The next morning the boys went out as usual, having again bought their breakfast and dispersed5 themselves about the city and vicinity, heartily hoping that this state of things might continue. But it was too good to last. When they returned at evening they found their old enemy in command. He looked more ill-tempered and sour than ever, but gave no explanation of his and Pietro’s absence, except to say that he had been out of the city on business. He called for the boys’ earnings6 of the day previous, but to their surprise made no inquiries7 about how they had supplied themselves with supper or breakfast. He felt that his influence over the boys, and the terror which he delighted to inspire in them, would be lessened8 if they should learn that he had been arrested and punished. The boys were accustomed to look upon him as possessed9 of absolute power over them, and almost regarded him as above law.
Pietro, too, was silent, partly for the same reasons which influenced the padrone, partly because he was afraid of offending his uncle.
Meanwhile poor Giacomo remained sick. If he had been as robust10 and strong as Phil, he would have recovered, but he was naturally delicate, and exposure and insufficient11 food had done their work only too well.
Four days afterward12 (to advance the story a little) one of the boys came to the padrone in the morning, saying: “Signore padrone, Giacomo is much worse. I think he is going to die.”
“Nonsense!” said the padrone, angrily. “He is only pretending to be sick, so that he need not work. I have lost enough by him already.”
Nevertheless he went to the little boy’s bedside.
Giacomo was breathing faintly. His face was painfully thin, his eyes preternaturally bright. He spoke13 faintly, but his mind seemed to be wandering.
“Where is Filippo?” he said. “I want to see Filippo.”
In this wish the padrone heartily concurred14. He, too, would have been glad to see Filippo, but the pleasure would not have been mutual15.
“Why do you want to see Filippo?” he demanded, in his customary harsh tone.
Giacomo heard and answered, though unconscious who spoke to him.
“I want to kiss him before I die,” he said.
“I am so weak,” murmured Giacomo. “Stoop down, Filippo. I want to tell you something in your ear.”
Moved by curiosity rather than humanity, the padrone stooped over, and Giacomo whispered:
“When you go back to Italy, dear Filippo, go and tell my mother how I died. Tell her not to let my father sell my little brother to a padrone, or he may die far away, as I am dying. Promise me, Filippo.”
There was no answer. The padrone did indeed feel a slight emotion of pity, but it was, unhappily, transient. Giacomo did not observe that the question was not answered.
“Kiss me, Filippo,” said the dying boy.
Giacomo smiled. He thought it was Filippo. With that smile on his face, he gave one quick gasp18 and died—a victim of the padrone’s tyranny and his father’s cupidity19.(1)
(I quote from Signor Casali, editor of L’Eco d’Italia) that
of one hundred Italian children who are sold by their
parents into this white slavery, but twenty ever return
home; thirty grow up and adopt various occupations abroad,
exposure.
Death came to Giacomo as a friend. No longer could he be forced out into the streets to suffer cold and fatigue23, and at night inhuman24 treatment and abuse. His slavery was at an end.
We go back now to Phil. Though he and his friends had again gained a victory over Pietro and the padrone, he thought it would not be prudent25 to remain in Newark any longer. He knew the revengeful spirit of his tyrants26, and dreaded27 the chance of again falling into their hands. He must, of course, be exposed to the risk of capture while plying28 his vocation29 in the public streets. Therefore he resisted the invitation of his warm-hearted protectors to make his home with them, and decided30 to wander farther away from New York.
The next day, therefore, he went to the railway station and bought a ticket for a place ten miles further on. This he decided would be far enough to be safe.
Getting out of the train, he found himself in a village of moderate size. Phil looked around him with interest. He had the fondness, natural to his age, for seeing new places. He soon came to a schoolhouse. It was only a quarter of nine, and some of the boys were playing outside. Phil leaned against a tree and looked on.
Though he was at an age when boys enjoy play better than work or study, he had no opportunity to join in their games.
“Yes,” said Phil, brightening up, “I should like to.”
“Come on, then.”
“Oh, I’ll take care of your fiddle for you. Here, this tree is hollow; just put it inside, and nobody will touch it.”
Phil needed no second invitation. Sure of the safety of his fiddle, which was all-important to him since it procured33 for him his livelihood34, he joined in the game with zest35. It was so simple that he easily understood it. His laugh was as loud and merry as any of the rest, and his face glowed with enjoyment36.
It does not take long for boys to become acquainted. In the brief time before the teacher’s arrival, Phil became on good terms with the schoolboys, and the one who had first invited him to join them said: “Come into school with us. You shall sit in my seat.”
“Will he let me?” asked Phil, pointing to the teacher.
“To be sure he will. Come along.”
Phil took his fiddle from its hiding-place in the interior of the tree, and walked beside his companion into the schoolroom.
It was the first time he had ever been in a schoolroom before, and he looked about him with curiosity at the desks, and the maps hanging on the walls. The blackboards, too, he regarded with surprise, not understanding their use.
After the opening exercises were concluded, the teacher, whose attention had been directed to the newcomer, walked up to the desk where he was seated. Phil was a little alarmed, for, associating him with his recollections of the padrone, he did not know but that he would be punished for his temerity37 in entering without the teacher’s invitation.
“What is your name, my young friend?”
“Filippo.”
“You are an Italian, I suppose.”
“Si, signore.”
“Does that mean ‘Yes, sir’?”
“Yes, sir,” answered Phil, remembering to speak English.
“Is that your violin?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Where do you live?”
Phil hesitated.
“I am traveling,” he said at last.
“You are young to travel alone. How long have you been in this country?”
“A year.”
“And have you been traveling about all that time?”
“No, signore; I have lived in New York.”
“I suppose you have not gone to school?”
“No, signore.”
“Well, I am glad to see you here; I shall be glad to have you stay and listen to our exercises.”
The teacher walked back to his desk, and the lessons began. Phil listened with curiosity and attention. For the first time in his life he felt ashamed of his own ignorance, and wished he, too, might have a chance to learn, as the children around him were doing. But they had homes and parents to supply their wants, while he must work for his livelihood.
“Will he let me?” asked the young fiddler, again referring to the teacher.
The latter, being applied41 to, readily consented, and expressed his own wish to hear Phil. So the young minstrel played and sang several tunes42 to the group of children who gathered around him. Time passed rapidly, and the recess was over before the children anticipated it.
“I am sorry to disturb your enjoyment,” said the teacher; “but duty before pleasure, you know. I will only suggest that, as our young friend here depends on his violin for support, we ought to collect a little money for him. James Reynolds, suppose you pass around your hat for contributions. Let me suggest that you come to me first.”
The united offerings, though small individually, amounted to a dollar, which Phil pocketed with much satisfaction. He did not remain after recess, but resumed his wanderings, and about noon entered a grocery store, where he made a hearty43 lunch. Thus far good fortune attended him, but the time was coming, and that before long, when life would wear a less sunny aspect.
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1
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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2
crackers
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| adj.精神错乱的，癫狂的n.爆竹( cracker的名词复数 )；薄脆饼干；（认为）十分愉快的事；迷人的姑娘 | |
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3
oyster
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| n.牡蛎；沉默寡言的人 | |
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4
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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5
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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6
earnings
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| n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得 | |
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7
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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8
lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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9
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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10
robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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11
insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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12
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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13
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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14
concurred
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| 同意（concur的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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15
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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16
tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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17
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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18
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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19
cupidity
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| n.贪心，贪财 | |
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20
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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21
eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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22
succumb
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| v.屈服，屈从；死 | |
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23
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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24
inhuman
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| adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的 | |
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25
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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26
tyrants
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| 专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 )； 暴君似的人； （古希腊的）僭主； 严酷的事物 | |
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27
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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28
plying
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的现在分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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29
vocation
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| n.职业，行业 | |
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30
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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31
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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32
fiddle
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| n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动 | |
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33
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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34
livelihood
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| n.生计，谋生之道 | |
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35
zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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36
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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37
temerity
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| n.鲁莽，冒失 | |
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38
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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39
recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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40
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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41
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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42
tunes
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| n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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43
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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