As soon as they became aware of it at home there were tears, outbursts, invectives, suggestions of never receiving him again, of not even rising from their seats when he returned, of allowing a month to pass without addressing a word to him, of striking out the item "pocket-money" from the family budget, and a hundred other things. On the mother's part these were words, but on the father's serious intentions. He was not a man to waver; he was good, but stern, and at times, when he was angry, even terrible: his son knew this, and feared him. How he had ever been able, therefore, to offer him such an outrage was inexplicable. The accounts of the 20th of September only served to embitter the parents more. "He shall feel it," said they between their teeth. "Let him come!" Their words, their gestures, their plan of action, had all been thought over and prepared. It would be a severe lesson. On the morning of the 22d they were all seated at table when suddenly a loud knock was heard at the door, and immediately after the son appeared, red in the face, out of breath, bronzed by the sun, standing erect and motionless on the threshold. No one moved. "What!" exclaimed the young man, folding his arms with an air of astonishment, "you do not know the news?" No one answered. "Have you been told nothing? Has no one been here from Florence? Are you still in the dark about everything?" No one breathed. "The taking of Rome," one of the girls ventured to say presently, after having consulted her papa with a glance--"we know of it." "What! Nothing else?" "Nothing else." "But what a taking of Rome!" burst out the young man with a cry that made them all tremble--"what a taking of Rome! Then I bring you the account of it." They all rose and gathered around him. "But how is it possible," he went on crying, waving his hands--"how is it possible that you know nothing of it? Has not the news spread through the country? Have not the country-people assembled? What is the city government doing? Listen, then--listen; seat yourselves around me; I will relate all to you. My heart beats so that I can hardly speak." "But what has happened?" "Nothing: I will tell you nothing. I wish to relate everything in order: give me breathing-time. I wish you to hear the facts one by one as I saw them." "Oh, you mean the Roman feasts?" "The plebiscite?" "The arrival of the king?" "No, indeed, no: something quite different." "Well, tell us." "But sit down." "Oh, how is it that we have heard nothing about it here?" "How can I tell? All I know is, that to be the first who brings you this news is the greatest pleasure I have experienced in my whole life. I arrived this morning at Florence: they knew all about it. I left immediately. Who knows? thought I, perhaps the news has not yet reached home. I am out of breath." "Tell us! tell quickly!" They all seated themselves around him.