my fidelity," said the beggar, hobbling off up the
street on his crutches, at a far more rapid rate than he was generally
wont to move.

No sooner, however, had he got out of sight of the Greek, than he
slackened his pace.

"Now, I wonder what I should get by denouncing him to the authorities,"
he muttered to himself. "They are stingy in rewarding informers though,
and he, probably, will pay better; besides, as he says, he may get me
hung by a word; and if I get him into trouble, some of his friends are
certain to avenge him. After all, too, he would probably make his story
good, and I should not be believed. You can never catch those Greeks
asleep; their wit is so keen, and they twist, and turn, and double in
such a manner, that if they get into a scrape, they are certain of
working their way out of it. No, it won't do. I must keep to my word,
and be honest with him. Curse him! Here am I a beggar on crutches, and
a far greater rogue lords it over me as if he were a prince."

So the beggar hobbled on towards the house of the Jew to fulfil his
mission. I am afraid that there are too many people in the world like
Giacomo, the Maltese beggar, who are honest as long only as it suits
their purpose.

CHAPTER THREE.

The Greek, little dreaming of the danger to which he was exposed, or, at
all events, little fearing it, turned on his heel, and retraced his
steps for some part of the distance he had come. His air was more
buoyant and independent than before.

"So much for business," he muttered. "And now for amusement. We'll try
what this brave city can afford. Let me see, I passed a _tratoria_ or a
_caffe_ but just now; I'll look in there, and learn what is going
forward!"

He soon reached the place he spoke of; and throwing open the
folding-doors at the entrance, entered with his usual careless air, and
took his seat at a marble table, which chanced to be unoccupied. There
was a billiard-table in the room beyond, and upstairs were more secret
apartments, where games of chance were, at times, played.

The place was full of persons of all descriptions. English and Maltese,
and others of various nations. Those belonging to the army and navy,
were either of inferior rank, or were harum-scarum fellows, who cared
not at all with whom they associated. There were, also, masters and
mates of merchantmen, Frenchmen and Italians; and there was a
representative, indeed, to be found of almost all the people d