The story had been frequently interrupted by exclamations of surprise by Polani.  At its conclusion, he laid his hand on Francis’ shoulder.

“My dear boy,” he said, “How can I thank you!  You seem to me to be born to be the preserver of my daughters.  I cannot doubt that your suspicion is correct, and that they are confined in this hut at San Nicolo.  How fortunate that you did not denounce this conspiracy—­for conspiracy no doubt it is—­that you discovered, for, had you done so, some other place would have been selected for the girls’ prison.”

“I would not be too sanguine, sir.  The girls may not be in this hut, still we may come on some clue there which may lead us to them.  If not, we will search the islands on that side as closely as we have done those on the mainland.”

“Now, shall I send for the gondoliers and set out at once?  There are ten or twelve men in the house, and it is hardly likely that they will place a guard over them of anything like this strength, as of course they will be anxious to avoid observation by the islanders.”

“I do not think I would do anything tonight, sir,” Francis said.  “The gondola that chased us will be on the alert.  They cannot, of course, suspect in the slightest that we have any clue to the hiding place of your daughters.  Still, they might think that, if we were really pursuing the other gondola, and had recognized the woman Castaldi, we might bring the news to you, and that a stir might be made.  They may therefore be watching to see if anything comes of it; and if they saw a bustle and gondolas setting out taking the direction of the island, they might set off and get there first, for it is a very fast craft, and remove your daughters before we reach the hut.

“I should say wait till morning.  They may be watching your house now, and if, in an hour or two, they see all is quiet, they will no doubt retire with the belief that all danger is at an end.  Then, in the morning, I would embark the men in two or three gondolas, but I would not start from your own steps, for no doubt your house is watched.  Let the men go out singly, and embark at a distance from here, and not at the same place.  Once out upon the lagoon, they should row quietly towards San Nicolo, keeping a considerable distance apart, the men lying down in the bottom as the boats approach the island, so that if anyone is on watch he will have no suspicion.

“As I am the only one that knows the position of the hut, I will be with you in the first gondola.  We will not land near the hut, but pass by, and land at the other end of the island.  The other gondolas will slowly follow us, and land at the same spot.  Then three or four men can go along by the sea face, with orders to watch any boats hauled up upon the shore there, and stop any party making down towards them.  The rest of us will walk straight to the hut, and, as it lies among sand hills, I hope we shall be able to get quite close to it before our approach is discovered.”