Page:De Amicis - Heart, translation Hapgood, 1922.djvu/29

 me and insulting me, and I lost my head, and threw—”

“Sit down”, said the master. “Let those who provoked him rise.”

Four rose, and hung their heads.

“You,” said the master, “have insulted a companion who had given you no provocation; you have scoffed at an unfortunate lad, you have struck a weak person who could not defend himself. You have committed one of the basest, the most shameful acts with which a human creature can stain himself. Cowards!”

Having said this, he came down among the benches, put his hand under Garrone's chin, as the latter stood with drooping head, and having made him raise it, he looked him straight in the eye, and said, “You are a noble soul.”

Garrone profited by the occasion to murmur something in the ear of the master; and he, turning towards the four culprits, said abruptly, “I forgive you.”

Thursday, 27th.

My schoolmistress kept her promise, and came today just as I was on the point of going out with my mother to carry some linen to a poor woman recommended by the Gazette. It was a year since I had seen her in our house. We all made a great deal of her. She is just the same as ever,—a little thing, with a green veil wound about her bonnet, carelessly dressed, and with untidy hair, because she has not time to adorn