directions," said San Miniato.
"I do not know anything about the sea, but I dislike people who make
difficulties and talk to me of bad weather when I mean to go anywhere.
Do you understand?"

"We will try to content your excellency," answered Ruggiero quietly.

"Good. We shall see."

So Ruggiero went away to find the Son of the Fool, and the Cripple, and
to engage them for the summer, and to deliver to his brother the message
from the Marchesa di Mola. The reason why Ruggiero did not take
Sebastiano as one of his own crew was a simple one. There lived and
still lives at Sorrento, a certain old man known as the Greek. The Greek
is old and infirm and has a vicious predilection for wine and cards, so
that he is quite unfit for the sea. But he owns a couple of smart
sailing boats and gets a living by letting them to strangers. It is
necessary, however, to have at least one perfectly reliable man in
charge of each, and so soon as the Children of the King had returned
from their last long voyage the Greek had engaged them both for this
purpose, as being in every way superior to the common run of boatmen who
hung about the place waiting for jobs. It was consequently impossible
that the two brothers could be in the same boat's crew during the
summer.

Ruggiero found the Cripple asleep in the shade, having been out all
night fishing, and the Son of the Fool was seated not far from him,
plaiting sinnet for gaskets. The two were inseparable, so far as their
varied life permitted them to be together, and were generally to be
found in the same crew. Average able seamen both, much of the same
height and build, broad, heavy fellows good at the oar, peaceable and
uncomplaining.

While Ruggiero was talking with the one who was awake, his own brother
appeared, and Ruggiero gave him the message, whereupon Sebastiano went
off to array himself in his best before presenting himself to the
Marchesa di Mola. The Son of the Fool gathered up his work.

"Mola?" he repeated in a tone of inquiry.

Ruggiero nodded carelessly.

"A Sicilian lady who has a cutter?"

"Yes."

"Her daughter is going to marry a certain Conte di San Miniato--a great
signore--of those without soldi."

The sailor coiled the plaited sinnet neatly over his bare arm, but
looked up as Ruggiero uttered an exclamation.

"What is the matter with you?" he asked.

Ruggiero's face was quite red and his broad chest heaved as he bit his
lip and thrust his hands into his