It was nearly two o'clock in the morning when Maurice and Gaspare said
good-bye to Maddalena and her father on the road by Isola Bella.
Salvatore had left the three donkeys at Cattaro, and had come the rest of
the way on foot, while Maddalena rode Gaspare's beast.

"The donkey you bought is for Maddalena," Maurice had said to him.

And the fisherman had burst into effusive thanks. But already he had his
eye on a possible customer in Cattaro. As soon as the Inglese had gone
back to his own country the donkey would be resold at a good price. What
did a fisherman want with donkeys, and how was an animal to be stabled on
the Sirens' Isle? As soon as the Inglese was gone, Salvatore meant to put
a fine sum of money into his pocket.

"Addio, signorino!" he said, sweeping off his hat with the wild,
half-impudent gesture that was peculiar to him. "I kiss your hand and I
kiss the hand of your signora."

He bent down his head as if he were going to translate the formal phrase
into an action, but Maurice drew back.

"Addio, Salvatore," he said.

His voice was low.

"Addio, Maddalena!" he added.

She murmured something in reply. Salvatore looked keenly from one to the
other.

"Are you tired, Maddalena?" he asked, with a sort of rough suspicion.