"Not so fast, not so fast, children," she
warned. "Gigi is saved for now. But we may
be able to do little more for him. Your father
is master in the house, remember. Your father
may not be pleased with what we have done.
Never promise what you may not be able to
give, my Beppo." And she fell to musing
again rather uneasily.

The boys were all suddenly silent, and Gigi,
who had warmed to their kindness, felt a
sudden chill. He had not thought of anything
beyond the safety of the moment. He had
made no plans, he had only hoped vaguely
that these good people might help him. But
now, what was to happen next? Was there
still something more to fear?

Suddenly the flash of a lantern lighted the
road ahead. A man's voice hailed them loudly.
"Hello! Hello! Will you never be coming home?"

"Father! It is father!" cried the three boys
in an answering shout. Then with a common
thought they all stopped short, and Gigi felt
them looking at him in the darkness.

"What will he think of Gigi?" he heard
Beppo whisper to his brothers.