The Last Lords of Gardonal | Page 5

his resolution. At last, however, the bravo's
patience got exhausted, and suddenly changing his manner he roared
out in a threatening tone, "If you don't let me in, you villain, I will burn
your house over your head. I have here, as you may see, plenty of men
to help me to put my threat into execution," he continued, pointing to
the men, who had now come up, "so you had better let me in at once."
In a moment Biffi comprehended the character of the person he had to
deal with; so, instead of returning any answer, he retired from the
window and alarmed the inmates of the house. He also told the labourer
whom he had engaged to sleep there to drop from a window at the back
and run as fast as he could to arouse the inhabitants in the vicinity, and
tell them that his house was attacked by the baron and his men. He was
to beg them to arm themselves and come to his aid as quickly as
possible, and having done this, he was to go on to Bormio on the same
errand. The poor fellow attempted to carry out his master's orders; but
in dropping from the window he fell with such force on the ground that
he could only move with difficulty, and in trying to crawl away he was
observed by some of the baron's men, who immediately set on him and

killed him.
Ludovico, finding that he could not enter the house either secretly or by
threatenings, attempted to force open the door, but it was so firmly
barricaded from within that he did not succeed; while in the meantime
Biffi and his family employed themselves in placing wooden faggots
and heavy articles of furniture against it, thus making it stronger than
ever. Ludovico, finding he could not gain an entrance by the door, told
his men to look around in search of a ladder, so that they might get to
the windows on the first floor, as those on the ground floor were all
small, high up, and well barricaded, as was common in Italian houses
of the time; but in spite of all their efforts no ladder could be found. He
now deliberated what step he should next take. As it was getting late,
he saw that if they did not succeed in effecting an entrance quickly the
dawn would break upon them, and the labourers going to their work
would raise an alarm. At last one man suggested that as abundance of
fuel could be obtained from the stacks at the back of the house they
might place a quantity of it against the door and set fire to it; adding
that the sight of the flames would soon make the occupants glad to
effect their escape by the first-floor windows.
The suggestion was no sooner made than acted upon. A quantity of dry
fuel was piled up against the house door to the height of many feet, and
a light having been procured by striking a flint stone against the hilt of
a sword over some dried leaves, fire was set to the pile. From the dry
nature of the fuel, the whole mass was in a blaze in a few moments. But
the scheme did not have the effect Ludovico had anticipated. True, the
family rushed towards the windows in the front of the house, but when
they saw the flames rising so fiercely they retreated in the utmost alarm.
Meanwhile the screams from the women and children--who had now
lost all self-control--mingled with the roar of the blazing element which,
besides having set fire to the faggots and furniture placed within the
door, had now reached a quantity of fodder and Indian corn stored on
the ground floor.
Ludovico soon perceived that the whole house was in flames, and that
the case was becoming desperate. Not only was there the danger of the

fire alarming the inhabitants in the vicinity by the light it shed around,
but he also reflected what would be the rage of his master if the girl
should perish in the flames, and the consequent punishment which
would be inflicted on him and those under his command if he returned
empty-handed. He now called out to Biffi and his family to throw
themselves out of the window, and that he and his men would save
them. It was some time before he was understood, but at last Biffi
brought the two younger children to the window, and, lowering them as
far as he could, he let them fall into the arms of Ludovico and his men,
and they reached the ground in safety.
Biffi now returned for the others, and saw Teresa standing at a short
distance behind him. He took