know who all the people are that come to see us, and I don't like to ask; but some of them are bad—oh, so bad!" she looked appallingly solemn here—"and then Mariano—"
"Ah! what of Mariano and Francisco and Lucien?" asked Paulina with increasing interest, while Zubby became desperately intelligent.
"Oh, he was sent on such a dangerous expedition," continued Angela, blushing slightly, and more than slightly crying, "and when he was coming back he was caught in the streets, and carried off to that dreadful Bagnio, about which he has told me such awful horrors. So Bacri told me on his return, for Bacri had tried to save him, but couldn't, and was nearly lost himself.—But what is all the noise about outside, sister—and the shooting off of guns?"
The noise referred to by the pretty Sicilian was caused by a party of rioters who, returning from the slaughter of the Dey, were hurrying towards the house of Bacri, intent on plunder. They were led by one of those big blustering men, styled bullies, who, in all lands, have a talent for taking the lead and talking loud when danger is slight, and modestly retiring when it is great.
Waving a scimitar, which already dripped with blood, this man headed the rushing crowd, and was the first to thunder for admittance at the Jew's door. But no one answered his demands.
