She returned to her room, calling for help as loudly as she could, when suddenly her window, which was twenty feet from the ground, was opened. A young peasant jumped into the chamber, seized her in his arms, and with superhuman skill and strength carried her to the grass outside, where she fainted.
When she recovered, her father was by her side. All the servants surrounded her, offering assistance. An entire wing of the villa had burned down, but what did that matter, as long as Carmela was safe and uninjured?
Her rescuer was sought everywhere, but he didn't appear. People asked about him, but no one had seen him. Carmela was greatly troubled that she hadn't recognized him. Since the count was immensely wealthy, and aside from the danger Carmela had run, and the marvelous manner in which she'd escaped made that seem more like a blessing than a real misfortune, the loss from the fire was trivial to him.
