Totu, the servant,
who was standing near the door at the time, was a witness of the scene.
His plan was to seize the boy at the puppet show, when the attention of
all the by-standers was on the stage, fasten him to himself by a
cunningly contrived chain and belt, so that he could not possibly
escape in the crowd, and deliver him over to his uncle. When he saw
that the boy was detained against his will, the sly fellow changed his
tactics.
"Ha, ha," said he, "this is much easier for Totu," and hurrying into
the garden, stationed himself under the window which opened into and
was on a level with the garden. As soon as Father Somazzo left the
room, Peppo went to the window to watch the sky rockets that every now
and then went shooting into the sky, and to listen to the shouts of the
merry revelers in the streets.
"What, little Lihu, are you not going to the celebration? Why, down in
the marketplace there is the finest puppet show that was ever seen or
heard of anywhere," said Totu in a sympathetic tone of voice.
"I can't," said he, "Father Somazzo is an old tyrant.
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