APPRENTICESHIP AND DEATH OF WILLIAM. 251 



pecting no fraud, paid the thirty-two gold crowns. Daldo 

 then throughout the summer, having a little country 

 farm, took the youth out to play, so that from tailoring 

 he went to the custody of vineyards ; at the same time, 

 if there was necessity, they came back in the evening 

 the place was about two miles out of town and spent 

 the night in sewing. The boy danced about among the 

 rustics, and made love to all the girls. Thus it happened 

 that when I chanced to be at Milan he was taken with 

 a fever. 



" He came to me, and I neglected the matter, for many 

 reasons : partly because he did not complain much, partly 

 because I did not know that the disease was caused by 

 improper and excessive labour, partly because, when he 

 had been with me, he had two or three times had a similar 

 attack, which passed away in about four days ; and, 

 finally, because my son Aldo and a boy had run away. 

 What more? I ordered him to be bled ; and four days 

 afterwards I was sent for in the night to visit him, be- 

 cause he thought he had not long to live. He was seized 

 with convulsions, and had lost all consciousness. I never- 

 theless battled with the disease, and he recovered. 



" After that I was compelled to return to Pa via to 

 lecture ; but he, when, after he had risen from his bed, his 

 master was celebrating some wedding, was compelled to 

 sleep in the shop : there, on account of cold and bad food, 

 the boy became miserable, and was about to come to me 



