"Antonio, it is the age which troubles you, after all!" I said,
and laughed heartily, loudly, and a long time, in the most good-
natured way, not to be undone as an actor.

"Twenty years," I repeated. "But what of it? Some of the best
men in the world use dyes and false--"

At this his temper went away from him suddenly and completely. I
had struck the right point indeed!

"You cammorrista!" he cried, and became only himself, his hands
gesturing and flying, all his pleasant manner gone. "Why should
we listen one second more to such a fisherman! The very seiners
of the bay who sell dried sea-horses to the tourists are better
gentlemen than you. You can shrug your shoulders! I saw you in
Paris, though you thought I did not! Oh, I saw you well! Ah! At
the Cafe de la Paiz!"

At this I cried out suddenly. The sting and surprise of it were
more than I could bear. In my shame I would even have tried to
drown his voice with babblings but after this one cry I could
not speak for a while. He went on triumphantly:

"This rascal, my dear ladies, who has persuaded you to ask him
to dinner, this camel who claims to be my excellent brother, he,
for a few francs, in Paris, shaved his head and showed it for a
week to the people with an advertisement painted upon it of the
worst ballet in Paris. This is the gentleman with whom you ask
Caravacioli to dine!"