y; "leastways, he was with her when I left
him, at a place called Olmeta, or something of the sort. But by this
time he've a-gone north again."

"And why goes he north?"

"Because that's where the Genoese have shut up the lady."

"Meaning the Queen Emilia?"

Billy nodded.

"And you have travelled the length of Corsica alone to tell me this
and take me back with you?"

"No, I didn't. Leastways--" Billy opened his bag of provender,
selected a crust, and began to munch it very deliberately.
"There's a saying," he went on between mouthfuls, "about somebody or
other axin' more questions in one breath than a wise man can answer
in a week; and likewise, there's another saying that even a bagpipe
won't speak till his belly be full. Well, now, as for coming alone,
in the first place and in round numbers I didn't; and as for coming
to tell you this, partly it was and partly it wasn't; and as for your
going back with me, that's for you to choose."

"Well, then," said I, humouring him, "we will take you point by
point, in order. To begin with, you did not come alone--_ergo_, you
had company. What company?"

"Very poor company, lad, and by name Stephanu. That hatchet-faced
Prince Camillo chose him out for a guide to me--" Billy paused, with
his mouth open for a bite. "Why, whatever is the matter?" he asked;
for I had turned to translate this to Marc'antonio, and Marc'antonio
had started up with a growl and an oath.

"Did Stephanu come willingly?" I asked.

"As I was tellin', the Prince chose him for guide to me, and he
couldn't have chosen a worse one. If you'll believe me, there wasn't
an ounce of comfort in the man from the start; and this morning,
having put me in the road so that I couldn't miss it, he turned back
and left me--in a sweatin' hurry, too."

I glanced at Marc'antonio, who had risen and was striding to and fro
upon the ridge with his fists clenched. There was mischief here for
a certainty, and Stephanu's behaviour confirmed it. For a moment,
however, I forbore to translate further, and resumed my catechising
of Billy.

"In the second place you came with my release, and to bring me news,
and--with what purpose beside?"

"Why, with a message for the ship, to be sure."

"The ship?" I stared at him. "What ship?"

"Why, the _Gauntlet_ ketch! You don't tell me," said Billy, with a
glance westward, where, however, the hills intervened and hid the
coast from us--"you don't tell me you have