That afternoon Agniello dropped in, to ask
Gabriele if he felt inclined to go and fish on the
Secca to-morrow. No, on the whole, he thought not ;
he wished to do a little fish-spearing after dark, and
that, with the early morning work, would be enough.
"Will you let me take Giuseppe with me, then?
Michele can manage the smaller boat for you, and
Gaetano can go with me."

Gabriele of course assented ; but he added, after a
pause, in a dubious tone, " Why do you want to take
Gaetano?"

" Oh, it's a long pull, and we shall need a third
hand, and now t^t he's going to marry Grazia —
what, you didn't know that ? Why, my daughter must
have told your wife about it at least two hours ago."

Somehow it wasn't very pleasant news to Gabriele.
He was not, and he never had been, in love with
Grazia. Of course it was a good thing that she should



114 STORIES OF NAPLES AND THE CAMORRA

be married, — but — ^well, upon consideration, he did
not know anything in particular to Gaetano's dis-
advantage. Grazia would make a good wife, he was
sure, and her husband would never have to go on
such an errand as that on which he would shortly be
bound. These thoughts flashed through his mind,
but hardly formed themselves there, and he replied
to the father at once, with what sounded like the
most hearty congratulations.
