San Nicolo was a little sandy islet lying quite on the outside of the group of islands.

It was inhabited only by a few fishermen; and Francis wondered that a man, evidently by his voice and manner of address belonging to the upper class, should want to go to such a place as this at this hour of the night.

Certainly no ordinary motives could actuate him.
As the stranger took his place in the boat, Francis saw by the light of the stars that he was masked; but there was nothing very unusual in this, as masks were not unfrequently worn at night by young gallants, when engaged on any frolic in which they wished their identity to be unrecognized.

Still it added to the interest of the trip; and dipping his oar in the water he set out at a slow, steady stroke well within his power.

He adopted this partly in view of the length of the row before them, partly because the idea struck him that it might be as well that their passenger should not suspect that the boat was other than an ordinary gondola.