"Grazie, signore!"

He said it through his teeth. Maurice turned to Gaspare. He felt the

boy's stern disapproval of what he had done, and wanted, if possible, to

make amends.

"Gaspare," he said, "here is a hundred lire for you. I want you to go to

the auction and to bid for anything you think worth having. Buy

something for your mother and father, for the house, some nice things!"

"Grazie, signore."

He took the note, but without alacrity, and his face was still lowering.

"And you, signore?" he asked.

"I?"

"Yes. Are you not coming with me to the auction? It will be better for

you to be there to choose the things."

For an instant Maurice felt irritated. Was he never to be allowed a

moment alone with Maddalena?

"Oh, but I'm no good at----" he began.

Then he stopped. To-day he must be birbante--on his guard. Once the

auction was in full swing--so he thought--Salvatore and Gaspare would be

as they were when they gambled beside the sea. They would forget

everything. It would be easy to escape. But till that moment came he must

be cautious.

"Of course I'll come," he exclaimed, heartily. "But you must do the

bidding, Gaspare."

The boy looked less sullen.

"Va bene, signorino. I shall know best what the things are worth. And

Salvatore"--he glanced viciously at the fisherman--"can go to the

donkeys. I have seen them. They are poor donkeys this year."

Salvatore returned his vicious glance and said something in dialect which

Maurice did not understand. Gaspare's face flushed, and he was about to

burst into an angry reply when Maurice touched his arm.

"Come along, Gaspare!"

As they got up, he whispered: "Remember what I said about to-day!"

"Macchè----"

Maurice closed his fingers tightly on Gaspare's arm.

"Gaspare, you must remember! Afterwards what you like, but not to-day.

Andiamo!"

They all got up. The Musica della città was now playing a violent jig,

undoubtedly composed by Bellini, who was considered almost as a child of

San Felice, having been born close by at Catania.

"Where are the women in the wonderful blue dresses?" Maurice asked, as

they stepped into the road; "and the ear-rings? I haven't seen them yet."

"They will come towards evening, signorino," replied Gaspare, "when it

gets cool. They do not care to be in the sun dressed like that. It might

spoil their things."




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