Thou art as proud of the past as a Roman of the Trastevere."
"And the Roman of the Trastevere is right. Is it nothing, Stefano
Milano, to be descended from a great and victorious people?"
"It is better, Gino Monaldi, to be one of a people which is great and
victorious just now. The enjoyment of the past is like the pleasure of
the fool who dreams of the wine he drank yesterday."
"This is well for a Neapolitan, whose country never was a nation,"
returned the gondolier, angrily. "I have heard Don Camillo, who is one
educated as well as born in the land, often say that half of the people
of Europe have ridden the horse of Sicily, and used the legs of thy
Napoli, except those who had the best right to the services of both."
"Even so; and yet the figs are as sweet as ever, and the beccafichi as
tender! The ashes of the volcano cover all!"
"Gino," said a voice of authority, near the gondolier.
"Signore."
He who interrupted the dialogue pointed to the boat without saying more.
"A rivederli," hastily muttered the gondolier. His friend squeezed his
hand in perfect amity--for, in truth, they were countrymen by birth,
though chance had trained the former on the canals--and, at the next
instant, Gino was arranging the cushions for his master, having first
aroused his subordinate brother of the oar from a profound sleep.
CHAPTER II.
"Hast ever swam in a gondola at Venice?"
SHAKSPEARE.
Pages:
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31