Page:Horrid Mysteries Volume 3.djvu/151

 nal of attack, fell furiously upon poor Alfonso. The honest fellow being assailed by seven strong and lusty men, saw no other expedient of saving the key, than to throw it into an open window, which went into the kitchen where the landlady was busily occupied with the Count's rice cream.

She had been amused already for some time by the scene which was acting under her window, and secretly applauded Alfonso's spirited conduct. He possessed, like my friend S******i, a secret charm to ingratiate himself with all the landladies we met with on our journey; and our hostess no sooner saw him fling the key into the kitchen, than she took it for a signal to come to his assistance, and instantly armed herself with her largest skimmer to terminate the contest. She was firmly resolved to hit a sound blow at the lusty fellow who had seized her dear Alfonso by the collar, when the landlord appeared on the field of battle, carrying the bottle