The boy who wrote the best composition on“The Love of Country”T was Derossi,as usual.And Votini thought himself sure of the first medal！I like Votini well enough,although he is rather vain and does dress up a trifle too much,but it makes me scorn him,now that I am his neighbor on the bench,to see how envious he is of Derossi.He would like to rival him；he studies hard,but he cannot do it by any possibility,for Derossi is ten times as strong as he is on every point；and Votini rails at him.

Carlo Nobis envies him too；but he has so much pride in his body that,purely from pride,he keeps it hidden.Votini,on the other hand,betrays himself：he complains at home of his difficulties,and says that the master is unjust to him.When Derossi replies so promptly and so well to questions,as he always does,Votini's face clouds over,he hangs his head,pretends not to hear,or tries to laugh,but he laughs awkwardly.

And every one knows about it,so that when the master praises Derossi they all turn to look at Votini,who chews his venom,and“Muratorino”makes a hare's face at him.Today for instance,he was put on the rack.The principal entered the room and announced the result of the examination，“Derossi ten-tenths and the first medal.”

Votini gave a huge sneeze.The master looked at him：it was not hard to understand the matter.“Votini，”he said，“do not let the serpent of envy enter your body；it is a serpent which gnaws at the brain and corrupts the heart.”

Every one stared at him except Derossi.Votini tried to make some answer,but could not；he sat there as though turned to stone,and with a white face.Then,while the master was conducting the lesson,he began to write in large characters on a sheet of paper，“I am not envious of those who gain the first medal through favoritism and injustice.”It was a note which he meant to send to Derossi.But,in the meantime,I saw that Derossi's neighbors were plotting among themselves,and whispering in each other's ears,and one cut with a penknife from paper a big medal on which they had drawn a black serpent.Votini also noticed this.The master went out for a few moments.All at once Derossi's friends rose and left their seats,for the purpose of coming and solemnly presenting the paper medal to Votini.The whole class was prepared for a scene.Votini had already begun to quiver all over.Derossi exclaimed：“Give that to me！”

“So much the better，”they replied，“you are the one who ought to carry it.”Derossi took the medal and tore it into bits.At that moment the master returned,and resumed the lesson.I kept my eye on Votini.He had turned as red as a coal.He took his sheet of paper very,very quietly,as though in absence of mind,rolled it into a ball,on the sly,put it into his mouth,chewed it a little,and then spit it out under the bench.When school broke up,Votini,who was a little confused,dropped his blotting-paper,as he passed Derossi.Derossi politely picked it up,put it in his satchel,and helped him to buckle the straps.Votini dared not raise his eyes.