CHAPTER XVII
THE PADRONE IS ANXIOUS
The next morning Paul and Phil rose later that usual. They slept
longer, in order to make up for the late hour at which they
retired. As they sat down to breakfast, at half-past eight, Paul
said: "I wonder whether the padrone misses you, Phil?"
"Yes," said Phil; "he will be very angry because I did not come
back last night."
"Will he think you have run away?"
"I do not know. Some of the boys stay away sometimes, because
they are too far off to come home."
"Then he may expect you to-night. I suppose he will have a
beating ready for you."
"Yes, he would beat me very hard," said Phil, "if he thought I
did not mean to come back."
"I should like to go and tell him that he need not expect you. I
should like to see how he looks."
"He might beat you, too, Paolo."
"I should like to see him try it," said Paul, straightening up
with a consciousness of strength. "He might find that rather
hard."
Phil looked admiringly at the boy who was not afraid of the
padrone. Like his comrades, he had been accustomed to think of
the padrone as possessed of unlimited power, and never dreamed of
anybody defying him, or resisting his threats.
Pages:
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139