for information as to approaching the Sorella di Ninu, leaving me alone with Carmelo. He seized the opportunity.
“I have been to see you several times because I wanted to tell you that I also have been in prison.”
“Hullo! Carmelo,” I said, “have you been trying to murder your father?”
“No,” he said, “it was not my father. It was a friend. We quarrelled. I drew my knife and stabbed him in the arm. It happened last year.”
I sympathized as well as I could and assured him that it should make no difference in the relations between us.
Why did I say this? Why was I so indulgent towards Carmelo and so implacable to Rosario? It seems as though an Englishman may also be a mass of contradictions. It is true that parricide is perhaps the most repulsive form that murder can take, but I do not think this had anything to do with it, for ordinary murder is sufficiently repulsive. I believe I was influenced by a conversation we had had during our last expedition; Carmelo had told me that he intended soon to leave private service, to marry and go into partnership with Rosario.
“But, Carmelo,” I had objected, “would not that be rather risky? Don’t you remember that Rosario has been to prison for trying to kill your father?”
“Oh, that all happened a long time ago and Rosario has married and settled down since then.”
Evidently Carmelo had thought this over and had felt uncomfortable that I should shun Rosario for being a jail-bird and not shun him who was one also. It seemed to indicate considerable delicacy of feeling on his part and I was pleased with him for taking so much trouble to get the confession off his chest. Whereas Rosario had treated his disgrazia as merely an annoying little accident that might happen to any gentleman.
Peppino returned, stood on the quay and shouted to the ships; presently a small boat containing Vanni and a sailor detached herself from the confusion and rowed to our feet. I was introduced and, amid the usual compliments, we took our seats and glided past the Sacro Cuore, the Due Sorelle, the Divina Provvidenza, the Maria Concetta, the Stella Maris, the La Pace, the Indipendente, the Nuova Bambina and many more. Peppino called my attention to the names of the ships