ell my father that we went to sleep, he will say that the porter
served us right, and I shall get another beating."

"You are cowards," said the first speaker. "But I am wounded," he
continued proudly, pointing to his nose. "I will go to the master and
ask redress. I will sit down before the door and wait for him."

"Do what you please," returned the others. "We will go home."

"You have no spirit of honour in you," said the tall boy contemptuously.

He turned his back on them in disdain, crossed the bridge and sat down
under the covered way in front of Beroviero's house. He smeared the
blood over his face till he really looked as if he might be badly hurt,
and he kept up a low, tremulous moaning. His nose really hurt him, and
as he was extremely sorry for himself some real tears came into his eyes
now and then. He waited a long time. The front door was opened and two
men came out with brooms and began to sweep. When they saw him they were
for making him go away, but he cried out that he was waiting for the
Signor Giovanni, to show him how a free glass-blower's son had been
treated by a dog of a foreigner and a swine of a porter over there in
the glass-house. Then the servants let him stay, for they feared the
porter and hated Zorzi for being a Dalmatian.

At last Giovanni came out, and the boy at once uttered a particularly
effective moan. Giovanni stopped and looked at him, and he gulped and
sobbed vigorously.

"Get up and go away at once!" said Giovanni, much disgusted by the sight
of the blood.

"I will not go till you hear me, sir," answered the boy dramatically. "I
am a free glass-blower's son and I have been beaten like this by the
porter of the glass-house! This is the way we are treated, though we
work to learn the art as our fathers worked before us."

"You probably went to sleep, you little wretch," observed Giovanni. "Get
out of my way, and go home!"

"Justice, sir! Justice!" moaned the boy, dropping himself on his knees.

"Nonsense! Go away!" Giovanni pushed him aside, and began to walk on.

The boy sprang up and followed him, and running beside him as Giovanni
tried to get away, touched the skirt of his coat respectfully, and then
kissed the back of his own hand.

"If you will listen to me, sir," he said in a low voice, "I will tell
you something you wish to know."

Giovanni stopped short and looked at him with curiosity.

"I will tell you of something the master did on the Sunday night befo