Page:De Amicis - Heart, translation Hapgood, 1922.djvu/231

Rh difficulty from the bed and held it out to Garrone, who took it between his, and laid it against his cheek, saying:—

“Courage, courage, little mason; you are going to get well soon and come back to school, and the teacher will put you next to me; will that please you?”

But the little mason made no reply. His mother burst into sobs: “Oh, my poor Tonino! My poor Tonino! He is so brave and good, and God is going to take him from us!”

“Silence!” cried the mason; “silence, for the love of God, or I shall lose my reason!”

Then he said to us, with anxiety: “Go, go, boys, I thank you; go! what could you do here? I thank you; go home!”

The boy had closed his eyes again, and appeared to be dead.

“Do you need any assistance?” asked Garrone.

“No, my good boy, thank you,” the mason answered. And so saying, he pushed us out on the landing, and shut the door. But we were not half-way down the stairs, when we heard him calling, “Garrone! Garrone!”

We all three mounted the stairs once more in haste.

“Garrone!” shouted the mason, with a changed countenance, “he has called you by name; it is two days since he spoke; he has called you twice; he wants you; come quickly! Ah, holy God, if this is only a good sign!”

“Farewell for the present,” said Garrone to us; “I shall remain,” and he ran in with the father.

Derossi's eyes were full of tears.