Holding the meat with his teeth and his left hand, the shepherd hacked at it with his knife, complaining that it was as tough as the devil’s ear. Now that they had begun to laugh, the two others found everything funny. Giacobbe, however, was not laughing. For some reason his earlier good humour seemed to have deserted him.

‘Afterwards I’ll take you to see my palazzo. It’ll be ready in a few days, and if you would like to take it you’ll get lodgers soon enough. But I’m not going to rent it out, I’m going to live in it.’

‘Are you going to give up your job?’

‘Yes, I am. I’ve worked long enough. I’ve been working for forty years, you know. Forty years. No one can say I stole the money to live on in old age.’

‘Are you going to get married?’

‘Pooh, who’d want me? I’d spit in the face of any young woman who accepted me, and I don’t want an old one. Drink, Isidoro Pane.’

‘You’ll make me drunk. Well, it’s a holiday. I drink to the happy couple.’

‘What happy couple?’

‘Giacobbe Dejas and Bachisia Era,’ said the fisherman gaily.

Giacobbe made as if to hurl himself at Isidoro. ‘I’ll get you,’ he cried, his eyes green with fury,

‘Help! Help! Murder!’ cried Isidoro.

‘Ssh! You mustn’t say things like that,’ said Anna-Rosa.

Giacobbe drank two glasses of wine, one after the other, and then laughed in a strained sort of way, his eyes on his sister and the fisherman.

‘Why don’t you two get married? My sister is rich. Look how fresh she is. She’s like a rosebud. They say she found a miraculous herb and makes potions that keep her skin fresh.’

‘You’re in such a strange mood,’ his sister said.

‘Yes. Get married. I want you to. You shall have everything of mine because I’ll die before my sister. I don’t know why, but I think I’m going to die soon. I think I’m going to be killed.’

‘Go on with you. It’s the wine that’s killing you today.’

‘Whatever are you talking about, little brother? By the souls in Purgatory, whatever are you talking about?’ exclaimed his sister in a terrified voice.

‘You’ve no enemies,’ remarked the fisherman. ‘Only those who have lived by the sword die by the sword.’

‘I have injured several creatures,’ replied Giacobbe in a serious voice, sinking his teeth into a slice of melon. ‘I see you don’t understand. Sheep and lambs!’ Then he raised his face, stained pink with melon juice, and laughed.

The two men went out to look at the new house. It had two floors, four large rooms, a kitchen, and a stable. It was big enough for everyone in the village, including Giacobbe, to call it a mansion.