heacthowthecrowdhadgatheredtogether,andhowtheyhadbeenbroughttothesquareandhangedfromthePalacewindow,andtheirbodiestorntopiecesbythepeople.
'Oh,God!'utteredChecco.'Andallthisismyfault.'
ItoldthemthattheoldOrsowasbroughtforwardandtakentohispalace,andbeforehiseyesitwastorndown,stoneafterstone,tillonlyaheapofruinsmarkedthesite.
Checcogaveasob.
'Mypalace,myhome!'
Andthen,asiftheblowwastoogreat,hebenthisheadandburstintotears.
'Donotweepyet,Checco,'Isaid.'Youwillhavecausefortearspresently.'
Helookedup.
'Whatmore?'
'Yourfather.'
'Filippo!'
Hestartedup,andsteppingback,stoodagainstthewall,hisarmsagainstit,outstretched,withwhiteandhaggardfaceandstaringeyes,likeahuntedbeastatbay.
Itoldhimhowtheyhadtakenhisfatherandboundhim,andthrownhimdown,andtiedhimtothesavagebeast,andhowhehadbeendraggedalongtillhisbloodspatteredonthepavementandhissoullefthim.
Checcoutteredamostawfulgroan,and,lookinguptoheaven,asiftocallitinwitness,cried,—
'Oh,God!'
Then,sinkingintoachair,heburiedhisfaceinhishands,andinhisagonyswayedfromsidetoside.Matteowentuptohimandputhishandonhisshoulder,tryingtocomforthimbuthemotionedhimaside.
'Letmebe.'
Herosefromhisseat,andwesawthathiseyesweretearless,forhisgriefwastoogreatforweeping.Then,withhishandsbeforehimlikeablindman,hestaggeredtothedoorandleftus.
Scipione,theweakman,wascrying.