Крестный отец

           "SignorRoberto,"saidVitoCorleone,"thefriendofmywife,apoorwidowwithnomantoprotecther,tellsmethatforsomereasonshehasbeenorderedtomovefromherapartmentinyourbuilding.Sheisindespair.Shehasnomoney,shehasnofriendsexceptthosethatlivehere.ItoldherthatIwouldspeaktoyou,thatyouareareasonablemanwhoactedoutofsomemisunderstanding.Shehasgottenridoftheanimalthatcausedallthetroubleandsowhyshouldn’tshestay?AsoneItaliantoanother,Iaskyouthefavor."

           SignorRobertostudiedtheyoungmaninfrontofhim.Hesawamanofmediumstaturebutstronglybuilt,apeasantbutnotabandit,thoughhesolaughablydaredtocallhimselfanItalian.Robertoshrugged."Ihavealreadyrentedtheapartmenttoanotherfamilyforhigherrent,"hesaid."Icannotdisappointthemforthesakeofyourfriend."

           VitoCorleonenoddedinagreeableunderstanding."Howmuchmoreamonth?"heasked.

           "Fivedollars,"Mr.Robertosaid.Thiswasalie.Therailwayflat,fourdarkrooms,rentedfortwelvedollarsamonthtothewidowandhehadnotbeenabletogetmorethanthatfromthenewtenant.

           ***

           VitoCorleonetookarollofbillsoutofhispocketandpeeledoffthreetens."Hereisthesixmonths’increaseinadvance.Youneedn’tspeaktoheraboutit,she’saproudwoman.Seemeagaininanothersixmonths.Butofcourseyou’llletherkeepherdog."

           "Likehell,"Mr.Robertosaid."Andwhothehellareyoutogivemeorders.