As soon as he was alone, he snatched up a rag, waving it violently around, as though he were driving away flies.  He wished to clear the atmosphere of bad odors.  He felt as scandalized as though she had let a cake of soap fall into one of his delicious rice compounds.

The men of the crew crowded to the railings in order to follow the course of the little launch that was making toward shore.

Toni, standing on the bridge, also contemplated her with enigmatic eyes.

“You are handsome, but may the sea swallow you up before you come back!”

A handkerchief was waving from the stern of the little boat.  “Good-by, Captain!” And the captain nodded his head, smiling and gratified by the feminine greeting while the sailors were envying him his good luck.

Again one of the men of the crew carried Ferragut’s baggage to the albergo on the shore of S.  Lucia.  The porter, as though foreseeing the chance of getting an easy fee from his client, took it upon himself to select a room for him, an apartment on a floor lower than on his former stay, near that which the signora Talberg was occupying.

They met in mid-afternoon in the Villa Nazionale, and began their walk together through the streets of Chiaja.  At last Ulysses was going to know where the doctor was hiding her majestic personality.  He anticipated something extraordinary in this dwelling-place, but was disposed to hide his impressions for fear of losing the affection and support of the wise lady who seemed to be exercising so great a power over Freya.

They entered into the vestibule of an ancient palace.  Many times the sailor had stopped before this door, but had gone on, misled by the little metal door plates announcing the offices and counting-houses installed on the different floors.

He beheld an arcaded court paved with great tiled slabs upon which opened the curving balconies of the four interior sides of the palace.  They climbed up a stairway of resounding echoes, as large as one of the hill-side streets, with broad turnings which in former time permitted the passage of the litters and chairmen.  As souvenirs of the white-wigged personages and ladies of voluminous farthingales who had passed through this palace, there were still some classic busts on the landing places, a hand-wrought iron railing, and various huge lanterns of dull gold and blurred glass.

They stopped on the first floor before a row of doors rather weather-beaten by the years.

“Here it is,” said Freya.

And thereupon she pointed to the only door that was covered with a screen of green leather displaying a commercial sign,—­enormous, gilded and pretentious.  The doctor was lodging in an office....  How could he ever have found it!

The first room really was an office, a merchant’s room with files for papers, maps, a safe for stocks, and various tables.  One employee only was working here,—­a man of uncertain age with a childish face and a clipped beard.  His obsequious and smiling attitude was in striking contrast to his evasive glance,—­a glance of alarm and distrust.