ere to be attempted. I
had seen some of these plays in Catania, and it may make matters clearer
to give a short account of one; it was not until Peppino told me about
them that I understood that the words were improvised.

In the first act Pietro Longo discovers that his sister has been
betrayed, shoots her seducer and is taken by the police.

The second act passes in prison. Two convicts are talking and a third, a
stupid fellow, old, dirty, only half clothed, is sitting apart, stitching
together a few more rags. Singing is heard without. Every one in the
theatre who had passed under prison walls by night had heard such music
and had seen the singers crouching in the shadows; we all knew it was a
signal. The two convicts go to the window and reply. A stone is thrown
in, wrapped up in a letter, which tells them that Pietro Longo has killed
one of their gang and will be taken to their prison; it is for them to
avenge the murder. They confer and agree that the stupid fellow shall be
their instrument. They call him from his occupation and instruct him.
They tell him that a prisoner will be brought in, he is to ask his name,
if he replies "Pietro Longo," he is to stab him with the knife which they
give him. He is so stupid that they have to act it for him, and to make
him imitate them till they think he can be trusted. They hide. A
prisoner is brought in and talks to the stupid fellow. The stupid fellow
has been in prison for years and has talked to hundreds of prisoners. In
the course of conversation, without any particular intention, for he has
forgotten all about his lesson, he asks the prisoner his name.

"Pietro Longo."

The stupid fellow remembers that this is his cue for doing something, but
cannot remember what. His arm accidentally hits the knife which is stuck
in his belt; of course, this is the prisoner he is to kill; he takes out
his knife, opens it with his teeth and attacks Pietro who, though
unarmed, is able to defend himself. This puts the stupid fellow out, he
was told nothing about the prisoner defending himself. The two convicts,
who have been watching, get impatient, come from their hiding and
encourage him. This makes matters worse, he was told nothing about this
either. He is irritated, he grows wilder and, in a fury, suddenly turns
from Pietro and murders the two convicts instead.

The two acts were of about equal length; the first existed merely to
introduce the second, and the s