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When Federico passed out at the table, a dreamy smile plastered to his face, Priuesthouse, and Priain on the stone floor by the hearth He sent her back to the guesthouse where she tried to rouse Federico, but he continued to sleep the sleep of the dead She lay on the floor beside the bed with the blood sticky between her thighs and eventually fell asleep

In the , they were awakened by a racket in the courtyard and the sound of Priuesthouse where Pri behind their backs Tessa's and Federico's horses and their wagon were gathered on the courtyard stones Prilared at them

"A great friend frohter is no virgin She is a puttana and no suitable bride for a ht, little man"

In thatthe sleep from his eyes He seemed bewildered

Then he saw the blood that had soaked his daughter's fi ne white dress while they slept Tessa never sa he got to the whip, if it came from his own horse or froht one of Primo Alieveri's men in the eyes and spooked the horses As the second e rasp and kicked the ers and the beast ran out of the courtyard Tessa would have given chase, but she was too entranced by her father, her sweet, gentle, slightly pazzo father as he whipped Priround, whipped him until strips of his flesh lay in the courtyard With one of the guards (and his shotgun), Federico got her dowry back The chest sat in plain view in the master bedroom, and from there, he and Tessa tracked down her e before dusk

Two days later, after using half the dowry for bribes, they boarded a ship in Cefalu and came to America

Danny heard this story in halting English, not because Tessa could not grasp the language yet, but because she tried to be precise

Danny chuckled "So that day I carried you? That day I was losingto speak my broken Italian, you could understand me?"

Tessa gave him arched eyebrows and a faint s that day except pain You would expect e of yours Four words you use when one would do Every tilish that day?" She waved a hand at him "Stupid boy"

Danny said, "Boy? I got a few years on you, sweetheart"

"Yes, yes" She lit another of her harsh cigarettes "But you a boy You a country of boys And girls None of you grow up yet You have too much fun, I think"

"Fun hat?"

"This" She waved her hand at the sky "This silly big country You Americans--there is no history There is only no, noant this noant that now"

Danny felt a sudden rise of irritation "And yet everyone seeet here"

"Ah, yes Streets paved with gold The great America where every man can make his fortune But what of those who don't? What of the workers, Officer Danny? Yes? They work and work and work and if they get sick from the work, the company says, 'Bah Go home and no co You Americans talk of your freedom, but I see slaves who think they are free I see cos and--" Danny waved it away "And yet you're here"