The mayor withdrew, the band struck up, and everything seemed to be at an end, when the detachment of firemen opened, and a lad of eight or nine years, pushed forwards by a woman who instantly concealed herself, rushed towards the boy with the decoration, and flung himself in his arms.

市长说了退去。乐队又奏起乐来。我们以为仪式就此完毕了。这时，从消防队中走出一个八九岁的男孩子来，跑近那受勋章的少年，投入他张开的双臂。

Another outburst of hurrahs and applause made the courtyard echo; every one had instantly understood that this was the boy who had been saved from the Po, and who had come to thank his rescuer. After kissing him, he clung to one arm, in order to accompany him out. These two, with the father and mother following behind, took their way towards the door, making a path with difficulty among the people who formed in line to let them pass,--policemen, boys, soldiers, women, all mingled together in confusion. All pressed forwards and raised on tiptoe to see the boy. Those who stood near him as he passed, touched his hand. When he passed before the schoolboys, they all waved their caps in the air. Those from Borgo Po made a great uproar, pulling him by the arms and by his jacket and shouting. "_Pin! hurrah for Pin! bravo, Pinot!_" I saw him pass very close to me. His face was all aflame and happy; his medal had a red, white, and green ribbon. His mother was crying and smiling; his father was twirling his mustache with one hand, which trembled violently, as though he had a fever. And from the windows and the balconies the people continued to lean out and applaud. All at once, when they were on the point of entering the portico, there descended from the balcony of the _Daughters of military men_ a veritable shower of pansies, of bunches of violets and daisies, which fell upon the head of the boy, and of his father and mother, and scattered over the ground. Many people stooped to pick them up and hand them to the mother. And the band at the further end of the courtyard played, very, very softly, a most entrancing air, which seemed like a song by a great many silver voices fading slowly into the distance on the banks of a river.

拍手声又起来了。那是在濮河被救起的小孩，这次来是为表示感谢再生之恩的。被救的小孩与恩人接了吻。两个少年携了手，父母跟在他们后面，勉强从人群中挤向大门。警察、小孩、军人、妇女都面向一方，脏起了脚想看看这少年。靠近他的人有的去抚他的手。他们在学生的队伍旁通过时，学生都把帽子高高地举在空中摇动。和少年同乡里的孩子们都纷纷地前去握住少年的臂，或是拉住他的上衣，狂叫“平！乎！万岁！平君万岁！”少年通过我的身旁。我见他脸上带着红晕，似乎很欢悦。勋章上附有红白绿三色的丝带。那做父亲的用颤颤的手在抹胡须，在窗口及廊下的人们见了都向他们喝彩。他们通过大门时，女会员从廊下抛下望花或野菊花束采，落在少年和他父母头上。有的在地上，旁边的人都俯下去拾了交付他母亲。这时，庭内的乐队静静地奏出幽婉的乐曲，那音调好像是一大群人的歌声在远远地消失。