he house with oaths and blows, and locked him up in a sort of
dungeon.

During the succeeding days, he and his wife did all they could to
persuade Francis to return to his old mode of life. Pietro entreated
and threatened, Pica wept and caressed, but all in vain.

[Sidenote: _A Command from God._]

"I have received a command from God," was their answer, and "I mean to
carry it out."

At last, after some time, Pietro being absent for several days on
business, Pica unlocked the dungeon and let her son go free.

When Pietro returned, he cursed his wife and set off to St. Damian's
to fetch Francis back. But Francis declined to go. He said that he
feared neither blows nor chains, but God had given him a work to do,
and nothing, nor nobody would prevent him carrying out that mission.
Pietro was struck by his son's coolness, and seeing that force would
be no use, he went to the magistrates and lodged a complaint against
his son, desiring the magistrates to recover the money that his son
had given to the church, and to oblige him to renounce in legal form
all rights of inheritance. The magistrates seem to have been much
shocked at Pietro's harshness, but they summoned Francis, who would
not appear. When asked to use violence, they said--

"No, since your son has entered God's service, we have nothing to do
with his actions," and utterly refused to have anything further to do
with the case.

CHAPTER IV.

VICTORY WITHOUT AND WITHIN.

"For poverty and self-renunciation
The Father yieldeth back a thousand-fold;
In the calm stillness of regeneration,
Cometh a joy we never knew of old."

Pietro was not avaricious. He cared nothing for the money as money.
His plan now was to cut off all supplies, and when his son, who had
always been accustomed to the daintiest and softest of living, and was
in no way inured to hardship, found that he was now literally a
beggar, he would, after a little privation, come to his senses, and
sue his father for pardon. This was his idea when he sought the bishop
and made his complaint to him. The bishop called Francis to appear
before him.

On the appointed day he appeared with his father. The venerable
bishop, who was a man of great good sense and wisdom, heard all there
was to hear, and then turning to the young man, he said--

"My son, thy father is greatly incensed against thee. If thou desirest
to consecrate thyself to God, restore to him all that is his."