he, Bastianello, had been betrayed into declaring his love, and had
found, to his amazement, that he was loved in return.

Ruggiero was sitting alone on one of the stone pillars on the little
pier, gazing at the sea, or rather, at a vessel far away towards Ischia,
running down the bay with every stitch of canvas set from her jibs to
her royals. He looked round as Bastianello came up to him.

"Ruggiero," said the latter in a quiet tone. "If you want to kill me,
you may, for I have betrayed you."

Ruggiero stared at him, to see whether he were in earnest or joking.

"Betrayed me? I do not understand what you say. How could you betray
me?"

"As you shall know. Now listen. We were talking about Teresina to-day,
you and I. Then I said to myself, 'I love Teresina and Ruggiero loves
her, but Ruggiero is first. I will go to Teresina and ask her if she
will marry him, and if she will, it is well. But if she will not, I will
ask Ruggiero if I may court her for myself.' And so I did. And she will
tell you the truth, and I spoke well for you. But she said she never
loved you. And then, I do not know how it was, but we found out that we
loved each other and we said so. And that is the truth. So you had
better get a pig of iron from the ballast and knock me on the head, for
I have betrayed my brother and I do not want to live any more, and I
shall say nothing."

Then Ruggiero who had not laughed much for some time, felt that his
mouth was twitching raider his yellow beard, and presently his great
shoulders began to move, and his chest heaved, and his handsome head
went back, and at last it came out, a mighty peal of Homeric laughter
that echoed and rolled down the pier and rang clear and full, up to the
Marchesa's terrace. And it chanced that Beatrice was there, and she
looked down and saw that it was Ruggiero. Then she sighed and drew back.

But Bastianello did not understand, and when the laugh subsided at last,
he said so.

"I laughed--yes. I could not help it. But you are a good brother, and
very honest, and when you want to marry Teresina, you may have my
savings, and I do not care to be paid back."

"But I do not understand," repeated Bastianello, in the greatest
bewilderment. "You loved her so--"

"Teresina? No. I never loved Teresina, but I never knew you did, or I
would not have let you believe it. It is much more I who have cheated
you, Bastianello, and when you and Teresina are married I will give you
half my