“‘Accidente—is that a question to put to a priest? What is a woman’s whim to me that I should scan the face of every lout who comes lusting to the village?’
“‘Nay,’ said I, ‘but you must have seen him often if he lived as you say.’
“‘Oh, surely, I saw him often—a gloomy, silent man, who gave few civil words that he might hear few. Yet I have heard that he was the friend of the children here and was beloved of them.’
“‘And where, think you, must I seek him now?’
“He shrugged his shoulders, as though he pitied me.
“‘Where must you seek him? Nay, how shall I tell you? Am I his keeper? Be advised of me, and go back to your work in Pola. She would only mock you for your pains, as she has mocked me for mine.’
“This was his counsel, excellency, but his words fell on deaf ears. I had determined already that I would know how it fared with Christine. ‘At least,’ said I, ‘he shall stand before the altar with her; and if he will not do that—did she not tell me that they would make a hussar of him?’ Nay, I knew that he had drawn an unlucky number, and that I had only to raise my finger to send a corporal and troopers to the work. We are all soldiers in Austria, excellency. If Ugo Klun refused to answer the summons to serve his time with a regiment, a prison instead of a wife awaited him. I said that he should come to that if ill befell Christine; and with this rod in my hand I set out for Sebenico.”
CHAPTER IV
THE WORD IS SPOKEN
“It was late in the afternoon, excellency, when the boatman put me ashore among my own people. I had learnt from him in crossing that Ugo Klun and Christine had sailed from the island at dawn; and when I stood upon the quay a friend of mine confirmed the tale.
“‘The son of the woodlander—have you not heard? He came here at noon with a wench from Zlarin, and has set off with her to the hills. She called him husband—olà, he has a good wit, has Ugo, the rogue!’