Bellarion told him, and was answered by an obscenely morphological oath, which left him staring. The friar's countenance was suddenly transfigured. A spasm of mingled fear and anger bared his fangs; his beady eyes grew cruel and sinister. He swung aside as if to depart abruptly, then as abruptly halted where he stood.
On the threshold surged the peasant, others following him.
The friar sank again to his stool at the table, and composed his features.
'Yonder he sits, that friar rogue! That thief!' Thus the peasant as he advanced.
The cry, and, more than all, the sight of the peasant's companions, imposed a sudden silence upon the babel of that room. First came a young man, stalwart and upright, in steel cap and gorget, booted and spurred, a sword swinging from his girdle, a dagger hanging on his hip behind; a little crimson feather adorning his steel cap proclaiming him an officer of the Captain of Justice of Casale. After him came two of his men armed with short pikes.
Straight to that table in the window recess the peasant led the way. 'There he is! This is he!' Belligerently he thrust his face into the friar's, leaning his knuckles on the table's edge. 'Now, rogue ...' he was beginning furiously, when Fra Sulpizio, raising eyes of mild astonishment to meet his anger, gently interrupted him.
'Little brother, do you speak so to me? Do you call me rogue? Me?' He smiled sadly, and so calm and gently wistful was his manner that it clearly gave the peasant pause. 'A sinner I confess myself, for sinners are we all. But I am conscious of no sin against you, brother, whose charity was so freely given me only to-day.'
That saintly demeanour threw the peasant's simple wits into confusion. He was thrust aside by the officer.
'What is your name?'
Fra Sulpizio looked at him, and his look was laden with reproach.