This last was a point that had long been discussed, and had very nearly upset the whole arrangement. The Colona looked upon it as a double humiliation to have to render back a living fowl for the one which his aunt had thrown dead in the face of the cousin of the Orlandi. However, by force of reasoning, Lucien had persuaded the Colona to provide the fowl, as he had managed to induce the Orlandi to accept it. When the two rivals appeared, the bells, which until now had been silent, broke forth into a merry peal. When they caught sight of each other both Orlandi and his brother made a similar movement of repulsion, but, nevertheless, they both continued their way. Just opposite the church door they stopped, a few paces only dividing them. If three days previously these men had caught sight of each other within a hundred paces, one of the two certainly would have remained on the field. For about five minutes there was a profound silence, a silence which, notwithstanding the peaceful nature of the ceremony, was anything but pacific. Then at length the mayor spoke. "Well, Colona," he said, "do you not know that you have to speak first?" Colona made an effort and muttered some words in the Corsican patois. I fancied I understood him to say that he regretted having been in Vendetta with his good neighbour Orlandi, and that he offered in reparation the white hen which he held in his hand. Orlandi waited until his adversary had finished speaking, and replied in some words which I took to be a promise that he would forget everything but the solemn reconciliation that had that day taken place in the presence of Monsieur Lucien and the notary. After that the rivals preserved a dogged silence. "Now, gentlemen," said the mayor, "you have only got to shake hands." By a simultaneous movement the rivals clasped their hands behind their backs. The mayor descended from his elevated seat, and seizing the hand of Colona sought for the hand of the Orlandi, and having possessed himself of both he, with some effort, which he endeavoured to conceal with a smile, succeeded in joining the two hands. The notary seized the moment, while the mayor held the two hands together, to stand up and read the deed declaring the feud to be at an end. The document was as follows:-- "In the presence of us, Giuseppe Antonia Sarrola, Notary Royal of Sullacaro in the Province of Sartène. "In the grand place of the village opposite the church, in the presence of the mayor, the sponsors, and all the population. "Between Gaetano Orso Orlandi, called Orlandini. "And Marco Vincenzio Colona, called Schioppone. "It is solemnly ratified as follows:-- "From this day, 4th of March, 1841, the Vendetta declared between the families shall cease. "From the same period they shall live together as good neighbours and friends, as their relatives did before the unhappy disunion which has so long alienated their families.