I made a good deal of noise, and the post-master, coming out, threatened
to have me arrested if I did not pay him for his dead horse. I answered
that if the horse were dead I would account for it to the postmaster in
Padua, but what I wanted was fresh horses without delay.

And I shewed him the dread 'bolletta', the sight of which made him lower
his tone; but he told me that, even if he supplied me with horses, I had
treated the postillion so badly that not one of his men would drive me.
"If that is the case," I answered, "you shall accompany me yourself." The
fellow laughed in my face, turned his back upon me, and went away. I took
two witnesses, and I called with them at the office of a public notary,
who drew up a properly-worded document, by which I gave notice to the
post-master that I should expect an indemnity of ten sequins for each
hour of delay until I had horses supplied to me.

As soon as he had been made acquainted with the contents of this, he gave
orders to bring out two restive horses. I saw at once that his intention
was to have me upset along the road, and perhaps thrown into the river;
but I calmly told the postillion that at the very moment my chaise was
upset I would blow his brains out with a pistol-shot; this threat
frightened the man; he took his horses back to the stables, and declared
to his master that he would not drive me. At that very moment a courier
arrived, who called for six carriage horses and two saddle ones. I warned
the post-master that no one should leave the place before me, and that if
he opposed my will there would be a sanguinary contest; in order to prove
that I was in earnest I took out my pistols. The fellow began to swear,
but, everyone saying that he was in the wrong, he disappeared.

Five minutes afterwards whom should I see, arriving in a beautiful berlin
drawn by six horses, but Croce with his wife, a lady's maid, and two