What do you take her for ?" Bastianello asked the question almost angrily, for he loved Teresina and he resented the slightest imputation upon her fair dealing.
Ruggiero looked at him curiously, but was far too much preoccupied with his own thoughts to guess what the matter was.

He turned away and went towards the fire where the Gull was already tasting a slippery string of the macaroni to find out whether it were enough cooked.

Bastianello shrugged his shoulders and followed him in silence.

Before long they were all seated round the huge earthen dish, each armed with an iron fork in one hand and a ship biscuit in the other, with which to catch the drippings neatly, according to good manners, in conveying the full fork from the dish to the wide-opened mouth.

By and by there was a sound of liquid gurgling from a demijohn as it was poured into the big jug, and the wine went round quickly from hand to hand, while those who waited for their turn munched their biscuits.