Barto rushed to him, but Luigi, with a vixenish countenance, standing like a humped cat, hissed, "Would you destroy my reputation and have it seen that I deliver up letters, under the noses of the writers, to the wrong persons ?--ha! pestilence!" He ran, Barto following him.

They were crossed by the officer on horseback, who challenged Luigi to give up the letter, which was very plainly being thrust from his hand into his breast.

The officer found it no difficult matter to catch him and pluck the letter from him; he opened it, reading it on the jog of the saddle as he cantered off.

Luigi turned in a terror of expostulation to ward Barto's wrath.

Barto looked at him hard, while he noted the matter down on the tablet of an ivory book.