Крестный отец

           "You’resurehe’llsayyes,thelandlord?"sheasked.

           "SignorRoberto?"Vitosaidinasurprisedvoice."Ofcoursehewill.He’sagood-heartedfellow.OnceIexplainhowthingsarewithyouhe’lltakepityonyourmisfortunes.Nowdon’tletittroubleyouanymore.Don’tgetsoupset.Guardyourhealth,forthesakeofyourchildren."

           ***

           Thelandlord,Mr.Roberto,cametotheneighborhoodeverydaytocheckontherowoffivetenementsthatheowned.Hewasapadrone,amanwhosoldItalianlaborersjustofftheboattothebigcorporations.Withhisprofitshehadboughtthetenementsonebyone.AneducatedmanfromtheNorthofItaly,hefeltonlycontemptfortheseilliterateSouthernersfromSicilyandNaples,whoswarmedlikeverminthroughhisbuildings,whothrewgarbagedowntheairshafts,wholetcockroachesandratseatawayhiswallswithoutliftingahandtopreservehisproperty.Hewasnotabadman,hewasagoodhusbandandfather,butconstantworryabouthisinvestments,aboutthemoneyheearned,abouttheinevitableexpensesthatcamewithbeingamanofpropertyhadwornhisnervestoafrazzlesothathewasinaconstantstateofirritation.WhenVitoCorleonestoppedhimonthestreettoaskforaword,Mr.Robertowasbrusque.Notrude,sinceanyoneoftheseSouthernersmightstickaknifeintoyouifrubbedthewrongway,thoughthisyoungmanlookedlikeaquietfellow.