The girls had stopped in surprise as they came down the steps, and Maria said, 'Why, this is not our gondola!' "Castaldi replied, 'No, no; our own gondolas had both gone off to find and bring a leech, and as your father was urgently wanting you, I hailed the first passing boat.

Make haste, dears, your father is longing for you.' "So they got on board at once, and the gondola rowed swiftly away.

That is all I know about it, except that the story was a lie, that their father never sent for them, and that up to a quarter of an hour ago they had not reached home.".