And he snatched the halter from the padrone's hand, while, at the same time, compare Neli with an oath took out of his pocket his closed fist clutching the thirty-five lire, and gave them to the man without looking at them as if they took his liver with them. The friend retired to one side with the mistress of the young ass to count over the money on a rock, while the padrone went off to another part of the fair like a colt, cursing and beating himself with his fists.
But when he was at last rejoined by his wife, who was carefully recounting the money in her handkerchief, he demanded,—
"Have you got it?"
"Yes, the whole of it; praised be San Gaetano![1] Now I'll go to the apothecary's."
"I got the best of them! I'd have let them have the beast for twenty lire; asses of that color are vigliacchi—vile."
And compare Neli, as he got behind the ass to drive it off, said—
- ↑ The especial saint of the Provident.
