Chapter 1 — Two Gentlemen of Verona

It is about Nicola and Jacopo, two young brothers in post-war Verona who do every kind of odd job — selling strawberries, shining shoes, guiding tourists, hawking newspapers — to secretly pay the hospital fees for their elder sister Lucia, who is ill with tuberculosis of the spine.

The two gentlemen are Nicola, aged 13, and Jacopo, nearly 12, Italian brothers who live and work in Verona. Despite their ragged appearance and young age, their selfless devotion to their sister and their dignity in hardship make them true gentlemen.

The story was written by A.J. Cronin (1896–1974), a Scottish doctor turned novelist. He is also known for novels such as The Citadel, The Key of the Kingdom, and The Spanish Gardener.

The central theme is selfless sacrifice and devotion. Nicola and Jacopo work ceaselessly and deny themselves comfort so that their sister can receive medical treatment — never asking for sympathy or revealing their secret, which makes their sacrifice all the more noble.

Nicola and Jacopo are private and proud; they do not want to invite sympathy or ask for favours. When the narrator questions Nicola about their earnings, he becomes embarrassed and evasive, speaking only of vague 'plans'. They prefer that their sacrifice remain their own affair.

Their father, a widower and well-known singer, was killed early in the war. Shortly after, a bomb destroyed their home and left the three children homeless. They survived near starvation and exposure to cold before joining the resistance movement against German occupation.

Lucia is the elder sister of Nicola and Jacopo. She had been training as a singer before the war. After returning from the conflict the brothers found her suffering from tuberculosis of the spine. They brought her to a hospital in Poleta, a village 30 kilometres from Verona, and have been paying her fees ever since.

The boys ask the narrator to drive them to Poleta on a Sunday but say nothing about why. Curious, the narrator follows them and finds the villa has become a hospital. The nurse there explains the full history — the boys' loss, Lucia's illness, and their weekly payments — while the narrator watches the brothers at Lucia's bedside through a glass partition.

The narrator felt he could not bear to intrude upon the happy family reunion. He also wanted the boys to feel that their secret was safe with them; he chose not to confront them about what he had learnt and remained silent on the drive back to the city.

It means that although Nicola and Jacopo are young boys — 13 and 12 years old — their expressions and behaviour show a gravity and maturity usually found only in adults. The weight of their responsibility for Lucia has given them an earnestness that sets them apart.

Luigi disapproved of the boys because of their shabby, unkempt appearance — worn jersey, cut-off khaki pants, and an oversized army tunic. He shrugged his shoulders to convey his disapproval and implied the narrator would find better fruit in Verona proper.

The narrator concludes that the boys' selfless action 'brought a new nobility to human life, gave promise of a greater hope for human society.' Their story shows that even after the devastation of war, human beings are capable of profound love, duty, and quiet heroism.

Yes. The NCERT Literature Reader for Class 10 English Communicative is free to download — no sign-up or payment is required. You can access it directly from the NCERT website or read chapter-wise on cbseprepmaster.com.