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suddenly； without affectation。 In this unpretentious attitude I
became aware that J。 M。 K。 B。 had followed me into the room；
elegant； fatal； correct and severe in a white tie and large shirt…
front。 In answer to his politely sinister； prolonged glance of
inquiry； I overheard Dona Rita murmuring； with some confusion and
annoyance； 〃VOUS ETES BETE MON CHER。 VOYONS！ CA N'A AUCUNE
CONSEQUENCE。〃 Well content in this case to be of no particular
consequence； I had already about me the elements of some worldly
sense。
Rearranging my collar； which； truth to say； ought to have been a
round one above a short jacket； but was not； I observed
felicitously that I had come to say good…bye； being ready to go off
to sea that very night with the Tremolino。 Our hostess； slightly
panting yet； and just a shade dishevelled； turned tartly upon J。 M。
K。 B。； desiring to know when HE would be ready to go off by the
Tremolino； or in any other way； in order to join the royal
headquarters。 Did he intend； she asked ironically； to wait for the
very eve of the entry into Madrid？ Thus by a judicious exercise of
tact and asperity we re…established the atmospheric equilibrium of
the room long before I left them a little before midnight； now
tenderly reconciled； to walk down to the harbour and hail the
Tremolino by the usual soft whistle from the edge of the quay。 It
was our signal； invariably heard by the ever…watchful Dominic； the
PADRONE。
He would raise a lantern silently to light my steps along the
narrow； springy plank of our primitive gangway。 〃And so we are
going off；〃 he would murmur directly my foot touched the deck。 I
was the harbinger of sudden departures； but there was nothing in
the world sudden enough to take Dominic unawares。 His thick black
moustaches； curled every morning with hot tongs by the barber at
the corner of the quay； seemed to hide a perpetual smile。 But
nobody； I believe； had ever seen the true shape of his lips。 From
the slow； imperturbable gravity of that broad…chested man you would
think he had never smiled in his life。 In his eyes lurked a look
of perfectly remorseless irony； as though he had been provided with
an extremely experienced soul； and the slightest distension of his
nostrils would give to his bronzed face a look of extraordinary
boldness。 This was the only play of feature of which he seemed
capable； being a Southerner of a concentrated； deliberate type。
His ebony hair curled slightly on the temples。 He may have been
forty years old； and he was a great voyager on the inland sea。
Astute and ruthless； he could have rivalled in resource the
unfortunate son of Laertes and Anticlea。 If he did not pit his
craft and audacity against the very gods； it is only because the
Olympian gods are dead。 Certainly no woman could frighten him。 A
one…eyed giant would not have had the ghost of a chance against
Dominic Cervoni； of Corsica； not Ithaca； and no king； son of kings；
but of very respectable family … authentic Caporali； he affirmed。
But that is as it may be。 The Caporali families date back to the
twelfth century。
For want of more exalted adversaries Dominic turned his audacity
fertile in impious stratagems against the powers of the earth； as
represented by the institution of Custom…houses and every mortal
belonging thereto … scribes； officers； and guardacostas afloat and
ashore。 He was the very man for us； this modern and unlawful
wanderer with his own legend of loves； dangers； and bloodshed。 He
told us bits of it sometimes in measured； ironic tones。 He spoke
Catalonian； the Italian of Corsica and the French of Provence with
the same easy naturalness。 Dressed in shore…togs； a white starched
shirt； black jacket； and round hat； as I took him once to see Dona
Rita； he was extremely presentable。 He could make himself
interesting by a tactful and rugged reserve set off by a grim；
almost imperceptible； playfulness of tone and manner。
He had the physical assurance of strong…hearted men。 After half an
hour's interview in the dining…room； during which they got in touch
with each other in an amazing way； Rita told us in her best GRANDE
DAME manner： 〃MAIS IL ESI PARFAIT； CET HOMME。〃 He was perfect。
On board the Tremolino； wrapped up in a black CABAN； the
picturesque cloak of Mediterranean seamen； with those massive
moustaches and his remorseless eyes set off by the shadow of the
deep hood； he looked piratical and monkish and darkly initiated
into the most awful mysteries of the sea。
XLIII。
Anyway； he was perfect； as Dona Rita had declared。 The only thing
unsatisfactory （and even inexplicable） about our Dominic was his
nephew； Cesar。 It was startling to see a desolate expression of
shame veil the remorseless audacity in the eyes of that man
superior to all scruples and terrors。
〃I would never have dared to bring him on board your balancelle；〃
he once apologized to me。 〃But what am I to do？ His mother is
dead； and my brother has gone into the bush。〃
In this way I learned that our Dominic had a brother。 As to 〃going
into the bush；〃 this only means that a man has done his duty
successfully in the pursuit of a hereditary vendetta。 The feud
which had existed for ages between the families of Cervoni and
Brunaschi was so old that it seemed to have smouldered out at last。
One evening Pietro Brunaschi； after a laborious day amongst his
olive…trees； sat on a chair against the wall of his house with a
bowl of broth on his knees and a piece of bread in his hand。
Dominic's brother； going home with a gun on his shoulder； found a
sudden offence in this picture of content and rest so obviously
calculated to awaken the feelings of hatred and revenge。 He and
Pietro had never had any personal quarrel； but； as Dominic
explained； 〃all our dead cried out to him。〃 He shouted from behind
a wall of stones； 〃O Pietro！ Behold what is coming！〃 And as the
other looked up innocently he took aim at the forehead and squared
the old vendetta account so neatly that； according to Dominic； the
dead man continued to sit with the bowl of broth on his knees and
the piece of bread in his hand。
This is why … because in Corsica your dead will not leave you alone
… Dominic's brother had to go into the MAQUIS； into the bush on the
wild mountain…side； to dodge the gendarmes for the insignificant
remainder of his life； and Dominic had charge of his nephew with a
mission to make a man of him。
No more unpromising undertaking could be imagined。 The very
material for the task seemed wanting。 The Cervonis； if not
handsome men； were good sturdy flesh and blood。 But this
extraordinarily lean and livid youth seemed to have no more blood
in him