"Be quiet, my boy," he said; "you do not know what I am talking about, and there is no occasion for you to speak. My friend," he continued, addressing the bandit, "if my nephew were not a man and a Sicilian, I should not introduce him to you. I am going to tell you what we expect of you, unless you tell me beforehand that you cannot or will not help us."
"Padre Angelo," replied the bandit, taking the monk's hand, and putting it to his lips with a caressing gesture and an affectionate glance that changed the character of his face entirely, "whatever you may ask, I am always willing to do for you. But no man can do all that he is willing to do. So I must know what it is."
"A man annoys us."
"I understand."
"We do not wish to kill him."
"You are unwise."
"By killing him we ruin ourselves; by putting him out of the way we are saved."
"He is to be kidnapped then?"
"Yes, but we do not know how to go about it."
"What! you do not know, Padre Angelo?" said the Piccinino with a smile.