"What have you bought her for, Ruggiero?" asked Bastianello.
"She has copper nails," observed the other examining the bottom
carefully. "She is worth fifty francs. Your thought was good. To-morrow
she will be dry and we will caulk the seams, and the next day we will
paint her and then we can take foreigners to the Cape in her if we have
a chance and the signori do not go out. Lend a hand, Bastianello; we
must haul her up behind the boats."
Bastianello said nothing and the two strong men almost carried the old
tub to a convenient place for working at her.
"Do you want to do anything more to her to-night?" asked Bastianello.
"No."
"Then I will go up."
"Very well."
Ruggiero smiled as he spoke, for he knew that Bastianello was going to
try and get another glimpse of Teresina. The ladies would probably go to
drive and Teresina would be free until they came back.
He sat down on a boat near the one he had just bought, and surveyed his
purchase. He seemed on the whole well satisfied. It was certainly good
enough for the foreigners who liked to be pulled up to the cape on
summer evenings. She was rather easily upset, as Ruggiero had noticed,
but a couple of bags of pebbles in the right place would keep her steady
enough, and she had room for three or four people in the stern sheets
and for two men to pull.
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