"No, Excellency. But they tell so many silly stories about us in
Verbicaro. That is in Calabria where I and my brother were born. And
when our mother, blessed soul, was dying--good health to your
Excellency--she blessed us and said this to us. 'Ruggiero, Sebastiano,
dear sons, you could not save me and I am going. God bless you,' said
she. 'Our Lady help you. Remember, you are the Children of the King.'
Then she said, 'Remember' again, as though she would say something more.
But just at that very moment Christ took her, and she did not speak
again, for she was dead--good health to your Excellency for a thousand
years. And so it was."
"And what happened then?" asked Beatrice, strangely interested and
charmed by the man's simple story.
"Then we beat Don Pietro Casale, Excellency, and spoiled all his face
and head. We were little boys, twelve and ten years old, but there was
the anger to give us strength. And so we ran away from Verbicaro,
because we had no one and we had to eat, and had beaten Don Pietro
Casale, who would have had us put in prison if he had caught us. But
thanks to Heaven we had good legs.
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