"And make a handsome thing in the way of secret commissions, I suppose?"
I laughed.

"Of course. But to cruise in comfort one must pay and be pleasant,"
declared the man with the fair beard. "In Greece and the Levant they are
more rapacious than in Naples, and the Customs officers always want
squaring, otherwise they are for ever rummaging and discovering mares'
nests."

"Did you have any trouble here?" I inquired.

"They didn't visit us," he said with a smile, and at the same time he
rubbed his thumb and finger together, the action of feeling paper money.

This increased my surprise, for I happened to know that the Leghorn
Customs officers were not at all given to the acceptance of bribes. They
were too well watched by their superiors. If the yacht had really
escaped a search, then it was a most unusual thing. Besides, what motive
could Hornby have in eluding the Customs visit? They would, of course,
seal up his wines and liquors, but even if they did, they would leave
him out sufficient for the consumption of himself and his friends.

No. Philip Hornby had some strong motive in paying a heavy bribe to
avoid the visit of the _dogana_. If he really had paid, he must have
paid very heavily; of that I was convinced.

Was it possible that some mystery was hidden on board that splendidly
appointed craft?