o
sought his own gondola, which he extricated from the floating mass, and
urged into the stream. A few sweeps of the oar, and he lay at the side
of La Bella Sorrentina. The padrone paced the deck, enjoying the cool of
the evening with Italian indolence, while his people, grouped on the
forecastle, sang, or rather chanted, a song of those seas. The greetings
were blunt and brief, as is usual among men of that class. But the
padrone appeared to expect the visit, for he led his guest far from the
ears of his crew, to the other extremity of the felucca.

"Hast thou aught in particular, good Roderigo?" demanded the mariner,
who knew the Bravo by a sign, and yet who only knew him by that
fictitious name. "Thou seest we have not passed the time idly, though
yesterday was a festa."

"Art thou ready for the gulf?"

"For the Levant, or the pillars of Hercules, as shall please the Senate.
We have got our yard aloft since the sun went behind the mountains, and
though we may seem careless of delay, an hour's notice will fit us for
the outside of the Lido."

"Then take the notice."

"Master Roderigo, you bring your news to an overstocked market. I have
already been informed that we shall be wanted to-night."

The quick movement of suspicion made by the Bravo escaped the
observation of the padrone, whose eye was running over the felucca's
gear, with a sailor's habitual attention to that part of his vessel,
when there was question of its service.

"Thou art right, Stefano. But there is little harm in repeated caution.
Preparation is the first duty in a delicate commission."'

"Will you look for yourself, Signor Roderigo?" said the mariner, in a
lower tone. "La Bella Sorrentina is not the Bucentaur, nor a galley of
the Grand Master of Malta; but, for her size, better rooms are not to be
had in the palace of the Doge. When they told me there was a lady in the
freight, the honor of Calabria was stirred in her behalf."

"'Tis well. If they have named to thee all the particulars, thou wilt
not fail to do thyself credit."

"I do not say that they have shown me half of them, good Signore,"
interrupted Stefano. "The secresy of your Venetian shipments is my
greatest objection to the trade. It has more than once happened to me,
that I have lain weeks in the canals, with my hold as clean as a
friar's conscience, when orders have come to weigh, with some such cargo
as a messenger, who has got into his berth as we cleared the port, to