“The Count de Flora has promised him a liberal portion of all the fine furniture, plate and jewels that can be saved from his villa at Torre del Greco. Francisco is gone down hither now with some of the count’s domestics to protect the valuable goods against those villainous plunderers, who robbed their fellow-creatures of what even the flames of Vesuvius would spare.”
“Come, we have had enough of this stuff,” cried the man whose arm Piedro held. “Come away,” and he hurried forwards.
This man was one of the villains against whom the honest orator expressed such indignation. He was one of those with whom Piedro got acquainted during the time that he was living extravagantly upon the money he gained by the sale of the stolen diamond cross. That robbery was not discovered; and his success, as he called it, hardened him in guilt. He was both unwilling and unable to withdraw himself from the bad company with whom his ill gotten wealth connected him. He did not consider that bad company leads to the gallows. [342]
The universal confusion which followed the eruption of Mount Vesuvius was to these villains a time of rejoicing. No sooner did Piedro’s companion hear of the rich furniture, plate, etc., which the imprudent orator had described as belonging to the Count de Flora’s villa, than he longed to make himself master of the whole.
“It is a pity,” said Piedro, “that the count has sent Francisco, with his servants down to guard it.”
“And who is this Francisco of whom you seem to stand in so much awe?”
“A boy, a young lad only, of about my own age; but I know him to be sturdily honest. The servants we might corrupt; but even the old proverb of ‘Angle with a silver hook,’ [343] won’t hold good with him.”
“And if he cannot be won by fair means, he must be conquered by foul,” said the desperate villain; “but if we offer him rather more than the count has already promised for his share of the booty, of course he will consult at once his safety and his interest.”
“No,” said Piedro; “that is not his nature. I know him from a child, and we had better think of some other house for to-night’s business.”
“None other; none but this,” cried his companion, with an oath. “My mind is determined upon this, and you must obey your leader: recollect the fate of him who failed me yesterday.”