“But, when my cousin returns, I’ll tell him the story, and he’ll give you the lash till the blood comes, to punish you for lying.”
“And then?”
“You will see. But, I say, be a good boy, and I’ll give you something.”
“And I’ll give you a piece of advice, cousin: if you stay here any longer, Gianetto will be in the maquis, and then it will take more than one fox like you to catch him.”
The adjutant took a silver watch from his pocket, worth perhaps thirty francs; and observing that little Fortunato’s eyes sparkled as he looked at it, he said, holding it up at the end of its steel chain:
“Rascal! you’d like to have a watch like this hanging round your neck, and you’d stroll through the streets of Porto Vecchio, as proud as a peacock; and people would ask you: ‘What time is it?’ and you’d say: ‘Look at my watch!’”
“When I’m big, my uncle the caporal will give me a watch.”
“Yes; but your uncle’s son has got one now—not such a fine one as this, to be sure. Still, he’s younger than you.”
The child sighed.
“Well! would you like this watch, my little cousin?”