Page:De Amicis - Heart, translation Hapgood, 1922.djvu/343

Rh emotion. “Take back your money. I cannot accept it. Take it back. It is not my place. You shall see about that when the director is here. But he will not accept anything either; be sure of that. You have toiled too hard to earn it, poor man. We shall be greatly obliged to you, all the same.”

“No; I shall leave it,” replied the gardener, obstinately; “and then—we will see.”

But the mistress put his money back in his pocket, without leaving him time to reject it. So he gave up with a shake of the head; and then, throwing a kiss to the mistress and to the older girl, he quickly took his daughter's arm again, and hurried with her out of the door, saying:—

“Come, come my daughter, my poor dumb child, my treasure!”

And the girl exclaimed in her harsh voice:—

“Oh, how beau-ti-ful the sun is!”