When Pietro returned, he cursed his wife and set off to St. Damian's to fetch Francis back. But Francis declined to go. He said that he feared neither blows nor chains, but God had given him a work to do, and nothing, nor nobody would prevent him carrying out that mission. Pietro was struck by his son's coolness, and seeing that force would be no use, he went to the magistrates and lodged a complaint against his son, desiring the magistrates to recover the money that his son had given to the church, and to oblige him to renounce in legal form all rights of inheritance. The magistrates seem to have been much shocked at Pietro's harshness, but they summoned Francis, who would not appear. When asked to use violence, they said-- "No, since your son has entered God's service, we have nothing to do with his actions," and utterly refused to have anything further to do with the case. CHAPTER IV. VICTORY WITHOUT AND WITHIN. "For poverty and self-renunciation The Father yieldeth back a thousand-fold; In the calm stillness of regeneration, Cometh a joy we never knew of old." Pietro was not avaricious. He cared nothing for the money as money. His plan now was to cut off all supplies, and when his son, who had always been accustomed to the daintiest and softest of living, and was in no way inured to hardship, found that he was now literally a beggar, he would, after a little privation, come to his senses, and sue his father for pardon. This was his idea when he sought the bishop and made his complaint to him. The bishop called Francis to appear before him. On the appointed day he appeared with his father. The venerable bishop, who was a man of great good sense and wisdom, heard all there was to hear, and then turning to the young man, he said-- "My son, thy father is greatly incensed against thee. If thou desirest to consecrate thyself to God, restore to him all that is his." He went on to say that the money was not really Francis', and therefore he had no right to give away what was not his, besides God would never accept money that was an occasion of sin between father and son. Then Francis rose and said-- "My lord, I will give back everything to my father, even the clothes I have had from him!" Returning into a neighbouring room, he stripped off all his rich garments, and clad only in a hair under-garment, laid them and the purse of money at his father's feet. [Sidenote: _One Father._] "Now," he cried, "I have but one father, henceforth I can say in all truth 'Our Father who art in Heaven!'"