One of the men looked up at my window, and saw me, gun in hand.  He shifted his glance a little higher and affected to be searching the roof of the house.  A third man joined his companions; there was much laughing and jesting—­no doubt some rough compliments passed.  Virginia, however, steered her way to her main purpose through the tangle of confessions, excuses and refusals which they forced upon her; but I suppose she had to give some ground, for presently two of their heads came very close to hers.  I saw their eager faces and Virginia’s considering look.  It was a courtship.  She was playing her part, and they believed her to be what she appeared.  That applied only to two of the three; the third, he who watched her so closely and said nothing, held apart.  He had an ugly look.  The others, absorbed in the pursuit, took no notice of him; but I kept my eyes upon him, and was not at all surprised at what followed.

Virginia, after long debate, pretended to yield.  Something was proposed to her; she considered it.  It was pressed upon her by two ardent voices; she looked awry and laughed.  The chase quickened—­one of the men took her hand, the other brought a coin from his pocket, spat on it, and pressed it on her.  As she hesitated with the money on her palm, the silent watcher of all this whipped out a long knife and drove it into his comrade’s back between the shoulders.  He groaned deeply, flung his arms out and fell.  The fourth man came running over the Piazza from his point, Virginia shrieked and ran back to the house.  I saw—­as if invisible barriers had been removed—­men, women and boys come running in from all side streets.  It was like a performance in a theatre.

Virginia, white and shaking, stood in my presence.  “It is you they want, Francis, I have heard all.  You must go at once—­at once.”

“What were you doing with the sbirri?” I asked her.

“They made love to me, all three of them; but that dark man meant it, and the others not.  It is very fortunate—­it will give us time, which we need.  Your Count Giraldi is in the country, as I told you he would be.  There is no warrant.  Come, we will be off.  It will be perfectly safe while this confusion lasts.  Dress yourself, put on your cloak, take your sword and pistol and come.”

“You, too, must be dressed, child.”

“I?” said she.  “No, I am better as I am.  I can be of more use.”  But she had a wiser thought, it appears; for by the time I was ready, she looked modestly enough.

The plot, if plot it had been, had failed.  I got out of the house unnoticed and unfollowed, Virginia with me in a hood.  There were soldiers now in the Piazza, keeping back the crowd.  The dead man lay there still, and his assailant wore shackles.  Boys were racing in and out among the people singing the news which everybody knew.  “Martirio d’un pio frate!  Assassino per amore!  Ohe!  Ohe!”