When he found himself near the Palazzo Macomer, he turned back, walking slowly, and went towards the sea, till he came to the vast Piazza San Ferdinando, beyond San Carlo.

He went into a cafe and sat down in a corner to drink a cup of chocolate by way of luncheon.

The seat he had chosen was at the end of one of the long red velvet divans close to a big window looking upon the square.

There were little marble tables in a row, and at the one before that which Bosio chose, a priest was seated, reading, with an empty cup before him.
He was evidently near-sighted, for he held his newspaper so near his eyes that Bosio could not have seen his face even had he thought of looking at it.

The priest had thrown back his heavy black cloak after he had sat down, so that it fell in wide folds upon the seat, on each side of him.