as she was thus employed, she saw, walking on the rampart below, the men, who had so lately arrived at the castle.the sight of strangers surprised her, but still more, of strangers such as these.there was a singularity in their dress, and a certain fierceness in their air, that fixed all her attention.she withdrew from the casement, while they passed, but soon returned to observe them further.their figures seemed so well suited to the wildness of the surrounding objects, that, as they stood surveying the castle, she sketched them for banditti, amid the mountain-view of her picture, when she had finished which, she was surprised to observe the spirit of her group.
but she had copied from nature.
carlo, when he had placed refreshment before these men in the apartment assigned to them, returned, as he was ordered, to montoni, who was anxious to discover by what servant the keys of the castle had been delivered to morano, on the preceding night.but this man, though he was too faithful to his master quietly to see him injured, would not betray a fellow-servant even to justice; he, therefore, pretended to be ignorant who it was, that had conspired with count morano, and related, as before, that he had only overheard some of the strangers describing the plot.
montoni's suspicions naturally fell upon the porter, whom he ordered now to attend.carlo hesitated, and then with slow steps went to seek him.
barnardine, the porter, denied the accusation with a countenance so steady and undaunted, that montoni could scarcely believe him guilty, though he knew not how to think him innocent.at length, the man was dismissed from his presence, and, though the real offender, escaped detection.