At that moment a shiver pervaded the crowd and all eyes were turned towards the end of the street, if one could so call the unequal interval between the houses.
Immediately on the mountain side appeared the Orlandi, and in the direction of the river was the Colona, each followed by his partisans, but as had been arranged neither party carried arms.
The two chiefs presented a very vivid contrast.
Orlandi, as I said, was tall, brown, agile and thin.
Colona, on the other hand, was short, stoutish, and vigorous; he had red hair and beard, both of which wore short and curly.
Both men carried olive branches, the symbol of peace, which was the idea of the worthy mayor.
But besides this olive branch, the Colona held a white fowl by the feet; this bird was destined to replace that which had given rise to the quarrel, and the fowl was alive.
This last was a point that had long been discussed, and had very nearly upset the whole arrangement. The Colona looked upon it as a double humiliation to have to render back a living fowl for the one which his aunt had thrown dead in the face of the cousin of the Orlandi.
However, by force of reasoning, Lucien had persuaded the Colona to provide the fowl, as he had managed to induce the Orlandi to accept it.
When the two rivals appeared, the bells, which until now had been silent, broke forth into a merry peal.