The Count of Monte Cristo

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young girl's lover was in Cucumetto's troop; his name was Carlini. When
she recognized her lover, the poor girl extended her arms to him, and
believed herself safe; but Carlini felt his heart sink, for he but too
well knew the fate that awaited her. However, as he was a favorite with
Cucumetto, as he had for three years faithfully served him, and as he
had saved his life by shooting a dragoon who was about to cut him down,
he hoped the chief would have pity on him. He took Cucumetto one side,
while the young girl, seated at the foot of a huge pine that stood in
the centre of the forest, made a veil of her picturesque head-dress to
hide her face from the lascivious gaze of the bandits. There he told
the chief all--his affection for the prisoner, their promises of mutual
fidelity, and how every night, since he had been near, they had met in
some neighboring ruins.

"It so happened that night that Cucumetto had sent Carlini to a village,
so that he had been unable to go to the place of meeting. Cucumetto had
been there, however, by accident, as he said, and had carried the maiden