“Vile clown!” roared Cocco Bertolli outside the door. “But I shall wait in the street for you, do you hear? I will make you pay for this!”
Biagio Speranza returned to the dining-room, still pale and trembling with the effort he had made to control himself. “Well?” asked all anxiously.
“Nothing,” he replied, with a nervous smile. “I have sent him away.”
“And he is waiting outside for you!” added Carolinona, who had heard in the hall the madman’s threat.
“Oh, Heavens!” moaned Carolinona, her face hidden in her handkerchief. “For my sake!” This weeping irritated Biagio Speranza; he felt an aversion for the part he was about to play, and shrugged his shoulders angrily. “Let him wait. I will go and give him what he deserves now!” And he looked for his hat and stick.
Then the Pentoni, as though impelled by a force stronger than her nature, started to her feet. “I implore you! For pity’s sake! Do not have anything to do with that madman. Let the others go first! Listen to me!”
All save Martinelli, who was shaking like a leaf, and the scornful Trunfo, echoed Carolinona’s words, and offered to go. But Biagio Speranza made way for himself violently, and crying, “Pray, what do you take me for?” he went out. The others followed him. At the foot of the stairs he turned, and again begged them to be good enough to remain behind.
“You make me lose my patience by acting thus,” he called to them. “Do you seriously believe that I will lift my hand against that poor unfortunate who has just left the hospital, unless he actually drives me to the wall? So stay where you are, I beg of you! Do not let him see you, for if he does he will begin haranguing. Do not aggravate the ridiculousness of my position.”
Dario Scossi then made a sign to the others to stop, and let Speranza go on alone. Shortly after they continued downstairs and paused in the hall to spy. Cariolin, who was slightly in advance, put his head a little way out of the front door. Biagio and Cocco Bertolli were talking vigorously, a slight distance apart; but suddenly Cariolin saw Cocco Bertolli raise one hand and solemnly administer a blow upon Speranza. At that they all rushed forward. Carolinona, who was standing at a window, gave a scream and fell back fainting in the trembling arms of Martinelli, while Trunfo, attracted by the cries from the street, rushed to the entrance, repeating scornfully: “This is too much! A fight! Clowns!”
Biagio Speranza, tearful with rage, and struggling to free himself, cried out to the friends who were holding him: “Let me go! Let me go!”