Carmella Commands
might go to the movies. To her delight, he assented. But he added:
“I will take you. You shall read to me the titles, because they are hard for me in English.”
“But, father!” she protested. “You never took me in your life before. I asked because Nicolo asked me. Let me go with him tonight, and you take me some other night.”
“Nicolo Pieri, across the street?”
“Sure! Nick!”
“I have told you once that I did not wish you to go anywhere with that boy.”
“But, father, he’s all right. Mike Laudini has engaged him as regular assistant. Mike wouldn’t engage anybody that wasn’t all right. Please, just this one evening, anyway.”
“I myself will go with you.”
“But, noioso, dad⸺”
“You shall not go to the theater with Nicolo,” Tommaso interrupted. “He is not fit for you.”
“But, padre mio, he’s taken me lots of times, afternoons. And you say it is all right for me to go tonight, because you’d take me. Why can’t Nicolo?”
“Listen, Carmella mia. I see much of men. I hear much of men. I hear of Nicolo. You are to go to the pictures with others, if you wish, but not with Nicolo. I will take you tonight, and you shall read the titles to me. Will you go with me?”
It was the first time Tommaso had ever invited, in-
[128]
