“Dilemma?”

“Dilemma, yes, your honor.  And Biasi, the notary, who comes to me to be shaved, uses another word that just fits the case, begging your honor’s pardon.”

“Then, according to you, this Don Nicasio—­”

“Oh, I won’t put my finger in the pie!  Let him answer for himself.  Everyone has a conscience of his own; and Jesus Christ has said, ’Judge not, lest ye be judged.’  Well, one morning—­or was it in the evening?  I don’t exactly remember—­yes, now it comes back to me that it was in the morning—­I saw him pass by, scowling and with his head bent down; I was in my doorway, sharpening a razor.  Out of curiosity I gave him a passing word as well as a nod, adding a gesture that was as good as a question.  He came up to me, looked me straight in the face, and answered:  ’Haven’t I told you that, sooner or later, I should do something crazy?  And I shall, neighbor, yes, I shall!  They are dragging me by the hair!’ ‘Let me cut it off, then!’ I answered jokingly, to make him forget himself.”

“So, he had told you before, had he?  How did he happen to tell you before?”

“Oh, your honor knows how words slip out of the mouth at certain moments.  Who pays attention to them?  For my part, I have too many other things in my head—­”

“Come, come—­what had he been talking about, when he told you before?”

“Great heavens, give me time to think, your honor!  What had he been talking about?  Why, about his wife, of course.  Who knows?  Some one must have put a flea in his ear.  It needs only half a word to ruin a poor devil’s peace of mind.  And that is how a man lets such words slip out of his mouth as ‘Sooner or later I shall do something crazy!’ That is all.  I know nothing else about it, your honor!”

“And the only answer you made him was a joke?”

“I could not say to him, ‘Go ahead and do it,’ could I?  As it was he went off, shaking his head.  And what idea he kept brooding over, after that, who knows?  One can’t see inside of another man’s brain.  But sometimes, when I heard him freeing his mind—­”

“Then he used to free his mind to you?”

“Why, yes, to me, and maybe to others besides.  You see, one bears things and bears things and bears things; and at last, rather than burst with them, one frees one’s mind to the first man who comes along.”

“But you were not the first man who came along.  You used to call at his house—­”

“Only as a barber, your honor!  Only when Don Nicasio used to send for me.  And very often I would get there too late, though I tried my best.”

“And very likely you sometimes went there when you knew that he was not at home?”

“On purpose, your honor?  No, never!”

“And when you found his wife alone, you allowed yourself—­”

“Calumnies, your honor!  Who dares say such a thing?  Does she say so?  It may be that once or twice a few words escaped me in jest.  You know how it is—­when I found myself face to face with a pretty woman—­you know how it is—­if only not to cut a foolish figure!”