He continued in his usual manner, "Did you read the ten commandments for
the people who shall be married? If to find, shall be showing you. It
says, 'Non quarelate la prima volta.' Did you understand? 'Don't begin
to quarrel,' because you will never stop. After the quarrel you make the
peace, but it is too late: the man shall forget, perhaps, but the woman
shall forget never, never, never, and you have lost.

"I was telling to my friend," he continued, "'Please do not be married,
because when you would be married you would not love any more that lady.'
And he was telling to me that he would marry, because it would be a good
thing for him, good wife, good food, good care and many things like this.
And I was telling to him, 'I would be seeing if you shall be repeating
these words when you shall be married one year.' The year was passed but
my friend he don't be saying nothing to me. Excuse me, I am not so bad
man to ask him. I found him many times in the street, but he would not
meet me, would not speak. Oh, no! And he is not laughing any more. Not
one friend; fifteen friends, all married. Never they are telling they
are happy."

Having disposed of the question of marriage he told me that Carmelo had
been to see me and would call again. He had already been several times,
and I was puzzled to know what he wanted. He could hardly be wanting to
propose an excursion, for I had already made him get leave and take me
for several. But as, sooner or later, an opportunity must occur for
clearing up the mystery, I left it alone for the present and asked
Peppino, who always knew everything that was going on in the
neighbourhood, what ship it was I had seen coming into the bay and making
for the port.

He said she was the _Sorella di Ninu_, returning from Naples, where she
had been with a cargo of wine. He knew because she belonged to his
cousin Vanni, who was a wine merchant and, if I would give up a morning's
sketching, he would give up a morning's work, take me down to the port,
introduce me to his cousin and show me over the ship.

Accordingly next morning Carmelo got leave from his padrone and drove us
down the zig-zags among the flowers while Peppino told me about his
cousin. His father had two brothers, one was the father of Vanni and
used to keep a small wine shop down in the port and Vanni, who had a
voice, studied singing and went on the opera stage. The other brother
emigrated to America and never marr