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Some quicker thrill of what he held made him look at Silvestro. At the same moment Silvestro slowly turned his head, and looked at him. What each saw in the other's face beyond a white moon-shape, what shining of truth in the eye, what expectancy, what revelation in the lips, I know not. Two pair of lips, at least, met and stayed together. "O Dio!" "Oh, Pilade! Oh, carissimo!"

"I see it now," said Silvestro; "it was very fine. I like your name of Pilade best. I shall always call you that, if you will let me." "Call me what you like," says Pilade. "Let's go and wake the others. I'm as hungry as the devil with all this talking." The result of this was that Silvestro became Pilade's foot-boy, his slave. The lout was in clover; nothing could have suited him so well.

One man to eight, they held their own for ten hours; when summoned to yield by the Neapolitan officer, who could not help admiring his courage, Pilade Bronzetti replied: 'Soldiers of liberty never surrender! It was only in the moment of victory that Perrone passed over their dead bodies and uselessly advanced which cost him dear on the morrow.

One knew the way as well as another; but Silvestro led it. They rounded the hill-top. "Here we are at last," said Silvestro. "Let us sit here, and look at the splendour of the night. Oh, Pilade! Oh, dear friend! How couldst thou do so much for me?" "What else could I do?" said he gruffly. "You never killed the pig-Jew." "Nor did you, Pilade. Tell me why you gave yourself up."

Oreste and Pilade heard him. They came tumbling out. Ser Giacomo roused the sindaco who in his turn woke his clerk; but when Mr. Sindaco was fairly off down the hill, this much-injured and very weary youth turned back and went to bed. Some bore lighted torches, others copper buckets. Pietro, the butcher, brought the municipal ladder.

In about half an hour Silvestro, who had been fidgeting in the cave, came out, restless to have stayed so long beyond sight or hearing of his Pilade. His reception by Andrea was shocking. The gaping boy sprang forward with his arms out. "Ha! Here is a terrible affair," he wailed. "Our Castracane is taken, and for your fault; he will be hanged, and for you! Make your supper of it, you Jew-jerker.

"Silvestro," he called softly, without moving from his ambush or turning his eyes from those he watched, "Silvestro, come here!" The obedient stripling came eagerly, and knelt as close to his master as he dared just so as to touch him. "Eccomi, Pilade," says he. "Get back over the brow as fast as you can," said his friend, "and hide in the cave. Wait there till I come. Go now; do as I bid you."

"Because you didn't do it, of course." "But you didn't do it either?" "Well, but I knocked you down." "Did you do it because of that; or because because you like me?" Pilade grunted. "Suppose I did?" Silvestro sighed, and leaned his head on his friend's shoulder. "O wondrous night!" said he, whispering. "Look, the stars are like moons."

This idyllic state of things might have lasted no one knows how long, with Ippolita-Silvestro finding joy in unreasonable service, and Pilade both ease and reason. Where either partner was so admirably suited it might have been interesting to see what would have happened: whether Ippolita would have betrayed herself or Pilade found her out.

Most unmanly of Silvestro, all this; but the rogue he petted was too snug to consider it. "Silvestro," he might say, "you have been useful to-day; perhaps I'll play you something." "Ah, thank you, Pilade; you have been very kind to me." "The truth is," Pilade would allow, "I am a good-natured devil if you take me the right way. I'll tell you what, Silvestro; you have pleased me to-day.