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"If I did begin with the gold," he said at last, "and if she would not have me when I spoke afterwards, she would give the gold back." "Of course she would. What do you take her for?" Bastianello asked the question almost angrily, for he loved Teresina and he resented the slightest imputation upon her fair dealing.
He followed Beatrice till they reached the door of the house. Then she turned and smiled at him, and turned again and went in. Bastianello of course carried the bag upstairs for Teresina, and Ruggiero stayed below.
A number of small boys were bathing in the bright sunshine, diving off the stones of the breakwater and running along the short pier, brown urchins with lithe thin limbs, matted black hair and beady eyes. Suddenly Bastianello was aware of a small dark face and two little hands holding upon the gunwale of his boat. He knew the boy very well, for he was the son of the Son of the Fool.
That is what I cannot tell any one, not even you." "Then I will not ask. But I think I know, now." Going over the events of the past weeks in his mind, it had suddenly flashed upon Bastianello that his brother loved Beatrice. Then everything explained itself in an instant. Ruggiero was such a gentleman in Bastianello's eyes, of course it was like him to break his heart for a real lady.
"Do you know what Teresina has been telling me, Ruggiero?" asked Beatrice, stopping entirely and turning towards him as they stood in the narrow way between Ruggiero's boat and the one lying next to her. "Of Bastianello, Signorina?" "Yes. That she wants to marry him. She told me while I was dressing. You know?"
"I will come when it is dark, for then the others will have eaten and I will leave two to look out." Bastianello went ashore on the pier and his brother pulled the skiff out till he was alongside of the sailboat, to which he made her fast. He busied himself with trifles until it grew dark and there was no one on the pier.
But when the year was over, Bastianello married Teresina, and took her to the home he had made for her by the sea a home in which she should be happy, and in which at least there can never be want, for Beatrice has settled money on them both, and they are safe from sordid poverty, at all events.
"Better shift them a little more forward," said Bastianello. "There will be three passengers, you said." "We do not know," answered Ruggiero. "If there are three I can shift them quickly when every one is aboard." So Bastianello said nothing more about it, and they got the kettle and the torches and stowed them away in the bows. "You had better go home and cook supper," said Ruggiero.
Bastianello sat down again and continued to smoke his pipe. There was a happy look in his bright blue eyes which had not been there before. Bastianello sat still in his boat, but he no longer looked to seaward, facing the breeze. He kept an eye on the pier, looking out for his brother, who had not appeared since the midday meal.
The wiry old peasant struggled desperately, and at last threw himself free of them and staggered to his feet. "Quick, Bastianello!" shouted Ruggiero. In the twinkling of an eye they were over the fence and running at full speed for the valley.
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