Clelia's liberator, who had arrived so opportunely on the scene of
violence, was by no means a giant, being not more than an inch or
two above the ordinary height; but the erectness of his person, the
amplitude of his chest, and the squareness of his shoulders, showed him
to be a man of extraordinary strength.
As soon as this opportune hero who had come to the rescue of the weak,
had stricken down the chief by a blow of his gun-butt upon the robber's
skull, he levelled the barrel at the brigand who held Manlio in his
grasp and shot him dead. Then, without waiting long to see the effect of
his bullet--for this hunter of the wild boar had a sure eye--he turned
to the direction pointed out by Clelia. She was still much agitated; but
when she perceived her champion so far successful, she cried-
"Avanti! go after Julia, and rescue her. Oh, go!"
With the fleetness of the deer the young man sped away in pursuit of
Julia's ravishers, and, to Clelia's instant relief, the English girl
soon reappeared with their preserver; Julia's captors having taken to
flight upon hearing the shots.
Reloading his gun, the stranger handed it to Manlio, and proceeded
to appropriate to his own use those arms which he found upon the dead
bodies of the brigands.
They then returned to the carriage, and found the horses grazing
contentedly on the young grass that bordered the road. For a little
while no one found a voice. They stood absorbed in thoughts of joy,
agitation, and gratitude; the women regarding the figure of the stranger
with fervent admiration. How beautiful is valor, particularly when shown
in the defense of honor and loveliness in woman, whose appreciation of
courage is a deep instinct of her nature. Be a lover bold and fearless,
as well as spotless, a despiser of death, as well as graceful in life,
and you will not fail to win both praise and love from beauty.
This sympathy of the fair sex with lofty qualities in the sex of action
has been the chief promoter of human civilization and social happiness.
For woman's love alone man has gradually put aside his masculine
coarseness, and contempt for outward appearances, becoming docile,
refined, and elegant, while his rougher virtue of courage was softened
into chivalry.
So far from being his "inferior," woman was appointed the instructress
of man, and designed by the Creator to mould and educate his moral
nature.
We have said our fair travellers gazed with admiration at the fine
person of the brigand--for "brigand" we must unwillingly confess their
deliverer to be--and as they gazed, the younger members of the party, it
may be acknowledged, imported into their glance a little more gratitude
than the absent lovers, Attilio and Muzio, would perhaps have wished.
But admiration gave place to _surprise_, when the brigand, taking
Silvia's hand, kissed it, with tears, saying-
"You do not remember me, Signora? Look at my left eye: had it not been
for your maternal care, the accident to it would have cost me my life."
"Orazio! Orazio!" cried the matron, embracing him. "Yes, it is indeed
the son of my old friend."
"Yes, I am Orazio, whom you received in a dying condition, and nursed
back to life; the poor orphan whom you nourished and fed when left in
absolute need," he replied, as he returned her embrace tenderly.
After exchanging these words of recognition, and receiving others
of ardent gratitude from the party, Orazio explained how he had been
hunting in the neighborhood, when he saw the attack, and came to do what
he could for the ladies. He advised Manlio to put them into the carriage
again, and depart with all speed; "for," said he, "two of these bandits
have escaped, and may possibly return with several of their band." Then,
ascertaining the name of the port from which they intended sailing, he
offered to become their charioteer, and, mounting the box, drove off
rapidly in the direction of Porto d'Anzo.
Arrived there without further adventure, the freshness of the sea air
seemed to put new life and spirits into our jaded travellers, and the
effect upon the beautiful Julia in particular was perfectly marvellous.
A daughter of the Queen of the Ocean, she, like almost all her children,
was enamored of the sea, and pined for it when at a distance.
The sons of Britain scent the salt air wherever they live; they are
islanders with the ocean always near. They can understand the feeling
of Xenophon's 1000 Greeks, when they again beheld the ocean after their
long and dangerous Anabasis, and how they fell upon their knees, with
joyful shouts of "Thalassa! Thalassa!" and saluted the green and silver
Amphitrite as their mother, friend, and tutelary divinity.