"What is that for?" he asked. "Have you too much money to suit you?"
"You told me that I must pay to-day," said Rico.
"It is good of you to remember," said the man, "but you mustn't put your money on the table like that. Let me take it and I will settle the bill for you."
He went to the ticket agent, but when he saw how full his own purse was, he could not bear to use the only large piece the child possessed, so he gave it back to Rico with his ticket, saying: "There, you had better keep this; you may need it to-morrow. I am with you now, and there may be no one to look after you when I am gone. Who knows how much you may have occasion to use later! When you get to Peschiera have you some one to whom you can go?"
"I don't know of any one," answered Rico.
The man stifled his surprise, but he had a secret fear that all might not go well with the child. He resolved to find out more about the boy on his return trip, thinking that the coachman would be able to tell him, and so he asked Rico no more questions.
When the steamer had landed her passengers, the man said, "We must hurry across to the railway station to catch our train, Rico, and I am going to take you by the hand; then I shall be sure not to lose you."
Rico had all he could do to keep up with the man, who walked on rapidly. He wished for time to look about him, but he had to wait until they reached the train, which was the first one he had ever seen. He felt very strange in it, even with the man at his side. He was glad that he was near a window, where he could look out, as everything was of interest to him.