“Ah, rascal! knave!” cried Renzo, “do you dare to bring up this cursed name and surname and business again?”
“Hush! you fool! and go to bed,” said the host.
But Renzo continued to bellow, “I understand it, you belong to the league. Wait, wait, till I settle matters for you;” and turning to the door, he bellowed down the stairs, “Friends! the host is of the——”
“I spoke in jest,” cried the host, pushing him towards the bed, “in jest; did you not perceive I spoke in jest?”
“Ah, in jest; now you talk reasonably. Since you said it in jest—they are just the thing to make a jest of——.” And he fell on the bed. “Undress yourself quickly,” said the host; and adding his assistance to his advice, the thought occurred to him, to ascertain if there were any money in Renzo’s pockets, as on the morrow it would fall into hands from which an innkeeper would have but little chance of recovering it; he therefore hazarded another attempt, saying to Renzo, “You are an honest youth, are you not?”
“Yes, an honest youth,” replied Renzo, still endeavouring to rid himself of his clothes.
“Well, settle this little account with me now, because to-morrow I am obliged to leave home on business.”
“That’s right,” said Renzo “I am honest. But the money—we must find the money——!”
“Here it is,” said the host; and calling up all his patience and skill, he succeeded in obtaining the reckoning.
“Lend me your hand to finish undressing, host,” said Renzo; “I begin to comprehend, do you see, that——I am very sleepy.”