He had no news of Marcello.

He looked thoughtfully down at his hands as he said this in a tone of profound sorrow.
"Aurora has a fixed idea," said Maddalena.

"While she was talking with Marcello at the gap in the bank there was a small ship tossing about not far from the shore." "Well ?" asked Corbario.

"What of it ?" As he looked up from the contemplation of his hands Maddalena was struck by his extreme pallor and the terrible hollowness of his eyes.
"How ill you look!" she exclaimed, almost involuntarily.

"The sooner you go away the better." "What did Aurora say about the brigantine ?" he asked earnestly, by way of answer.
Maddalena knew too little about the sea to understand that he must have noticed the vessel's rig to name it correctly, as he did, and without hesitation.
"She is convinced that Marcello got on board of her," she answered.
Corbario's face relaxed a little, and he laughed harshly.
"That is utterly absurd!" he answered.