“I see,” said he, again laughing, “that you have a little time to hear about the two wanderers.  Oh, they are in a good hotel, I assure you; pretty rooms; you look over to Capri; quite near you the Castello dell’ Ovo; and underneath your windows the waves—­a charming view!  And the little Natalushka, she has not lost her spirits:  she says to me, ’Dear Mr. Calabressa, will you have the goodness to become my champion?’ I say to her, ‘Against all the world!’ ‘Oh no,’ she answers, ’not quite so much as that.  It is a man who sells agates and pebbles, and such things; and no matter when I go out, he will follow me, and thrust himself before me.  Dear Mr. Calabressa, I do not want agates and pebbles, and he is more importunate than all the others put together; and the servants of the hotel can do nothing with him.’  Oh, I assure you, it would have made you laugh—­her pretence of gravity!  I said nothing—­not I; what is the use of making serious promises over trifles?  But when I went out I encountered the gentleman with the agates and pebbles.  ‘Friend,’ said I, ’a word with you.  Skip, dance, be off with you to the steps of some other hotel; your presence is not agreeable here.’  ‘Who are you?’ said he, naturally.  ‘No matter,’ said I; ’but do you wish to be presented with two dozen of the school-master’s sweetmeats?’ ‘Who are you?’ said he again.  Then I took him by the ear and whispered something to him.  By the blood of Saint Peter, Monsieur Brand, you should have heard the quick snap of his box, and seen the heels of him as he darted off like an antelope!  I tell you the grave-faced minx, that mocking Natalushka, who makes fun of old people like me—­well, she shall not any more be troubled with agates and pebbles!”

“Then she is quite cheerful and happy?” said Brand, somewhat wondering.

“Sometimes,” Calabressa said, more gravely.  “One cannot always be anxious; one has glimpses of hope; then the spirit rises; the eyes laugh.  You, for example, you do not seem much cast down?”

Brand avoided his inquisitive look, and merely said,

“One must take things as one finds them.  There is no use repining over what happens.”

Calabressa now rose and took his cap; then he laid it down on the table again.

“One moment before I go, my dear Monsieur Brand.  I told you to expect news; perhaps you will not understand.  Shall I show you something to help?  Regard this:  it is only a little trick; but it may help you to understand when the news comes to you.”

He took from his pocket a piece of white paper, square, and with apparently nothing on it.  He laid it on the table, and produced a red pencil.

“May I trouble you for a small pair of scissors, my dear friend?”

Brand stepped aside to a writing-desk, and brought him the scissors; he was scarcely thinking of Calabressa, at all; he was thinking of the message he would send to Naples.

Calabressa slowly and carefully cut the piece of paper into four squares, and proceeded to fold these up.  Brand looked on, it is true, but with little interest; and he certainly did not perceive that his companion had folded three of these pieces with the under side inward, the fourth with the upper side inward, while this had the rough edges turned in a different direction from the other three.