With that birdlike lightness and swiftness which were part of his manner, the Sicilian skipper bent forward and laid a brown finger on my wrist.
"Scusa, vi prego! But the hands are not those of a fisher of coral."
I glanced down at them. True enough, their smoothness and pliant shape betrayed my disguise--the gay little captain was sharp-witted enough to note the contrast between them and the rough garb I wore, though no one else with whom I had come in contact had been as keen of observation as he. At first I was slightly embarrassed by his remark--but after a moment's pause I met his gaze frankly, and lighting my cigarette I said, carelessly: "Ebbene! And what then, my friend?"
He made a deprecatory gesture with his hands.
"Nay, nay, nothing--but only this. The signor must understand he is perfectly safe with me. My tongue is discreet--I talk of things only that concern myself. The signor has good reasons for what he does--of that I am sure. He has suffered; it is enough to look in his face to see that. Ah, Dio if there are so many sorrows in life; there is love," he enumerated rapidly on his fingers--"there is revenge--there are quarrels--there is loss of money; any of these will drive a man from place to place at all hours and in all weathers. Yes; it is so, indeed--I know it! The signor has trusted himself in my boat--I desire to assure him of my best services."
And he raised his red cap with so charming a candor that in my lonely and morose condition I was touched to the heart. Silently I extended my hand--he caught it with an air in which respect, sympathy, and entire friendliness were mingled. And yet he overcharged me for my passage, you exclaim! Ay--but he would not have made me the object of impertinent curiosity for twenty times the money! You cannot understand the existence of such conflicting elements in the Italian character? No--I dare say not. The tendency of the calculating northerner under the same circumstances would have been to make as much out of me as possible by means of various small and contemptible items, and then to go with broadly honest countenance to the nearest police-station and describe my suspicious appearance and manner, thus exposing me to fresh expense besides personal annoyance. With the rare tact that distinguishes the southern races the captain changed the conversation by a reference to the tobacco we were both enjoying.
"It is good, is it not?" he asked.