“Presently they determined to make a united rush, to leave it uncertain who should be killed. And perhaps only with the idea of daunting her, but I believe in cowardly fiendishness, they swore with horrible imprecations to revenge the death of the one who should fall with murder and the worst outrages that could be perpetrated on a woman. But the Princess did not waver, and up the stairs they came, one paying the penalty of his life to her courage, while the others flung themselves on her and tied her hands, lest she should have another weapon. Then they gagged her; and then, with the cruelty which is almost an instinct with the lower-class Sicilians, they tied her feet together, and forcing her on her knees, from which she could not in her bonds rise, stood round her, waiting for her fears to torture her, and forgetting me for a few moments, while they gloated on a woman’s terror and agony, and disputed as to the outrages which should be inflicted on her.
“While they stood thus, helter skelter up the marble steps flew Will Hardres, followed by a dozen or more English officers; and those who had taken counsel before they would face a woman felt at their backs the vengeance of the terrible English, who would have dashed into them had they been ten to one. Their shrieks, the most appalling cries of terror that any of my officers present had ever heard, rent the vaulted chamber of the ancient palace. The next instant Will’s eye fell on the Princess kneeling in her bonds, and there was not another thought of mercy in his soul, as with a fierce thrust through the back he reached the heart of the captain of the band, and slashed off the ear of the next as he dealt the deadly cut between the neck and the shoulder.
“In a few seconds but one of the gang was alive, and he was saved by Hardy knocking up the sword that should have ended his villainous career, in the hopes of extracting information. At the same time Will jabbed him in the thigh with the point of his sword, and bade him be quick with all he knew if he wished to save his miserable life. In a surprisingly short time he blabbed out the whole plot, which the Princess, who had been freed by Will, had sufficient self-control to translate, the Sicilian country dialect being beyond Will’s powers.
“It was, briefly, that they were to carry me off, for a huge reward that was offered for me alive or dead. But the significant part was that the reward for my dead body was twice as much as that for the capture of my person.
“I, all the while, was sleeping soundly in my distant chamber, and the first intimation I had of it was when Donna Rusidda fled to rouse me, closely followed by Will and a fellow in the livery of the Ambassador, one of the coachful who had come with my officers. When I opened my door to their call and they came in, to my astonishment the fellow in Sir William’s liveries rushed in between, and fell on my neck crying, ‘Oh Nelson, Nelson, my hero! my hero!’ and therewith fainted away.
“It was Emma, my incomparable Emma, who, knowing of my danger, could not rest without accompanying my rescuers; and doubtless, if there had been any such halting among them as there had been among the murderers, her lofty spirit would have leaped o’er the delay.
“Meanwhile most of the party, finding that the danger was no more, and leaving one or two to secure the prisoner, flew to the Prince’s side to see what could be done to save his life; but in vain, for the villain had given him no chance. The great heavily charged horse-pistol placed so close to his body had actually blown away the clothes and the flesh off his side, and laid bare the heart, in which the slugs had buried themselves. Death had been instantaneous. I must say that when I heard of it I was never so moved; for there lay the last Prince of the ancient House of the Favara, sword in hand, slain on his own threshold, in defending a guest from the Island over the seas, of whose Norman connection with himself he was so greatly proud.
“The self-possession of the Princess was marvellous. Mastering her grief and horror, though they were so terribly wrote upon her countenance, she summoned the cowardly rascals, who could have saved their master’s noble life, and made them bring all the couches and bedding and cushions in the palace to the rooms surrounding mine, also the remains of the lordly feast that her brother had given in my honour, and the richest of their wines; and then, bidding my officers feast and rest, excused herself.
“Dear Emma had the Prince’s room assigned her, with her own men guarding at the doors of herself and the Princess.”