They were right; as old folks are apt to be.  The victor in the disreputable affray happened to be a gentleman of middle age, a distinguished ornament of the Black Hand.  No happier fate could have been devised for Giustino than to live under the patronage of such an individual.  He took charge of the little fellow, and was not slow in discovering that his protege possessed not only a muscular framework and ready wit, but the malice, the concentrated ruthlessness and rapacity of fifty devils rolled into one.  Something could be made out of that boy, he concluded; the Society, always ready to adopt promising neophytes on the recommendation of a qualified practitioner like himself, would doubtless enrol him in due course.  Meanwhile he instructed him, by precept and example, how to be religious in the manner most pleasing to the Madonna.  He narrated the Lives of the Saints, forced him to attend Mass and confess himself to one of the Society’s trusted priests and taught him, above all things, to hate the Government because it oppressed the Pope and the poor.  One day he said: 

“You must now attend evening classes.  I think you will do well at our school of the Holy Cross.  Your outfit is exceptional.  Among other things you have the great advantage that the first and second fingers of both your hands are of equal length.  That augurs well!  God has favoured you, for many lads have to lengthen the first one artificially, which is apt to weaken the joints.”

The Master and Director drew good salaries from the numerous pupils at this institution.  Everything useful to young boys was taught here save only religion.  Seeing that all the scholars were drawn from families distinguished for their piety and adherence to the Pope, the Director considered a religious training to be superfluous—­his pupils learnt these things on their mothers’ knees.  Giustino soon acquired the jargon; he passed his examination in fifteen articles, in secrecy, swiftness of foot and nimbleness of hand.  The latter was taught on a clothed wooden figure out of whose pockets the students were obliged to extract handkerchiefs, gold watches and jewelry with such dexterity that not one of the little bells, which dangled from its hat, gave forth the slightest sound; that stage passed, the art was practised on the person of the Director himself who, walking through the streets as an ordinary citizen, was supposed to have his pockets picked in the approved professional manner.  Those who failed to come up to the standard were thrashed savagely three or four times; if they still failed, they were sent back to their parents with a polite recommendation that they should be taught some other trade.  Giustino was seldom punished.  On the contrary, the Director was so enamoured of his progress and blue eyes that he entered him as a fox long before the regular three years’ course was up, and offered to tattoo the symbol of proficiency, a cross, on the back of his right hand.