"Who?" shouted Alfonso.
"Pietro Abano," said Antonio now grown calm: "what would you say then?"
"Nothing!" furiously cried the other, who had not allowed him to finish: "save that you, and everybody else who dares to speak in that way, are the paltriest knaves that ever had the audacity to blaspheme holy things. Draw, if you would not be called a mean coward as well as a base slanderer."
Antonio's drawn sword met the challenger with the same speed; and it was in vain that a hoarse anxious voice cried out to them: "Hold!" Alfonso was wounded in the breast; and the blood at the same time ran from Antonio's arm.
The old priest, who had wisht to separate the quarrellers, now hastened forward; bound up their wounds and stancht the blood; then he called to some students that he had seen a little way off, and told them to carry the wounded Alfonso to the city.
Before he was removed, Antonio went up to him and whispered in his ear: "If you are a man of honour, not a word about the cause of our fray will pass over your lips. In four days time we will meet again: and if you are not of my way of thinking then, I am ready to give you any satisfaction."
Alfonso pledged his solemn promise; all the bystanders too assured Antonio that the wound as well as the whole affair should be kept a secret, not to expose him to any danger.
When they were all gone Antonio walkt with the priest Theodore deeper into the wood.
"Why," began the latter, "will you, for a fiend's sake, make over your own soul to hell? I see, you are now of a different opinion; but is the sword the spokesman that should preach truth to a brother?"
Antonio felt in doubt how much he should disclose to the monk; however he said nothing about the wonderful event that had befallen him, and only entreated that, at the approaching festival of Easter, he might be allowed to enter the great church during high mass through the sacristy, near the altar.