Pagina 479 van 1118

He began to eat, listening at the same time to the conversation,

to learn what was thought, in this place, of the events in which

he had acted so principal a part; and also to discover if there

were not some honest man among the company, of whom a poor youth

might ask his way without fear of being compelled in return to

tell his business.

"But," said one, "to-morrow, at the latest, we shall know

something from Milan."

"I am sorry I did not go to Milan this morning," said another.

"If you will go to-morrow, I will go with you," said two or

three.

"That which I wish to know," replied the first speaker, "is, if

these gentlemen of Milan will think of poor people abroad, or if

they will only think of obtaining advantages for themselves. You

know how they are. The citizens are proud-they think only of

themselves; the villagers are treated as if they were not

Christians."