“A great chariot full of people came there this afternoon,” she answered.  “I saw them carry five large chests into the barn, and they must have been very heavy, for it took two men to lift them.”

“Hum!” said Agostino, “sometimes travellers put stones into their boxes to make them seem very weighty and valuable, and deceive the inn-keepers.”

“But,” interrupted the child eagerly, “the three young ladies had trimmings of gold on their clothes; and one of them, the prettiest, had round her neck a row of round, shining, white things, and oh! they were so beautiful!” and she clasped her hands in an ecstasy of admiration, her voice trembling with excitement.

“Those must be pearls,” muttered Agostino to himself, “and they will be worth having—­provided they are real—­but then they do make such perfect imitations now-a-days, and even rich people are mean enough to wear them.”

“My dear Agostino, my good Agostino,” continued Chiquita, in her most coaxing tones, and without paying any attention to his mutterings, “will you give me the beautiful, shining things if you kill that lady?”

“They would go so well with your rags and tatters!” he answered mockingly.

“But I have so often kept watch for you while you slept, and I have run so far to tell you when any one was coming, no matter how cold it was, nor how my poor, bare feet ached—­and I have never once kept you waiting for your food, when I used to carry it to you in your hiding places, even when I was bad with the fever, or my teeth chattering with the chill, and I so weak that I could hardly drag myself along.  Oh Agostino! do remember what I have done for you, and let me have the beautiful, shining things.”

“Yes, you have been both brave and faithful, Chiquita, I admit; but we have not got the wonderful necklace yet, you know.  Now, tell me, how many men were there in the party.”

“Oh! a great many.  A big, tall man with a long beard; an old, fat man—­one that looked like a fox—­two thin men, and one that looked like a gentleman, though his clothes were very old and shabby.”

“Six men,” said Agostino, who had counted them on his fingers as she enumerated them, and his face fell.  “Alas!  I am the only one left of our brave band now; when the others were with me we would not have minded double the number.  Have they arms, Chiquita?”

“The gentleman has a sword, and so has the tall, thin man—­a very long one.”

“No pistols or guns?”

“I didn’t see any,” answered Chiquita, “but they might have left them in the chariot, you know; only Maitre Chirriguirri or Mionnette would have been sure to send you word if they had, and they said nothing to me about them.”

“Well, we will risk it then, and see what we can do,” said Agostino resolutely.  “Five large, heavy chests, gold ornaments, a pearl necklace! they certainly are worth trying for.”