n began, "Alas! mother, only too well do I know that I was born
of parents living in the most prosperous circumstances; but who they
were and how I came to leave them, of this I have not the slightest
notion, nor could I have. I remember very well a tall handsome man, who
often took me in his arms and smothered me with kisses and put sweets
in my mouth. And I can also in the same way call to mind a pleasant and
pretty lady, who used to dress and undress me and place me in a soft
little bed every night, and who in fact was very kind to me in every
way. They used to talk to me in a foreign, sonorous language, and I
also stammered several words of the same tongue after them. Whilst I
was an oarsman my jealous rivals used to say I must be of German
origin, from the colour of my hair and eyes, and from my general build.
And this I believe myself, for the language which that man spoke (he
must have been my father) was German. But the most vivid recollection
which I have of that time is that of one terrible night, when I was
awakened out of deep sleep by a fearful scream of distress. People were
running about the house; doors were being opened and banged to; I grew
terribly frightened, and began to cry loudly. Then the lady who used to
dress me and take care of me burst into the room, snatched me out of
bed, stopped my mouth, enveloped me in shawls, and ran off with me.
From that moment I can remember nothing more, until I found myself
again in a splendid house, situated in a most charming district. Then
there rises up the image of a man whom I called 'father,' a majestic
man of noble but benevolent appearance. Like all the rest in the house,
he spoke Italian.

"For several weeks I had not seen my father, when one day several
ugly-looking strangers came and kicked up a great deal of noise in the
house, rummaging about and turning out everything. When they saw me
they asked who I was, and what I was doing there? 'Don't you know I'm
Antonio, and belong to the house?' I replied; but they laughed in my
face and tore off all my fine clothes and turned me out of doors,
threatening to have me whipped if I dared to show myself again. I ran
away screaming and crying. I had not gone a hundred yards from the
house when I met an old man, whom I recognised as being one of my
foster-father's servants. 'Come along, Antonio,' he said, taking hold
of my hand, 'come along, my poor boy, that house is now closed to us
both for ever. We must both