Page:De Amicis - Heart, translation Hapgood, 1922.djvu/204

176 immediately. On arriving in the street, we met the boys from a college, who were passing in double file; and on catching sight of the coffin with the medal and the schoolmistresses, they all pulled off their hats.

Poor little boy! he went to sleep forever with his medal. We shall never see his red cap again. He was in perfect health; in four days he was dead. On the last day he made an effort to rise and study his lesson, and he insisted on keeping his medal on his bed for fear it would be taken from him. No one will ever take it from you again, poor boy! Farewell, farewell! We shall always remember you at the Baretti School! Sleep in peace, dear little boy!

To-day has been more cheerful than yesterday. The thirteenth of March! The eve of the distribution of prizes at the Theatre Victor Emanuel, the greatest and most beautiful festival of the whole year! But this time the boys who are to go upon the stage and give the certificates of the prizes to the gentlemen who are to present them are not to be taken at haphazard. The principal came in this morning, at the close of school, and said:—

“Good news, boys!” Then he called “Coraci!” the Calabrian. The Calabrian rose.: “Would you like to be one of those to carry the certificates of the prizes to the authorities in the theatre to-morrow?” The Calabrian answered that he should.

“That is well,” said the principal; “then there will