“Madonna mia!” he cried, “am I bewitched? How in the name of all the saints in paradise did you get into this boat? You weren’t in it when I left the dock!”
“Oh, yes, we were,” said Beppo. “We were behind the baskets.”
“But what are you here for?” demanded the man.
“We want to go to Mestre,” said Beppo.
The man regarded them suspiciously. “Do your folks know where you are?” he asked.
“No,” said Beppo. “That’s why we are here. We want to get back to them.”
Beppina interrupted. “We were stolen away by gypsies,” she said.
Then, still staring at them, the man asked, “Where are you from?”
“From Florence,” Beppo answered.
The man threw back his head and laughed. “That’s a likely story!” he roared. “From Florence! Ha, Ha! Very good, per Bacco! You are indeed clever liars! You are a pair of naughty little runaways, that’s