Page 300 - The Grotesque Children's Book

He was utterly surprised, therefore, when he stumbled into Tavola, not expecting him to
be squatting, motionless. Tavola's birch connected easily; not the triple for which he had been
hoping, but a strong, sold double on the buttocks.

“Eight, seven. Advantage Tozzo!” shouted the middleman.
Tavola had been anticipating contact with Tozzo, so he attempted to scramble to his feet
and continue round the circle. But Tozzo had, in fact, fallen onto Tavola, and the two men were
on the ground in a heap, with Tavola pinned underneath, unable to move.
Tozzo grinned. He raised his birch high above him, and brought it down with the gentlest
of taps on the top of Tavola's head. Thwip.
“Point! Nine to seven. Game to Tozzo!”
He had won.
More to the point, Carola had won. The middleman handed her the two hundred seven
soldi, plus her own eight.
It was nearly a month’s wages.
She tore off Tozzo's blindfold and kissed him. The crowd, meanwhile, was in an utter
frenzy. They were astonished, and loud, pouncing on poor Tavola on the ground, and blaming
him for their losses.
“I did it!” said Tozzo.
“Yes, you did, my Tozzo-ozzo. Now go home before the crowd tears you to pieces!”
Carola went over to Santi and Aurelio's table. But they were gone. She hadn't seen them
leave. They had left the tavern, weeping, before that final round.

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