I congratulate you," I replied, "on having cured yourself so quickly of a passion that had deprived you of your reason." "Ah! a woman's reason is a fragile thing. I shudder when I think of the monster; but I verily believe that I should not have regained my senses if he had not called me a hypocrite, and said that he was certain I had already granted you my favours. These infamous words opened my eyes, and made me see my shame. I believe I would have helped you to pierce him to the heart if the coward had not run away. But I am glad he did run away, not for his sake but for ours, for we should have been in an unpleasant position if he had been killed." "You are right; he escaped my sword because he is destined for the rope." "Let him look to that himself, but I am sure he will never dare to shew his face before you or me again." We reached Radicofani at ten o'clock, and proceeded to write postscripts to our letters to Sir B---- M---- We were sitting at the same table, Betty opposite to the door and I close to it, so that anyone coming in could not have seen me without turning round. Betty was dressed with all decency and neatness, but I had taken off my coat on account of the suffocating heat. Nevertheless, though I was in shirt sleeves, I should not have been ashamed of my attire before the most respectable woman in Italy. All at once I heard a rapid step coming along the passage, and the door was dashed open. A furious-looking man came in, and, seeing Betty, cried out,-- "Ah! there you are." I did not give him time to turn round and see me, but leapt upon him and seized him by the shoulders. If I had not done so he would have shot me dead on the spot. As I leapt upon him I had involuntarily closed the door, and as he cried, "Let me go, traitor!" Betty fell on her knees before him, exclaiming, "No, no! he is my preserver." Sir B---- M---- was too mad with rage to pay any attention to her, and kept on,--- "Let me go, traitors!" As may be imagined, I did not pay much attention to this request so long as the loaded pistol was in his hand. In our struggles he at last fell to the ground and I on top of him. The landlord and his people had heard the uproar, and were trying to get in; but as we had fallen against the door they could not do so. Betty had the presence of mind to snatch the pistol from his hand, and I then let him go, calmly observing, "Sir, you are labouring under a delusion." Again Betty threw herself on her knees, begging him to calm himself, as I was her preserver not her betrayer. "What do you mean by 'preserver'?" said B---- M---- Betty gave him the letter, saying,-- "Read that." The Englishman read the letter through without rising from the ground, and as I was certain of its effect I opened the door and told the landlord to send his people away, and to get dinner for three, as everything had been settled.