Page:De Amicis - Heart, translation Hapgood, 1922.djvu/107

 When the assistant came back, with red eyes, not a breath was to be heard. He stood in amazement; then, catching sight of Garrone, who was still all fiery and trembling, he understood it all, and he said to him, with accents of great affection, as to a brother, “I thank you, Garrone.”

I have been home with Stardi, who lives opposite the schoolhouse; and I really felt some envy at the sight of his library. He is not at all rich, and he cannot buy many books; but he preserves his schoolbooks with great care, as well as those which his relatives give him; and he lays aside every soldo that is given to him, and spends it at the bookseller's. In this way he has collected quite a little library; and when his father saw that he had this passion, he bought him a handsome bookcase of walnut wood, with a green curtain, and he has had most of his volumes bound for him in the colors that he likes.

When he draws a little cord, the green curtain runs back, and three rows of books of every color are seen, all ranged in order, and shining, with gilt titles on their backs, books of tales, of travels, and of poetry; and some illustrated ones. He understands how to combine colors well: he places the white volumes next to the red ones, the yellow next the black, the blue beside the white, so that, viewed from a distance, they make a very fine show; and he amuses himself by varying the combinations.

He has made himself a catalogue. He is like a