“YOU are not alone, Monsieur Lucien,” said the bandit.  
“Do not let that disturb you, Orlandi. This gentleman is a friend of mine, who has heard me speak of you, and wished to pay you a visit. I could not think of refusing him that pleasure.”
 
“Monsieur is welcome to the country,” said the bandit, bowing as he advanced towards us.
 
I returned his salute¹ with the most punctilious² politeness.
 
“You must have been waiting here some time,” continued Orlandi.
 
“Yes, about twenty minutes.”
 
“Quite so. I heard Diamond howling at Mucchio, and he has been with me quite a quarter of an hour since then; he is a good and faithful dog, is he not, Monsieur Lucien?”
 
“Yes, indeed he is, Orlandi,” replied Lucien, as he patted the animal.
 
“But,” said I, “since you knew that Monsieur Lucien was here, why did you not come sooner?”
 
“Because our appointment was for nine o’clock,” said the bandit, “and it is just as unpunctual to be a quarter of an hour too soon as to arrive a quarter of an hour too late.”
 
“That is meant for a hit at me, Orlandi,” said Lucien, laughing.
 
“No, sir; you no doubt have your reasons; besides you have a companion, and it is likely on his account you may have started earlier, for I know your punctual habits, Monsieur Lucien, and I know also that you have been good enough to put yourself to inconvenience on my account frequently.”
 
“Oh, do not say anything about that, Orlandi; this will probably be the last time.”
 
“Have we not some few words to exchange upon that subject, Monsieur Lucien,” said the bandit.
 
“Yes, if you will have the goodness to follow me.”
 
“I am at your orders.”
 
Lucien turned towards me, and said:
 
“Will you excuse me a moment?”
 
“Of course;” I replied.
 
The men then went away together, and ascending³ the breach⁴ through which Orlandi had appeared halted at the top of it, their figures standing⁵ out in strong relief in the moonlight.
 
Then I was able to take more particular note of this Orlandi. He was a tall man, who had fashioned his beard in exactly the same manner as young de Franchi, and was clothed like him; but his dress showed traces of more frequent contact with the bushes through which he was obliged to fly, and of the earth upon which he was obliged to lie, than did those of Lucien.
 
I could not hear what the men were talking about, and had I heard it I could not have understood it, as they spoke⁶ in the Corsican dialect.
 
But I was enabled to perceive by their gestures that the bandit was refuting with some heat a series of arguments which the young ma............