or even a quarter
of an hour if necessary for the--the--"

"Passenger," I supplemented. "Very amiable of him, but he will not need
to delay his departure for a single instant beyond the appointed hour.
Is he satisfied with the passage money?"

"Satisfied!" and Andrea swore a good-natured oath and laughed aloud.
"By San Pietro! if he were not, he would deserve to drown like a dog on
the voyage! Though truly, it is always difficult to please him, he
being old and cross and crusty. Yes; he is one of those men who have
seen so much of life that they are tired of it. Believe it! even the
stormiest sea is a tame fish-pond to old Bardi. But he is satisfied
this time, eccellenza, and his tongue and eyes are so tied up that I
should not wonder if your friend found him to be both dumb and blind
when he steps on board."

"That is well," I said, smiling. "I owe you many thanks, Andrea. And
yet there is one more favor I would ask of you."

He saluted me with a light yet graceful gesture.

"Eccellenza, anything I can do--command me."

"It is a mere trifle," I returned. "It is merely to take a small valise
belonging to my friend, and to place it on board the 'Rondmella' under
the care of the captain. Will you do this?"

"Most willingly. I will take it now if it so please you."

"That is what I desire. Wait here and I will bring it to you."

And leaving him for a minute or two, I went into my bedroom and took
from a cupboard I always kept locked a common rough leather bag, which
I had secretly packed myself, unknown to Vincenzo, with such things as
I judged to be useful and necessary. Chief among them was a bulky roll
of bank-notes. These amounted to nearly the whole of the remainder of
the money I had placed in the bank at Palermo. I had withdrawn it by
gradual degrees, leaving behind only a couple of thousand francs, for
which I had no special need. I locked and strapped the valise; there
was no name on it and it was scarcely any weight to carry. I took it to
Andrea, who swung it easily in his right hand and said, smilingly:

"Your friend is not wealthy, eccellenza, if this is all his luggage!"

"You are right," I answered, with a slight sigh; "he is truly very
poor--beggared of everything that should be his through the treachery
of those whom he has benefited." I paused; Andrea was listening
sympathetically. "That is why I have paid his passage-money, and have
done my best to aid him."

"Ah! you have the good heart, ec