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You are here to do justice to everybody, and it is your duty to search out the truth. Speak, Giocanto Castriconi!" "Don't listen to him," chorused the three Barricini. "If everybody talks at once," remarked the bandit, with a smile, "nobody can contrive to hear what anybody says. Well, in the prison at Bastia I had as my companion not as my friend this very man, Tomaso.
During the evening meal the conversation turned on trivial subjects, and Orso, emboldened by his sister's apparent calm, related his encounter with the bandits, and even ventured on a joke or two concerning the moral and religious education that was being imparted to little Chilina, thanks to the care of her uncle and of his worthy colleague Signor Castriconi.
"And the delight of escaping from your pursuers," rejoined Castriconi; "is that nothing to you? How can you fail to realize the charm of absolute freedom in such a beautiful climate as ours? With this to insure respect," and he held up his gun, "we are kings of everything within its range. We can give orders, we can redress wrongs.
Now then, Padre, speak up! Your tongue's glib enough!" "Signor Prefetto," quoth the licentiate, "I have not the honour of being known to you. My name is Giocanto Castriconi, better known as the Padre. Aha, it's coming back to you!
He received frequent visits from Signor Orlanduccio." "You lie!" shouted the two brothers together. "Two negatives make an affirmative," pursued Castriconi coolly. "Tomaso had money, he ate and drank of the best. Out of gratitude, I proposed he should escape with me. A young person to whom I had shown some kindness had provided me with the necessary means. I don't intend to compromise anybody.
I don't know who you are. Then he showed me a letter, or rather a dirty rag of paper, whereby he was summoned to deposit a hundred francs on a certain spot, on pain of having his house burned and his cows killed by Giocanto Castriconi that's my name. And they had been vile enough to forge my signature!
"In case of pressing need," said Orso, "a few gold coins are very useful. "No money between you and me, sir," said Brandolaccio resolutely. "In the world money is everything," remarked Castriconi, "but in the maquis, all a man need care for is a brave heart, and a gun that carries true." "I don't want to leave you without giving you something to remember me by," persisted Orso.
"Is it the gun you fancy? I bought it for you. But see you don't use it more than you are obliged." "Oh, I won't promise to make as good use of it as you. But make your mind easy. When any other man has it, you may be certain it's all over with Brando Savelli." "And you, Castriconi what am I to give you?"
And he leaped two feet higher than he need have done. "Well, well," said Castriconi, "that's no more than death, anyhow; and it's better than being killed in your bed by a fever, with your heirs snivelling more or less honestly all round you. To men who are accustomed to the open air like us, there's nothing so good as to die 'in your shoes, as the village folk say."
I'm heartily glad he had it with him, for I don't quite know how he would have got off if it hadn't been for my Manton." It was rather late when the surgeon put in an appearance. On his road up he had met with an adventure of his own. He had been stopped by Giocanto Castriconi, who, with the most scrupulous politeness, called on him to come and attend a wounded man.
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