“That’s all right; and if there was only one in it I might do so; though for that matter I’m afraid Doria isn’t going to stop here much longer in any case.  He doesn’t say so, but I can see it’s only Jenny who is keeping him.  You’ve got to consider her too.  I’m not going to say she encourages the man or anything like that.  Of course she doesn’t.  But, as I tell you, I’m pretty wide awake and it’s no good denying that she can endure his company without hurting herself.  He’s a handsome creature and he’s got a way with him, and she’s young.”

“I rather thought he was out for money—­enough money to reestablish the vanished glories of his race.”

“So he was and, of course, he knows he can’t do that with Jenny’s twenty thousand; but love casts out a good many things besides fear.  It blights ambition—­for the time being anyway—­and handicaps a man on every side in the race for life.  All Doria wants now is Jenny Pendean, and he’ll get her if I’m a judge.  I wouldn’t mind too much either, if they could stop along with me and go on as we’re going; but of course that wouldn’t happen.  As it is Doria has come to be a friend.  He does all he’s paid to do and a lot more; but he’s more a guest than a servant, and I shall miss him like the devil when he goes.”

“It’s hard to see what you can do, Mr. Redmayne.”

“So it is.  I don’t wish to come between my niece and her happiness, and I can’t honestly say that Doria wouldn’t be a good husband, though good husbands are rare everywhere and never rarer than in Italy, I believe.  He might change his mind after they’d been wed a year and hanker for his ambitions again and money to carry them out.  Jenny will have plenty some day, for there’s poor Bob’s money sooner or late, I suppose, and there’ll be mine and her Uncle Albert’s so far as I know.  But, taking it by and large, I’d a good bit sooner it didn’t happen.  I’ll tell you these things because you’re a famous man, with plenty of credit for good sense.”

“I appreciate the confidence and can return a confidence,” answered Brendon after a moment’s reflection.  “I do admire Mrs. Pendean.  She is, of course, amazingly beautiful, and she has a gracious and charming nature.  With such distinction of character you may rest assured that nothing will happen yet a while.  Your niece will be faithful to her late husband’s memory for many a long month, if not forever.”

“I believe that,” answered Bendigo.  “We can mark time, I don’t doubt, till the turn of the year or maybe longer.  But there it is:  they are thrown together every day of their lives and, though Jenny would hide it very carefully from me, and probably from herself also as far as she could, I guess he’s going to win out.”

Brendon said no more.  He was cast down and did not hide the fact.

“Mind you, I’d much prefer an Englishman,” admitted the sailor; “but there’s nobody to make any running in these parts.  Giuseppe’s got it all his own way.”  Then he left the subject.  “No news, I suppose, of my poor brother?”