So the boy ran as though possessed, and once fell down the stairs
and broke everything to atoms. "He is delirious," said Filomena one day,
"and talks of nothing but of giving you his watch." "How can he be so
ill," said the boy suspiciously, "when he eats and drinks?" "Do you want
the watch or not?" said Filomena, and off the lad ran. I let the others
entertain me. Maria said: "You told Filomena something yesterday about
savages; I know something about them, too. Savage people live in China,
and the worst of all are called Mandarins. Do you know what one of them
did to an Italian lady? She was with her family over there; suddenly
there came a Mandarin, carried her off, and shut her up in his house.
They never found her again. Then he had three children by her; but one
day he went out and forgot to shut the door; she ran quickly out of the
house, down to the water, and saw a ship far away. Do you know what the
mandarin did, sir, when he came home and found that his wife was gone?
He took the three children, tore them through the middle, and threw the
pieces out into the street." It reminded one of Lucidarius, and other
mediaeval legends. Then our good _zio_, the honest uncle, began,
and told Maria and Filomena the history of Napoleon I., fairly
correctly. He had heard it from his master Leonardo, who taught him his
trade; the man had taken part in five of the campaigns.
Pages:
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568