The patron, while proud of his young friend, did not intend to spoil
his chances in after life by an indelible bodily mark of this kind
however honourably attained. He had other designs for him. To pass the
next year or two, he made arrangements for Giustino, now grown lean and
wolfish, to be officially received into the Black Hand. As probationer
he was the delight of his superiors; he went through the various tests
with phenomenal rapidity and gave abundant proofs of manliness. At the
age of sixteen he had already killed three men--one of them being a
policeman who was suspected of infidelity towards the Society. It was
then that the protector, who was no fool, spoke to him a second time,
saying:
"As you know, my son, I can neither read nor write. Those were not
considered respectable accomplishments, in my day, for a lad of spirit
or a man of honour. Devil's work! But we live in an effeminate age.
Virtue is at a discount. The wise man, while observing these things
with regret, adapts himself to them.
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