He gave laconic orders to John as he packed away the thousand
and one indispensable conveniencies of the night, double loaded his
pistols with great _sang-froid_, and deposited them in the pockets of
the carriage, taking no notice of a pair of keen eyes gazing on him
from among the herd of loitering idlers. The fair Venetian now came up
with a request made in her dulcet tones, that he would permit their
carriage to proceed under protection of his escort. The Englishman, who
was busy loading another pair of pistols for his servant, and held the
ramrod between his teeth, nodded assent as a matter of course, but
without lifting up his eyes. The fair Venetian was not accustomed to
such indifference. "O Dio!" ejaculated she softly as she retired, "como
sono freddi questi Inglesi." At length off they set in gallant style,
the eight dragoons prancing in front, the twelve foot-soldiers marching
in rear, and carriages moving slowly in the centre to enable the
infantry to keep pace with them. They had proceeded but a few hundred
yards when it was discovered that some indispensable article had been
left behind.
In fact, the Englishman's purse was missing, and John was despatched to
the inn to search for it.
This occasioned a little delay, and the carriage of the Venetians drove
slowly on. John came back out of breath and out of humor; the purse was
not to be found; his master was irritated; he recollected the very
place where it lay; the cursed Italian servant had pocketed it.
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