(The narrator had forgotten how this was done).
They were very rich. When he had cured the young girl, this poor
father said to him:
"Sir, it is you who are now the master of this house. Give your orders,
and whatever you wish shall be done."
Our young gentleman thanks him very much, and tells him that he is
going to Rome, but that he cannot say what he will do later after
that. This young lady had a beautiful ring on her finger. The father
cut this ring in two, and gave him one-half. They depart, and at length
they arrive close to Rome, and as they come near all the bells begin
to ring of themselves. Everyone comes out:
"Where is he? What is this? It is the Holy Father [134] who must
be coming!"
They take our young gentleman and make him the Holy Father.
The mother of this man was growing sadder and sadder, she was slowly
languishing away, and they could no longer recognise her. She had
never told her husband what she had done, but she asked him to go to
Rome; and she ended by telling him what a terrible thing she had done,
and that she believes that she will get pardon there, if he would go
with her with the two servants who had also sinned. They arrive at
Rome. This poor mother had such great grief, and such a weight at her
heart that she wished to make her confession aloud in the middle of
the church at Rome. [135] Chance willed it that her son was in this
church. When he hears that he goes opening his arms to the arms of
his mother, saying to her:
"I forgive you, I am your son."
The joy and the happiness kill the father and mother on the spot. He
takes the two servants home with him, and gives to him who did not
wish to kill him the half of the young lady's ring, and he married
her, and lived happily in the midst of riches. He told the servant who
wished to kill him to go to the mountain and to be a charcoal-burner,
and he is still there making charcoal; and this charcoal which you
see here was brought from his house.