If he had a dozen workmen like you, my brother and I should be ruined in trying to compete with him.

I watched you very closely the other day, and I watched the others, too.
By the bye, my friend, was that really an accident, or does the man owe you some grudge?
I never saw such a thing happen before!" "It was an accident, of course," replied Zorzi without hesitation.
"If you knew that the man had injured you intentionally, you should have justice at once," said Giovanni.

"As it is, I have no doubt that my father will turn him out without mercy." "I hope not." Zorzi would say nothing more.
Giovanni rose to go away.

He stood still a moment in thought, and then smiled suddenly as if recollecting himself.
"The imagination is an extraordinary thing!" he said, going back to the past conversation.

"At this very moment I was thinking again that I was actually paying out the money--six thousand lires in gold! I must be mad!" "No," said Zorzi.