THE BRAVO

A TALE

BY J. FENIMORE COOPER

"Giustizia in palazzo, e pane in piazza. "

1872. 

PREFACE

It is to be regretted the world does not discriminate more justly in itsuse of political terms. Governments are usually called either monarchiesor republics. The former class embraces equally those institutions inwhich the sovereign is worshipped as a god, and those in which heperforms the humble office of a manikin. In the latter we findaristocracies and democracies blended in the same generic appellation. The consequence of a generalization so wide is an utter confusion on thesubject of the polity of states. 

The author has endeavored to give his countrymen, in this book, apicture of the social system of one of the _soi-disant_ republics of theother hemisphere. There has been no attempt to portray historicalcharacters, only too fictitious in their graver dress, but simply to setforth the familiar operations of Venetian policy. For the justificationof his likeness, after allowing for the defects of execution, he refersto the well-known work of M. Daru. 

A history of the progress of political liberty, written purely in theinterests of humanity, is still a desideratum in literature. In nationswhich have made a false commencement, it would be found that thecitizen, or rather the subject, has extorted immunity after immunity, ashis growing intelligence and importance have both instructed andrequired him to defend those particular rights which were necessary tohis well-being. A certain accumulation of these immunities constitutes, with a solitary and recent exception in Switzerland, the essence ofEuropean liberty, even at this hour. It is scarcely necessary to tellthe reader, that this freedom, be it more or less, depends on aprinciple entirely different from our own. Here the immunities do notproceed from, but they are granted to, the government, being, in otherwords, concessions of natural rights made by the people to the state, for the benefits of social protection. So long as this vital differenceexists between ourselves and other nations, it will be vain to think offinding analogies in their institutions. It is true that, in an age likethis, public opinion is itself a charter, and that the most despoticgovernment which exists within the pale of Christendom, must, in somedegree, respect its influence. The mildest and justest governments inEurope are, at this moment, theoretically despotisms. The characters ofboth prince and people enter largely into the consideration of soextraordinary results; and it should never be forgotten that, though thecharacter of the latter be sufficiently secure, that of the former isliable to change. But, admitting every benefit which possibly can flowfrom a just administration, with wise and humane princes, a governmentwhich is not properly based on the people, possesses an unavoidable andoppressive evil of the first magnitude, in the necessity of supportingitself by physical force and onerous impositions, against the naturalaction of the majority. 

Were we to characterize a republic, we should say it was a state inwhich power, both theoretically and practically, is derived from thenation, with a constant responsibility of the agents of the public tothe people--a responsibility that is neither to be evaded nor denied. That such a system is better on a large than on a small scale, thoughcontrary to brilliant theories which have been written to upholddifferent institutions, must be evident on the smallest reflection, since the danger of all popular governments is from popular mistakes;and a people of diversified interests and extended territorialpossessions, are much less likely to be the subjects of sinisterpassions than the inhabitants of a single town or county. If to thisdefinition we should add, as an infallible test of the genus, that atrue republic is a government of which all others are jealous andvituperative, on the instinct of self-preservation, we believe therewould be no mistaking the class. How far Venice would have beenobnoxious to this proof, the reader is left to judge for himself. 

CHAPTER I. 

 "I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs, A palace and a prison on each hand; I saw from out the wave her structures rise, As from the stroke of the enchanter's wand; A thousand years their cloudy wings expand Around me, and a dying glory smiles O'er the far times, when many a subject land Looked to the winged lions' marble piles, Where Venice sat in state, throned on her hundred isles. " BYRON. 

The sun had disappeared behind the summits of the Tyrolean Alps, and themoon was already risen above the low barrier of the Lido. Hundreds ofpedestrians were pouring out of the narrow streets of Venice into thesquare of St. Mark, like water gushing through some strait aqueduct, into a broad and bubbling basin. Gallant cavalieri and grave cittadini;soldiers of Dalmatia, and seamen of the galleys; dames of the city, andfemales of lighter manners; jewellers of the Rialto, and traders fromthe Levant; Jew, Turk, and Christian; traveller, adventurer, podestŕ, valet, avvocato, and gondolier, held their way alike to the commoncentre of amusement. The hurried air and careless eye; the measured stepand jealous glance; the jest and laugh; the song of the cantatrice, andthe melody of the flute; the grimace of the buffoon, and the tragicfrown of the improvisatore; the pyramid of the grotesque, the compelledand melancholy smile of the harpist, cries of water-sellers, cowls ofmonks, plumage of warriors, hum of voices, and the universal movementand bustle, added to the more permanent objects of the place, renderedthe scene the most remarkable of Christendom. 

On the very confines of that line which separates western from easternEurope, and in constant communication with the latter, Venice possesseda greater admixture of character and costume, than any other of thenumerous ports of that region. A portion of this peculiarity is still tobe observed, under the fallen fortunes of the place; but at the periodof our tale, the city of the isles, though no longer mistress of theMediterranean, nor even of the Adriatic, was still rich and powerful. Her influence was felt in the councils of the civilized world, and hercommerce, though waning, was yet sufficient to uphold the vastpossessions of those families, whose ancestors had become rich in theday of her prosperity. Men lived among her islands in that state ofincipient lethargy, which marks the progress of a downward course, whether the decline be of a moral or of a physical decay. 

At the hour we have named, the vast parallelogram of the piazza wasfilling fast, the cafés and casinos within the porticoes, which surroundthree of its sides, being already thronged with company. While allbeneath the arches was gay and brilliant with the flare of torch andlamp, the noble range of edifices called the Procuratories, the massivepile of the Ducal Palace, the most ancient Christian church, the granitecolumns of the piazzetta, the triumphal masts of the great square, andthe giddy tower of the campanile, were slumbering in the more mellowglow of the moon. 

Facing the wide area of the great square stood the quaint and venerablecathedral of San Marco. A temple of trophies, and one equallyproclaiming the prowess and the piety of its founders, this remarkablestructure presided over the other fixtures of the place, like a monumentof the republic's antiquity and greatness. Its Saracenic architecture, the rows of precious but useless little columns that load its front, thelow Asiatic domes which rest upon its walls in the repose of a thousandyears, the rude and gaudy mosaics, and above all the captured horses ofCorinth which start from out the sombre mass in the glory of Grecianart, received from the solemn and appropriate light, a character ofmelancholy and mystery, that well comported with the thick recollectionswhich crowd the mind as the eye gazes at this rare relic of the past. 

As fit companions to this edifice, the other peculiar ornaments of theplace stood at hand. The base of the campanile lay in shadow, but ahundred feet of its grey summit received the full rays of the moon alongits eastern face. The masts destined to bear the conquered ensigns ofCandia, Constantinople, and the Morea, cut the air by its side, in darkand fairy lines; while at the extremity of the smaller square, and nearthe margin of the sea, the forms of the winged lion and the patron saintof the city, each on his column of African granite, were distinctlytraced against the back-ground of the azure sky. 

It was near the base of the former of these massive blocks of stone, that one stood who seemed to gaze at the animated and striking scene, with the listlessness and indifference of satiety. A multitude, some inmasques and others careless of being known, had poured along the quayinto the piazzetta, on their way to the principal square, while thisindividual had scarce turned a glance aside, or changed a limb inweariness. His attitude was that of patient, practised, and obedientwaiting on another's pleasure. With folded arms, a body poised on oneleg, and a vacant though good-humored eye, he appeared to attend somebeck of authority ere he quitted the spot. A silken jacket, in whosetissue flowers of the gayest colors were interwoven, the falling collarof scarlet, the bright velvet cap with armorial bearings embroidered onits front, proclaimed him to be a gondolier in private service. 

Wearied at length with the antics of a distant group of tumblers, whosepile of human bodies had for a time arrested his look, this individualturned away, and faced the light air from the water. Recognition andpleasure shot into his countenance, and in a moment his arms wereinterlocked with those of a swarthy mariner, who wore the loose attireand Phrygian cap of men of his calling. The gondolier was the first tospeak, the words flowing from him in the soft accents of his nativeislands. 

"Is it thou, Stefano? They said thou hadst fallen into the gripe of thedevils of Barbary, and that thou wast planting flowers for an infidelwith thy hands, and watering them with thy tears!"

The answer was in the harsher dialect of Calabria, and it was given withthe rough familiarity of a seaman. 

"La Bella Sorrentina is no housekeeper of a curato! She is not a damselto take a siesta with a Tunisian rover prowling about in herneighborhood. Hadst ever been beyond the Lido, thou wouldst have knownthe difference between chasing the felucca and catching her. "

"Kneel down and thank San Teodoro for his care. There was much prayingon thy decks that hour, caro Stefano, though none is bolder among themountains of Calabria when thy felucca is once safely drawn up on thebeach!"

The mariner cast a half-comic, half-serious glance upward at the imageof the patron saint, ere he replied. 

"There was more need of the wings of thy lion than of the favor of thysaint. I never come further north for aid than San Gennaro, even when itblows a hurricane. "

"So much the worse for thee, caro, since the good bishop is better atstopping the lava than at quieting the winds. But there was danger, then, of losing the felucca and her brave people among the Turks?"

"There was, in truth, a Tunis-man prowling about, between Stromboli andSicily; but, Ali di San Michele! he might better have chased the cloudabove the volcano than run after the felucca in a sirocco!"

"Thou wast chicken-hearted, Stefano!"

"I!--I was more like thy lion here, with some small additions of chainsand muzzles. "

"As was seen by thy felucca's speed?"

"Cospetto! I wished myself a knight of San Giovanni a thousand timesduring the chase, and La Bella Sorrentina a brave Maltese galley, if itwere only for the cause of Christian honor! The miscreant hung upon myquarter for the better part of three glasses; so near, that I could tellwhich of the knaves wore dirty cloth in his turban, and which clean. Itwas a sore sight to a Christian, Stefano, to see the right thus borneupon by an infidel. "

"And thy feet warmed with the thought of the bastinado, caro mio?"

"I have run too often barefoot over our Calabrian mountains, to tingleat the sole with every fancy of that sort. "

"Every man has his weak spot, and I know thine to be dread of a Turk'sarm. Thy native hills have their soft as well as their hard ground, butit is said the Tunisian chooses a board knotty as his own heart, when heamuses himself with the wailings of a Christian. "

"Well, the happiest of us all must take such as fortune brings. If mysoles are to be shod with blows, the honest priest of Sant' Agata willbe cheated by a penitent. I have bargained with the good curato, thatall such accidental calamities shall go in the general account ofpenance. But how fares the world of Venice?--and what dost thou amongthe canals at this season, to keep the flowers of thy jacket fromwilting?"

"To-day, as yesterday, and to-morrow will be as to-day I row thegondola from the Rialto to the Giudecca; from San Giorgio to San Marco;from San Marco to the Lido, and from the Lido home. There are noTunis-men by the way, to chill the heart or warm the feet. "

"Enough of friendship. And is there nothing stirring in therepublic?--no young noble drowned, nor any Jew hanged?"

"Nothing of that much interest--except the calamity which befell Pietro. Thou rememberest Pietrello? he who crossed into Dalmatia with thee once, as a supernumerary, the time he was suspected of having aided the youngFrenchman in running away with a senator's daughter?"

"Do I remember the last famine? The rogue did nothing but eat maccaroni, and swallow the lachryma christi, which the Dalmatian count had onfreight. "

"Poverino! His gondola has been run down by an Ancona-man, who passedover the boat as if it were a senator stepping on a fly. "

"So much for little fish coming into deep water. "

"The honest fellow was crossing the Giudecca, with a stranger, who hadoccasion to say his prayers at the Redentore, when the brig hit him inthe canopy, and broke up the gondola, as if it had been a bubble left bythe Bucentaur. "

"The padrone should have been too generous to complain of Pietro'sclumsiness, since it met with its own punishment. "

"Madre di Dio! He went to sea that hour, or he might be feeding thefishes of the Lagunes! There is not a gondolier in Venice who did notfeel the wrong at his heart; and we know how to obtain justice for aninsult, as well as our masters. "

"Well, a gondola is mortal, as well as a felucca, and both have theirtime; better die by the prow of a brig than fall into the gripe of aTurk. How is thy young master, Gino; and is he likely to obtain hisclaims of the senate?"

"He cools himself in the Giudecca in the morning; and if thou would'stknow what he does at evening, thou hast only to look among the nobles inthe Broglio. "

As the gondolier spoke he glanced an eye aside at a group of patricianrank, who paced the gloomy arcades which supported the superior walls ofthe doge's palace, a spot sacred, at times, to the uses of theprivileged. 

"I am no stranger to the habit thy Venetian nobles have of coming tothat low colonnade at this hour, but I never before heard of theirpreferring the waters of the Giudecca for their baths. "

"Were even the doge to throw himself out of a gondola, he must sink orswim, like a meaner Christian. "

"Acqua dell' Adriatico! Was the young duca going to the Redentore, too, to say his prayers?"

"He was coming back after having; but what matters it in what canal ayoung noble sighs away the night! We happened to be near when theAncona-man performed his feat; while Giorgio and I were boiling withrage at the awkwardness of the stranger, my master, who never had muchtaste or knowledge in gondolas, went into the water to save the younglady from sharing the fate of her uncle. "

"Diavolo! This is the first syllable thou hast uttered concerning anyyoung lady, or of the death of her uncle!"

"Thou wert thinking of thy Tunis-man, and hast forgotten. I must havetold thee how near the beautiful signora was to sharing the fate of thegondola, and how the loss of the Roman marchese weighs, in addition, onthe soul of the padrone. "

"Santo Padre! That a Christian should die the death of a hunted dog bythe carelessness of a gondolier!"

"It may have been lucky for the Ancona-man that it so fell out; for theysay the Roman was one of influence enough to make a senator cross theBridge of Sighs, at need. "

"The devil take all careless watermen, say I! And what became of theawkward rogue?"

"I tell thee he went outside the Lido that very hour, or----"

"Pietrello?"

"He was brought up by the oar of Giorgio, for both of us were active insaving the cushions and other valuables. "

"Could'st thou do nothing for the poor Roman? Ill-luck may follow thatbrig on account of his death!"

"Ill-luck follow her, say I, till she lays her bones on some rock thatis harder than the heart of her padrone. As for the stranger, we coulddo no more than offer up a prayer to San Teodoro, since he never roseafter the blow. But what has brought thee to Venice, caro mio? for thyill-fortune with the oranges, in the last voyage, caused thee todenounce the place. "

The Calabrian laid a finger on one cheek, and drew the skin down in amanner to give a droll expression to his dark, comic eye, while thewhole of his really fine Grecian face was charged with an expression ofcoarse humor. 

"Look you, Gino--thy master sometimes calls for his gondola betweensunset and morning?"

"An owl is not more wakeful than he has been of late. This head of minehas not been on a pillow before the sun has come above the Lido, sincethe snows melted from Monselice. "

"And when the sun of thy master's countenance sets in his own palazzo, thou hastenest off to the bridge of the Rialto, among the jewellers andbutchers, to proclaim the manner in which he passed the night?"

"Diamine! 'Twould be the last night I served the Duca di Sant' Agata, were my tongue so limber! The gondolier and the confessor are the twoprivy-councillors of a noble, Master Stefano, with this smalldifference--that the last only knows what the sinner wishes to reveal, while the first sometimes knows more. I can find a safer, if not a morehonest employment, than to be running about with my master's secrets inthe air. "

"And I am wiser than to let every Jew broker in San Marco, here, have apeep into my charter-party. "

"Nay, old acquaintance, there is some difference between ouroccupations, after all. A padrone of a felucca cannot, in justice, becompared to the most confidential gondolier of a Neapolitan duke, whohas an unsettled right to be admitted to the Council of Three Hundred. "

"Just the difference between smooth water and rough--you ruffle thesurface of a canal with a lazy oar, while I run the channel of Piombinoin a mistral, shoot the Faro of Messina in a white squall, double SantaMaria di Leuca in a breathing Levanter, and come skimming up theAdriatic before a sirocco that is hot enough to cook my maccaroni, andwhich sets the whole sea boiling worse than the caldrons of Scylla. "

"Hist!" eagerly interrupted the gondolier, who had indulged, withItalian humor, in the controversy for preeminence, though without anyreal feeling, "here comes one who may think, else, we shall have need ofhis hand to settle the dispute--Eccolo!"

The Calabrian recoiled apace, in silence, and stood regarding theindividual who had caused this hurried remark, with a gloomy but steadyair. The stranger moved slowly past. His years were under thirty, thoughthe calm gravity of his countenance imparted to it a character of moremature age. The cheeks were bloodless, but they betrayed rather thepallid hue of mental than of bodily disease. The perfect condition ofthe physical man was sufficiently exhibited in the muscular fulness of abody which, though light and active, gave every indication of strength. His step was firm, assured, and even; his carriage erect and easy, andhis whole mien was strongly characterized by a self-possession thatcould scarcely escape observation; and yet his attire was that of aninferior class. A doublet of common velvet, a dark Montero cap, such aswas then much used in the southern countries of Europe, with othervestments of a similar fashion, composed his dress. The face wasmelancholy rather than sombre, and its perfect repose accorded well withthe striking calmness of the body. The lineaments of the former, however, were bold and even noble, exhibiting that strong and manlyoutline which is so characteristic of the finer class of the Italiancountenance. Out of this striking array of features gleamed an eye thatwas full of brilliancy, meaning, and passion. 

As the stranger passed, his glittering organs rolled over the persons ofthe gondolier and his companion, but the look, though searching, wasentirely without interest. 'Twas the wandering but wary glance, whichmen who have much reason to distrust, habitually cast on a multitude. Itturned with the same jealous keenness on the face of the next itencountered, and by the time the steady and well balanced form was lostin the crowd, that quick and glowing eye had gleamed, in the same rapidand uneasy manner, on twenty others. 

Neither the gondolier nor the mariner of Calabria spoke until theirriveted gaze after the retiring figure became useless. Then the formersimply ejaculated, with a strong respiration--

"Jacopo!"

His companion raised three of his fingers, with an occult meaning, towards the palace of the doges. 

"Do they let him take the air, even in San Marco?" he asked, inunfeigned surprise. 

"It is not easy, caro amico, to make water run up stream, or to stop thedownward current. It is said that most of the senators would sooner losetheir hopes of the horned bonnet, than lose him. Jacopo! He knows morefamily secrets than the good Priore of San Marco himself, and he, poorman, is half his time in the confessional. "

"Aye, they are afraid to put him in an iron jacket, lest awkward secretsshould be squeezed out. "

"Corpo di Bacco! there would be little peace in Venice, if the Councilof Three should take it into their heads to loosen the tongue of yonderman in that rude manner. "

"But they say, Gino, that thy Council of Three has a fashion of feedingthe fishes of the Lagunes, which might throw the suspicion of his deathon some unhappy Ancona-man, were the body ever to come up again. "

"Well, no need of bawling it aloud, as if thou wert hailing a Sicilianthrough thy trumpet, though the fact should be so. To say the truth, there are few men in business who are thought to have more custom thanhe who has just gone up the piazzetta. "

"Two sequins!" rejoined the Calabrian, enforcing his meaning by asignificant grimace. 

"Santa Madonna! Thou forgettest, Stefano, that not even the confessorhas any trouble with a job in which he has been employed. Not a caratanoless than a hundred will buy a stroke of his art. Your blows, for twosequins, leave a man leisure to tell tales, or even to say his prayershalf the time. "

"Jacopo!" ejaculated the other, with an emphasis which seemed to be asort of summing up of all his aversion and horror. 

The gondolier shrugged his shoulders with quite as much meaning as a manborn on the shores of the Baltic could have conveyed by words; but hetoo appeared to think the matter exhausted. 

"Stefano Milano, " he added, after a moment of pause, 'there are thingsin Venice which he who would eat his maccaroni in peace, would do wellto forget. Let thy errand in port be what it may, thou art in goodseason to witness the regatta which will be given by the state itselfto-morrow. "

"Hast thou an oar for that race?"

"Giorgio's, or mine, under the patronage of San Teodoro. The prize willbe a silver gondola to him who is lucky or skilful enough to win; andthen we shall have the nuptials with the Adriatic. "

"Thy nobles had best woo the bride well; for there are heretics who layclaim to her good will. I met a rover of strange rig and miraculousfleetness, in rounding the headlands of Otranto, who seemed to have halfa mind to follow the felucca in her path towards the Lagunes. "

"Did the sight warm thee at the soles of thy feet, Gino dear?"

"There was not a turbaned head on his deck, but every sea-cap sat upon awell covered poll and a shorn chin. Thy Bucentaur is no longer thebravest craft that floats between Dalmatia and the islands, though hergilding may glitter brightest. There are men beyond the pillars ofHercules who are not satisfied with doing all that can be done on theirown coasts, but who are pretending to do much of that which can be doneon ours. "

"The republic is a little aged, caro, and years need rest. The joints ofthe Bucentaur are racked by time and many voyages to the Lido. I haveheard my master say that the leap of the winged lion is not as far as itwas, even in his young days. "

"Don Camillo has the reputation of talking boldly of the foundation ofthis city of piles, when he has the roof of old Sant' Agata safely overhis head. Were he to speak more reverently of the horned bonnet, and ofthe Council of Three, his pretensions to succeed to the rights of hisforefathers might seem juster in the eyes of his judges. But distance isa great mellower of colors and softener of fears. My own opinion of thespeed of the felucca, and of the merits of a Turk, undergo changes ofthis sort between port and the open sea; and I have known thee, goodGino, forget San Teodoro, and bawl as lustily to San Gennaro, when atNaples, as if thou really fancied thyself in danger from the mountain. "

"One must speak to those at hand, in order to be quickest heard, "rejoined the gondolier, casting a glance that was partly humorous, andnot without superstition, upwards at the image which crowned the granitecolumn against whose pedestal he still leaned. "A truth which warns usto be prudent, for yonder Jew cast a look this way, as if he felt aconscientious scruple in letting any irreverent remark of ours gowithout reporting. The bearded old rogue is said to have other dealingswith the Three Hundred besides asking for the moneys he has lent totheir sons. And so, Stefano, thou thinkest the republic will never plantanother mast of triumph in San Marco, or bring more trophies to thevenerable church?"

"Napoli herself, with her constant change of masters, is as likely to doa great act on the sea as thy winged beast just now! Thou art wellenough to row a gondola in the canals, Gino, or to follow thy master tohis Calabrian castle; but if thou would'st know what passes in the wideworld, thou must be content to listen to mariners of the long course. The day of San Marco has gone by, and that of the heretics more northhas come. "

"Thou hast been much of late among the lying Genoese, Stefano, that thoucomest hither with these idle tales of what a heretic can do. Genova laSuperba! What has a city of walls to compare with one of canals andislands like this?--and what has that Apennine republic performed, to beput in comparison with the great deeds of the Queen of the Adriatic?Thou forgettest that Venezia has been--"

"Zitto, zitto! that _has_ been, caro mio, is a great word with allItaly. Thou art as proud of the past as a Roman of the Trastevere. "

"And the Roman of the Trastevere is right. Is it nothing, StefanoMilano, to be descended from a great and victorious people?"

"It is better, Gino Monaldi, to be one of a people which is great andvictorious just now. The enjoyment of the past is like the pleasure ofthe fool who dreams of the wine he drank yesterday. "

"This is well for a Neapolitan, whose country never was a nation, "returned the gondolier, angrily. "I have heard Don Camillo, who is oneeducated as well as born in the land, often say that half of the peopleof Europe have ridden the horse of Sicily, and used the legs of thyNapoli, except those who had the best right to the services of both. "

"Even so; and yet the figs are as sweet as ever, and the beccafichi astender! The ashes of the volcano cover all!"

"Gino, " said a voice of authority, near the gondolier. 

"Signore. "

He who interrupted the dialogue pointed to the boat without saying more. 

"A rivederli, " hastily muttered the gondolier. His friend squeezed hishand in perfect amity--for, in truth, they were countrymen by birth, though chance had trained the former on the canals--and, at the nextinstant, Gino was arranging the cushions for his master, having firstaroused his subordinate brother of the oar from a profound sleep. 

CHAPTER II. 

 "Hast ever swam in a gondola at Venice?" SHAKSPEARE. 

When Don Camillo Monforte entered the gondola, he did not take his seatin the pavilion. With an arm leaning on the top of the canopy, and hiscloak thrown loosely over one shoulder, the young noble stood, in amusing attitude, until his dexterous servitors had extricated the boatfrom the little fleet which crowded the quay, and had urged it into openwater. This duty performed, Gino touched his scarlet cap, and looked athis master as if to inquire the direction in which they were to proceed. He was answered by a silent gesture that indicated the route of thegreat canal. 

"Thou hast an ambition, Gino, to show thy skill in the regatta?" DonCamillo observed, when they had made a little progress. "The motivemerits success. Thou wast speaking to a stranger when I summoned thee tothe gondola?"

"I was asking the news of our Calabrian hills from one who has come intoport with his felucca, though the man took the name of San Gennaro towitness that his former luckless voyage should be the last. "

"How does he call his felucca, and what is the name of the padrone?"

"La Bella Sorrentina, commanded by a certain Stefano Milano, son of anancient servant of Sant' Agata. The bark is none of the worst for speed, and it has some reputation for beauty. It ought to be of happy fortune, too, for the good curato recommended it, with many a devout prayer, tothe Virgin and to San Francesco. "

The noble appeared to lend more attention to the discourse, which, untilnow, on his part, had been commenced in the listless manner with which asuperior encourages an indulged dependant. 

"La Bella Sorrentina! Have I not reason to know the bark?"

"Nothing more true, Signore. Her padrone has relations at Sant' Agata, as I have told your eccellenza, and his vessel has lain on the beachnear the castle many a bleak winter. "

"What brings him to Venice?"

"That is what I would give my newest jacket of your eccellenza's colorsto know, Signore. I have as little wish to inquire into other people'saffairs as any one, and I very well know that discretion is the chiefvirtue of a gondolier. I ventured, however, a deadly hint concerning hiserrand, such as ancient neighborhood would warrant, but he was ascautious of his answers as if he were freighted with the confessions offifty Christians. Now, if your eccellenza should see fit to give meauthority to question him in your name, the deuce is in't if betweenrespect for his lord, and good management, we could not draw somethingmore than a false bill of lading from him. "

"Thou wilt take thy choice of my gondolas for the regatta, Gino, "observed the Duke of Sant' Agata, entering the pavilion, and throwinghimself on the glossy black leathern cushions, without adverting to thesuggestion of his servant. 

The gondola continued its noiseless course, with the sprite-likemovement peculiar to that description of boat. Gino, who, as superiorover his fellow, stood perched on the little arched deck in the stern, pushed his oar with accustomed readiness and skill, now causing thelight vessel to sheer to the right, and now to the left, as it glidedamong the multitude of craft, of all sizes and uses, which it met inits passage. Palace after palace had been passed, and more than one ofthe principal canals, which diverged towards the different spectacles, or the other places of resort frequented by his master, was left behind, without Don Camillo giving any new direction. At length the boat arrivedopposite to a building which seemed to excite more than commonexpectation. Giorgio worked his oar with a single hand, looking over hisshoulder at Gino, and Gino permitted his blade fairly to trail on thewater. Both seemed to await new orders, manifesting something like thatspecies of instinctive sympathy with him they served, which a longpractised horse is apt to show when he draws near a gate that is seldompassed unvisited by his driver. 

The edifice which caused this hesitation in the two gondoliers was oneof those residences at Venice, which are quite as remarkable for theirexternal riches and ornaments as for their singular situation amid thewaters. A massive rustic basement of marble was seated as solidly in theelement as if it grew from a living rock, while story was seeminglyraised on story, in the wanton observance of the most capricious rulesof meretricious architecture, until the pile reached an altitude that islittle known, except in the dwellings of princes. Colonnades, medallions, and massive cornices overhung the canal, as if the art ofman had taken pride in loading the superstructure in a manner to mockthe unstable element which concealed its base. A flight of steps, onwhich each gentle undulation produced by the passage of the barge washeda wave, conducted to a vast vestibule, that answered many of thepurposes of a court. Two or three gondolas were moored near, but theabsence of their people showed they were for the use of those who dweltwithin. The boats were protected from rough collision with the passingcraft by piles driven obliquely into the bottom. Similar spars, withpainted and ornamented heads, that sometimes bore the colors and armsof the proprietor, formed a sort of little haven for the gondolas of thehousehold, before the door of every dwelling of mark. 

"Where is it the pleasure of your eccellenza to be rowed?" asked Gino, when he found his sympathetic delay had produced no order. 

"To the Palazzo. "

Giorgio threw a glance of surprise back at his comrade, but the obedientgondola shot by the gloomy, though rich abode, as if the little bark hadsuddenly obeyed an inward impulse. In a moment more it whirled aside, and the hollow sound, caused by the plash of water between high walls, announced its entrance into a narrower canal. With shortened oars themen still urged the boat ahead, now turning short into some new channel, now glancing beneath a low bridge, and now uttering, in the sweet shrilltones of the country and their craft, the well known warning to thosewho were darting in an opposite direction. A backstroke of Gino's oar, however, soon brought the side of the arrested boat to a flight ofsteps. 

"Thou wilt follow me, " said Don Camillo, as he placed his foot, with thecustomary caution, on the moist stone, and laid a hand on the shoulderof Gino; "I have need of thee. "

Neither the vestibule, nor the entrance, nor the other visibleaccessories of the dwelling were so indicative of luxury and wealth asthat of the palace on the great canal. Still they were all such asdenoted the residence of a noble of consideration. 

"Thou wilt do wisely, Gino, to trust thy fortunes to the new gondola, "said the master, as he mounted the heavy stone stairs to an upper floor, pointing, as he spoke, to a new and beautiful boat, which lay in acorner of the large vestibule, as carriages are seen standing in thecourts of houses built on more solid ground. "He who would find favorwith Jupiter must put his own shoulder to the wheel, thou knowest, myfriend. "

The eye of Gino brightened, and he was voluble in his expression ofthanks. They had ascended to the first floor, and were already deep in asuite of gloomy apartments, before the gratitude and professional prideof the gondolier were exhausted. 

"Aided by a powerful arm and a fleet gondola, thy chance will be as goodas another's, Gino, " said Don Camillo, closing the door of his cabineton his servant; "at present thou mayest give some proof of zeal in myservice, in another manner. Is the face of a man called Jacopo Frontoniknown to thee?"

"Eccellenza!" exclaimed the gondolier, gasping for breath. 

"I ask thee if thou knowest the countenance of one named Frontoni?"

"His countenance, Signore!"

"By what else would'st thou distinguish a man?"

"A man, Signor' Don Camillo!"

"Art thou mocking thy master, Gino? I have asked thee if thou artacquainted with the person of a certain Jacopo Frontoni, a dweller herein Venice?"

"Eccellenza, yes. "

"He I mean has been long remarked by the misfortunes of his family; thefather being now in exile on the Dalmatian coast, or elsewhere. "

"Eccellenza, yes. "

"There are many of the name of Frontoni, and it is important that thoushould'st not mistake the man. Jacopo, of that family, is a youth ofsome five-and-twenty, of an active frame and melancholy visage, and ofless vivacity of temperament than is wont, at his years. "

"Eccellenza, yes. "

"One who consorts but little with his fellows, and who is rather notedfor the silence and industry with which he attends to his concerns, thanfor any of the usual pleasantries and trifling of men of his cast. Acertain Jacopo Frontoni, that hath his abode somewhere near thearsenal?"

"Cospetto! Signor' Duca, the man is as well known to us gondoliers asthe bridge of the Rialto! Your eccellenza has no need to troubleyourself to describe him. "

Don Camillo Monforte was searching among the papers of a secretaire. Heraised his eyes in some little amazement at the sally of his dependant, and then he quietly resumed his occupation. 

"If thou knowest the man, it is enough. "

"Eccellenza, yes. And what is your pleasure with this accursed Jacopo?"

The Duke of Sant' Agata seemed to recollect himself. He replaced thepapers which had been deranged, and he closed the secretaire. 

"Gino, " he said, in a tone of confidence and amity, "thou wert born onmy estates, though so long trained here to the oar in Venice, and thouhast passed thy life in my service. "

"Eccellenza, yes. "

"It is my desire that thou should'st end thy days where they began. Ihave had much confidence in thy discretion hitherto, and I havesatisfaction in saying it has never failed thee, notwithstanding thouhast necessarily been a witness of some exploits of youth which mighthave drawn embarrassment on thy master were thy tongue less disposed tosilence. "

"Eccellenza, yes. "

Don Camillo smiled; but the gleam of humor gave way to a look of graveand anxious thought. 

"As thou knowest the person of him I have named, our affair is simple. Take this packet, " he continued, placing a sealed letter of more thanusual size into the hand of the gondolier, and drawing from his finger asignet ring, "with this token of thy authority. Within that arch of theDoge's palace which leads to the canal of San Marco, beneath the Bridgeof Sighs, thou wilt find Jacopo. Give him the packet; and, should hedemand it, withhold not the ring. Wait his bidding, and return with theanswer. "

Gino received this commission with profound respect, but with an awe hecould not conceal. Habitual deference to his master appeared to strugglewith deep distaste for the office he was required to perform; and therewas even some manifestation of a more principled reluctance, in hishesitating yet humble manner. If Don Camillo noted the air andcountenance of his menial at all, he effectually concealed it. 

"At the arched passage of the palace, beneath the Bridge of Sighs, " hecoolly added; "and let thy arrival there be timed, as near as may be, tothe first hour of the night. "

"I would, Signore, that you had been pleased to command Giorgio and meto row you to Padua!"

"The way is long. Why this sudden wish to weary thyself?"

"Because there is no Doge's palace, nor any Bridge of Sighs, nor any dogof Jacopo Frontoni among the meadows. "

"Thou hast little relish for this duty; but thou must know that what themaster commands it is the duty of a faithful follower to perform. Thouwert born my vassal, Gino Monaldi; and though trained from boyhood inthis occupation of a gondolier, thou art properly a being of my fiefs inNapoli. "

"St. Gennaro make me grateful for the honor, Signore! But there is not awater-seller in the streets of Venice, nor a mariner on her canals, whodoes not wish this Jacopo anywhere but in the bosom of Abraham. He isthe terror of every young lover, and of all the urgent creditors on theislands. "

"Thou seest, silly babbler, there is one of the former, at least, whodoes not hold him in dread. Thou wilt seek him beneath the Bridge ofSighs, and, showing the signet, deliver the package according to myinstructions. "

"It is certain loss of character to be seen speaking with the miscreant!So lately as yesterday, I heard Annina, the pretty daughter of the oldwine-seller on the Lido, declare, that to be seen once in company withJacopo Frontoni was as bad as to be caught twice bringing old rope fromthe arsenal, as befell Roderigo, her mother's cousin. "

"Thy distinctions savor of the morals of the Lido. Remember to exhibitthe ring, lest he distrust thy errand. "

"Could not your eccellenza set me about clipping the wings of the lion, or painting a better picture than Tiziano di Vecelli? I have a mortaldislike even to pass the mere compliments of the day with one of yourcut-throats. Were any of our gondoliers to see me in discourse with theman, it might exceed your eccellenza's influence to get me a place inthe regatta. "

"If he detain thee, Gino, thou wilt wait his pleasure; and if he dismissthee at once, return hither with all expedition, that I may know theresult. "

"I very well know, Signor Don Camillo, that the honor of a noble is moretender of reproach than that of his followers, and that the stain uponthe silken robe of a senator is seen farther than the spot upon a velvetjacket. If any one unworthy of your eccellenza's notice has dared tooffend, here are Giorgio and I, ready, at any time, to show how deeplywe can feel an indignity which touches our master's credit; but ahireling of two, or ten, or even of a hundred sequins!"

"I thank thee for the hint, Gino. Go thou and sleep in thy gondola, andbid Giorgio come into my cabinet. "

"Signore!"

"Art thou resolute to do none of my biddings?"

"Is it your eccellenza's pleasure that I go to the Bridge of Sighs bythe footways of the streets, or by the canals?"

"There may be need of a gondola--thou wilt go with the oar. "

"A tumbler shall not have time to turn round before the answer of Jacoposhall be here. "

With this sudden change of purpose the gondolier quitted the room, forthe reluctance of Gino disappeared the moment he found the confidentialduty assigned him by his master was likely to be performed by another. Descending rapidly by a secret stair instead of entering the vestibulewhere half a dozen menials of different employments were in waiting, hepassed by one of the narrow corridors of the palace into an inner court, and thence by a low and unimportant gate into an obscure alley whichcommunicated with the nearest street. 

Though the age is one of so great activity and intelligence, and theAtlantic is no longer a barrier even to the ordinary amusements of life, a great majority of Americans have never had an opportunity ofpersonally examining the remarkable features of a region, of which thetown that Gino now threaded with so much diligence is not the leastworthy of observation. Those who have been so fortunate as to havevisited Italy, therefore, will excuse us if we make a brief, but what webelieve useful digression, for the benefit of those who have not hadthat advantage. 

The city of Venice stands on a cluster of low sandy islands. It isprobable that the country which lies nearest to the gulf, if not thewhole of the immense plain of Lombardy itself, is of alluvial formation. Whatever may have been the origin of that wide and fertile kingdom, thecauses which have given to the Lagunes their existence, and to Veniceits unique and picturesque foundation, are too apparent to be mistaken. Several torrents which flow from the valleys of the Alps pour theirtribute into the Adriatic at this point. Their waters come charged withthe débris of the mountains, pulverized nearly to their originalelements. Released from the violence of the stream, these particles havenecessarily been deposited in the gulf, at the spot where they havefirst become subjected to the power of the sea. Under the influence ofcounteracting currents, eddies, and waves, the sands have been throwninto submarine piles, until some of the banks have arisen above thesurface, forming islands, whose elevation has been gradually augmentedby the decay of vegetation. A glance at the map will show that, whilethe Gulf of Venice is not literally, it is practically, considered withreference to the effect produced by the south-east wind called theSirocco, at the head of the Adriatic. This accidental circumstance isprobably the reason why the Lagunes have a more determined character atthe mouths of the minor streams that empty themselves here than at themouths of most of the other rivers, which equally flow from the Alps orthe Apennines into the same shallow sea. 

The natural consequence of a current of a river meeting the waters ofany broad basin, and where there is no base of rock, is the formation, at or near the spot where the opposing actions are neutralized, of abank, which is technically called a bar. The coast of the Unionfurnishes constant evidence of the truth of this theory, every riverhaving its bar, with channels that are often shifted, or cleared, by thefreshets, the gales, or the tides. The constant and powerful operationof the south-eastern winds on one side, with the periodical increase ofthe Alpine streams on the other, have converted this bar at the entranceof the Venetian Lagunes, into a succession of long, low, sandy islands, which extend in a direct line nearly across the mouth of the gulf. Thewaters of the rivers have necessarily cut a few channels for theirpassage, or, what is now a lagune, would long since have become a lake. Another thousand years may so far change the character of thisextraordinary estuary as to convert the channels of the bay into rivers, and the muddy banks into marshes and meadows, resembling those that arenow seen for so many leagues inland. 

The low margin of sand that, in truth, gives all its maritime securityto the port of Venice and the Lagunes, is called the Lido di Palestrino. It has been artificially connected and secured, in many places, and thewall of the Lido (literally the beach), though incomplete, like most ofthe great and vaunted works of the other hemisphere, and moreparticularly of Italy, ranks with the mole of Ancona, and the sea-wallof Cherbourg. The hundred little islands which now contain the ruins ofwhat, during the middle ages, was the mart of the Mediterranean, aregrouped together within cannon-shot of the natural barrier. Art hasunited with nature to turn the whole to good account; and, apart fromthe influence of moral causes, the rivalry of a neighboring town, whichhas been fostered by political care, and the gradual filling up of thewaters, by the constant deposit of the streams, it would be difficult toimagine a more commodious, or a safer haven when entered, than thatwhich Venice affords, even to this hour. 

As all the deeper channels of the Lagunes have been preserved, the cityis intersected in every direction by passages, which from theirappearance are called canals, but which, in truth, are no more than somany small natural branches of the sea. On the margin of these passages, the walls of the dwellings arise literally from out of the water, sinceeconomy of room has caused their owners to extend their possessions tothe very verge of the channel, in the manner that quays and wharfs arepushed into the streams in our own country. In many instances theislands themselves were no more than banks, which were periodicallybare, and on all, the use of piles has been necessary to support thesuperincumbent loads of palaces, churches, and public monuments, underwhich, in the course of ages, the humble spits of sand have been madeto groan. 

The great frequency of the canals, and perhaps some attention to economyof labor, has given to by far the greater part of the buildings thefacility of an approach by water. But, while nearly every dwelling hasone of its fronts on a canal, there are always communications by therear with the interior passages of the town. It is a fault in mostdescriptions, that while the stranger hears so much of the canals ofVenice, but little is said of her streets: still, narrow, paved, commodious, and noiseless passages of this description, intersect allthe islands, which communicate with each other by means of a countlessnumber of bridges. Though the hoof of a horse or the rumbling of a wheelis never heard in these strait avenues, they are of great resort for allthe purposes of ordinary intercourse. 

Gino issued into one of these thoroughfares when he quitted the privatepassage which communicated with the palace of his master. He threadedthe throng by which it was crowded, with a dexterity that resembled thewindings of an eel among the weeds of the Lagunes. To the numerousgreetings of his fellows, he replied only by nods; nor did he oncearrest his footsteps, until they had led him through the door of a lowand dark dwelling that stood in a quarter of the place which wasinhabited by people of an inferior condition. Groping his way amongcasks, cordage, and rubbish of all descriptions, the gondolier succeededin finding an inner and retired door that opened into a small room, whose only light came from a species of well that descended between thewalls of the adjacent houses and that in which he was. 

"Blessed St. Anne! Is it thou, Gino Monaldi!" exclaimed a smart Venetiangrisette, whose tone and manner betrayed as much of coquetry as ofsurprise. "On foot, and by the secret door! Is this an hour to come onany of thy errands?"

"Truly, Annina, it is not the season for affairs with thy father, andit is something early for a visit to thee. But there is less time forwords than for action, just now. For the sake of San Teodoro, and thatof a constant and silly young man, who, if not thy slave, is at leastthy dog, bring forth the jacket I wore when we went together to see themerry-making at Fusina. "

"I know nothing of thy errand, Gino, nor of thy reason for wishing tochange thy master's livery for the dress of a common boatman. Thou artfar more comely with those silken flowers than in this faded velveteen;and if I have ever said aught in commendation of its appearance, it wasbecause we were bent on merry-making, and being one of the party, itwould have been churlish to have withheld a word of praise to acompanion, who, as thou knowest, does not dislike a civil speech in hisown praise. "

"Zitto, zitto! here is no merry-making and companions, but a matter ofgravity, and one that must be performed offhand. The jacket, if thoulovest me!"

Annina, who had not neglected essentials while she moralized on motives, threw the garment on a stool that stood within reach of the gondolier'shand, as he made this strong appeal in a way to show that she was not tobe surprised out of a confession of this sort, even in the mostunguarded moment. 

"If I love thee, truly! Thou hast the jacket, Gino, and thou mayestsearch in its pockets for an answer to thy letter, which I do not thankthee for having got the duca's secretary to indite. A maiden should bediscreet in affairs of this sort; for one never knows but he may make aconfidant of a rival. "

"Every work of it is as true as if the devil himself had done the officefor me, girl, " muttered Gino, uncasing himself from his floweryvestment, and as rapidly assuming the plainer garment he hadsought--"The cap, Annina, and the mask!"

"One who wears so false a face, in common, has little need of a bit ofsilk to conceal his countenance, " she answered, throwing him, notwithstanding, both the articles he required. 

"This is well. Father Battista himself, who boasts he can tell a sinnerfrom a penitent merely by the savor of his presence, would never suspecta servitor of Don Camillo Monforte in this dress. Cospetto! but I havehalf a mind to visit that knave of a Jew, who has got thy golden chainin pledge, and give him a hint of what may be the consequences, shouldhe insist on demanding double the rate of interest we agreed on. "

"'Twould be Christian justice! but what would become of thy matter ofgravity the while, Gino, and of thy haste to enter on its performance?"

"Thou sayest truly, girl. Duty above all other things; though tofrighten a grasping Hebrew may be as much of a duty as other matters. Are all thy father's gondolas in the water?"

"How else could he be gone to the Lido, and my brother Luigi to Fusini, and the two serving-men on the usual business to the islands, or howelse should I be alone?"

"Diavolo! is there no boat in the canal?"

"Thou art in unwonted haste, Gino, now thou hast a mask and jacket ofvelvet. I know not that I should suffer one to enter my father's housewhen I am in it alone, and take such disguises to go abroad, at thishour. Thou wilt tell me thy errand, that I may judge of the propriety ofwhat I do. "

"Better ask the Three Hundred to open the leaves of their book of doom!Give me the key of the outer door, girl, that I may go my way. "

"Not till I know whether this business is likely to draw down upon myfather the displeasure of the Senate. Thou knowest, Gino, that I am----"

"Diamine! There goes the clock of San Marco, and I tarry past my hour. If I am too late, the fault will rest with thee. "

"'Twill not be the first of thy oversights which it has been my businessto excuse. Here thou art, and here shalt thou remain, until I know theerrand which calls for a mask and jacket, and all about this matter ofgravity. "

"This is talking like a jealous wife instead of a reasonable girl, Annina. I have told thee that I am on business of the last importance, and that delay may bring heavy calamities. "

"On whom? What is thy business? Why art thou, whom in general it isnecessary to warn from this house by words many times repeated, now insuch a haste to leave it?"

"Have I not told thee, girl, 'tis an errand of great concern to sixnoble families, and if I fail to be in season there may be astrife--aye, between the Florentine and the Republic!"

"Thou hast said nothing of the sort, nor do I put faith in thy being anambassador of San Marco. Speak truth for once, Gino Monaldi, or layaside the mask and jacket, and take up thy flowers of Sant' Agata. "

"Well, then, as we are friends, and I have faith in thy discretion, Annina, thou shalt know the truth to the extremity, for I find the bellhas only tolled the quarters, which leaves me yet a moment forconfidence. "

"Thou lookest at the wall, Gino, and art consulting thy wits for someplausible lie!"

"I look at the wall because conscience tells me that too much weaknessfor thee is about to draw me astray from duty. What thou takest fordeceit is only shame and modesty. "

"Of that we shall judge, when the tale is told. "

"Then listen. Thou hast heard of the affair between my master and theniece of the Roman Marchese, who was drowned in the Giudecca by thecarelessness of an Ancona-man, who passed over the gondola of Pietro asif his felucca had been a galley of state?"

"Who has been upon the Lido the month past without hearing the talerepeated, with every variation of a gondolier's anger?"

"Well, the matter is likely to come to a conclusion this night; mymaster is about to do, as I fear, a very foolish thing. "

"He will be married!"

"Or worse! I am sent in all haste and secresy in search of a priest. "

Annina manifested strong interest in the fiction of the gondolier. Either from a distrustful temperament, long habit, or great familiaritywith the character of her companion, however, she did not listen to hisexplanation without betraying some doubts of its truth. 

"This will be a sudden bridal feast!" she said, after a moment of pause. "'Tis well that few are invited, or its savor might be spoiled by theThree Hundred! To what convent art thou sent?"

"My errand is not particular. The first that may be found, provided hebe a Franciscan, and a priest likely to have bowels for lovers inhaste. "

"Don Camillo Monforte, the heir of an ancient and great line, does notwive with so little caution. Thy false tongue has been trying to deceiveme, Gino; but long use should have taught thee the folly of the effort. Unless thou sayest truth, not only shalt thou not go to thy errand, buthere art thou prisoner at my pleasure. "

"I may have told thee what I expect will shortly happen, rather thanwhat has happened. But Don Camillo keeps me so much upon the water oflate, that I do little besides dream, when not at the oar. "

"It is vain to attempt deceiving me, Gino, for thine eye speakethtruth, let thy tongue and brains wander where they will. Drink of thiscup, and disburden thy conscience, like a man. "

"I would that thy father would make the acquaintance of Stefano Milano, "resumed the gondolier, taking a long breath, after a still longerdraught. "'Tis a padrone of Calabria, who oftentimes brings into theport excellent liquors of his country, and who would pass a cask of thered lachryma christi through the Broglio itself, and not a noble of themall should see it. The man is here at present, and, if thou wilt, heshall not be long without coming into terms with thee for a few skins. "

"I doubt if he have better liquors than this which hath ripened upon thesands of the Lido. Take another draught, for the second taste is thoughtto be better than the first. "

"If the wine improve in this manner, thy father should be heavy-heartedat the sight of the lees. 'Twould be no more than charity to bring himand Stefano acquainted. "

"Why not do it immediately? His felucca is in the port, thou sayest, andthou canst lead him hither by the secret door and the lanes. "

"Thou forgettest my errand. Don Camillo is not used to be served thesecond. Cospetto! 'T were a pity that any other got the liquor which Iam certain the Calabrian has in secret. "

"This errand can be no matter of a moment, like that of being sure ofwine of the quality thou namest; or, if it be, thou canst first dispatchthy master's business, and then to the port, in quest of Stefano. Thatthe purchase may not fail, I will take a mask and be thy companion, tosee the Calabrian. Thou knowest my father hath much confidence in myjudgment in matters like this. "

While Gino stood half stupified and half delighted at this proposition, the ready and wily Annina made some slight change in her outergarments, placed a silken mask before her face, applied a key to thedoor, and beckoned to the gondolier to follow. 

The canal with which the dwelling of the wine-dealer communicated, wasnarrow, gloomy, and little frequented. A gondola of the plainestdescription was fastened near, and the girl entered it, withoutappearing to think any further arrangement necessary. The servant of DonCamillo hesitated a single instant, but having seen that hishalf-meditated project of escaping by the use of another boat could notbe accomplished for want of means, he took his worried place in thestern, and began to ply the oar with mechanical readiness. 

CHAPTER III. 

 "What well appointed leader fronts us here?" KING HENRY VI. 

The presence of Annina was a grave embarrassment to Gino. He had hissecret wishes and limited ambition, like other men, and among thestrongest of the former, was the desire to stand well in the favor ofthe wine-seller's daughter. But the artful girl, in catering to hispalate with a liquor that was scarcely less celebrated among people ofhis class for its strength than its flavor, had caused a momentaryconfusion in the brain of Gino, that required time to disperse. The boatwas in the Grand Canal, and far on its way to the place of itsdestination, before this happy purification of the intellects of thegondolier had been sufficiently effected. By that time, however, theexercise of rowing, the fresh air of the evening, and the sight of somany accustomed objects, restored his faculties to the necessary degreeof coolness and forethought. As the boat approached the end of the canalhe began to cast his eyes about him in quest of the well known feluccaof the Calabrian. 

Though the glory of Venice had departed, the trade of the city was notthen at its present low ebb. The port was still crowded with vesselsfrom many distant havens, and the flags of most of the maritime statesof Europe were seen, at intervals, within the barrier of the Lido. Themoon was now sufficiently high to cast its soft light on the whole ofthe glittering basin, and a forest composed of lateen yards, of theslender masts of polaccas, and of the more massive and heavy hamper ofregularly rigged ships, was to be seen rising above the tranquilelement. 

"Thou art no judge of a vessel's beauty, Annina, " said the gondolier tohis companion, who was deeply housed in the pavilion of the boat, "elseshould I tell thee to look at this stranger from Candia. 'Tis said thata fairer model has never entered within the Lido than that same Greek!"

"Our errand is not with the Candian trader, Gino; therefore ply thy oar, for time passes. "

"There's plenty of rough Greek wine in his hold; but, as thou sayest, wehave naught with him. Yon tall ship, which is moored without the smallercraft of our seas, is the vessel of a Lutheran from the islands ofInghilterra. 'Twas a sad day for the Republic, girl, when it firstpermitted the stranger to come into the waters of the Adriatic!"

"Is it certain, Gino, that the arm of St. Mark was strong enough to keephim out?"

"Mother of Diana! I would rather thou didst not ask that question in aplace where so many gondoliers are in motion! Here are Ragusans, Maltese, Sicilians, and Tuscans without number; and a little fleet ofFrench lie near each other there, at the entrance of the Giudecca. Theyare a people who get together, afloat or ashore, for the benefit of thetongue. Here we are, at the end of our journey. "

The oar of Gino gave a backward sweep, and the gondola was at rest bythe side of a felucca. 

"A happy night to the Bella Sorrentina and her worthy padrone!" was thegreeting of the gondolier, as he put his foot on the deck of the vessel. "Is the honest Stefano Milano on board the swift felucca?"

The Calabrian was not slow to answer; and in a few moments the padroneand his two visitors were in close and secret conference. 

"I have brought one here who will be likely to put good Venetiansequins into thy pocket, caro, " observed the gondolier, when thepreliminaries of discourse had been properly observed. "She is thedaughter of a most conscientious wine-dealer, who is quite as ready attransplanting your Sicilian grapes into the islands as he is willing andable to pay for them. "

"And one, no doubt, as handsome as she is ready, " said the mariner, withblunt gallantry, "were the black cloud but fairly driven from before herface. "

"A mask is of little consequence in a bargain provided the money beforthcoming. We are always in the Carnival at Venice; and he who wouldbuy, or he who would sell, has the same right to hide his face as tohide his thoughts. What hast thou in the way of forbidden liquors, Stefano, that my companion may not lose the night in idle words?"

"Per Diana! Master Gino, thou puttest thy questions with littleceremony. The hold of the felucca is empty, as thou mayest see bystepping to the hatches; and as for any liquor, we are perishing for adrop to warm the blood. "

"And so far from coming to seek it here, " said Annina, "we should havedone better to have gone into the cathedral, and said an Ave for thysafe voyage home. And now that our wit is spent, we will quit thee, friend Stefano, for some other less skilful in answers. "

"Cospetto! thou knowest not what thou sayest, " whispered Gino, when hefound that the wary Annina was not disposed to remain. "The man neverenters the meanest creek in Italy, without having something usefulsecreted in the felucca on his own account. One purchase of him wouldsettle the question between the quality of thy father's wines and thoseof Battista. There is not a gondolier in Venice but will resort to thyshop if the intercourse with this fellow can be fairly settled. "

Annina hesitated; long practised in the small, but secret exceedinglyhazardous commerce which her father, notwithstanding the vigilance andseverity of the Venetian police, had thus far successfully driven, sheneither liked to risk an exposure of her views to an utter stranger, norto abandon a bargain that promised to be lucrative. That Gino trifledwith her as to his true errand needed no confirmation, since a servantof the Duke of Sant' Agata was not likely to need a disguise to search apriest; but she knew his zeal for her personal welfare too well todistrust his faith in a matter that concerned her own safety. 

"If thou distrust that any here are the spies of the authorities, " sheobserved to the padrone, with a manner that readily betrayed her wishes, "it will be in Gino's power to undeceive thee. Thou wilt testify, Gino, that I am not to be suspected of treachery in an affair like this. "

"Leave me to put a word into the private ear of the Calabrian, " said thegondolier, significantly. --"Stefano Milano, if thou love me, " hecontinued, when they were a little apart, "keep the girl in parley, andtreat with her fairly for thy adventure. "

"Shall I sell the vintage of Don Camillo, or that of the Viceroy ofSicily, caro? There is as much wine of each on board the BellaSorrentina, as would float the fleet of the Republic. "

"If, in truth, thou art dry, then feign that thou hast it, and differ inthy prices. Entertain her but a minute with fair words, while I can getunseen into my gondola; and then, for the sake of an old and triedfriend, put her tenderly on the quay, in the best manner thou art able. "

"I begin to see into the nature of the trade, " returned the pliantpadrone, placing a finger on the side of his nose. "I will discourse thewoman by the hour about the flavor of the liquor, or, if thou wilt, ofher own beauty; but to squeeze a drop of anything better than the waterof the Lagunes out of the ribs of the felucca, would be a miracle worthyof San Teodoro. "

"There is but little need to touch on aught but the quality of thywine. The girl is not like most of her sex, and she takes sudden offencewhen there is question of her appearance. Indeed, the mask she wears isas much to hide a face that has little to tempt the eye, as from anywish at concealment. "

"Since Gino has entered frankly into the matter, " resumed thequick-witted Calabrian, cheerfully, and with an air of sudden confidenceto the expectant Annina, "I begin to see more probability of ourunderstanding each other's meaning. Deign, bella donna, to go into mypoor cabin, where we will speak more at our ease, and something more toour mutual profit and mutual security. "

Annina was not without secret doubts, but she suffered the padrone tolead her to the stairs of the cabin, as if she were disposed to descend. Her back was no sooner turned, than Gino slid into the gondola, whichone shove of his vigorous arm sent far beyond the leap of man. Theaction was sudden, rapid, and noiseless; but the jealous eye of Anninadetected the escape of the gondolier, though not in time to prevent it. Without betraying uneasiness, she submitted to be led below, as if thewhole were done by previous concert. 

"Gino has said that you have a boat which will do the friendly office toput me on the quay when our conference is over, " she remarked, with apresence of mind that luckily met the expedient of her late companion. 

"The felucca itself should do that much, were there want of othermeans, " gallantly returned the manner when they disappeared in thecabin. 

Free to discharge his duty, Gino now plied his task with redoubled zeal. The light boat glided among the vessels, inclining, by the skilfulmanagement of his single oar, in a manner to avoid all collision, untilit entered the narrow canal which separates the palace of the Doge fromthe more beautiful and classic structure that contains the prisons ofthe Republic. The bridge which continues the communication of the quays, was first passed, and then he was stealing beneath that far-famed archwhich supports a covered gallery leading from the upper story of thepalace into that of the prisons, and which, from its being appropriatedto the passage of the accused from their cells to the presence of theirjudges, has been so poetically, and it may be added so pathetically, called the Bridge of Sighs. 

The oar of Gino now relaxed its efforts, and the gondola approached aflight of steps over which, as usual, the water cast its little waves. Stepping on the lowest flag, he thrust a small iron spike to which acord was attached, into a crevice between two of the stones, and lefthis boat to the security of this characteristic fastening. When thislittle precaution was observed, the gondolier passed up lightly beneaththe massive arch of the water-gate of the palace, and entered its largebut gloomy court. 

At that hour, and with the temptation of the gay scene which offered inthe adjoining square, the place was nearly deserted. A single femalewater-carrier was at the well, waiting for the element to filter intoits basin, in order to fill her buckets, while her ear listened in dullattention to the hum of the moving crowd without. A halberdier paced theopen gallery at the head of the Giant's Stairs, and, here and there, thefootfall of other sentinels might be heard among the hollow andponderous arches of the long corridors. No light was shed from thewindows; but the entire building presented a fit emblem of thatmysterious power which was known to preside over the fortunes of Veniceand her citizens. Ere Gino trusted himself without the shadow of thepassage by which he had entered, two or three curious faces had appearedat the opposite entrance of the court, where they paused a moment togaze at the melancholy and imposing air of the dreaded palace, beforethey vanished in the throng which trifled in the immediate proximity ofthat secret and ruthless tribunal, as man riots in security even on theverge of an endless and unforeseen future. 

Disappointed in his expectation of meeting him he sought, on theinstant, the gondolier advanced, and taking courage by the possibilityof his escaping altogether from the interview, he ventured to furnishaudible evidence of his presence by a loud hem. At that instant a figureglided into the court from the side of the quay, and walked swiftlytowards its centre. The heart of Gino beat violently, but he musteredresolution to meet the stranger. As they drew near each other, it becameevident, by the light of the moon, which penetrated even to that gloomyspot, that the latter was also masked. 

"San Teodoro and San Marco have you in mind!" commenced the gondolier. "If I mistake not, you are the man I am sent to meet. "

The stranger started, and first manifesting an intention to pass onquickly, he suddenly arrested the movement to reply. 

"This may be so or not. Unmask, that I may judge by thy countenance ifwhat thou sayest be true. "

"By your good leave, most worthy and honorable Signore, and if it beequally agreeable to you and my master, I would choose to keep off theevening air by this bit of pasteboard and silk. "

"Here are none to betray thee, wert thou naked as at thy birth. Unlesscertain of thy character, in what manner may I confide in thy honesty?"

"I have no distrust of the virtues of an undisguised face, Signore, andtherefore do I invite you, yourself, to exhibit what nature has done foryou in the way of features, that I, who am to make the confidence, besure it be to the right person. "

"This is well, and gives assurance of thy prudence. I may not unmask, however; and as there seemeth little probability of our coming to anunderstanding, I will go my way. A most happy night to thee. "

"Cospetto!--Signore, you are far too quick in your ideas and movementsfor one little used to negotiations of this sort. Here is a ring whosesignet may help us to understand each other. "

The stranger took the jewel, and holding the stone in a manner toreceive the light of the moon, he started in a manner to betray bothsurprise and pleasure. 

"This is the falcon crest of the Neapolitan--he that is the lord ofSant' Agata!"

"And of many other fiefs, good Signore, to say nothing of the honors heclaims in Venice. Am I right in supposing my errand with you?"

"Thou hast found one whose present business has no other object than DonCamillo Monforte. But thy errand was not solely to exhibit the signet?"

"So little so, that I have a packet here which waits only for acertainty of the person with whom I speak, to be placed into his hands. "

The stranger mused a moment; then glancing a look about him, he answeredhurriedly--

"This is no place to unmask, friend, even though we only wear ourdisguises in pleasantry. Tarry here, and at my return I will conductthee to a more fitting spot. "

The words were scarcely uttered when Gino found himself standing in themiddle of the court alone. The masked stranger had passed swiftly on, and was at the bottom of the Giant's Stairs ere the gondolier had timefor reflection. He ascended with a light and rapid step, and withoutregarding the halberdier, he approached the first of three or fourorifices which opened into the wall of the palace, and which, from theheads of the animal being carved in relief around them, had becomefamous as the receptacles of secret accusations under the name of theLion's Mouths. Something he dropped into the grinning aperture of themarble, though what, the distance and the obscurity of the galleryprevented Gino from perceiving; and then his form was seen gliding likea phantom down the flight of massive steps. 

Gino had retired towards the arch of the water-gate, in expectation thatthe stranger would rejoin him within its shadows; but, to his greatalarm, he saw the form darting through the outer portal of the palaceinto the square of St. Mark. It was not a moment ere Gino, breathlesswith haste, was in chase. On reaching the bright and gay scene of thepiazza, which contrasted with the gloomy court he had just quitted likemorning with night, he saw the utter fruitlessness of further pursuit. Frightened at the loss of his master's signet, however, the indiscreetbut well intentioned gondolier rushed into the crowd, and tried in vainto select the delinquent from among a thousand masks. 

"Harkee, Signore, " uttered the half-distracted gondolier to one, who, having first examined his person with distrust, evidently betrayed awish to avoid him, "if thou hast sufficiently pleased thy finger with mymaster's signet, the occasion offers to return it. "

"I know thee not, " returned a voice, in which Gino's ear could detect nofamiliar sound. 

"It may not be well to trifle with the displeasure of a noble aspowerful as him, you know, " he whispered at the elbow of another, whohad come under his suspicions. "The signet, if thou pleasest, and theaffair need go no further. "

"He who would meddle in it, with or without that gage, would do well topause. "

The gondolier again turned away disappointed. 

"The ring is not suited to thy masquerade, friend of mine, " he essayedwith a third; "and it would be wise not to trouble the podestŕ aboutsuch a trifle. "

"Then name it not, lest he hear thee. " The answer proved, like all theothers, unsatisfactory and bootless. 

Gino now ceased to question any; but he threaded the throng with anactive and eager eye. Fifty times was he tempted to speak, but as oftendid some difference in stature or dress, some laugh, or trifle utteredin levity, warn him of his mistake. He penetrated to the very head ofthe piazza, and, returning by the opposite side, he found his waythrough the throng of the porticoes, looking into every coffee-house, and examining each figure that floated by, until he again issued intothe piazzetta, without success. A slight jerk at the elbow of his jacketarrested his steps, and he turned to look at the person who had detainedhim. A female, attired like a contadina, addressed him in the feignedvoice common to all. 

"Whither so fast, and what hast thou lost in this merry crowd? If aheart, 'twill be wise to use diligence, for many here may be willing towear the jewel. "

"Corpo di Bacco!" exclaimed the disappointed gondolier; "any who findsuch a bauble of mine under foot, are welcome to their luck! Hast thouseen a domino of a size like that of any other man, with a gait thatmight pass for the step of a senator, padre, or Jew, and a mask thatlooks as much like a thousand of these in the square as one side of thecampanile is like the other?"

"Thy picture is so well drawn that one cannot fail to know the original. He stands beside thee. "

Gino wheeled suddenly, and saw that a grinning harlequin was playing hisantics in the place where he had expected to find the stranger. 

"And thy eyes, bella contadina, are as dull as a mole's. "

He ceased speaking; for, deceived in his person, she who had saluted himwas no longer visible. In this manner did the disappointed gondolierthread his way towards the water, now answering to the boisterous saluteof some clown, and now repelling the advances of females less disguisedthan the pretended contadina, until he gained a space near the quays, where there was more room for observation. Here he paused, undeterminedwhether to return and confess his indiscretion to his master, or whetherhe should make still another effort to regain the ring which had been sosillily lost. The vacant space between the two granite columns was leftto the quiet possession of himself and one other, who stood near thebase of that which sustained the lion of St. Mark, as motionless as ifhe too were merely a form of stone. Two or three stragglers, either ledby idle curiosity or expecting to meet one appointed to await theircoming, drew near this immovable man, but all glided away, as if therewere repulsion in his marble-like countenance. Gino had witnessedseveral instances of this evident dislike to remain near the unknownfigure, ere he felt induced to cross the space between them, in order toinquire into its cause. A slow movement at the sound of his footsteps, brought the rays of the moon full upon the calm countenance andsearching eye of the very man he sought. 

The first impulse of the gondolier, like that of all the others he hadseen approach the spot, was to retreat; but the recollection of hiserrand and his loss came in season to prevent such an exhibition of hisdisgust and alarm. Still he did not speak; but he met the riveted gazeof the Bravo with a look that denoted, equally, confusion of intellectand a half-settled purpose. 

"Would'st thou aught with me?" demanded Jacopo, when the gaze of eachhad continued beyond the term of accidental glances. 

"My master's signet. "

"I know thee not. "

"That image of San Teodoro could testify that this is holy truth, if itwould but speak! I have not the honor of your friendship, Signor Jacopo;but one may have affairs even with a stranger. If you met a peaceableand innocent gondolier in the court of the palace since the clock of thepiazza told the last quarter, and got from him a ring, which can be ofbut little use to any but its rightful owner, one so generous will nothesitate to return it. "

"Dost thou take me for a jeweller of the Rialto that thou speakest to meof rings?"

"I take you for one well known and much valued by many of name andquality, here in Venice, as witness my errand from my own master. "

"Remove thy mask. Men of fair dealing need not hide the features whichnature has given them. "

"You speak nothing but truths, Signor Frontoni, which is littleremarkable considering thy opportunities of looking into the motives ofmen. There is little in my face to pay you for the trouble of casting aglance at it. I would as lief do as others in this gay season, if it beequally agreeable to you. "

"Do as thou wilt; but I pray thee to give me the same permission. "

"There are few so bold as to dispute thy pleasure, Signore. "

"It is, to be alone. "

"Cospetto! There is not a man in Venice who would more gladly consultit, if my master's errand were fairly done!" muttered Gino, between histeeth. "I have here a packet, which it is my duty to put into yourhands, Signore, and into those of no other. "

"I know thee not--thou hast a name?"

"Not in the sense in which you speak, Signore. As to that sort ofreputation I am as nameless as a foundling. "

"If thy master is of no more note than thyself the packet may bereturned. "

"There are few within the dominions of St. Mark of better lineage or offairer hopes than the Duke of Sant' Agata. "

The cold expression of the Bravo's countenance changed. 

"If thou comest from Don Camillo Monforte, why dost thou hesitate toproclaim it? Where are his requests?"

"I know not whether it is his pleasure or that of another which thispaper contains, but such as it is, Signor Jacopo, my duty commands me todeliver it to thee. "

The packet was received calmly, though the organ which glanced at itsseal and its superscription, gleamed with an expression which thecredulous gondolier fancied to resemble that of the tiger at the sightof blood. 

"Thou said'st something of a ring. Dost thou bear thy master's signet? Iam much accustomed to see pledges ere I give faith. "

"Blessed San Teodore grant that I did! Were it as heavy as a skin ofwine, I would willingly bear the load; but one that I mistook for you, Master Jacopo, has it on his own light finger, I fear. "

"This is an affair that thou wilt settle with thy master, " returned theBravo, coldly, again examining the impression of the seal. 

"If you are acquainted with the writing of my master, " hurriedlyremarked Gino, who trembled for the fate of the packet, "you will seehis skill in the turn of those letters. There are few nobles in Venice, or indeed in the Sicilies, who have a more scholarly hand, with a quill, than Don Camillo Monforte; I could not do the thing half so wellmyself. "

"I am no clerk, " observed the Bravo, without betraying shame at theconfession. "The art of deciphering a scroll, like this, was nevertaught me; if thou art so expert in the skill of a penman, tell me thename the packet bears. "

"'Twould little become me to breathe a syllable concerning any of mymaster's secrets, " returned the gondolier, drawing himself up in suddenreserve. "It is enough that he bid me deliver the letter; after which Ishould think it presumption even to whisper more. "

The dark eye of the Bravo was seen rolling over the person of hiscompanion, by the light of the moon, in a manner that caused the bloodof the latter to steal towards his heart. 

"I bid thee read to me aloud the name the paper bears, " said Jacopo, sternly. "Here is none but the lion and the saint above our heads tolisten. "

"Just San Marco! who can tell what ear is open or what ear is shut inVenice? If you please, Signor Frontoni, we will postpone the examinationto a more suitable occasion. "

"Friend, I do not play the fool! The name, or show me some gage thatthou art sent by him thou hast named, else take back the packet; 'tis noaffair for my hand. "

"Reflect a single moment on the consequences, Signor Jacopo, before youcome to a determination so hasty. "

"I know no consequences which can befall a man who refuses to receive amessage like this. "

"Per Diana! Signore, the Duca will not be likely to leave me an ear tohear the good advice of Father Battista. "

"Then will the Duca save the public executioner some trouble. "

As he spoke, the Bravo cast the packet at the feet of the gondolier, andbegan to walk calmly up the piazzetta. Gino seized the letter, and, withhis brain in a whirl, with the effort to recall some one of his master'sacquaintances to whom he would be likely to address an epistle on suchan occasion, he followed. 

"I wonder, Signor Jacopo, that a man of your sagacity has not rememberedthat a packet to be delivered to himself should bear his own name. "

The Bravo took the paper, and held the superscription again to thelight. 

"That is not so. Though unlearned, necessity has taught me to know whenI am meant. "

"Diamine! That is just my own case, Signore. Were the letter for me, now the old should not know its young quicker than I would come at thetruth. "

"Then thou canst not read?"

"I never pretended to the art. The little said was merely about writing. Learning, as you well understand, Master Jacopo, is divided intoreading, writing, and figures; and a man may well understand one, without knowing a word of the others. It is not absolutely necessary tobe a bishop to have a shaved head, or a Jew to wear a beard. "

"Thou would'st have done better to have said this at once; go, I willthink of the matter. "

Gino gladly turned away, but he had not left the other many paces beforehe saw a female form gliding behind the pedestal of one of the granitecolumns. Moving swiftly in a direction to uncover this seeming spy, hesaw at once that Annina had been a witness of his interview with theBravo. 

CHAPTER IV. 

 "'T will make me think The world is full of rubs, and that my fortune Runs 'gainst the bias. " RICHARD THE SECOND. 

Though Venice at that hour was so gay in her squares, the rest of thetown was silent as the grave. A city in which the hoof of horse or therolling of wheels is never heard, necessarily possesses a character ofits own; but the peculiar form of the government, and the long trainingof the people in habits of caution, weighed on the spirits of the gay. There were times and places, it is true, when the buoyancy of youthfulblood, and the levity of the thoughtless, found occasion for theirdisplay--nor were they rare; but when men found themselves removed fromthe temptation, and perhaps from the support of society, they appearedto imbibe the character of their sombre city. 

Such was the state of most of the town, while the scene described in theprevious chapter was exhibited in the lively piazza of San Marco. Themoon had risen so high that its light fell between the range of walls, here and there touching the surface of the water, to which it imparted aquivering brightness, while the domes and towers rested beneath itslight in a solemn but grand repose. Occasionally the front of a palacereceived the rays on its heavy cornices and labored columns, the gloomystillness of the interior of the edifice furnishing, in every suchinstance, a striking contrast to the richness and architectural beautywithout. Our narrative now leads us to one of these patrician abodes ofthe first class. 

A heavy magnificence pervaded the style of the dwelling. The vestibulewas vast, vaulted, and massive. The stairs, rich in marbles, heavy andgrand. The apartments were imposing in their gildings and sculpture, while the walls sustained countless works on which the highest geniusesof Italy had lavishly diffused their power. Among these relics of an agemore happy in this respect than that of which we write, the connoisseurwould readily have known the pencils of Titian, Paul Veronese, andTintoretto--the three great names in which the subjects of St. Mark sojustly prided themselves. Among these works of the higher masters weremingled others by the pencils of Bellino, and Montegna, and PalmaVecchio--artists who were secondary only to the more renowned coloristsof the Venetian school. Vast sheets of mirrors lined the walls, whereverthe still more precious paintings had no place; while the ordinaryhangings of velvet and silk became objects of secondary admiration, in ascene of nearly royal magnificence. The cool and beautiful floors, madeof a composition in which all the prized marbles of Italy and of theEast polished to the last degree of art, were curiously embedded, formeda suitable finish to a style so gorgeous, and in which luxury and tastewere blended in equal profusion. 

The building, which, on two of its sides, literally rose from out thewater, was, as usual, erected around a dark court. Following itsdifferent faces, the eye might penetrate, by many a door, open at thathour for the passage of the air from off the sea, through long suites ofrooms, furnished and fitted in the manner described, all lighted byshaded lamps that spread a soft and gentle glow around. Passing withoutnotice ranges of reception and sleeping rooms--the latter of amagnificence to mock the ordinary wants of the body--we shall at onceintroduce the reader into the part of the palace where the business ofthe tale conducts us. 

At the angle of the dwelling on the side of the smaller of the twocanals, and most remote from the principal water-avenue of the city onwhich the edifice fronted, there was a suite of apartments, which, whileit exhibited the same style of luxury and magnificence as those firstmentioned in its general character, discovered greater attention in itsdetails to the wants of ordinary life. The hangings were of the richestvelvets or of glossy silks, the mirrors were large and of exquisitetruth, the floors of the same gay and pleasing colors, and the wallswere adorned with their appropriate works of art. But the whole wassoftened down to a picture of domestic comfort. The tapestries andcurtains hung in careless folds, the beds admitted of sleep, and thepictures were delicate copies by the pencil of some youthful amateur, whose leisure had been exercised in this gentle and feminine employment. 

The fair being herself, whose early instruction had given birth to somany skilful imitations of the divine expression of Raphael, or to thevivid tints of Titian, was at that hour in her privacy, discoursing withher ghostly adviser, and one of her own sex, who had long discharged thejoint trusts of instructor and parent. The years of the lady of thepalace were so tender that, in a more northern region, she wouldscarcely have been deemed past the period of childhood, though in hernative land, the justness and maturity of her form, and the expressionof a dark, eloquent eye, indicated both the growth and the intelligenceof womanhood. 

"For this good counsel I thank you, my father, and my excellent DonnaFlorinda will thank you still more, for your opinions are so like herown, that I sometimes admire the secret means by which experienceenables the wise and the good to think so much alike, on a matter of solittle personal interest. "

A slight but furtive smile struggled around the mortified mouth of theCarmelite, as he listened to the naive observation of his ingenuouspupil. 

"Thou wilt learn, my child, " he answered, "as time heaps wisdom on thyhead, that it is in concerns which touch our passions and interestsleast, we are most apt to decide with discretion and impartiality. Though Donna Florinda is not yet past the age when the heart is finallysubdued, and there is still so much to bind her to the world, she willassure thee of this truth, or I greatly mistake the excellence of thatmind, which hath hitherto led her so far blameless, in this erringpilgrimage to which we are all doomed. "

Though the cowl was over the head of the speaker, who was evidentlypreparing to depart, and his deeply-seated eye never varied from itsfriendly look at the fair face of her he instructed, the blood stoleinto the pale cheeks of the maternal companion, and her wholecountenance betrayed some such reflection of feeling at his praise, as awintry sky exhibits at a sudden gleam from the setting sun. 

"I trust that Violetta does not now hear this for the first time, "observed Donna Florinda, in a voice so meek and tremulous as to beobserved. 

"Little that can be profitably told one of my inexperience has been leftuntaught, " quickly answered the pupil, unconscious herself that shereached her hand towards that of her constant monitor, though too intenton her object to change her look from the features of the Carmelite. "But why this desire in the Senate to dispose of a girl who would besatisfied to live for ever, as she is now, happy in her youth, andcontented with the privacy which becomes her sex?"

"The relentless years will not stay their advance, that even oneinnocent as thou may never know the unhappiness and trials of a moremature age. This life is one of imperious and, oftentimes, of tyrannicalduties. Thou art not ignorant of the policy that rules a state whichhath made its name so illustrious by high deeds in arms, its riches, andits widely-spread influence. There is a law in Venice which commandeththat none claiming an interest in its affairs shall so bind himself tothe stranger as to endanger the devotion all owe to the Republic. Thusmay not the patrician of St. Mark be a lord in other lands, nor may theheiress of a name, great and valued as thine, be given in marriage toany of note, in a foreign state, without counsel and consent from thosewho are appointed to watch over the interests of all. "

"Had Providence cast my lot in an humbler class, this would not havebeen. Methinks it ill comports with the happiness of woman to be theespecial care of the Council of Ten!"

"There is indiscretion, and I lament to say, impiety in thy words. Ourduty bids us submit to earthly laws, and more than duty, reverenceteaches us not to repine at the will of Providence. But I do not see theweight of this grievance against which thou murmurest, daughter. Thouart youthful, wealthy beyond the indulgence of all healthful desires, ofa lineage to excite an unwholesome worldly pride, and fair enough torender thee the most dangerous of thine own enemies--and thou repinestat a lot to which all of thy sex and station are, of necessity, subject!"

"For the offence against Providence I am already a penitent, " returnedthe Donna Violetta. "But surely it would be less embarrassing to a girlof sixteen, were the fathers of the state so much occupied with moreweighty affairs as to forget her birth and years, and haply her wealth?"

"There would be little merit in being content with a world fashionedafter our own caprices, though it may be questioned if we should behappier by having all things as we desire than by being compelled tosubmit to them as they are. The interest taken by the Republic in thyparticular welfare, daughter, is the price thou payest for the ease andmagnificence with which thou art encircled. One more obscure, and lessendowed by fortune, might have greater freedom of will, but it would beaccompanied by none of the pomp which adorns the dwelling of thyfathers. "

"I would there were less of luxury and more of liberty within itswalls. "

"Time will enable thee to see differently. At thy age all is viewed incolors of gold, or life is rendered bootless, because we are thwarted inour ill-digested wishes. I deny not, however, that thy fortune istempered by some peculiar passages. Venice is ruled by a policy that isoften calculating, and haply some deem it remorseless. " Though the voiceof the Carmelite had fallen, he paused and glanced an uneasy look frombeneath his cowl ere he continued. "The caution of the senate teaches itto preclude, as far as in it lies, the union of interests that may notonly oppose each other, but which may endanger those of the state. Thus, as I have said, none of senatorial rank may hold lands without thelimits of the Republic, nor may any of account connect themselves, bythe ties of marriage, with strangers of dangerous influence, without theconsent and supervision of the Republic. The latter is thy situation, for of the several foreign lords who seek thy hand the council see noneto whom the favor may be extended without the apprehension of creatingan influence here, in the centre of the canals, which ought not to begiven to a stranger. Don Camillo Monforte, the cavalier to whom thou artindebted for thy life, and of whom thou hast so lately spoken withgratitude, has far more cause to complain of these hard decrees, thanthou mayest have, in any reason. "

"'Twould make my griefs still heavier, did I know that one who has shownso much courage in my behalf, has equal reason to feel their justice, "returned Violetta, quickly. "What is the affair that, so fortunately forme, hath brought the Lord of Sant' Agata to Venice, if a grateful girlmay, without indiscretion, inquire?"

"Thy interest in his behalf is both natural and commendable, " answeredthe Carmelite, with a simplicity which did more credit to his cowl thanto his observation. "He is young, and doubtless he is tempted by thegifts of fortune and the passions of his years to divers acts ofweakness. Remember him, daughter, in thy prayers, that part of the debtof gratitude may be repaid. His worldly interest here is one of generalnotoriety, and I can ascribe thy ignorance of it only to a retiredmanner of life. "

"My charge hath other matters to occupy her thoughts than the concernsof a young stranger, who cometh to Venice for affairs, " mildly observedDonna Florinda, "But if I am to remember him in my prayers, Father, it might enlightenmy petition to know in what the young noble is most wanting. "

"I would have thee remember his spiritual necessities only. He wanteth, of a truth, little in temporalities that the world can offer, though thedesires of life often lead him who hath most in quest of more. It wouldseem that an ancestor of Don Camillo was anciently a senator of Venice, when the death of a relation brought many Calabrian signories into hispossession. The younger of his sons, by an especial decree, whichfavored a family that had well served the state, took these estates, while the elder transmitted the senatorial rank and the Venetianfortunes to his posterity. Time hath extinguished the elder branch; andDon Camillo hath for years besieged the council to be restored to thoserights which his predecessor renounced. "

"Can they refuse him?"

"His demand involves a departure from established laws. Were he torenounce the Calabrian lordships, the Neapolitan might lose more than hewould gain; and to keep both is to infringe a law that is rarelysuffered to be dormant. I know little, daughter, of the interests oflife; but there are enemies of the Republic who say that its servitudeis not easy, and that it seldom bestows favors of this sort withoutseeking an ample equivalent. "

"Is this as it should be? If Don Camillo Monforte has claims in Venice, whether it be to palaces on the canals, or to lands on the main; tohonors in the state, or voice in the senate; justice should be renderedwithout delay, lest it be said the Republic vaunts more of the sacredquality than it practises. "

"Thou speakest as a guileless nature prompts. It is the frailty of man, my daughter, to separate his public acts from the fearful responsibilityof his private deeds; as if God, in endowing his being with reason andthe glorious hopes of Christianity, had also endowed him with two souls, of which only one was to be cared for. "

"Are there not those, Father, who believe that, while the evil we commitas individuals is visited on our own persons, that which is done bystates, falls on the nation?"

"The pride of human reason has invented diverse subtleties to satisfyits own longings, but it can never feed itself on a delusion more fatalthan this! The crime which involves others in its guilt or consequences, is doubly a crime, and though it be a property of sin to entail its ownpunishment, even in our present life, he trusts to a vain hope whothinks the magnitude of the offence will ever be its apology. The chiefsecurity of our nature is to remove it beyond temptation, and he issafest from the allurements of the world who is farthest removed fromits vices. Though I would wish justice done to the noble Neapolitan, itmay be for his everlasting peace that the additional wealth he seeksshould be withheld. "

"I am unwilling to believe, Father, that a cavalier, who has shownhimself so ready to assist the distressed, will easily abuse the giftsof fortune. "

The Carmelite fastened an uneasy look on the bright features of theyoung Venetian. Parental solicitude and prophetic foresight were in hisglance, but the expression was relieved by the charity of a chastenedspirit. 

"Gratitude to the preserver of thy life becomes thy station and sex; itis a duty. Cherish the feeling, for it is akin to the holy obligation ofman to his Creator. "

"Is it enough to feel grateful!" demanded Violetta. "One of my name andalliances might do more. We can move the patricians of my family inbehalf of the stranger, that his protracted suit may come to a morespeedy end. "

"Daughter, beware; the intercession of one in whom St. Mark feels solively an interest, may raise up enemies to Don Camillo, instead offriends. "

Donna Violetta was silent, while the monk and Donna Florinda bothregarded her with affectionate concern. The former then adjusted hiscowl, and prepared to depart. The noble maiden approached the Carmelite, and looking into his face with ingenuous confidence and habitualreverence, she besought his blessing. When the solemn and customaryoffice was performed, the monk turned towards the companion of hisspiritual charge. Donna Florinda permitted the silk, on which her needlehad been busy, to fall into her lap, and she sat in meek silence, whilethe Carmelite raised his open palms towards her bended head. His lipsmoved, but the words of benediction were inaudible. Had the ardent beingintrusted to their joint care been less occupied with her own feelings, or more practised in the interests of that world into which she wasabout to enter, it is probable she would have detected some evidence ofthat deep but smothered sympathy, which so often betrayed itself in thesilent intelligence of her ghostly father and her female Mentor. 

"Thou wilt not forget us, Father?" said Violetta, with winningearnestness. "An orphan girl, in whose fate the sages of the Republic soseriously busy themselves, has need of every friend in whom she canconfide. "

"Blessed be thy intercessor, " said the monk, "and the peace of theinnocent be with thee. "

Once more he waved his hand, and turning, he slowly quitted the room. The eye of Donna Florinda followed the white robes of the Carmelite, while they were visible; and when it fell again upon the silk, it wasfor a moment closed, as if looking at the movements of the rebukedspirit within. The young mistress of the palace summoned a menial, andbade him do honor to her confessor, by seeing him to his gondola. Shethen moved to the open balcony. A long pause succeeded; it was such asilence, breathing, thoughtful, and luxurious with the repose of Italy, as suited the city and the hour. Suddenly Violetta receded from the openwindow, and withdrew a step, in alarm. 

"Is there a boat beneath?" demanded her companion, whose glance wasunavoidably attracted to the movement. 

"The water was never more quiet. But thou hearest those strains of thehautboys?"

"Are they so rare on the canals, that they drive thee from the balcony?"

"There are cavaliers beneath the windows of the Mentoni palace;doubtless they compliment our friend Olivia. "

"Even that gallantry is common. Thou knowest that Olivia is shortly tobe united to her kinsman, and he takes the usual means to show hisadmiration. "

"Dost thou not find this public announcement of a passion painful? WereI to be wooed, I could wish it might only be to my own ear. "

"That is an unhappy sentiment for one whose hand is in the gift of theSenate! I fear that a maiden of thy rank must be content to hear herbeauty extolled and her merits sung, if not exaggerated, even byhirelings beneath a balcony. "

"I would that they were done!" exclaimed Violetta, stopping her ears. "None know the excellence of our friend better than I; but this openexposure of thoughts that ought to be so private, must wound her. "

"Thou mayest go again into the balcony; the music ceases. "

"There are gondoliers singing near the Rialto--these are sounds I love!Sweet in themselves, they do no violence to our sacred feelings. Artthou for the water to-night, my Florinda?"

"Whither would'st thou?"

"I know not; but the evening is brilliant, and I pine to mingle with thesplendor and pleasure without. "

"While thousands on the canals pine to mingle with the splendor andpleasure within! Thus is it ever with life: that which is possessed islittle valued, and that which we have not is without price. "

"I owe my duty to my guardian, " said Violetta; "we will row to hispalace. "

Though Donna Florinda had uttered so grave a moral, she spoke withoutseverity. Casting aside her work, she prepared to gratify the desire ofher charge. It was the usual hour for the high in rank and the secludedto go abroad; and neither Venice with its gay throng, nor Italy with itssoft climate, ever offered greater temptation to seek the open air. 

The groom of the chambers was called, the gondoliers were summoned, andthe ladies, cloaking and taking their masks, were quickly in the boat. 

CHAPTER V. 

 "If your master Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him That majesty, to keep decorum, must No less beg than a kingdom. " ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. 

The silent movement of the hearse-like gondola soon brought the fairVenetian and her female Mentor to the water-gate of the noble, who hadbeen intrusted by the Senate with the especial guardianship of theperson of the heiress. It was a residence of more than common gloom, possessing all the solemn but stately magnificence which thencharacterized the private dwellings of the patricians in that city ofriches and pride. Its magnitude and architecture, though rather lessimposing than those which distinguished the palace of the DonnaVioletta, placed it among the private edifices of the first order, andall its external decorations showed it to be the habitation of one ofhigh importance. Within, the noiseless steps and the air of silentdistrust among the domestics, added to the gloomy grandeur of theapartments, rendered the abode no bad type of the Republic itself. 

As neither of his present visitors was a stranger beneath the roof ofthe Signor Gradenigo--for so the proprietor of the palace wascalled--they ascended its massive stairs, without pausing to considerany of those novelties of construction that would attract the eye of oneunaccustomed to such a dwelling. The rank and the known consequence ofthe Donna Violetta assured her of a ready reception; and while she wasushered to the suite of rooms above, by a crowd of bowing menials, onehad gone, with becoming speed, to announce her approach to his master. When in the ante-chamber, however, the ward stopped, declining toproceed any further, in deference to the convenience and privacy of herguardian. The delay was short; for no sooner was the old senatorapprised of her presence, than he hastened from his closet to do herhonor, with a zeal that did credit to his fitness for the trust hefilled. The countenance of the old patrician--a face in which thoughtand care had drawn as many lines as time--lighted with unequivocalsatisfaction as he pressed forward to receive his beautiful ward. To herhalf-uttered apologies for the intrusion, he would not listen; but as heled her within, he gallantly professed his pleasure at being honoredwith her visits even at moments that, to her scrupulous delicacy, mightappear the most ill-timed. 

"Thou canst never come amiss, child as thou art of my ancient friend, and the especial care of the state!" he added. "The gates of theGradenigo palace would open of themselves, at the latest period of thenight, to receive such a guest. Besides, the hour is most suited to theconvenience of one of thy quality who would breathe the fresh eveningair on the canals. Were I to limit thee to hours and minutes, sometruant wish of the moment--some innocent caprice of thy sex and years, might go ungratified. Ah! Donna Florinda, we may well pray that all ouraffection--not to call it weakness--for this persuasive girl, shall notin the end lead to her own disadvantage!"

"For the indulgence of both, I am grateful, " returned Violetta; "I onlyfear to urge my little requests at moments when your precious time ismore worthily occupied in behalf of the state. "

"Thou overratest my consequence. I sometimes visit the Council of ThreeHundred; but my years and infirmities preclude me now from serving theRepublic as I could wish Praise be to St. Mark, our patron! its affairsare not unprosperous for our declining fortunes. We have dealt bravelywith the infidel of late; the treaty with the Emperor is not to ourwrong; and the anger of the church, for the late seeming breach ofconfidence on our part, has been diverted. We owe something in thelatter affair to a young Neapolitan, who sojourns here at Venice, andwho is not without interest at the Holy See, by reason of his uncle, theCardinal Secretary. Much good is done by the influence of friendsproperly employed. 'Tis the secret of our success in the actualcondition of Venice; for that which power cannot achieve must be trustedto favor and a wise moderation. "

"Your declarations encourage me to become, once more, a suitor; for Iwill confess that, in addition to the desire of doing you honor, I havecome equally with the wish to urge your great influence in behalf of anearnest suit I have. "

"What now! Our young charge, Donna Florinda, has inherited, with thefortunes of her family, its ancient habits of patronage and protection!But we will not discourage the feeling, for it has a worthy origin, and, used with discretion, it fortifies the noble and powerful in theirstations. "

"And may we not say, " mildly observed Donna Florinda, "that when theaffluent and happy employ themselves with the cares of the lessfortunate, they not only discharge a duty, but they cultivate awholesome and useful state of mind?"

"Doubt it not. Nothing can be more useful than to give to each class insociety, a proper sense of its obligations, and a just sentiment of itsduties. These are opinions I greatly approve, and which I desire my wardmay thoroughly understand. "

"She is happy in possessing instructors so able and so willing to teachall she should know, " rejoined Violetta. 

"With this admission, may I ask the Signor Gradenigo to give ear to mypetition?"

"Thy little requests are ever welcome. I would merely observe, thatgenerous and ardent temperaments sometimes regard a distant object sosteadily, as to overlook others that are not only nearer, and perhaps ofstill more urgent importance, but more attainable. In doing a benefit toone, we should be wary not to do injury to many. The relative of someone of thy household may have thoughtlessly enlisted for the wars?"

"Should it be so, I trust the recruit will have the manhood not to quithis colors. "

"Thy nurse, who is one little likely to forget the service she did thyinfancy, urges the claim of some kinsman to an employment in thecustoms?"

"I believe all of that family are long since placed, " said Violetta, laughing, "unless we might establish the good mother herself in somestation of honor. I have naught to ask in their behalf. "

"She who hath reared thee to this goodly and healthful beauty, wouldprefer a well-supported suit, but still is she better as she is, indolent, and, I fear, pampered by thy liberality. Thy private purse isdrained by demands on thy charity;--or, perhaps, the waywardness of afemale taste hath cost thee dear, of late?"

"Neither. I have little need of gold, for one of my years cannotproperly maintain the magnificence of her condition. I come, guardian, with a far graver solicitation than any of these. "

"I hope none in thy favor have been indiscreet of speech!" exclaimed theSignor Gradenigo, casting a hasty and suspicious look at his ward. 

"If any have been so thoughtless, let them abide the punishment of theirfault. "

"I commend thy justice. In this age of novel opinions, innovations ofall descriptions cannot be too severely checked. Were the senate to shutits ears to all the wild theories that are uttered by the unthinking andvain, their language would soon penetrate to the ill-regulated minds ofthe ignorant and idle. Ask me, if thou wilt, for purses in scores, butdo not move me to forgetfulness of the guilt of the disturber of thepublic peace!"

"Not a sequin. My errand is of nobler quality. "

"Speak without riddle, that I may know its object. "

Now that nothing stood between her wish to speak, and her own manner ofmaking known the request, Donna Violetta appeared to shrink fromexpressing it. Her color went and came, and she sought support from theeye of her attentive and wondering companion. As the latter was ignorantof her intention, however, she could do no more than encourage thesupplicant by such an expression of sympathy as woman rarely refuses toher sex, in any trial that involves their peculiar and distinctivefeelings. Violetta struggled with her diffidence, and then laughing ather own want of self-possession, she continued--

"You know, Signor Gradenigo, " she said, with a loftiness that was notless puzzling, though far more intelligible than the agitation which amoment before had embarrassed her manner, "that I am the last of a lineeminent for centuries in the state of Venice. "

"So sayeth our history. "

"That I bear a name long known, and which it becomes me to shield fromall imputation of discredit in my own person. "

"This is so true, that it scarce needed so clear an exposure, " drilyreturned the senator. 

"And that, though thus gifted by the accidents of fortune and birth, Ihave received a boon that remains still unrequited, in a manner to do nohonor to the house of Thiepolo. "

"This becometh serious! Donna Florinda, our ward is more earnest thanintelligible, and I must ask an explanation at your hands. It becomethher not to receive boons of this nature from any. "

"Though unprepared for this request, " mildly replied the companion, "Ithink she speaks of the boon of life. "

The Signor Gradenigo's countenance assumed a dark expression. 

"I understand you, " he said, coldly. "It is true that the Neapolitan wasready to rescue thee, when the calamity befell thy uncle of Florence, but Don Camillo Monforte is not a common diver of the Lido, to berewarded like him who finds a bauble dropped from a gondola. Thou hastthanked the cavalier; I trust that a noble maiden can do no more in acase like this. "

"That I have thanked him, and thanked him from my soul, is true!"fervently exclaimed Violetta. "When I forget the service, MariaSantissima and the good saints forget me!"

"I doubt, Signora Florinda, that your charge hath spent more hours amongthe light works of her late father's library, and less time with hermissal, than becomes her birth?"

The eye of Violetta kindled, and she folded an arm around the form ofher shrinking companion, who drew down her veil at this reproof, thoughshe forbore to answer. 

"Signor Gradenigo, " said the young heiress, "I may have done discreditto my instructors, but if the pupil has been idle the fault should notbe visited on the innocent. It is some evidence that the commands ofholy church have not been neglected, that I now come to entreat favor inbehalf of one to whom I owe my life. Don Camillo Monforte has longpursued, without success, a claim so just, that were there no othermotive to concede it, the character of Venice should teach the senatorsthe danger of delay. "

"My ward has spent lier leisure with the doctors of Padua! The Republichath its laws, and none who have right on their side appeal to them invain. Thy gratitude is not to be censured; it is rather worthy of thyorigin and hopes; still, Donna Violetta, we should remember howdifficult it is to winnow the truth from the chaff of imposition andlegal subtlety, and, most of all, should a judge be certain before hegives his decree, that, in confirming the claims of one applicant, hedoes not defeat those of another. "

"They tamper with his rights! Being born in a foreign realm, he isrequired to renounce more in the land of the stranger than he will gainwithin the limits of the Republic! He wastes life and youth in pursuinga phantom! You are of weight in the senate, my guardian, and were you tolend him the support of your powerful voice and great instruction, awronged noble would have justice, and Venice, though she might lose atrifle from her stores, would better deserve the character of which sheis so jealous. "

"Thou art a persuasive advocate, and I will think of what thou urgest, "said the Signor Gradenigo, changing the frown which had been gatheringabout his brow, to a look of indulgence, with a facility that betrayedmuch practice in adapting the expression of his features to his policy. "I ought only to hearken to the Neapolitan in my public character of ajudge; but his service to thee, and my weakness in thy behalf, extortsthat thou would'st have. "

Donna Violetta received the promise with a bright and guileless smile. She kissed the hand he extended as the pledge of his faith, with afervor that gave her attentive guardian serious uneasiness. 

"Thou art too winning even to be resisted by one wearied with rebuttingplausible pretensions, " he added. "The young and the generous, DonnaFlorinda, believe all to be as their own wishes and simplicity wouldhave them. As for this right of Don Camillo--but no matter--thou wilthave it so, and it shall be examined with that blindness which is saidto be the failing of justice. "

"I have understood the metaphor to mean blind to favor, but notinsensible to the right. "

"I fear that is a sense which might defeat our hopes--but we will lookinto it. My son has been mindful of his duty and respect of late, DonnaVioletta, as I would have him? The boy wants little urging, I know, todo honor to my ward and the fairest of Venice. Thou wilt receive himwith friendship, for the love thou bearest his father?"

Donna Violetta curtsied, but it was with womanly reserve. 

"The door of my palace is never shut on the Signor Giacomo on all properoccasions, " she said, coldly. "Signore, the son of my guardian couldhardly be other than an honored visitor. "

"I would have the boy attentive--and even more, I would have him provesome little of that great esteem, --but we live in a jealous city, DonnaFlorinda, and one in which prudence is a virtue of the highest price. Ifthe youth is less urgent than I could wish, believe me, it is from theapprehension of giving premature alarm to those who interest themselvesin the fortunes of our charge. "

Both the ladies bowed, and by the manner in which they drew their cloaksabout them, they made evident their wish to retire. Donna Violettacraved a blessing, and after the usual compliments, and a short dialogueof courtesy, she and her companion withdrew to their boat. 

The Signor Gradenigo paced the room in which he had received his wardfor several minutes in silence. Not a sound of any sort was audiblethroughout the whole of that vast abode, the stillness and cautioustread of those within, answering to the quiet town without; but a youngman, in whose countenance and air were to be seen most of the usualsigns of a well-bred profligacy, sauntering along the suite ofchambers, at length caught the eye of the senator, who beckoned him toapproach. 

"Thou art unhappy, as of wont, Giacomo, " he said, in a tone betweenpaternal indulgence and reproach. "The Donna Violetta has, but a minutesince, departed, and thou wert absent. Some unworthy intrigue with thedaughter of a jeweller, or some injurious bargain of thy hopes with thefather, hath occupied the time that might have been devoted morehonorably, and to far better profit. "

"You do me little justice, " returned the youth. "Neither Jew nor Jewesshath this day greeted my eye. "

"The calendar should mark the time for its singularity! I would know, Giacomo, if thou turnest to a right advantage the occasion of myguardianship, and if thou thinkest with sufficient gravity of theimportance of what I urge?"

"Doubt it not, father. He who hath so much suffered for the want of thatwhich the Donna Violetta possesses in so great a profusion, needethlittle prompting on such a subject. By refusing to supply my wants, youhave made certain of my consent. There is not a fool in Venice who sighsmore loudly beneath his mistress's window, than I utter my patheticwishes to the lady--when there is opportunity, and I am in the humor. "

"Thou knowest the danger of alarming the senate?"

"Fear me not. My progress is by secret and gradual means. Neither mycountenance nor my mind is unused to a mask--thanks to necessity! Myspirits have been too buoyant not to have made me acquainted withduplicity!"

"Thou speakest, ungrateful boy, as if I denied thy youth the usualindulgences of thy years and rank. It is thy excesses, and not thyspirits, I would check. But I would not now harden thee with reproof. Giacomo, thou hast a rival in the stranger. His act in the Giudecca haswon upon the fancy of the girl; and like all of generous and ardentnatures, ignorant as she is of his merits, she supplies his characterwith all necessary qualities by her own ingenuity. "

"I would she did the same by me!"

"With thee, Sirrah, my ward might be required to forget, rather thaninvent. Hast thou bethought thee of turning the eyes of the council onthe danger which besets their heiress?"

"I have. "

"And the means?"

"The plainest and the most certain--the lion's mouth. "

"Ha! that, indeed, is a bold adventure. "

"And, like all bold adventures, it is the more likely to succeed. Foronce, fortune hath not been a niggard with me. I have given them theNeapolitan's signet by way of proof. "

"Giacomo! dost thou know the hazard of thy temerity? I hope there is noclue left in the handwriting, or by any other means taken to obtain thering?"

"Father, though I may have overlooked thy instruction in less weightymatters, not an admonition which touches the policy of Venice hath beenforgotten. The Neapolitan stands accused, and if thy council isfaithful, he will be a suspected, if not a banished man. "

"That the Council of Three will perform its trust is beyond dispute. Iwould I were as certain that thy indiscreet zeal may not lead to someunpleasant exposure!"

The shameless son stared at the father a moment in doubt, and then hepassed into the more private parts of the palace, like one too muchaccustomed to double-dealing, to lend it a second, or a serious thought. The senator remained. His silent walk was now manifestly disturbed bygreat uneasiness; and he frequently passed a hand across his brow, as ifhe mused in pain. While thus occupied, a figure stole through the longsuite of ante-chambers, and stopped near the door of the room heoccupied. The intruder was aged; his face was tawny by exposure, andhis hair thinned and whitened by time. His dress was that of afisherman, being both scanty and of the meanest materials. Still therewas a naturally noble and frank intelligence in his bold eye andprominent features, while the bare arms and naked legs exhibited amuscle and proportion which proved that nature was rather at a standthan in the decline. He had been many moments dangling his cap, inhabitual but unembarrassed respect, before his presence was observed. 

"Ha! thou here, Antonio!" exclaimed the senator, when their eyes met. "Why this visit?"

"Signore, my heart is heavy. "

"Hath the calendar no saint--the fisherman no patron? I suppose thesirocco hath been tossing the waters of the bay, and thy nets are empty. Hold! thou art my foster-brother, and thou must not want. "

The fisherman drew back with dignity, refusing the gift, simply, butdecidedly, by the act. 

"Signore, we have lived from childhood to old age since we drew our milkfrom the same breast; in all that time have you ever known me a beggar?"

"Thou art not wont to ask these boons, Antonio, it is true; but ageconquers our pride with our strength. If it be not sequins that thouseekest, what would'st thou?"

"There are other wants than those of the body, Signore, and othersufferings besides hunger. "

The countenance of the senator lowered. He cast a sharp glance at hisfoster-brother, and ere he answered he closed the door whichcommunicated with the outer chamber. 

"Thy words forebode disaffection, as of wont. Thou art accustomed tocomment on measures and interests that are beyond thy limited reason, and thou knowest that thy opinions have already drawn displeasure onthee. The ignorant and the low are, to the state, as children, whoseduty it is to obey, and not to cavil. Thy errand?"

"I am not the man you think me, Signore. I am used to poverty and want, and little satisfies my wishes. The senate is my master, and as such Ihonor it; but a fisherman hath his feelings as well as the Doge!"

"Again! These feelings of thine, Antonio, are most exacting. Thou namestthem on all occasions, as if they were the engrossing concerns of life. "

"Signore, are they not to me? Though I think mostly of my own concerns, still I can have a thought for the distress of those I honor. When thebeautiful and youthful lady, your eccellenza's daughter, was called awayto the company of the saints, I felt the blow as if it had been thedeath of my own child; and it has pleased God, as you very well know, Signore, not to leave me unacquainted with the anguish of such a loss. "

"Thou art a good fellow, Antonio, " returned the senator, covertlyremoving the moisture from his eyes; "an honest and a proud man, for thycondition!"

"She from whom we both drew our first nourishment, Signore, often toldme, that next to my own kin, it was my duty to love the noble race shehad helped to support. I make no merit of natural feeling, which is agift from Heaven, and the greater is the reason that the state shouldnot deal lightly with such affections. "

"Once more the state! Name thy errand. "

"Your eccellenza knows the history of my humble life. I need not tellyou, Signore, of the sons which God, by the intercession of the Virginand blessed St. Anthony, was pleased to bestow on me, or of the mannerin which he hath seen proper to take them one by one away. "

"Thou hast known sorrow, poor Antonio; I well remember thou hastsuffered, too. "

"Signore, I have. The deaths of five manly and honest sons is a blow tobring a groan from a rock. But I have known how to bless God, and bethankful!"

"Worthy fisherman, the Doge himself might envy this resignation. It isoften easier to endure the loss than the life of a child, Antonio!"

"Signore, no boy of mine ever caused me grief, but the hour in which hedied. And even then"--the old man turned aside to conceal the working ofhis features--"I struggled to remember from how much pain, and toil, andsuffering they were removed to enjoy a more blessed state. "

The lip of the Signer Gradenigo quivered, and he moved to and fro with aquicker step. 

"I think, Antonio, " he said, "I think, honest Antonio, I had masses saidfor the souls of them all?"

"Signore, you had; St. Anthony remember the kindness in your ownextremity! I was wrong in saying that the youths never gave me sorrowbut in dying, for there is a pain the rich cannot know, in being toopoor to buy a prayer for a dead child!"

"Wilt thou have more masses? Son of thine shall never want a voice withthe saints, for the ease of his soul!"

"I thank you, eccellenza, but I have faith in what has been done, and, more than all, in the mercy of God. My errand now is in behalf of theliving. "

The sympathy of the senator was suddenly checked, and he alreadylistened with a doubting and suspicious air. 

"Thy errand?" he simply repeated. 

"Is to beg your interest, Signore, to obtain the release of my grandsonfrom the galleys. They have seized the lad in his fourteenth year, andcondemned him to the wars with the Infidels, without thought of histender years, without thought of evil example, without thought of my ageand loneliness, and without justice; for his father died in the lastbattle given to the Turk. "

As he ceased, the fisherman riveted his look on the marble countenanceof his auditor, wistfully endeavoring to trace the effect of his words. But all there was cold, unanswering, and void of human sympathy. Thesoulless, practised, and specious reasoning of the state, had long sincedeadened all feeling in the senator on any subject that touched aninterest so vital as the maritime power of the Republic. He saw thehazard of innovation in the slightest approach to interests so delicate, and his mind was drilled by policy into an apathy that no charity coulddisturb, when there was question of the right of St. Mark to theservices of his people. 

"I would thou hadst come to beg masses, or gold, or aught but this, Antonio!" he answered, after a moment of delay. "Thou hast had thecompany of the boy, if I remember, from his birth, already. "

"Signore, I have had that satisfaction, for he was an orphan born; and Iwould wish to have it until the child is fit to go into the world armedwith an honesty and faith that shall keep him from harm. Were my ownbrave son here, he would ask no other fortune for the lad than suchcounsel and aid as a poor man has a right to bestow on his own flesh andblood. "

"He fareth no worse than others; and thou knowest that the Republic hathneed of every arm. "

"Eccellenza, I saw the Signor Giacomo land from his gondola, as Ientered the palace. "

"Out upon thee, fellow! dost thou make no distinction between the son ofa fisherman, one trained to the oar and toil, and the heir of an ancienthouse? Go to, presuming man, and remember thy condition, and thedifference that God hath made between our children. "

"Mine never gave me sorrow but the hour in which they died, " said thefisherman, uttering a severe but mild reproof. 

The Signor Gradenigo felt the sting of this retort, which in no degreeaided the cause of his indiscreet foster-brother. After pacing the roomin agitation for some time, he so far conquered his resentment as toanswer more mildly, as became his rank. 

"Antonio, " he said, "thy disposition and boldness are not strangers tome; if thou would'st have masses for the dead, or gold for the living, they are thine; but in asking for my interest with the general of thegalleys, thou askest that which, at a moment so critical, could not beyielded to the son of the Doge, were the Doge--"

"A fisherman, " continued Antonio, observing that he hesitated--"Signore, adieu; I would not part in anger with my foster-brother, and I pray thesaints to bless you and your house. May you never know the grief oflosing a child by a fate far worse than death--that of destruction byvice. "

As Antonio ceased, he made his reverence and departed by the way he hadentered. He retired unnoticed, for the senator averted his eyes with asecret consciousness of the force of what the other in his simplicityhad uttered; and it was some time before the latter knew he was alone. Another step, however, soon diverted his attention. The door re-opened, and a menial appeared. He announced that one without sought a privateaudience. 

"Let him enter, " answered the ready senator, smoothing his features tothe customary cautious and distrustful expression. 

The servant withdrew, when one masked and wearing a cloak quicklyentered the room. When the latter instrument of disguise was thrown uponan arm, and the visor was removed, the form and face of the dreadedJacopo became visible. 

CHAPTER VI. 

 "Caesar himself has work, and our oppression Exceeds what we expected. " SHAKSPEARE. 

"Didst thou note him that left me?" eagerly demanded the SignerGradenigo. 

"I did. "

"Enough so to recognise form and countenance?"

"'Twas a fisherman of the Lagunes, named Antonio. "

The senator dropped the extended limb, and regarded the Bravo with alook in which surprise and admiration were equally blended. He resumedhis course up and down the room, while his companion stood waiting hispleasure in an attitude so calm as to be dignified. A few minutes werewasted in this abstraction. 

"Thou art quick of sight, Jacopo!" continued the patrician, breaking thepause--"Hast thou had dealings with the man?"

"Never. "

"Thou art certain it is--"

"Your eccellenza's foster-brother. "

"I did not inquire into thy knowledge of his infancy and origin, but ofhis present state, " returned the Signor Gradenigo, turning away toconceal his countenance from the glowing eye of Jacopo--"Has he beennamed to thee by any in authority?"

"He has not--my mission does not lie with fishermen. "

"Duty may lead us into still humbler society, young man. They who arecharged with the grievous burden of the state, must not consider thequality of the load they carry. In what manner hath this Antonio come tothy knowledge?"

"I have known him as one esteemed by his fellows--a man skilful in hiscraft, and long practised in the mystery of the Lagunes. "

"He is a defrauder of the revenue, thou would'st be understood to say?"

"I would not. He toils too late and early to have other means of supportthan labor. "

"Thou knowest, Jacopo, the severity of our laws in matters that concernthe public moneys?"

"I know that the judgment of St. Mark, Signore, is never light when itsown interest is touched. "

"Thou art not required to utter opinions beyond the present question. This man hath a habit of courting the goodwill of his associates, and ofmaking his voice heard concerning affairs of which none but hissuperiors may discreetly judge. "

"Signore, he is old, and the tongue grows loose with years. "

"This is not the character of Antonio. Nature hath not treated himunkindly; had his birth and education been equal to his mind, the senatemight have been glad to listen--at it is, I fear he speaks in a sense toendanger his own interests. "

"Surely, if he speaks to offend the ear of St. Mark. "

There was a quick suspicious glance from the senator to the Bravo, as ifto read the true meaning of the latter's words. Finding, however, thesame expression of self-possession in the quiet features he scrutinized, the latter continued as if distrust had not been awakened. 

"If, as thou sayest, he so speaks as to injure the Republic, his yearshave not brought discretion. I love the man, Jacopo, for it is usual toregard, with some partiality, those who have drawn nourishment from thesame breast with ourselves. "

"Signore, it is. "

"And feeling this weakness in his favor, I would have him admonished tobe prudent. Thou art acquainted, doubtless, with his opinions concerningthe recent necessity of the state, to command the services of all theyouths on the Lagunes in her fleets?"

"I know that the press has taken from him the boy who toiled in hiscompany. "

"To toil honorably, and perhaps gainfully, in behalf of the Republic!"

"Signore, perhaps!"

"Thou art brief in thy speech to-night, Jacopo! But if thou knowest thefisherman, give him counsel of discretion. St. Mark will not toleratesuch free opinions of his wisdom. This is the third occasion in whichthere has been need to repress that fisherman's speech; for the paternalcare of the senate cannot see discontent planted in the bosom of aclass, it is their duty and pleasure to render happy. Seek opportunitiesto let him hear this wholesome truth, for in good sooth, I would notwillingly see a misfortune light upon the head of a son of my ancientnurse, and that, too, in the decline of his days. "

The Bravo bent his body in acquiescence, while the Signor Gradenigopaced the room, in a manner to show that he really felt concern. 

"Thou hast had advice of the judgment in the matter of the Genoese?"resumed the latter, when another pause had given time to change thecurrent of his thoughts. "The sentence of the tribunals has been prompt, and, though there is much assumption of a dislike between the tworepublics, the world can now see how sternly justice is con sulted onour isles. I hear the Genoese will have ample amends, and that certainof our own citizens will be mulcted of much money. "

"I have heard the same since the sun set, in the Piazzetta, Signore!"

"And do men converse of our impartiality, and more than all of ourpromptitude? Bethink thee, Jacopo, 'tis but a se'nnight since the claimwas preferred to the senate's equity!"

"None dispute the promptitude with which the Republic visits offences. "

"Nor the justice, I trust also, good Jacopo. There is a beauty and aharmony in the manner in which the social machine rolls on its course, under such a system, that should secure men's applause! Justiceadministers to the wants of society, and checks the passions with aforce as silent and dignified, as if her decrees came from a highervolition. I often compare the quiet march of the state, contrasted withthe troubled movements of some other of our Italian sisters, to thedifference between the clatter of a clamorous town, and the stillness ofour own noiseless canals. Then the uprightness of the late decree is inthe mouths of the masquers to-night?"

"Signore, the Venetians are bold when there is an opportunity to praisetheir masters. "

"Dost thou think thus, Jacopo? To me, they have ever seemed more proneto vent their seditious discontent. But 'tis the nature of man to beniggardly of praise and lavish of censure. This decree of the tribunalmust not be suffered to die, with the mere justice of the case. Ourfriends should dwell on it, openly, in the cafés, and at the Lido. Theywill have no cause to fear, should they give their tongues a littlelatitude. A just government hath no jealousy of comment. "

"True, Signore. "

"I look to thee and thy fellows to see that the affair be not tooquickly forgotten. The contemplation of acts such as this, will quickenthe dormant seeds of virtue in the public mind. He who has examples ofequity incessantly before his eyes, will come at last to love thequality. The Genoese, I trust, will depart satisfied?"

"Doubt it not, Signore; he has all that can content a sufferer; his ownwith usury, and revenge of him who did the wrong. "

"Such is the decree--ample restoration and the chastening hand ofpunishment. Few states would thus render a judgment against themselves, Jacopo!"

"Is the state answerable for the deed of the merchant, Signore?"

"Through its citizen. He who inflicts punishment on his own members, isa sufferer, surely. No one can part with his own flesh without pain; isnot this true, fellow?"

"There are nerves that are delicate to the touch, Signore, and an eye ora tooth is precious; but the paring of a nail, or the fall of the beard, is little heeded. "

"One who did not know thee, Jacopo, would imagine thee in the interestof the emperor! The sparrow does not fall in Venice, without the losstouching the parental feelings of the senate. Well, is there furtherrumor among the Jews, of a decrease of gold? Sequins are not so abundantas of wont, and the chicanery of that race lends itself to the scarcity, in the hope of larger profits. "

"I have seen faces on the Rialto, of late, Signore, that look emptypurses. The Christian seems anxious, and in want, while the unbelieverswear their gaberdines with a looser air than is usual. "

"This hath been expected. Doth report openly name any of the Israeliteswho are in the custom of lending, on usury, to the young nobles?"

"All, who have to lend, may be accounted of the class; the wholesynagogue, rabbis, and all, are of a mind, when there is question of aChristian's purse. "

"Thou likest not the Hebrew, Jacopo; but he is of good service in theRepublic's straits. We count all friends, who are ready with their goldat need. Still the young hopes of Venice must not be left to waste theirsubstance in unwary bargains with the gainful race, and should'st thouhear of any of mark, who are thought to be too deeply in their clutches, thou wilt do wisely to let the same be known, with little delay, to theguardians of the public weal. We must deal tenderly with those who propthe state, but we must also deal discreetly with those who will shortlycompose it. Hast thou aught to say in the matter?"

"I have heard men speak of Signor Giacomo as paying dearest for theirfavors. "

"Gesu Maria! my son and heir! Dost thou not deceive me, man, to gratifythine own displeasure against the Hebrews?"

"I have no other malice against the race, Signore, than the wholesomedisrelish of a Christian. Thus much I hope may be permitted to abeliever, but beyond that, in reason, I carry hatred to no man. It iswell known that your heir is disposing freely of his hopes, and atprices that lower expectations might command. "

"This is a weighty concern! The boy must be speedily admonished of theconsequences, and care must be had for his future discretion. The Hebrewshall be punished, and as a solemn warning to the whole tribe, the debtconfiscated to the benefit of the borrower. With such an example beforetheir eyes, the knaves will be less ready with their sequins. Holy St. Theodore! 'twere self-destruction to suffer one of such promise to belost for the want of prudent forethought. I will charge myself with thematter, as an especial duty, and the senate shall have no cause to saythat its interests have been neglected. Hast thou had applications oflate, in thy character of avenger of private wrongs?"

"None of note--there is one that seeks me earnestly, though I am not yetwholly the master of his wishes. "

"Thy office is of much delicacy and trust, and, as thou art well aware, the reward is weighty and sure. " The eyes of the Bravo kindled with anexpression which caused his companion to pause. But observing that therepose, for which the features of Jacopo were so remarkable, againpresided over his pallid face, he continued, as if there had been nointerruption, "I repeat, the bounty and clemency of the state will notbe forgotten. If its justice is stern and infallible, its forgiveness iscordial, and its favors ample. Of these facts I have taken much pains toassure thee, Jacopo. Blessed St. Mark! that one of the scions of thygreat stock should waste his substance for the benefit of a race ofunbelievers! But thou hast not named him who seeks thee with thisearnestness?"

"As I have yet to learn his errand, before I go further, Signore, it maybe well to know more of his wishes. "

"This reserve is uncalled for. Thou art not to distrust the prudence ofthe Republic's ministers, and I should be sorry were the Inquisitors toget an unfavorable opinion of thy zeal. The individual must bedenounced. "

"I denounce him not. The most that I can say is, that he hath a desireto deal privately with one, with whom it is almost criminal to deal atall. "

"The prevention of crime is better than its punishment, and such is thetrue object of all government. Thou wilt not withhold the name of thycorrespondent?"

"It is a noble Neapolitan, who hath long sojourned in Venice, on matterstouching a great succession, and some right even to the senate'sdignity. "

"Ha! Don Camillo Monforte! Am I right, sirrah?"

"Signore, the same!"

The pause which followed was only broken by the clock of the greatsquare striking eleven, or the fourth hour of the night, as it istermed, by the usage of Italy. The senator started, consulted atime-piece in his own apartment, and again addressed his companion. 

"This is well, " he said; "thy faith and punctuality shall be remembered. Look to the fisherman Antonio; the murmurs of the old man must not bepermitted to awaken discontent, for a cause so trifling as this transferof his descendant from a gondola to a galley; and most of all, keep thyears attentive to any rumors on the Rialto. The glory and credit of apatrician name must not be weakened by the errors of boyhood. As to thisstranger--quickly, thy mask and cloak--depart as if thou wert merely afriend bent on some of the idle pleasantries of the hour. "

The Bravo resumed his disguise with the readiness of one long practisedin its use, but with a composure that was not so easily disconcerted asthat of the more sensitive senator. The latter did not speak again, though he hurried Jacopo from his presence by an impatient movement ofthe hand. 

When the door was closed and the Signor Gradenigo was again alone, heonce more consulted the time-piece, passed his hand slowly andthoughtfully across his brow, and resumed his walk. For nearly an hourthis exercise, or nervous sympathy of the body with a mind that waspossibly overworked, continued without any interruption from without. Then came a gentle tap at the door, and, at the usual bidding, oneentered, closely masked like him who had departed, as was so much theusage of that city in the age of which we write. A glance at the figureof his guest seemed to apprise the senator of his character, for thereception, while it was distinguished by the quaint courtesy of the age, was that of one expected. 

"I am honored in the visit of Don Camillo Monforte, " said the host, while the individual named laid aside his cloak and silken visor;"though the lateness of the hour had given me reason to apprehend thatsome casualty had interfered between me and the pleasure. "

"A thousand excuses, noble senator, but the coolness of the canals, andthe gaiety of the square, together with some apprehension of intrudingprematurely on time so precious, has, I fear, kept me out of season. ButI trust to the known goodness of the Signor Gradenigo for my apology. "

"The punctuality of the great lords of Lower Italy is not their greatestmerit, " the Signor Gradenigo drily answered. "The young esteem life soendless, that they take little heed of the minutes that escape them;while we, whom age begins to menace, think chiefly of repairing theomissions of youth. In this manner, Signor Duca, does man sin and repentdaily, until the opportunities of doing either are imperceptibly lost. But we will not be more prodigal of the moments than there is need--arewe to hope for better views of the Spaniard?"

"I have neglected little that can move the mind of a reasonable man, andI have, in particular, laid before him the advantage of conciliating thesenate's esteem. "

"Therein have you done wisely, Signore, both as respects his interestsand your own. The senate is a liberal paymaster to him who serves itwell, and a fearful enemy to those who do harm to the state. I hope thematter of the succession draws near a conclusion?"

"I wish it were possible to say it did. I urge the tribunal in allproper assiduity, omitting no duty of personal respect nor of privatesolicitation. Padua has not a doctor more learned than he who presentsmy right to their wisdom, and yet the affair lingers like life in thehectic. If I have not shown myself a worthy son of St. Mark, in thisaffair with the Spaniard, it is more from the want of a habit ofmanaging political interests than from any want of zeal. "

"The scales of justice must be nicely balanced to hang so long, withoutdetermining to one side or the other! You will have need of furtherassiduity, Don Camillo, and of great discretion in disposing the mindsof the patricians in your favor. It will be well to make your attachmentto the state be observed by further service near the ambassador. You areknown to have his esteem, and counsel coming from such a quarter willenter deeply into his mind. It should also quicken the exertions of sobenevolent and generous a young spirit, to know that in serving hiscountry, he also aids the cause of humanity. "

Don Camillo did not appear to be strongly impressed with the justice ofthe latter remark. He bowed, however, in courtesy to his companion'sopinion. 

"It is pleasant, Signore, to be thus persuaded, " he answered; "mykinsman of Castile is a man to hear reason, let it come from whatquarter it may. Though he meets my arguments with some allusions to thedeclining power of the Republic, I do not see less of deep respect forthe influence of a state, that hath long made itself remarkable by itsenergy and will. "

"Venice is no longer what the City of the Isles hath been, Signer Duca;still she is not powerless. The wings of our lion are a little clipped, but his leap is still far, and his teeth dangerous. If the new-madeprince would have his ducal coronet sit easily on his brow, he would dowell to secure the esteem of his nearest neighbors. "

"This is obviously true, and little that my influence can do towardseffecting the object, shall be wanting. And now, may I entreat of yourfriendship, advice as to the manner of further urging my ownlong-neglected claims?"

"You will do well, Don Camillo, to remind the senators of your presence, by frequent observance of the courtesies due to their rank and yours. "

"This do I never neglect, as seemly both in my station and my object. "

"The judges should not be forgotten, young man, for it is wise toremember that justice hath ever an ear for solicitation. "

"None can be more assiduous in the duty, nor is it common to see asuppliant so mindful of those whom he troubleth, by more substantialproofs of respect. "

"But chiefly should we be particular to earn the senate's esteem. No actof service to the state is overlooked by that body, and the smallestgood deed finds its way into the recesses of the two councils. "

"Would I could have communication with those reverend fathers! I thinkthe justice of my claim would speedily work out its own right. "

"That were impossible!" gravely returned the senator. "Those augustbodies are secret, that their majesty may not be tarnished bycommunication with vulgar interests. They rule like the unseen influenceof mind over matter, and form, as it were, the soul of the state, whoseseat, like that of reason, remains a problem exceeding humanpenetration. "

"I express the desire rather as a wish than with any hope of its beinggranted, " returned the Duke of St. Agata, resuming his cloak and mask, neither of which had been entirely laid aside. "Adieu, noble Signore; Ishall not cease to move the Castilian with frequent advice, and, inreturn, I commit my affair to the justice of the patricians, and yourown good friendship. "

Signor Gradenigo bowed his guest through all the rooms of the long suitebut the last, where he committed him to the care of the groom of hischambers. 

"The youth must be stirred to greater industry in this matter, byclogging the wheels of the law. He that would ask favors of St. Markmust first earn them, by showing zealous dispositions in his behalf. "

Such were the reflections of the Signor Gradenigo, as he slowlyreturned towards his closet, after a ceremonious leave-taking with hisguest, in the outer apartment. Closing the door, he commenced pacing thesmall apartment with the step and eye of a man who again mused with someanxiety. After a minute of profound stillness, a door, concealed by thehangings of the room, was cautiously opened, and the face of stillanother visitor appeared. 

"Enter!" said the senator, betraying no surprise at the apparition; "thehour is past, and I wait for thee. "

The flowing dress, the grey and venerable beard, the noble outline offeatures, the quick, greedy, and suspicious eye, with an expression ofcountenance that was, perhaps, equally marked by worldly sagacity, andfeelings often rudely rebuked, proclaimed a Hebrew of the Rialto. 

"Enter, Hosea, and unburden thyself, " continued the senator, like oneprepared for some habitual communication. "Is there aught new thattouches the public weal?"

"Blessed is the people over whom there is so fatherly a care! Can therebe good or evil to the citizen of the Republic, noble Signore, withoutthe bowels of the senate moving, as the parent yearneth over his young?Happy is the country in which men of reverend years and whitened headswatch, until night draws towards the day, and weariness is forgotten inthe desire to do good, and to honor the state!"

"Thy mind partaketh of the eastern imagery of the country of thyfathers, good Hosea, and thou art apt to forget that thou art not yetwatching on the steps of the Temple. What of interest hath the daybrought forth?"

"Say rather the night, Signore, for little worthy of your ear hathhappened, save a matter of some trifling import, which hath grown out ofthe movements of the evening. "

"Have there been stilettoes busy on the bridge?--ha!--or do the peoplejoy less than common in their levities?"

"None have died wrongfully, and the square is gay as the fragrantvineyards of Engedi. Holy Abraham! what a place is Venice for itspleasures, and how the hearts of old and young revel in their merriment!It is almost sufficient to fix the font in the synagogue, to witness sojoyous a dispensation in behalf of the people of these islands! I hadnot hoped for the honor of an interview to-night, Signore, and I hadprayed, before laying my head upon the pillow, when one charged by thecouncil brought to me a jewel, with an order to decipher the arms andother symbols of its owner. 'Tis a ring, with the usual marks whichaccompany private confidences. "

"Thou hast the signet?" said the noble, stretching out an arm. 

"It is here, and a goodly stone it is; a turquoise of price. "

"Whence came it--and why is it sent to thee?"

"It came, Signore, as I gather more through hints and intimations of themessenger than by his words, from a place resembling that which therighteous Daniel escaped in virtue of his godliness and birth. "

"Thou meanest the Lion's Mouth?"

"So say our ancient books, Signore, in reference to the prophet, and sowould the council's agent seem to intimate in reference to the ring?"

"Here is naught but a crest with the equestrian helmet--comes it of anyin Venice?"

"The upright Solomon guided the judgment of his servant in a matter ofthis delicacy! The jewel is of rare beauty, such as few possess butthose who have gold in store for other purposes. Do but regard the softlustre in this light, noble Signore, and remark the pleasing colors thatrise by the change of view!"

"Ay--'tis well--but who claimeth the bearings?"

"It is wonderful to contemplate how great a value may lie concealed inso small a compass! I have known sequins of full weight and heavy amountgiven for baubles less precious. "

"Wilt thou never forget thy stall and the wayfarers of the Rialto? Ibid thee name him who beareth these symbols as marks of his family andrank. "

"Noble Signore, I obey. The crest is of the family of Monforte, the lastsenator of which died some fifteen years since. "

"And his jewels?"

"They have passed with other movables of which the state taketh noaccount, into the keeping of his kinsman and successor--if it be thesenate's pleasure that there shall be a successor to that ancientname--Don Camillo of St. Agata. The wealthy Neapolitan who now urges hisrights here in Venice, is the present owner of this precious stone. "

"Give me the ring; this must be looked to--hast thou more to say?"

"Nothing, Signore--unless to petition, if there is to be anycondemnation and sale of the jewel, that it may first be offered to anancient servitor of the Republic, who hath much reason to regret thathis age hath been less prosperous than his youth. "

"Thou shalt not be forgotten. I hear it said, Hosea, that divers of ouryoung nobles frequent thy Hebrew shops with intent to borrow gold, which, lavished in present prodigality, is to be bitterly repaid at alater day by self-denial, and such embarrassments as suit not the heirsof noble names. Take heed of this matter--for if the displeasure of thecouncil should alight on any of thy race, there would be long andserious accounts to settle! Hast thou had employment of late with othersignets besides this of the Neapolitan?"

"Unless in the vulgar way of our daily occupation, none of note, illustrious Signore. "

"Regard this, " continued the Signor Gradenigo, first searching in asecret drawer, whence he drew a small bit of paper, to which a morsel ofwax adhered; "canst thou form any conjecture, by the impression, concerning him who used that seal?"

The jeweller took the paper and held it towards the light, while hisglittering eyes intently examined the conceit. 

"This would surpass the wisdom of the son of David!" he said, after along and seemingly fruitless examination; "here is naught but somefanciful device of gallantry, such as the light-hearted cavaliers of thecity are fond of using, when they tempt the weaker sex with fair wordsand seductive vanities. "

"It is a heart pierced with the dart of love, and the motto of _'pensaal cuore trafitto d'amore?'_"

"Naught else, as my eyes do their duty. I should think there was butvery little meant by those words, Signore!"

"That as may be. Thou hast never sold a jewel with that conceit?"

"Just Samuel! We dispose of them daily to Christians of both sexes andall ages. I know no device of greater frequency, whereby I conceivethere is much commerce in this light fidelity. "

"He who used it did well in concealing his thoughts beneath so general adress! There will be a reward of a hundred sequins to him who traces theowner. "

Hosea was about to return the seal as beyond his knowledge, when thisremark fell casually from the lips of the Signor Gradenigo. In a momenthis eyes were fortified with a glass of microscopic power, and the paperwas again before the lamp. 

"I disposed of a cornelian of no great price, which bore this conceit, to the wife of the emperor's ambassador, but conceiving there was nomore in the purchase than some waywardness of fancy, I took noprecaution to note the stone. A gentleman in the family of the Legate ofRavenna, also trafficked with me for an amethyst of the same design, butwith him neither did I hold it important to be particular. Ha! here isa private mark, that in truth seemeth to be of my own hand!"

"Dost thou find a clue? What is the sign of which thou speakest?"

"Naught, noble senator, but a slur in a letter, which would not be aptto catch the eye of an over-credulous maiden. "

"And thou parted with the seal to----?"

Hosea hesitated, for he foresaw some danger of losing his reward by atoo hasty communication of the truth. 

"If it be important that the fact be known, Signore, " he said, "I willconsult my books. In a matter of this gravity, the senate should not bemisled. "

"Thou sayest well. The affair is grave, and the reward a sufficientpledge that we so esteem it. "

"Something was said, illustrious Signore, of a hundred sequins; but mymind taketh little heed of such particulars when the good of Venice isin question. "

"A hundred is the sum I promised. "

"I parted with a signet-ring, bearing some such design, to a female inthe service of the Nuncio's first gentleman. But this seal cannot comeof that, since a woman of her station----"

"Art sure?" eagerly interrupted the Signor Gradenigo. 

Hosea looked earnestly at his companion; and reading in his eye andcountenance that the clue was agreeable, he answered promptly, --

"As that I live under the law of Moses! The bauble had been long on handwithout an offer, and I abandoned it to the uses of my money. "

"The sequins are thine, excellent Jew! This clears the mystery of everydoubt. Go; thou shalt have thy reward; and if thou hast any particularsin thy secret register, let me be quickly possessed of them. Go to, goodHosea, and be punctual as of wont. I tire of these constant exercisesof the spirit. "

The Hebrew, exulting in his success, now took his leave, with a mannerin which habitual cupidity and subdued policy completely mastered everyother feeling. He disappeared by the passage through which he hadentered. 

It seemed, by the manner of the Signor Gradenigo, that the receptionsfor that evening had now ended. He carefully examined the locks ofseveral secret drawers in his cabinet, extinguished the lights, closedand secured the doors, and quitted the place. For some time longer, however, he paced one of the principal rooms of the outer suite, untilthe usual hour having arrived, he sought his rest, and the palace wasclosed for the night. 

The reader will have gained some insight into the character of theindividual who was the chief actor in the foregoing scenes. The SignorGradenigo was born with all the sympathies and natural kindliness ofother men, but accident, and an education which had received a strongbias from the institutions of the self-styled Republic, had made him thecreature of a conventional policy. To him Venice seemed a free state, because he partook so largely of the benefits of her social system; and, though shrewd and practised in most of the affairs of the world, hisfaculties, on the subject of the political ethics of his country, werepossessed of a rare and accommodating dulness. A senator, he stood inrelation to the state as a director of a moneyed institution isproverbially placed in respect to his corporation; an agent of itscollective measures, removed from the responsibilities of the man. Hecould reason warmly, if not acutely, concerning the principles ofgovernment, and it would be difficult, even in this money-getting age, to find a more zealous convert to the opinion that property was not asubordinate, but the absorbing interest of civilized life. He would talkably of character, and honor, and virtue, and religion, and the rightsof persons, but when called upon to act in their behalf, there was inhis mind a tendency to blend them all with worldly policy, that provedas unerring as the gravitation of matter to the earth's centre. As aVenetian he was equally opposed to the domination of one, or of thewhole; being, as respects the first, a furious republican, and, inreference to the last, leaning to that singular sophism which calls thedominion of the majority the rule of many tyrants! In short, he was anaristocrat; and no man had more industriously or more successfullypersuaded himself into the belief of all the dogmas that were favorableto his caste. He was a powerful advocate of vested rights, for theirpossession was advantageous to himself; he was sensitively alive toinnovations on usages and to vicissitudes in the histories of families, for calculation had substituted taste for principles; nor was hebackward, on occasion, in defending his opinions by analogies drawn fromthe decrees of Providence. With a philosophy that seemed to satisfyhimself, he contended that, as God had established orders throughout hisown creation, in a descending chain from angels to men, it was safe tofollow an example which emanated from a wisdom that was infinite. Nothing could be more sound than the basis of his theory, though itsapplication had the capital error of believing there was any imitationof nature in an endeavor to supplant it. 

CHAPTER VII. 

 "The moon went down; and nothing now was seen Save where the lamp of a Madonna shone Faintly. " ROGERS. 

Just as the secret audiences of the Palazzo Gradenigo were ended, thegreat square of St. Mark began to lose a portion of its gaiety. Thecafés were now occupied by parties who had the means, and were in thehumor, to put their indulgences to more substantial proof than thepassing gibe or idle laugh; while those who were reluctantly compelledto turn their thoughts from the levities of the moment to the cares ofthe morrow, were departing in crowds to humble roofs and hard pillows. There remained one of the latter class, however, who continued to occupya spot near the junction of the two squares, as motionless as if hisnaked feet grew to the stone on which he stood. It was Antonio. 

The position of the fisherman brought the whole of his muscular form andbronzed features beneath the rays of the moon. The dark, anxious, andstern eyes were fixed upon the mild orb, as if their owner sought topenetrate into another world, in quest of that peace which he had neverknown in this. There was suffering in the expression of the weather-wornface; but it was the suffering of one whose native sensibilities hadbeen a little deadened by too much familiarity with the lot of thefeeble. To one who considered life and humanity in any other than theirfamiliar and vulgar aspects, he would have presented a touching pictureof a noble nature, enduring with pride, blunted by habit; while to him, who regards the accidental dispositions of society as paramount laws, hemight have presented the image of dogged turbulence and discontent, healthfully repressed by the hand of power. A heavy sigh struggled fromthe chest of the old man, and, stroking down the few hairs which timehad left him, he lifted his cap from the pavement, and prepared to move. 

"Thou art late from thy bed, Antonio, " said a voice at his elbow. "Thetriglie must be of good price, or of great plenty, that one of thy tradecan spare time to air himself in the Piazza at this hour. Thou hearest, the clock is telling the fifth hour of the night. "

The fisherman bent his head aside, and regarded the figure of his maskedcompanion, for a moment, with indifference, betraying neither curiositynor feeling at his address. 

"Since thou knowest me, " he answered, "it is probable thou knowest thatin quitting this place I shall go to an empty dwelling. Since thouknowest me so well, thou should'st also know my wrongs. "

"Who hath injured thee, worthy fisherman, that thou speakest so boldlybeneath the very windows of the Doge?"

"The state. "

"This is hardy language for the ear of St. Mark! Were it too loudlyspoken, yonder lion might growl. Of what dost thou accuse the Republic?"

"Lead me to them that sent thee, and I will spare the trouble of ago-between. I am ready to tell my wrongs to the Doge, on his throne; forwhat can one, poor and old as I, dread from their anger?"

"Thou believest me sent to betray thee?"

"Thou knowest thine own errand. "

The other removed his mask, and turned his face towards the moon. 

"Jacopo!" exclaimed the fisherman, gazing at the expressive Italianfeatures; "one of thy character can have no errand with me. "

A flush, that was visible even in that light, passed athwart thecountenance of the Bravo; but he stilled every other exhibition offeeling. 

"Thou art wrong. My errand is with thee. "

"Does the senate think a fisherman of the Lagunes of sufficientimportance to be struck by a stiletto? Do thy work, then!" he added, glancing at his brown and naked bosom; "there is nothing to preventthee!"

"Antonio, thou dost me wrong. The senate has no such purpose. But I haveheard that thou hast reason for discontent, and that thou speakestopenly, on the Lido and among the islands, of affairs that thepatricians like not to be stirred among men of your class. I come, as afriend, to warn thee of the consequences of such indiscretion, ratherthan as one to harm thee. "

"Thou art sent to say this?"

"Old man, age should teach thy tongue moderation. What will avail vaincomplaints against the Republic, or what canst thou hope for, as theirfruits, but evil to thyself, and evil to the child that thou lovest?"

"I know not; but when the heart is sore the tongue will speak. They havetaken away my boy, and they have left little behind that I value. Thelife they threaten is too short to be cared for. "

"Thou should'st temper thy regrets with wisdom. The Signor Gradenigo haslong been friendly to thee, and I have heard that thy mother nursed him. Try his ears with prayers, but cease to anger the Republic withcomplaints. "

Antonio looked wistfully at his companion, but when he had ceased heshook his head mournfully, as if to express the hopelessness of relieffrom that quarter. 

"I have told him all that a man, born and nursed on the Lagunes, canfind words to say. He is a senator, Jacopo; and he thinks not ofsuffering he does not feel. "

"Art thou not wrong, old man, to accuse him who hath been born inaffluence of hardness of heart, merely that he doth not feel the miserythou would'st avoid, too, were it in thy power? Thou hast thy gondolaand nets, with health and the cunning of thy art, and in that art thouhappier than he who hath neither; would'st thou forget thy skill, andshare thy little stock with the beggar of San Marco, that your fortunesmight be equal?"

"There may be truth in what thou sayest of our labor and our means, butwhen it comes to our young, nature is the same in both. I see no reasonwhy the son of the patrician should go free and the child of thefisherman be sold to blood. Have not the senators enough of happiness intheir riches and greatness, that they rob me of my son?"

"Thou knowest, Antonio, the state must be served, and were its officersto go into the palaces in quest of hardy mariners for the fleet, wouldthey, think you, find them that would honor the winged lion in the hourof his need? Thy old arm is muscular, and thy leg steady on the water, and they seek those who, like thee, have been trained to the seas. "

"Thou should'st have said, also, and thy old breast is scarred. Beforethy birth, Jacopo, I went against the infidel, and my blood was shed, like water, for the state. But they have forgotten it, while there arerich marbles raised in the churches, which speak of what the nobles did, who came unharmed from the same wars. "

"I have heard my father say as much, " returned the Bravo, gloomily, andspeaking in an altered voice. "He, too, bled in that war; but that isforgotten. "

The fisherman glanced a look around, and perceiving that several groupswere conversing near, in the square, he signed to his companion tofollow him, and walked towards the quays. 

"Thy father, " he said, as they moved slowly on together, "was my comradeand my friend. I am old, Jacopo, and poor; my days are passed in toil, on the Lagunes, and my nights in gaining strength to meet the labor ofthe morrow; but it hath grieved me to hear that the son of one I muchloved, and with whom I have so often shared good and evil, fair andfoul, hath taken to a life like that which men say is thine. The goldthat is the price of blood was never yet blessed to him that gave or himthat received. "

The Bravo listened in silence, though his companion, who, at anothermoment, and under other emotions, would have avoided him as one shrinksfrom contagion, saw, on looking mournfully up into his face, that themuscles were slightly agitated, and that a paleness crossed his cheeks, which the light of the moon rendered ghastly. 

"Thou hast suffered poverty to tempt thee into grievous sin, Jacopo; butit is never too late to call on the saints for aid, and to lay aside thestiletto. It is not profitable for a man to be known in Venice as thyfellow, but the friend of thy father will not abandon one who shows apenitent spirit. Lay aside thy stiletto, and come with me to theLagunes. Thou wilt find labor less burdensome than guilt, and thoughthou never canst be to me like the boy they have taken, for he wasinnocent as the lamb! thou wilt still be the son of an ancient comrade, and a stricken spirit. Come with me then to the Lagunes, for poverty andmisery like mine cannot meet with more contempt, even for being thycompanion. "

"What is it men say, that thou treatest me thus?" demanded Jacopo, in alow, struggling voice. 

"I would they said untruth! But few die by violence, in Venice, that thyname is not uttered. "

"And would they suffer one thus marked to go openly on the canals, orto be at large in the great square of San Marco?"

"We never know the reasons of the senate. Some say thy time is not yetcome, while others think thou art too powerful for judgment. "

"Thou dost equal credit to the justice and the activity of theinquisition. But should I go with thee to-night, wilt thou be morediscreet in speech among thy fellows of the Lido, and the islands?"

"When the heart hath its load, the tongue will strive to lighten it. Iwould do anything to turn the child of my friend from his evil ways, butforget my own. Thou art used to deal with the patricians, Jacopo; wouldthere be possibility for one, clad in this dress, and with a faceblackened by the sun, to come to speak with the Doge?"

"There is no lack of seeming justice in Venice, Antonio; the want is inthe substance. I doubt not thou would'st be heard. "

"Then will I wait, here, upon the stones of the square, until he comesforth for the pomp of to-morrow, and try to move his heart to justice. He is old, like myself, and he hath bled, too, for the state, and whatis more he is a father. "

"So is the Signor Gradenigo. "

"Thou doubtest his pity--ha?"

"Thou canst but try. The Doge of Venice will hearken to a petition fromthe meanest citizen. I think, " added Jacopo, speaking so low as to bescarcely audible, "he would listen even to me. "

"Though I am not able to put my prayer in such speech as becometh theear of a great prince, he shall hear the truth from a wronged man. Theycall him the chosen of the state, and such a one should gladly listen tojustice. This is a hard bed, Jacopo, " continued the fisherman, seatinghimself at the foot of the column of St. Theodore, "but I have slept oncolder and as hard, when there was less reason to do it--a happy night. "

The bravo lingered a minute near the old man, who folded his arms on hisnaked breast, which was fanned by the sea-breeze, and disposed of hisperson to take his rest in the square, a practice not unusual among menof his class; but when he found that Antonio was inclined to be alone, he moved on, leaving the fisherman to himself. 

The night was now getting to be advanced, and few of the revellersremained in the areas of the two squares. Jacopo cast a glance around, and noting the hour and the situation of the place, he proceeded to theedge of the quay. The public gondoliers had left their boats moored, asusual, at this spot, and a profound stillness reigned over the wholebay. The water was scarce darkened by the air, which rather breathedupon than ruffled its surface, and no sound of oar was audible amid theforest of picturesque and classical spars, which crowded the viewbetween the Piazzetta and the Giudecca. The Bravo hesitated, castanother wary glance around him, settled his mask, undid the slightfastenings of a boat, and presently he was gliding away into the centreof the basin. 

"Who cometh?" demanded one, who seemingly stood at watch, in a felucca, anchored a little apart from all others. 

"One expected, " was the answer. 

"Roderigo?"

"The same. "

"Thou art late, " said the mariner of Calabria, as Jacopo stepped uponthe low deck of the Bella Sorrentina. "My people have long been below, and I have dreamt thrice of shipwreck, and twice of a heavy sirocco, since thou hast been expected. "

"Thou hast had more time to wrong the customs. Is the felucca ready forher work?"

"As for the customs, there is little chance of gain in this greedycity. The senators secure all profits to themselves and their friends, while we of the barks are tied down to low freights and hard bargains. Ihave sent a dozen casks of lachryma christi up the canals since themasquers came abroad, and beyond that I have not occasion. There isenough left for thy comfort, at need. Wilt drink?"

"I am sworn to sobriety. Is thy vessel ready, as wont, for the errand?"

"Is the senate as ready with its money? This is the fourth of my voyagesin their service; and they have only to look into their own secrets toknow the manner in which the work hath been done. "

"They are content, and thou hast been well rewarded. "

"Say it not. I have gained more gold by one lucky shipment of fruitsfrom the isles than by all their night-work. Would those who employ megive a little especial traffic on the entrance of the felucca, theremight be advantage in the trade. "

"There is nothing which St. Mark visits with a heavier punishment thanfrauds on his receipts. Have a care with thy wines, or thou wilt losenot only thy bark and thy voyage, but thy liberty!"

"This is just the ground of my complaint, Signor Roderigo. Rogue and norogue, is the Republic's motto. Here they are as close in justice as afather amid his children; and there it is better that what is doneshould be done at midnight. I like not the contradiction, for just as myhopes are a little raised by what I have witnessed, perhaps a little toonear, they are all blown to the winds by such a frown as San Gennerohimself might cast upon a sinner. "

"Remember thou art not in thy wide Mediterranean, but on a canal ofVenice. This language might be unsafe, were it heard by less friendlyears. "

"I thank thee for thy care, though the sight of yonder old palace is asgood a hint to the loose tongue as the sight of a gibbet on thesea-shore to a pirate. I met an ancient fellow in the Piazzetta aboutthe time the masquers came in, and we had some words on this matter. Byhis tally every second man in Venice is well paid for reporting what theothers say and do. 'Tis a pity, with all their seeming love of justice, good Roderigo, that the senate should let divers knaves go at large;men, whose very faces cause the stones to redden with anger and shame!"

"I did not know that any such were openly seen in Venice; what issecretly done may be favored for a time, through difficulty of proof, but--"

"Cospetto! They tell me the councils have a short manner of making asinner give up his misdeeds. Now, here is the miscreant Jacopo. Whataileth thee, man? The anchor on which thou leanest is not heated. "

"Nor is it of feathers; one's bones may ache from its touch, withoutoffence, I hope. "

"The iron is of Elba, and was forged in a volcano. This Jacopo is onethat should not go at large in an honest city, and yet is he seen pacingthe square with as much ease as a noble in the Broglio!"

"I know him not. "

"Not to know the boldest hand and surest stiletto in Venice, honestRoderigo, is to thy praise. But he is well marked among us of the port, and we never see the man but we begin to think of our sins, and ofpenances forgotten. I marvel much that the inquisitors do not give himto the devil on some public ceremony, for the benefit of smalloffenders!"

"Are his deeds so notorious that they might pronounce on his fatewithout proof?"

"Go, ask that question in the streets! Not a Christian loses his life inVenice without warning; and the number is not few, to say nothing ofthose who die with state fevers, but men see the work of his sure handin the blow. Signor Roderigo, your canals are convenient graves forsudden deaths!"

"Methinks there is contradiction in this. Thou speakest of proofs of thehand that gave it, in the manner of the blow, and then thou callest inthe aid of the canals to cover the whole deed. Truly, there is somewrong done this Jacopo, who is, haply, a man slandered. "

"I have heard of slandering a priest, for they are Christians, bound tokeep good names for the church's honor, but to utter an injury against abravo would a little exceed the tongue of an avocato. What mattereth itwhether the hand be a shade deeper in color or not, when blood is onit. "

"Thou sayest truly, " answered the pretended Roderigo, drawing a heavybreath. "It mattereth little indeed to him condemned, whether thesentence cometh of one or of many crimes. "

"Dost know, friend Roderigo, that this very argument hath made me lessscrupulous concerning the freight I am called on to carry, in thissecret trade of ours. Thou art fairly in the senate's business, worthyStefano, I say to myself, and therefore the less reason that thoushould'st be particular in the quality of the merchandise. That Jacopohath an eye and a scowl that would betray him, were he chosen to thechair of St. Peter! But doff thy mask, Signor Roderigo, that the sea-airmay cool thy cheek; 'tis time there should no longer be this suspicionbetween old and tried friends. "

"My duty to those that send me forbid the liberty, else would I gladlystand face to face with thee, Master Stefano. "

"Well, notwithstanding thy caution, cunning Signore, I would hazard tenof the sequins thou art to pay to me, that I will go on the morrow intothe crowd of San Marco, and challenge thee openly, by name, among athousand. Thou mayest as well unmask, for I tell thee thou art as wellknown to me as the lateen yards of my felucca. "

"The less need to uncover. There are certain signs, no doubt, by whichmen who meet so often should be known to each other. "

"Thou hast a goodly countenance, Signore, and the less need to hide it. I have noted thee among the revellers, when thou hast thought thyselfunseen; and I will say of thee this much, without wish to gain aught inour bargain, one of appearance fair as thine, Signor Roderigo, hadbetter be seen openly than go thus for ever behind a cloud. "

"My answer hath been made. What the state wills cannot be overlooked;but since I see thou knowest me, take heed not to betray thy knowledge. "

"Thou would'st not be more safe with thy confessor. Diamine! I am not aman to gad about among the water-sellers, with a secret at the top of myvoice; but thou didst leer aside when I winked at thee dancing among themasquers on the quay. Is it not so, Roderigo?"

"There is more cleverness in thee, Master Stefano, than I had thought;though thy readiness with the felucca is no secret. "

"There are two things, Signor Roderigo, on which I value myself, butalways, I hope, with Christian moderation. As a mariner of the coast, inmistral or sirocco, levanter or zephyr, few can claim more practice; andfor knowing an acquaintance in a carnival, I believe the father of evilhimself could not be so disguised that eye of mine should not see hisfoot! For anticipating a gale, or looking behind a mask, SignorRoderigo, I know not my own equal among men of small learning. "

"These faculties are great gifts in one who liveth by the sea and acritical trade. "

"Here came one Gino, a gondolier of Don Camillo Monforte, and an ancientfellow of mine, aboard the felucca, attended by a woman in mask. Hethrew off the girl dexterously enough, and, as he thought, amongstrangers; but I knew her at a glance for the daughter of a wine-seller, who had already tasted lachryma christi of mine. The woman was angeredat the trick, but making the best of luck, we drove a bargain for thefew casks which lay beneath the ballast, while Gino did his master'sbusiness in San Marco. "

"And what that business was thou didst not learn, good Stefano?"

"How should I, Master Roderigo, when the gondolier scarce left time forgreeting; but Annina--"

"Annina!"

"The same. Thou knowest Annina, old Tomaso's daughter; for she danced inthe very set in which I detected thy countenance! I would not speak thusof the girl, but that I know thou art not backward to receive liquorsthat do not visit the custom-house, thyself. "

"For that, fear nothing. I have sworn to thee that no secret of thisnature shall pass my lips. But this Annina is a girl of quick wit andmuch boldness. "

"Between ourselves, Signor Roderigo, it is not easy to tell who is inthe senate's pay here in Venice, or who is not. I have sometimesfancied, by thy manner of starting, and the tones of thy voice, thatthou wert thyself no less than the lieutenant-general of the galleys, alittle disguised. "

"And this with thy knowledge of men!"

"If faith were always equal, where would be its merit? Thou hast neverbeen hotly chased by an infidel, Master Roderigo, or thou would'st knowhow the mind of man can change from hope to fear, from the big voice tothe humble prayer! I remember once, in the confusion and hurry ofbaffling winds and whistling shot, having always turbans before the eye, and the bastinado in mind, to have beseeched St. Stefano in some suchvoice as one would use to a dog, and to have bullied the men with thewhine of a young kitten. Corpo di Bacco! One hath need of experience inthese affairs, Signor Roderigo, to know even his own merits. "

"I believe thee. But who is this Gino of whom thou hast spoken, and whathas his occupation, as a gondolier, to do with one known in thy youth inCalabria?"

"Therein lie matters exceeding my knowledge. His master, and I may saymy master, for I was born on his estates, is the young Duca di Sant'Agata--the same that pushes his fortunes with the senate in a claim tothe riches and honors of the last Monforte that sat in thy councils. Thedebate hath so long endured, that the lad hath made himself a gondolierby sheer shoving an oar between his master's palace and those of thenobles he moves with interest--at least such is Gino's own history ofhis education. "

"I know the man. He wears the colors of him he serves. Is he of quickwit?"

"Signor Roderigo, all who come of Calabria cannot boast that advantage. We are no more than our neighbors, and there are exceptions, in allcommunities as in all families. Gino is ready enough with his oar, andas good a youth in his way as need be. But as to looking into thingsbeyond their surface, why we should not expect the delicacy of abeccafica in a goose. Nature makes men, though kings make nobles. Ginois a gondolier. "

"And of good skill?"

"I say nothing of his arm or his leg, both of which are well enough intheir places; but when it comes to knowing men and things--poor Gino isbut a gondolier! The lad hath a most excellent heart, and is neverbackward to serve a friend. I love him, but thou would'st not have mesay more than the truth will warrant. "

"Well, keep thy felucca in readiness, for we know not the moment it maybe needed. "

"Thou hast only to bring thy freight, Signore, to have the bargainfulfilled. "

"Adieu. I would recommend to thee to keep apart from all other trades, and to see that the revelries of to-morrow do not debauch thy people. "

"God speed thee, Signor Roderigo. Naught shall be wanting. "

The Bravo stepped into his gondola, which glided from the felucca's sidewith a facility which showed that an arm skilled in its use held theoar. He waved his hand in adieu to Stefano, and then the boatdisappeared among the hulls that crowded the port. 

For a few minutes the padrone of the Bella Sorrentina continued to paceher decks, snuffing the fresh breeze that came in over the Lido, andthen he sought his rest. By this time the dark, silent gondolas, whichhad been floating by hundreds through the basin, were all gone. Thesound of music was heard no longer on the canals, and Venice, at alltimes noiseless and peculiar, seemed to sleep the sleep of the dead. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

 "The fisher came From his green islet, bringing o'er the waves His wife and little one; the husbandman From the firm land, with many a friar and nun. And village maiden, her first flight from home, Crowding the common ferry. " ROGERS. 

A brighter day than that which succeeded the night last mentioned neverdawned upon the massive domes, the gorgeous palaces, and the glitteringcanals of Venice. The sun had not been long above the level of the Lidobefore the strains of horns and trumpets arose from the square of St. Mark. They were answered in full echoes from the distant arsenal. Athousand gondolas glided from the canals, stealing in every directionacross the port, the Giudecca, and the various outer channels of theplace; while the well known routes from Fusina and the neighboring isleswere dotted with endless lines of boats urging their way towards thecapital. 

The citizens began to assemble early, in their holiday attire, whilethousands of contadini landed at the different bridges, clad in the gaycostumes of the main. Before the day had far advanced, all the avenuesof the great square were again thronged, and by the time the bells ofthe venerable cathedral had finished a peal of high rejoicing, St. Mark's again teemed with its gay multitude. Few appeared in masks, butpleasure seemed to lighten every eye, while the frank and unconcealedcountenance willingly courted the observation and sympathy of itsneighbors. In short, Venice and her people were seen, in all the gaietyand carelessness of a favorite Italian festa. The banners of theconquered nations flapped heavily on the triumphal masts, eachchurch-tower hung out its image of the winged lion, and every palace wasrich in its hangings of tapestry and silk, floating from balcony andwindow. 

In the midst of this exhilarating and bright spectacle was heard the dinof a hundred thousand voices. Above the constant hum, there arose, fromtime to time, the blasts of trumpets and the symphonies of rich music. Here the improvisatore, secretly employed by a politic and mysteriousgovernment, recounted, with a rapid utterance, and in language suited tothe popular ear, at the foot of the spars which upheld the conqueredbanners of Candia, Crete, and the Morea, the ancient triumphs of theRepublic; while there, a ballad-singer chanted, to the greedy crowd, theglory and justice of San Marco. Shouts of approbation succeeded eachhappy allusion to the national renown, and bravos, loud andoft-repeated, were the reward of the agents of the police, whenever theymost administered to the self-delusion and vanity of their audience. 

In the meantime, gondolas rich in carvings and gildings, and containingfemales renowned for grace and beauty, began to cluster in hundredsaround the port. A general movement had already taken place among theshipping, and a wide and clear channel was opened from the quay at thefoot of the Piazzetta, to the distant bank, which shut out the waves ofthe Adriatic. Near this watery path, boats of all sizes anddescriptions, filled with the curious and observant, were fastcollecting. 

The crowd thickened as the day drew in, all the vast plains of thePadovano appearing to have given up their people to swell the numbers ofthose that rejoiced. A few timid and irresolute masquers now began toappear in the throng, stealing a momentary pleasure under the favor ofthat privileged disguise, from out of the seclusion and monotony oftheir cloisters. Next came the rich marine equipages of the accreditedagents of foreign states, and then, amid the sound of clarions and thecries of the populace, the Bucentaur rowed out of the channel of thearsenal, and came sweeping to her station at the quay of St. Mark. 

These preliminaries, which occupied some hours, being observed, thejavelin-men, and others employed about the person of the head of theRepublic, were seen opening an avenue through the throng. After which, the rich strains of a hundred instruments proclaimed the approach of theDoge. 

We shall not detain the narrative, to describe the pomp in which aluxurious and affluent aristocracy, that in general held itself alooffrom familiar intercourse with those it ruled, displayed itsmagnificence to the eyes of the multitude, on an occasion of popularrejoicing. Long lines of senators, dressed in their robes of office, andattended by crowds of liveried followers, came from under the galleriesof the palace, and descended by the Giant's Stairway into the sombrecourt. Thence, the whole issued into the Piazzetta in order, andproceeded to their several stations on the canopied deck of the wellknown bark. Each patrician had his allotted place, and before the rearof the cortčge had yet quitted the quay, there was a long and imposingrow of grave legislators seated in the established order of theirprecedency. The ambassadors, the high dignitaries of the state, and theaged man who had been chosen to bear the empty honors of sovereignty, still remained on the land, waiting, with the quiet of trained docility, the moment to embark. At this moment, a man of an embrowned visage, legsbare to the knee, and breast open to the breeze, rushed through theguards, and knelt on the stones of the quay at his feet. 

"Justice!--great prince!" cried the bold stranger; "justice and mercy!Listen to one who has bled for St. Mark, and who hath his scars for hiswitnesses. "

"Justice and mercy are not always companions, " calmly observed he whowore the horned bonnet, motioning to his officious attendants to let theintruder stay. 

"Mighty prince! I come for the last. "

"Who and what art thou?"

"A fisherman of the Lagunes. One named Antonio, who seeketh the libertyof the prop of his years--a glorious boy, that force and the policy ofthe state have torn from me. "

"This should not be! Violence is not the attribute of justice--but theyouth hath offended the laws, and he suffereth for his crimes?"

"He is guilty, Excellent and most Serene Highness, of youth, and health, and strength, with some skill in the craft of the mariner. They havetaken him, without warning or consent, for the service of the galleys, and have left me in my age, alone. "

The expression of pity, which had taken possession of the venerablefeatures of the prince, changed instantly to a look of uneasiness anddistrust. The eye, which just before had melted with compassion, becamecold and set in its meaning, and signing to his guards, he bowed withdignity to the attentive and curious auditors, among the foreign agents, to proceed. 

"Bear him away, " said an officer, who took his master's meaning from theglance; "the ceremonies may not be retarded for a prayer so idle. "

Antonio offered no resistance, but yielding to the pressure of thosearound him, he sank back meekly among the crowd, disappointment andsorrow giving place, for an instant, to an awe and an admiration of thegorgeous spectacle, that were perhaps in some degree inseparable fromhis condition and habits. In a few moments, the slight interruptionproduced by this short scene, was forgotten in the higher interest ofthe occasion. 

When the ducal party had taken their places, and an admiral ofreputation was in possession of the helm, the vast and gorgeous bark, with its gilded galleries thronged with attendants, swept away from thequay with a grand and stately movement. Its departure was the signal fora new burst of trumpets and clarions, and for fresh acclamations fromthe people. The latter rushed to the edge of the water, and by the timethe Bucentaur had reached the middle of the port, the stream was blackwith the gondolas that followed in her train. In this manner did the gayand shouting cortčge sweep on, some darting ahead of the principal bark, and some clinging, like smaller fish swimming around the leviathan, asnear to her sides as the fall of the ponderous oars would allow. As eacheffort of the crew sent the galley further from the land, the livingtrain seemed to extend itself, by some secret principle of expansion;nor was the chain of its apparent connexion entirely broken, until theBucentaur had passed the island, long famous for its convent ofreligious Arminians. Here the movement became slower, in order to permitthe thousand gondolas to approach, and then the whole moved forward, innearly one solid phalanx, to the landing of the Lido. 

The marriage of the Adriatic, as the ceremony was quaintly termed, hasbeen too often described to need a repetition here. Our business israther with incidents of a private and personal nature than withdescriptions of public events, and we shall pass over all that has noimmediate connexion with the interest of the tale. 

When the Bucentaur became stationary, a space around her stern wascleared, and the Doge appeared in a rich gallery, so constructed as toexhibit the action to all in sight. He held a ring, glittering withprecious stones, on high, and, pronouncing the words of betrothal, hedropped it upon the bosom of his fancied spouse. Shouts arose, trumpetsblew their blasts, and each lady waved her handkerchief, in felicitationof the happy union. In the midst of the fracas--which was greatlyheightened by the roar of cannon on board the cruisers in the channel, and from the guns in the arsenal--a boat glided into the open spacebeneath the gallery of the Bucentaur. The movement of the arm whichdirected the light gondola was dexterous and still strong, though thehairs of him who held the oar were thin and white. A suppliant eye wascast up at the happy faces that adorned the state of the prince, andthen the look was changed intently to the water. A small fisherman'sbuoy fell from the boat, which glided away so soon, that, amid theanimation and uproar of that moment, the action was scarce heeded by theexcited throng. 

The aquatic procession now returned towards the city, the multituderending the air with shouts at the happy termination of a ceremony, towhich time and the sanction of the sovereign pontiff had given a speciesof sanctity that was somewhat increased by superstition. It is true thata few among the Venetians themselves regarded these famous nuptials ofthe Adriatic with indifference; and that several of the ministers of thenorthern and more maritime states, who were witnesses on the occasion, had scarcely concealed, as they cast glances of intelligence and prideamong themselves, their smiles. Still, such was the influence ofhabit--for so much does even arrogant assumption, when long andperseveringly maintained, count among men--that neither the increasingfeebleness of the Republic, nor the known superiority of other powers onthe very element which this pageant was intended to represent as thepeculiar property of St. Mark, could yet cover the lofty pretension withthe ridicule it merited. Time has since taught the world that Venicecontinued this idle deception for ages after both reason and modestyshould have dictated its discontinuance; but, at the period of which wewrite, that ambitious, crapulous, and factitious state was ratherbeginning to feel the symptomatic evidence of its fading circumstances, than to be fully conscious of the swift progress of a downward course. In this manner do communities, like individuals, draw near theirdissolution, inattentive to the symptoms of decay, until they areovertaken with that fate which finally overwhelms empires and theirpower in the common lot of man. 

The Bucentaur did not return directly to the quay, to disburden itselfof its grave and dignified load. The gaudy galley anchored in the centreof the port, and opposite to the wide mouth of the great canal. Officershad been busy, throughout the morning, in causing all the shipping andheavy boats, of which hundreds lay in that principal artery of the city, to remove from the centre of the passage, and heralds now summoned thecitizens to witness the regatta, with which the public ceremonies of theday were to terminate. 

Venice, from her peculiar formation and the vast number of her watermen, had long been celebrated for this species of amusement. Families wereknown and celebrated in her traditions for dexterous skill with the oar, as they were known in Rome for feats of a far less useful and of a morebarbarous nature. It was usual to select from these races of watermenthe most vigorous and skilful; and after invoking the aid ofpatron-saints, and arousing their pride and recollections by songs thatrecounted the feats of their ancestors, to start them for the goal, withevery incitement that pride and the love of victory could awaken. 

Most of these ancient usages were still observed. As soon as theBucentaur was in its station, some thirty or forty gondoliers werebrought forth, clad in their gayest habiliments, and surrounded andsupported by crowds of anxious friends and relatives. The intendedcompetitors were expected to sustain the long-established reputations oftheir several names, and they were admonished of the disgrace ofdefeat. They were cheered by the men, and stimulated by the smiles andtears of the other sex. The rewards were recalled to their minds; theywere fortified by prayers to the saints; and then they were dismissed, amid the cries and the wishes of the multitude, to seek their allottedplaces beneath the stern of the galley of state. 

It has already been mentioned in these pages, that the city of Venice isdivided into two nearly equal parts by a channel much broader than thatof the ordinary passages of the town. This dividing artery, from itssuperior size and depth, and its greater importance, is called the GrandCanal. Its course is not unlike that of an undulating line, whichgreatly increases its length. As it is much used by the larger boats ofthe bay--being, in fact, a sort of secondary port--and its width is soconsiderable, it has throughout the whole distance but one bridge, thecelebrated Rialto. The regatta was to be held on this canal, whichoffered the requisites of length and space, and which, as it was linedwith most of the palaces of the principal senators, afforded all thefacilities necessary for viewing the struggle. 

In passing from one end of this long course to the other, the mendestined for the race were not permitted to make any exertion. Theireyes roamed over the gorgeous hangings, which, as is still wontthroughout Italy on all days of festa, floated from every window, and ongroups of females in rich attire, brilliant with the peculiar charms ofthe famed Venetian beauty, that clustered in the balconies. Those whowere domestics, rose and answered to the encouraging signals thrown fromabove, as they passed the palaces of their masters; while those who werewatermen of the public, endeavored to gather hope among the sympathizingfaces of the multitude. 

At length every formality had been duly observed, and the competitorsassumed their places. The gondolas were much larger than those commonlyused, and each was manned by three watermen in the centre, directed by afourth, who, standing on the little deck in the stern, steered, while heaided to impel the boat. There were light, low staffs in the bows, withflags, that bore the distinguishing colors of several noble families ofthe Republic, or which had such other simple devices as had beensuggested by the fancies of those to whom they belonged. A fewflourishes of the oars, resembling the preparatory movements which themaster of fence makes ere he begins to push and parry, were given; awhirling of the boats, like the prancing of curbed racers, succeeded;and then, at the report of a gun, the whole darted away as if thegondolas were impelled by volition. The start was followed by a shout, which passed swiftly along the canal, and an eager agitation of headsthat went from balcony to balcony, till the sympathetic movement wascommunicated to the grave load under which the Bucentaur labored. 

For a few minutes the difference in force and skill was not veryobvious. Each gondola glided along the element apparently with that easewith which a light-winged swallow skims the lake, and with no visibleadvantage to any one of the ten. Then, as more art in him who steered, or greater powers of endurance in those who rowed, or some of the latentproperties of the boat itself came into service, the cluster of littlebarks which had come off like a closely-united flock of birds takingflight together in alarm, began to open, till they formed a long andvacillating line in the centre of the passage. The whole train shotbeneath the bridge so near each other as to render it still doubtfulwhich was to conquer, and the exciting strife came more in view of theprincipal personages of the city. 

But here those radical qualities which insure success in efforts of thisnature manifested themselves. The weaker began to yield, the train tolengthen, and hopes and fears to increase, until those in frontpresented the exhilarating spectacle of success, while those behindoffered the still more noble sight of men struggling without hope. Gradually the distances between the boats increased, while that betweenthem and the goal grew rapidly less, until three of those in advancecame in, like glancing arrows, beneath the stern of the Bucentaur, withscarce a length between them. The prize was won, the conquerors wererewarded, and the artillery gave forth the usual signals of rejoicing. Music answered to the roar of cannon and the peals of bells, whilesympathy with success, that predominant and so often dangerous principleof our nature, drew shouts even from the disappointed. 

The clamor ceased, and a herald proclaimed aloud the commencement of anew and different struggle. The last, and what might be termed thenational race, had been limited by an ancient usage to the known andrecognised gondoliers of Venice. The prize had been awarded by thestate, and the whole affair had somewhat of an official and politicalcharacter. It was now announced, however, that a race was to be run, inwhich the reward was open to all competitors, without question as totheir origin, or as to their ordinary occupations. An oar of gold, towhich was attached a chain of the same precious metal, was exhibited asthe boon of the Doge to him who showed most dexterity and strength inthis new struggle; while a similar ornament of silver was to be theportion of him who showed the second-best dexterity and bottom. A mimicboat of less precious metal was the third prize. The gondolas were to bethe usual light vehicles of the canals, and as the object was to displaythe peculiar skill of that city of islands, but one oarsman was allowedto each, on whom would necessarily fall the whole duty of guiding, whilehe impelled his little bark. Any of those who had been engaged in theprevious trial were admitted to this; and all desirous of taking part inthe new struggle were commanded to come beneath the stern of theBucentaur within a prescribed number of minutes, that note might be hadof their wishes. As notice of this arrangement had been previouslygiven, the interval between the two races was not long. 

The first who came out of the crowd of boats which environed the vacantplace that had been left for the competitors, was a gondolier of thepublic landing, well known for his skill with the oar, and his song onthe canal. 

"How art thou called, and in whose name dost thou put thy chance?"demanded the herald of this aquatic course. 

"All know me for Bartolomeo, one who lives between the Piazzetta and theLido, and, like a loyal Venetian, I trust in San Teodoro. "

"Thou art well protected; take thy place and await thy fortune. "

The conscious waterman swept the water with a back stroke of his blade, and the light gondola whirled away into the centre of the vacant spot, like a swan giving a sudden glance aside. 

"And who art thou?" demanded the official of the next that came. 

"Enrico, a gondolier of Fusina. I come to try my oar with the braggartsof the canals. "

"In whom is thy trust?"

"Sant' Antonio di Padua?"

"Thou wilt need his aid, though we commend thy spirit. Enter, and takeplace. "--"And who art thou?" he continued, to another, when the secondhad imitated the easy skill of the first. 

"I am called Gino of Calabria, a gondolier in private service. "

"What noble retaineth thee?"

"The illustrious and most excellent Don Camillo Monforte, Duca and Lordof Sant' Agata in Napoli, and of right a senator in Venice. "

"Thou should'st have come of Padua, friend, by thy knowledge of thelaws! Dost thou trust in him thou servest for the victory?"

There was a movement among the senators at the answer of Gino; and thehalf-terrified varlet thought he perceived frowns gathering on more thanone brow. He looked around in quest of him whose greatness he hadvaunted, as if he sought succor. 

"Wilt thou name thy support in this great trial of force?" resumed theherald. 

"My master, " uttered the terrified Gino, "St. Januarius, and St. Mark. "

"Thou art well defended. Should the two latter fail thee, thou mayestsurely count on the first!"

"Signor Monforte has an illustrious name, and he is welcome to ourVenetian sports, " observed the Doge, slightly bending his head towardsthe young Calabrian noble, who stood at no great distance in a gondolaof state, regarding the scene with a deeply-interested countenance. Thiscautious interruption of the pleasantries of the official wasacknowledged by a low reverence, and the matter proceeded. 

"Take thy station, Gino of Calabria, and a happy fortune be thine, " saidthe latter; then turning to another, he asked in surprise--"Why art thouhere?"

"I come to try my gondola's swiftness. "

"Thou art old, and unequal to this struggle; husband thy strength fordaily toil. An ill-advised ambition hath put thee on this uselesstrial. "

The new aspirant had forced a common fisherman's gondola, of no badshape, and of sufficient lightness, but which bore about it all thevulgar signs of its daily uses, beneath the gallery of the Bucentaur. Hereceived the reproof meekly, and was about to turn his boat aside, though with a sorrowing and mortified eye, when a sign from the Dogearrested his arm. 

"Question him, as of wont, " said the prince. 

"How art thou named?" continued the reluctant official, who, like all ofsubordinate condition, had far more jealousy of the dignity of thesports he directed, than his superior. 

"I am known as Antonio, a fisherman of the Lagunes. "

"Thou art old!"

"Signore, none know it better than I. It is sixty summers since I firstthrew net or line into the water. "

"Nor art thou clad as befitteth one who cometh before the state ofVenice in a regatta. "

"I am here in the best that I have. Let them who would do the noblesgreater honor, come in better. "

"Thy limbs are uncovered--thy bosom bare--thy sinews feeble--go to; thouart ill advised to interrupt the pleasures of the nobles by thislevity. "

Again Antonio would have shrunk from the ten thousand eyes that shoneupon him, when the calm voice of the Doge once more came to his aid. 

"The struggle is open to all, " said the sovereign; "still I would advisethe poor and aged man to take counsel; give him silver, for want urgeshim to this hopeless trial. "

"Thou hearest; alms are offered thee; but give place to those who arestronger and more seemly for the sport. "

"I will obey, as is the duty of one born and accustomed to poverty. Theysaid the race was open to all, and I crave the pardon of the nobles, since I meant to do them no dishonor. "

"Justice in the palace, and justice on the canals, " hastily observed theprince. "If he will continue, it is his right. It is the pride of St. Mark that his balances are held with an even hand. "

A murmur of applause succeeded the specious sentiment, for the powerfulrarely affect the noble attribute of justice, however limited may be itsexercise, without their words finding an echo in the tongues of theselfish. 

"Thou hearest--His Highness, who is the voice of a mighty state, saysthou mayest remain;--though thou art still advised to withdraw. "

"I will then see what virtue is left in this naked arm, " returnedAntonio, casting a mournful glance, and one that was not entirely freefrom the latent vanity of man, at his meagre and threadbare attire. "Thelimb hath its scars, but the infidels may have spared enough, for thelittle I ask. "

"In whom is thy faith?"

"Blessed St. Anthony, of the Miraculous Draught. "

"Take thy place. --Ha! here cometh one unwilling to be known! How now!who appears with so false a face?"

"Call me, Mask. "

"So neat and just a leg and arm need not have hid their follow, thecountenance. Is it your Highness's pleasure that one disguised should beentered for the sports?"

"Doubt it not. A mask is sacred in Venice. It is the glory of ourexcellent and wise laws, that he who seeketh to dwell within the privacyof his own thoughts, and to keep aloof from curiosity by shadowing hisfeatures, rangeth our streets and canals as if he dwelt in the securityof his own abode. Such are the high privileges of liberty, and such itis to be a citizen of a generous, a magnanimous, and a free state. "

A thousand bowed in approbation of the sentiment, and a rumor passedfrom mouth to mouth that a young noble was about to try his strength inthe regatta, in compliment to some wayward beauty. 

"Such is justice!" exclaimed the herald, in a loud voice, admirationapparently overcoming respect, in the ardor of the moment. "Happy is hethat is born in Venice, and envied are the people in whose councilswisdom and mercy preside, like lovely and benignant sisters! On whomdost thou rely?"

"Mine own arm. "

"Ha! this is impious! None so presuming may enter into these privilegedsports. "

The hurried exclamation of the herald was accompanied by a general stir, such as denotes sudden and strong emotion in a multitude. 

"The children of the Republic are protected by an even hand, " observedthe venerable prince. "It formeth our just pride, and blessed St. Markforbid that aught resembling vain-glory should be uttered! but it istruly our boast that we know no difference between our subjects of theislands or those of the Dalmatian coast; between Padua or Candia; Corfuor St. Giorgio. Still it is not permitted for any to refuse theintervention of the saints. "

"Name thy patron, or quit the place, " continued the observant herald, anew. 

The stranger paused, as if he looked into his mind, and then heanswered--

"San Giovanni of the Wilderness. "

"Thou namest one of blessed memory!"

"I name him who may have pity on me, in this living desert. "

"The temper of thy soul is best known to thyself, but this reverend rankof patricians, yonder brilliant show of beauty, and that goodlymultitude, may claim another name. --Take thy place. "

While the herald proceeded to take the names of three or four moreapplicants, all gondoliers in private service, a murmur ran through thespectators, which proved how much their interest and curiosity had beenawakened by the replies and appearance of the two last competitors. Inthe meantime, the young nobles who entertained those who came last, began to move among the throng of boats, with the intention of makingsuch manifestations of their gallant desires and personal devotion, assuited the customs and opinions of the age. The list was now proclaimedto be full, and the gondolas were towed off, as before, towards thestarting point, leaving the place beneath the stern of the Bucentaur, vacant. The scene that followed, consequently passed directly before theeyes of those grave men, who charged themselves with most of the privateinterests, as well as with the public concerns of Venice. 

There were many unmasked and high-born dames, whirling about in theirboats, attended by cavaliers in rich attire, and here and there appeareda pair of dark lustrous eyes, peeping through the silk of a visor, thatconcealed some countenance too youthful for exposure in so gay a scene. One gondola, in particular, was remarked for the singular grace andbeauty of the form it held, qualities which made themselves apparent, even through the half-disguise of the simple habiliments she wore. Theboat, the servants, and the ladies, for there were two, were alikedistinguished for that air of severe but finished simplicity, whichoftener denotes the presence of high quality and true taste, than a morelavish expenditure of vulgar ornament. A Carmelite, whose features wereconcealed by his cowl, testified that their condition was high, and lenta dignity to their presence by his reverend and grave protection. Ahundred gondolas approached this party, and after as many fruitlessefforts to penetrate the disguises, glided away, while whispers andinterrogatories passed from one to another, to learn the name andstation of the youthful beauty. At length, a gay bark, with watermen ingorgeous liveries, and in whose equipment there was a studied display ofmagnificence, came into the little circle that curiosity had drawntogether. The single cavalier who occupied the seat, arose, for fewgondolas appeared that day with their gloomy-looking and mysteriouspavilions, and saluted the masked females with the ease of oneaccustomed to all presences, but with the reserve of deep respect. 

"I have a favorite follower in this race, " he said gallantly, "and onein whose skill and force I put great trust. Until now I have uselesslysought a lady of a beauty and merit so rare, as to warrant that I shouldplace his fortune on her smiles. But I seek no further. "

"You are gifted with a keen sight, Signore, that you discover all youseek beneath these masks, " returned one of the two females, while theircompanion, the Carmelite, bowed graciously to the compliment, whichseemed little more than was warranted by the usage of such scenes. 

"There are other means of recognition than the eyes, and other sourcesof admiration than the senses, lady. Conceal yourselves as you will, here do I know that I am near the fairest face, the warmest heart, andthe purest mind of Venice!"

"This is bold augury, Signore, " returned she who was evidently theoldest of the two, glancing a look at her companion as if to note theeffect of this gallant speech. "Venice has a name for the beauty of itsdames, and the sun of Italy warms many a generous heart. "

"Better that such noble gifts should be directed to the worship of theCreator than of the creature, " murmured the monk. 

"Some there are, holy father, who have admiration for both. Such I wouldfain hope is the happy lot of her who is favored with the spiritualcounsel of one so virtuous and wise as yourself. Here I place myfortune, let what may follow; and here would I gladly place a heavierstake, were it permitted. "

As the cavalier spoke, he tendered to the silent fair a bouquet of thesweetest and most fragrant flowers; and among them were those to whichpoets and custom have ascribed the emblematic qualities of constancy andlove. She, to whom this offering of gallantry was made, hesitated toaccept it. It much exceeded the reserve imposed on one of her stationand years to allow of such homage from the other sex, though theoccasion was generally deemed one that admitted of more than usualgallantry; and she evidently shrank, with the sensitiveness of one whosefeelings were unpractised, from a homage so public. 

"Receive the flowers, my love, " mildly whispered her companion--"thecavalier who offers them simply intends to show the quality of hisbreeding. "

"That will be seen in the end, " hastily returned Don Camillo--for it washe. "Signora, adieu; we have met on this water when there was lessrestraint between us. "

He bowed, and, signing to his gondolier, was quickly lost in the crowdof boats. Ere the barks, however, were separated, the mask of the silentfair was slightly moved as if she sought relief from the air; and theNeapolitan was rewarded for his gallantry by a momentary glance at theglowing countenance of Violetta. 

"Thy guardian hath a displeased eye, " hurriedly observed Donna Florinda. "I wonder that we should be known!"

"I should more wonder that we were not. I could recall the nobleNeapolitan cavalier amid a million. Thou dost not remember all that Iowe to him!"

Donna Florinda did not answer; but in secret she offered up a ferventprayer that the obligation might be blessed to the future happiness ofher who had received it. There was a furtive and uneasy glance betweenher and the Carmelite; but as neither spoke, a long and thoughtfulsilence succeeded the rencontre. 

From this musing the party, in common with all the gay and laughingmultitude by which they were surrounded, were reminded of the businesson which they were assembled by the signal-gun, the agitation on thegreat canal nearest the scene of strife, and a clear blast of thetrumpets. But in order that the narrative may proceed regularly, it isfit that we should return a little in the order of time. 

CHAPTER IX. 

 "Here art thou in appointment fresh and fair, Anticipating time with starting courage. " SHAKSPEARE. 

It has been seen that the gondolas, which were to contend in the race, had been towed towards the place of starting, in order that the menmight enter on the struggle with undiminished vigor. In this precaution, even the humble and half-clad fisherman had not been neglected, but hisboat, like the others, was attached to the larger barges to which thisduty had been assigned. Still, as he passed along the canal, before thecrowded balconies and groaning vessels which lined its sides, therearose that scornful and deriding laugh, which seems ever to grow morestrong and bold, as misfortune weighs most heavily on its subject. 

The old man was not unconscious of the remarks of which he was thesubject; and, as it is rare indeed that our sensibilities do not surviveour better fortunes, even he was so far conscious of a fall as not to becallous to contempt thus openly expressed. He looked wistfully on everyside of him, and seemed to seek in every eye he encountered, someportion of the sympathy which his meek and humble feelings still craved. But even the men of his caste and profession threw jibes upon his ear;and though, of all the competitors, perhaps the one whose motive mosthallowed his ambition, he was held to be the only proper subject ofmirth. For the solution of this revolting trait of human character weare not to look to Venice and her institutions, since it is known thatnone are so arrogant, on occasions, as the ridden, and that the abjectand insolent spirits are usually tenants of the same bosom. 

The movement of the boats brought those of the masked waterman, and thesubjects of those taunts, side by side. 

"Thou art not the favorite in this strife, " observed the former, when afresh burst of jibes was showered on the head of his unresistingassociate. "Thou hast not been sufficiently heedful of thy attire, forthis is a town of luxury, and he who would meet applause must appear onthe canals in the guise of one less borne upon by fortune. "

"I know them! I know them!" returned the fisherman; "they are led awayby their pride, and they think ill of one who cannot share in theirvanities. But, friend unknown, I have brought with me a face, which, oldthough it be, and wrinkled, and worn by the weather like the stones ofthe sea-shore, is uncovered to the eye, and without shame. "

"There may be reasons which thou knowest not, why I wear a mask. But ifmy face be hid the limbs are bare, and thou seest there is no lack ofsinews to make good that which I have undertaken. Thou should'st havethought better of the matter ere thou puttest thyself in the way of somuch mortification. Defeat will not cause the people to treat thee moretenderly. "

"If my sinews are old and stiffened, Signor Mask, they are long used totoil. As to shame, if it is a shame to be below the rest of mankind infortune, it will not now come for the first time. A heavy sorrow hathbefallen me, and this race may lighten the burden of grief. I shall notpretend that I hear this laughter, and all these scornful speeches, asone listens to the evening breeze on the Lagunes--for a man is still aman, though he lives with the humblest, and eats of the coarsest. Butlet it pass, Sant' Antonio will give me heart to bear it. "

"Thou hast a stout mind, fisherman, and I would gladly pray my patronto grant thee a stronger arm, but that I have much need of this victorymyself. Wilt thou be content with the second prize, if, by any manner ofskill, I might aid thy efforts? for, I suppose, the metal of the thirdis as little to thy taste as it is to my own. "

"Nay, I count not on gold or silver. "

"Can the honor of such a struggle awaken the pride of one like thee?"

The old man looked earnestly at his companion, but he shook his headwithout answer. Fresh merriment, at his expense, caused him to bend hisface towards the scoffers, and he perceived they were just then passinga numerous group of his fellows of the Lagunes, who seemed to feel thathis unjustifiable ambition reflected, in some degree, on the honor oftheir whole body. 

"How now, old Antonio!" shouted the boldest of the band, "is it notenough that thou hast won the honors of the net, but thou would'st havea golden oar at thy neck?"

"We shall yet see him of the senate!" cried a second. 

"He standeth in need of the horned bonnet for his naked head, " continueda third. "We shall see the brave Admiral Antonio sailing in theBucentaur, with the nobles of the land!"

Their sallies were succeeded by coarse laughter. Even the fair in thebalconies were not uninfluenced by these constant jibes, and theapparent discrepancy between the condition and the means of so unusual apretender to the honors of the regatta. The purpose of the old manwavered, but he seemed goaded by some inward incentive that stillenabled him to maintain his ground. His companion closely watched thevarying expression of a countenance that was far too little trained indeception to conceal the feelings within; and, as they approached theplace of starting, he again spoke. 

"Thou mayest yet withdraw, " he said; "why should one of thy years makethe little time he has to stay bitter, by bearing the ridicule of hisassociates for the rest of his life?"

"St. Anthony did a greater wonder when he caused the fishes to come upon the waters to hear his preaching, and I will not show a cowardlyheart at a moment when there is most need of resolution. "

The masked waterman crossed himself devoutly; and, relinquishing allfurther design to persuade the other to abandon the fruitless contest, he gave all his thoughts to his own interest in the coming struggle. 

The narrowness of most of the canals of Venice, with the innumerableangles and the constant passing, have given rise to a fashion ofconstruction and of rowing that are so peculiar to that city and itsimmediate dependencies as to require some explanation. The reader hasdoubtless already understood that a gondola is a long, narrow, and lightboat, adapted to the uses of the place, and distinct from the wherriesof all other towns. The distance between the dwellings on most of thecanals is so small, that the width of the latter does not admit of theuse of oars on both sides, at the same time. The necessity of constantlyturning aside to give room for others, and the frequency of the bridgesand the corners, have suggested the expediency of placing the face ofthe waterman in the direction in which the boat is steering, and, ofcourse, of keeping him on his feet. As every gondola, when fullyequipped, has its pavilion in the centre, the height of the latterrenders it necessary to place him who steers on such an elevation aswill enable him to overlook it. From these several causes a one-oaredboat in Venice is propelled by a gondolier, who stands on a littleangular deck in its stern, formed like the low roof of a house, and thestroke of the oar is given by a push, instead of a pull, as is commonelsewhere. This habit of rowing erect, however, which is usually doneby a forward, instead of a backward movement of the body, is notunfrequent in all the ports of the Mediterranean, though in no other isthere a boat which resembles the gondola in all its properties or uses. The upright position of the gondolier requires that the pivot on whichthe oar rests should have a corresponding elevation; and there is, consequently, a species of bumkin raised from the side of the boat tothe desired height, and which, being formed of a crooked and veryirregular knee of wood, has two or three row-locks, one above the other, to suit the stature of different individuals, or to give a broader or anarrower sweep of the blade as the movement shall require. As there isfrequent occasion to cast the oar from one of these row-locks to theother, and not unfrequently to change its side, it rests in a very openbed; and the instrument is kept in its place by great dexterity alone, and by a perfect knowledge of the means of accommodating the force andthe rapidity of the effort to the forward movement of the boat and theresistance of the water. All these difficulties united render skill in agondolier one of the most delicate branches of a waterman's art, as itis clear that muscular strength alone, though of great aid, can availbut little in such a practice. 

The great canal of Venice, following its windings, being more than aleague in length, the distance in the present race was reduced nearlyhalf, by causing the boats to start from the Rialto. At this point, then, the gondolas were all assembled, attended by those who were toplace them. As the whole of the population which before had beenextended along the entire course of the water, was now crowded betweenthe bridge and the Bucentaur, the long and graceful avenue resembled avista of human heads. It was an imposing sight to look along that brightand living lane, and the hearts of each competitor beat high, as hope, or pride, or apprehension, became the feeling of the moment. 

"Gino of Calabria, " cried the marshal who placed the gondolas, "thystation is on the right. Take it, and St. Januarius speed thee!"

The servitor of Don Camillo assumed his oar, and the boat glidedgracefully into its berth. 

"Thou comest next, Enrico of Fusina. Call stoutly on thy Paduan patron, and husband thy strength; for none of the main have ever yet borne awaya prize in Venice. "

He then summoned, in succession, those whose names have not beenmentioned, and placed them side by side, in the centre of the canal. 

"Here is place for thee, Signore, " continued the officer, inclining hishead to the unknown gondolier; for he had imbibed the general impressionthat the face of some young patrician was concealed beneath the mask, tohumor the fancy of some capricious fair. --"Chance hath given thee theextreme left. "

"Thou hast forgotten to call the fisherman, " observed the masker, as hedrove his own gondola into its station. 

"Does the hoary fool persist in exposing his vanity and his rags to thebest of Venice?"

"I can take place in the rear, " meekly observed Antonio. "There may bethose in the line it doth not become one like me to crowd, and a fewstrokes of the oar, more or less, can differ but little in so long; astrife. "

"Thou hadst better push modesty to discretion, and remain. "

"If it be your pleasure, Signore, I would rather see what St. Anthonymay do for an old fisherman, who has prayed to him, night and morning, these sixty years?"

"It is thy right; and, as thou seemest content with it, Keep the placethou hast in the rear. It is only occupying it a little earlier thanthou would'st otherwise. Now, recall the rules of the games, hardygondoliers, and make your last appeal to your patrons. There is to be nocrossing, or other foul expedients; naught except ready oars, andnimble wrists. He who varies needlessly from his line until he leadeth, shall be recalled by name; and whoever is guilty of any act to spoil thesports, or otherwise to offend the patricians, shall be both checked andpunished. Be ready for the signal. "

The assistant, who was in a strongly manned boat, fell back a little, while runners, similarly equipped, went ahead to order the curious fromthe water. These preparations were scarcely made, when a signal floatedon the nearest dome. It was repeated on the campanile, and a gun wasfired at the arsenal. A deep but suppressed murmur arose in the throng, which was as quickly succeeded by suspense. 

Each gondolier had suffered the bows of his boat to incline slightlytowards the left shore of the canal, as the jockey is seen, at thestarting-post, to turn his courser aside, in order to repress its ardor, or divert its attention. But the first long and broad sweep of the oarbrought them all in a line again, and away they glided in a body. 

For the first few minutes there was no difference in speed, nor any signby which the instructed might detect the probable evidence of defeat orsuccess. The whole ten, which formed the front line, skimmed the waterwith an equal velocity, beak to beak, as if some secret attraction heldeach in its place, while the humble, though equally light bark of thefisherman steadily kept its position in the rear. 

The boats were soon held in command. The oars got their justest poiseand widest sweep, and the wrists of the men accustomed to their play. The line began to waver, It undulated, the glittering prow of oneprotruding beyond the others; and then it changed its form. Enrico ofFusina shot ahead, and, privileged by success, he insensibly sheeredmore into the centre of the canal, avoiding by the change the eddies, and the other obstructions of the shore. This manoeuvre which, in thelanguage of the course, would have been called "taking the track, " hadthe additional advantage of throwing upon those who followed sometrifling impediment from the back-water. The sturdy and practisedBartolomeo of the Lido, as his companions usually called him, came next, occupying the space on his leader's quarter, where he suffered leastfrom the reaction caused by the stroke of his oar. The gondolier of DonCamillo, also, soon shot out of the crowd, and was seen plying his armsvigorously still farther to the right, and a little in the rear ofBartolomeo. Then came in the centre of the canal, and near as might bein the rear of the triumphant waterman of the main, a dense body, withlittle order and varying positions, compelling each other to give way, and otherwise increasing the difficulties of their struggle. More to theleft, and so near to the palaces as barely to allow room for the sweepof his oar, was the masked competitor, whose progress seemed retarded bysome unseen cause, for he gradually fell behind all the others, untilseveral boats' lengths of open water lay between him and even the groupof his nameless opponents. Still he plied his arms steadily, and withsufficient skill. As the interest of mystery had been excited in hisfavor, a rumor passed up the canal, that the young cavalier had beenlittle favored by fortune in the choice of a boat. Others, who reflectedmore deeply on causes, whispered of the folly of one of his habitstaking the risk of mortification by a competition with men whose dailylabor had hardened their sinews, and whose practice enabled them tojudge closely of every chance of the race. But when the eyes of themultitude turned from the cluster of passing boats to the solitary bargeof the fisherman, who came singly on in the rear, admiration was againturned to derision. 

Antonio had cast aside the cap he wore of wont, and the few stragglinghairs that were left streamed about his hollow temples, leaving thewhole of his swarthy features exposed to view. More than once, as thegondola came on, his eyes turned aside reproachfully, as if he keenlyfelt the stings of so many unlicensed tongues applied to feelings which, though blunted by his habits and condition, were far from extinguished. Laugh arose above laugh, however, and taunt succeeded taunt morebitterly, as the boats came among the gorgeous palaces which lined thecanal nearer to the goal. It was not that the owners of these lordlypiles indulged in the unfeeling triumph, but their dependants, constantly subject themselves to the degrading influence of a superiorpresence, let loose the long-pent torrents of their arrogance on thehead of the first unresisting subject which offered. 

Antonio bore all these jibes manfully, if not in tranquillity, andalways without retort, until he again approached the spot occupied byhis companions of the Lagunes. Here his eye sank under the reproaches, and his oar faltered. The taunts and denunciations increased as he lostground, and there was a moment when the rebuked and humbled spirit ofthe old man seemed about to relinquish the contest. But dashing a handacross his brow, as if to clear a sight which had become dimmed andconfused, he continued to ply the oar, and, happily, he was soon pastthe point most trying to his resolution. From this moment the criesagainst the fisherman diminished, and as the Bucentaur, though stilldistant, was now in sight, interest in the issue of the race absorbedall other feelings. 

Enrico still kept the lead; but the judges of the gondolier's skillbegan to detect signs of exhaustion in his faltering stroke. Thewaterman of the Lido pressed him hard, and the Calabrian was drawingmore into a line with them both. At this moment, too, the maskedcompetitor exhibited a force and skill that none had expected to see inone of his supposed rank. His body was thrown more upon the effort ofthe oar, and as his leg was stretched behind to aid the stroke, itdiscovered a volume of muscle, and an excellence of proportion, thatexcited murmurs of applause. The consequence was soon apparent. Hisgondola glided past the crowd in the centre of the canal, and by achange that was nearly insensible, he became the fourth in the race. Theshouts which rewarded his success had scarcely parted from themultitude, ere their admiration was called to a new and an entirelyunexpected aspect in the struggle. 

Left to his own exertions, and less annoyed by that derision andcontempt which often defeat even more generous efforts, Antonio haddrawn nearer to the crowd of nameless competitors. Thoughundistinguished in this narrative, there were seen, in that group ofgondoliers, faces well known on the canals of Venice, as belonging towatermen in whose dexterity and force the city took pride. Eitherfavored by his isolated position, or availing himself of theembarrassment these men gave to each other, the despised fisherman wasseen a little on their left, coining up abreast, with a stroke andvelocity that promised further success. The expectation was quicklyrealized. He passed them all, amid a dead and wondering silence, andtook his station as fifth in the struggle. 

From this moment all interest in those who formed the vulgar mass waslost. Every eye was turned towards the front, where the strife increasedat each stroke of the oar, and where the issue began to assume a new anddoubtful character. The exertions of the waterman of Fusina wereseemingly redoubled, though his boat went no faster. The gondola ofBartolomeo shot past him; it was followed by those of Gino and themasked gondolier, while not a cry betrayed the breathless interest ofthe multitude. But when the boat of Antonio also swept ahead, therearose such a hum of voices as escapes a throng when a sudden and violentchange of feeling is produced in their wayward sentiments. Enrico wasfrantic with the disgrace. He urged every power of his frame to avertthe dishonor, with the desperate energy of an Italian, and then he casthimself into the bottom of the gondola, tearing his hair and weeping inagony. His example was followed by those in the rear, though with moregoverned feelings, for they shot aside among the boats which lined thecanal, and were lost to view. 

From this open and unexpected abandonment of the struggle, thespectators got the surest evidence of its desperate character. But as aman has little sympathy for the unfortunate when his feelings areexcited by competition, the defeated were quickly forgotten. The name ofBartolomeo was borne high upon the winds by a thousand voices, and hisfellows of the Piazzetta and the Lido called upon him, aloud, to die forthe honor of their craft. Well did the sturdy gondolier answer to theirwishes, for palace after palace was left behind, and no further changewas made in the relative positions of the boats. But, like hispredecessor, the leader redoubled his efforts with a diminished effect, and Venice had the mortification of seeing a stranger leading one of themost brilliant of her regattas. Bartolomeo no sooner lost place, thanGino, the masker, and the despised Antonio, in turn, shot by, leavinghim who had so lately been first in the race, the last. He did not, however, relinquish the strife, but continued to struggle with theenergy of one who merited a better fortune. 

When this unexpected and entirely new character was given to thecontest, there still remained a broad sheet of water between theadvancing gondolas and the goal. Gino led, and with many favorablesymptoms of his being able to maintain his advantage. He was encouragedby the shouts of the multitude, who now forgot his Calabrian origin inhis success, while many of the serving-men of his master cheered him onby name. All would not do. The masked waterman, for the first time, threw the grandeur of his skill and force into the oar. The asheninstrument bent to the power of an arm whose strength appeared toincrease at will, and the movements of his body became rapid as theleaps of the greyhound. The pliant gondola obeyed, and amid a shoutwhich passed from the Piazzetta to the Rialto, it glided ahead. 

If success gives force and increases the physical and moral energies, there is a fearful and certain reaction in defeat. The follower of DonCamillo was no exception to the general law, and when the maskedcompetitor passed him the boat of Antonio followed as if it wereimpelled by the same strokes. The distance between the two leadinggondolas even now seemed to lessen, and there was a moment of breathlessinterest when all there expected to see the fisherman, in despite of hisyears and boat, shooting past his rival. 

But expectation was deceived. He of the mask, notwithstanding hisprevious efforts, seemed to sport with the toil, so ready was the sweepof his oar, so sure its stroke, and so vigorous the arm by which it wasimpelled. Nor was Antonio an antagonist to despise. If there was less ofthe grace of a practised gondolier of the canals in his attitudes thanin those of his companion, there was no relaxation in the force of hissinews. They sustained him to the last with that enduring power whichhad been begotten by threescore years of unremitting labor, and whilehis still athletic form was exerted to the utmost there appeared nofailing of its energies. 

A few moments sent the leading gondolas several lengths ahead of theirnearest followers. The dark beak of the fisherman's boat hung upon thequarter of the more showy bark of his antagonist, but it could do nomore. The port was open before them, and they glanced by church, palace, barge, mystick, and felucca, without the slightest inequality in theirrelative speed. The masked waterman glanced a look behind as if tocalculate his advantage, and then bending again to his pliant oar hespoke, loud enough to be heard only by him who pressed so hard upon histrack. 

"Thou hast deceived me, fisherman!" he said--"there is more of manhoodin thee yet than I had thought. "

"If there is manhood in my arms there is childlessness and sorrow at theheart, " was the reply. 

"Dost thou so prize a golden bauble? Thou art second; be content withthy lot. "

"It will not do; I must be foremost or I have wearied my old limbs invain!"

This brief dialogue was uttered with an ease that showed how far use hadaccustomed both to powerful bodily efforts, and with a firmness of tonesthat few could have equalled in a moment of so great physical effort. The masker was silent, but his purpose seemed to waver. Twenty strokesof his powerful oar-blade and the goal was attained: but his sinews werenot so much extended, and that limb which had shown so fine adevelopment of muscle, was less swollen and rigid. The gondola of oldAntonio glided abeam. 

"Push thy soul into the blade, " muttered he of the mask, "or thou wiltyet be beaten!"

The fisherman threw every effort of his body on the coming effort, andhe gained a fathom. Another stroke caused the boat to quiver to itscentre, and the water curled from its bows like the ripple of a rapid. Then the gondola darted between the two goal-barges, and the littleflags that marked the point of victory fell into the water. The actionwas scarce noted ere the glittering beak of the masquer shot past theeyes of the judges, who doubted for an instant on whom success hadfallen. Gino was not long behind, and after him came Bartolomeo, fourthand last in the best contested race which had ever been seen on thewaters of Venice. 

When the flags fell, men held their breaths in suspense. Few knew thevictor, so close had been the struggle. But a flourish of the trumpetssoon commanded attention, and then a herald proclaimed that--

"Antonio, a fisherman of the Lagunes, favored by his holy patron of theMiraculous Draught, had borne away the prize of gold--while a watermanwho wore his face concealed, but who hath trusted to the care of theblessed San Giovanni of the Wilderness, is worthy of the silver prize, and that the third had fallen to the fortunes of Gino of Calabria, aservitor of the illustrious Don Camillo Monforte, Duca di Sant' Agata, and lord of many Neapolitan Seignories. "

When this formal announcement was made, there succeeded a silence likethat of the tomb. Then there arose a general shout among the livingmass, which bore on high the name of Antonio as if they celebrated thesuccess of some conqueror. All feeling of contempt was lost in theinfluence of his triumph. The fishermen of the Lagunes, who so latelyhad loaded their aged companion with contumely, shouted for his glorywith a zeal that manifested the violence of the transition frommortification to pride; and, as has ever been and ever will be the meedof success, he who was thought least likely to obtain it was mostgreeted with praise and adulation when it was found that the end haddisappointed expectation. Ten thousand voices were lifted in proclaiminghis skill and victory, and young and old, the fair, the gay, the noble, the winner of sequins and he who lost, struggled alike to catch aglimpse of the humble old man, who had so unexpectedly wrought thischange of sentiment in the feelings of a multitude. 

Antonio bore his triumph meekly. When his gondola had reached the goalhe checked its course, and, without discovering any of the usual signsof exhaustion, he remained standing, though the deep heaving of hisbroad and tawny chest proved that his powers had been taxed to theirutmost. He smiled as the shouts arose on his ear, for praise is gratefuleven to the meek; still he seemed oppressed with an emotion of acharacter deeper than pride. Age had somewhat dimmed his eye, but it wasnow full of hope. His features worked, and a single burning drop fellon each rugged cheek. The fisherman then breathed more freely. 

Like his successful antagonist, the waterman of the mask betrayed noneof the debility which usually succeeds great bodily exertion. His kneeswere motionless, his hands still grasped the oar firmly, and he tookept his feet with a steadiness that showed the physical perfection ofhis frame. On the other hand, both Gino and Bartolomeo sank in theirrespective boats as they gained the goal in succession; and so exhaustedwas each of these renowned gondoliers, that several moments elapsedbefore either had breath for speech. It was during this momentary pausethat the multitude proclaimed its sympathy with the victor by theirlongest and loudest shouts. The noise had scarcely died away, however, before a herald summoned Antonio of the Lagunes, the masked waterman ofthe Blessed St. John of the Wilderness, and Gino the Calabrian, to thepresence of the Doge, whose princely hand was to bestow the promisedprizes of the regatta. 

CHAPTER X. 

 "We shall not spend a large expense of time, Before we reckon with your several loves, And make us even with you. " MACBETH. 

When the three gondolas reached the side of the Bucentaur, the fishermanhung back, as if he distrusted his right to intrude himself into thepresence of the senate. He was, however, commanded to ascend, and signswere made for his two companions to follow. 

The nobles, clad in their attire of office, formed a long and imposinglane from the gangway to the stern, where the titular sovereign of thatstill more titular Republic was placed, in the centre of the highofficers of state, gorgeous and grave in borrowed guise and naturalqualities. 

"Approach, " said the Prince, mildly, observing that the old andhalf-naked man that led the victors hesitated to advance. "Thou art theconqueror, fisherman, and to thy hands must I consign the prize. "

Antonio bent his knee to the deck, and bowed his head lowly ere heobeyed. Then taking courage, he drew nearer to the person of the Doge, where he stood with a bewildered eye and rebuked mien, waiting thefurther pleasure of his superiors. The aged Prince paused for stillnessto succeed the slight movements created by curiosity. When he spoke, itwas amid a perfect calm. 

"It is the boast of our glorious Republic, " he said, "that the rights ofnone are disregarded; that the lowly receive their merited rewards assurely as the great; that St. Mark holds the balance with an even hand, and that this obscure fisherman, having deserved the honors of thisregatta, will receive them with the same readiness on the part of himwho bestows, as if he were the most favored follower of our own house. Nobles and burghers of Venice, learn to prize your excellent and equablelaws in this occasion, for it is most in acts of familiar and commonusage that the paternal character of a government is seen, since inmatters of higher moment the eyes of a world impel a compliance with itsown opinions. "

The Doge delivered these preliminary remarks in a firm tone, like oneconfident of his auditors' applause. He was not deceived. No sooner hadhe done, than a murmur of approbation passed through the assembly, andextended itself to thousands who were beyond the sound of his voice, andto more who were beyond the reach of his meaning. The senators benttheir heads in acknowledgment of the justice of what their chief haduttered, and the latter, having waited to gather these signs of anapproving loyalty, proceeded. 

"It is my duty, Antonio, and, being a duty, it hath become a pleasure toplace around thy neck this golden chain. The oar which it bears is anemblem of thy skill; and among thy associates it will be a mark of theRepublic's favor and impartiality, and of thy merit. Take it, then, vigorous old man, for though age hath thinned thy temples and furrowedthy cheek, it hath scarcely affected thy wonderful sinews and hardycourage!"

"Highness!" observed Antonio, recoiling apace, when he found that he wasexpected to stoop, in order that the bauble might be bestowed, "I am notfit to bear about me such a sign of greatness and good fortune. Theglitter of the gold would mock my poverty, and a jewel which comes fromso princely a hand would be ill placed on a naked bosom. "

This unexpected refusal caused a general surprise, and a momentarypause. 

"Thou hast not entered on the struggle, fisherman, without a view to itsprize? But thou sayest truly, the golden ornament would, indeed, but illbefit thy condition and daily wants. Wear it for the moment, since it ismeet that all should know the justice and impartiality of our decisions, and bring it to my treasurer when the sports are done; he will make suchan exchange as better suits thy wishes. There is precedent for thispractice, and it shall be followed. "

"Illustrious Highness! I did not trust my old limbs in so hard a strifewithout hopes of a reward. But it was not gold, nor any vanity to beseen among my equals with that glittering jewel, that led me to meet thescorn of the gondoliers, and the displeasure of the great. "

"Thou art deceived, honest fisherman, if thou supposest that we regardthy just ambition with displeasure. We love to see a generous emulationamong our people, and take all proper means to encourage those aspiringspirits who bring honor to a state, and fortune to our shores. "

"I pretend not to place my poor thoughts against those of my Prince, "answered the fisherman; "my fears and shame have led me to believe thatit would give more pleasure to the noble and gay had a younger andhappier borne away this honor. "

"Thou must not think this. Bend then thy knee, that I may bestow theprize. When the sun sets thou wilt find those in my palace who willrelieve thee of the ornament at a just remuneration. "

"Highness!" said Antonio, looking earnestly at the Doge, who againarrested his movement in surprise, "I am old, and little wont to bespoilt by fortune. For my wants, the Lagunes, with the favor of the HolySt. Anthony, are sufficient; but it is in thy power to make the lastdays of an old man happy, and to have thy name remembered in many anhonest and well meant prayer. Grant me back my child, forget theboldness of a heart-broken father!"

"Is not this he who urged us with importunity concerning a youth that isgone into the service of the state?" exclaimed the Prince, across whosecountenance passed that expression of habitual reserve which so oftenconcealed the feelings of the man. 

"The same, " returned a cold voice, which the ear of Antonio well knewcame from the Signor Gradenigo. 

"Pity for thy ignorance, fisherman, represses our anger. Receive thychain, and depart. "

Antonio's eye did not waver. He kneeled with an air of profound respect, and folding his hands on his bosom, he said--

"Misery has made me bold, dread Prince! What I say comes from a heavyheart rather than from a licentious tongue, and I pray your royal ear tolisten with indulgence. "

"Speak briefly, for the sports are delayed. "

"Mighty Doge! riches and poverty have caused a difference in ourfortunes, which knowledge and ignorance have made wider. I am rude in mydiscourse, and little suited to this illustrious company. But, Signore, God hath given to the fisherman the same feelings, and the same love forhis offspring, as he has given to a prince. Did I place dependence onlyon the aid of my poor learning, I should now be dumb, but there is astrength within that gives me courage to speak to the first and noblestin Venice in behalf of my child!"

"Thou canst not impeach the senate's justice, old man, or utter aught intruth against the known impartiality of the laws?"

"Sovrano mio! deign to listen, and you shall hear. I am what your eyesbehold--a man, poor, laborious, and drawing near to the hour when heshall be called to the side of the blessed St. Anthony of Rimini, andstand in a presence even greater than this. I am not vain enough tothink that my humble name is to be found among those of the patricianswho have served the Republic in her wars--that is an honor which nonebut the great, and the noble, and the happy, can claim; but if thelittle I have done for my country is not in the Golden Book, it iswritten here, " as Antonio spoke, he pointed to the scars on hishalf-naked form; "these are signs of the enmity of the Turk, and I nowoffer them as so many petitions to the bounty of the senate. "

"Thou speakest vaguely. What is thy will?"

"Justice, mighty Prince. They have forced the only vigorous branch fromthe dying trunk--they have lopped the withering stem of its mostpromising shoot--they have exposed the sole companion of my labors andpleasures, the child to whom I have looked to close my eyes, when itshall please God to call me away, untaught, and young in lessons ofhonesty and virtue, a boy in principle as in years, to all thetemptation, and sin, and dangerous companionship of the galleys!"

"Is this all? I had thought thy gondola in the decay, or thy right touse the Lagunes in question!"

"Is this all?" repeated Antonio, looking around him in bittermelancholy. "Doge of Venice, it is more than one, old, heart-stricken, and bereaved, can bear?"

"Go to; take thy golden chain and oar, and depart among thy fellows intriumph. Gladden thy heart at a victory, on which thou could'st not, inreason, have counted, and leave the interests of the state to those thatare wiser than thee, and more fitted to sustain its cares. "

The fisherman arose with an air of rebuked submission, the result of along life passed in the habit of political deference; but he did notapproach to receive the proffered reward. 

"Bend thy head, fisherman, that his Highness may bestow the prize, "commanded an officer. 

"I ask not for gold, nor any oar, but that which carries me to theLagunes in the morning, and brings me back into the canals at night. Give me my child, or give me nothing. "

"Away with him!" muttered a dozen voices; "he utters sedition! let himquit the galley. "

Antonio was hurried from the presence, and forced into his gondola withvery unequivocal signs of disgrace. This unwonted interruption of theceremonies clouded many a brow, for the sensibilities of a Venetiannoble were quick, indeed, to reprehend the immorality of politicaldiscontent, though the conventional dignity of the class suppressed allother ill-timed exhibition of dissatisfaction. 

"Let the next competitor draw near, " continued the sovereign, with acomposure that constant practice in dissimulation rendered easy. 

The unknown waterman to whose secret favor Antonio owed his success, approached, still concealed by the licensed mask. 

"Thou art the gainer of the second prize, " said the Prince, "and wererigid justice done, thou should'st receive the first also, since ourfavor is not to be rejected with impunity. Kneel, that I may bestow thefavor. "

"Highness, pardon!" observed the masker, bowing with great respect, butwithdrawing a single step from the offered reward; "if it be yourgracious will to grant a boon for the success of the regatta, I too haveto pray that it may be given in another form. "

"This is unusual! It is not wont that prizes, offered by the hand of aVenetian Doge, should go a-begging. "

"I would not seem to press more than is respectful, in this greatpresence. I ask but little, and, in the end, it may cost the Republicless, than that which is now offered. "

"Name it. "

"I, too, and on my knee, in dutiful homage to the chief of the state, beg that the prayer of the old fisherman be heard, and that the fatherand son may be restored to each other, for the service will corrupt thetender years of the boy, and make the age of his parent miserable. "

"This touches on importunity! Who art thou, that comest in this hiddenmanner, to support a petition once refused?"

"Highness--the second victor in the ducal regatta. "

"Dost trifle in thy answers? The protection of a mask, in all that doesnot tend to unsettle the peace of the city, is sacred. But here seemethmatter to be looked into. Remove thy disguise, that we see thee eye toeye. "

"I have heard that he who kept civil speech, and in naught offendedagainst the laws, might be seen at will, disguised in Venice, withoutquestion of his affairs or name. "

"Most true, in all that does not offend St. Mark. But here is a concertworthy of inquiry: I command thee, unmask. "

The waterman, reading in every face around him the necessity ofobedience, slowly withdrew the means of concealment, and discovered thepallid countenance and glittering eyes of Jacopo. An involuntarymovement of all near, left this dreaded person standing singly, confronted with the Prince of Venice, in a wide circle of wondering andcurious listeners. 

"I know thee not!" exclaimed the Doge, with an open amazement thatproved his sincerity, after regarding the other earnestly for a moment. "Thy reasons for the disguise should be better than thy reasons forrefusing the prize. "

The Signor Gradenigo drew near to the sovereign, and whispered in hisear. When he had done, the latter cast one look, in which curiosity andaversion were in singular union, at the marked countenance of the Bravo, and then he silently motioned to him to depart. The throng drew aboutthe royal person with instinctive readiness, closing the space in hisfront. 

"We shall look into this at our leisure, " said the Doge. "Let thefestivities proceed. "

Jacopo bowed low, and withdrew. As he moved along the deck of theBucentaur, the senators made way, as if pestilence was in his path, though it was quite apparent, by the expression of their faces, that itwas in obedience to a feeling of a mixed character. The avoided, butstill tolerated Bravo descended to his gondola, and the usual signalswere given to the multitude beneath, who believed the customaryceremonies were ended. 

"Let the gondolier of Don Camillo Monforte stand forth, " cried a herald, obedient to the beck of a superior. 

"Highness, here, " answered Gino, troubled and hurried. 

"Thou art of Calabria?"

"Highness, yes. "

"But of long practice on our Venetian canals or thy gondola could neverhave outstripped those of the readiest oarsmen. Thou servest a noblemaster?"

"Highness, yes. "

"And it would seem that the Duke of St. Agata is happy in the possessionof an honest and faithful follower?"

"Highness, too happy. "

"Kneel, and receive the reward of thy resolution and skill. "

Gino, unlike those who had preceded him, bent a willing knee to thedeck, and took the prize with a low and humble inclination of the body. At this moment the attention of the spectators was drawn from the shortand simple ceremony by a loud shout, which arose from the water at nogreat distance from the privileged bark of the senate. A common movementdrew all to the side of the galley, and the successful gondolier wasquickly forgotten. 

A hundred boats were moving in a body towards the Lido, while the spacethey covered on the water presented one compact mass of the red caps offishermen. In the midst of this marine picture was seen the bare head ofAntonio, borne along in the floating multitude, without any effort ofhis own. The general impulsion was received from the vigorous arms ofsome thirty or forty of their number, who towed those in the rear byapplying their force to three or four large gondolas in advance. 

There was no mistaking the object of this singular and characteristicprocession. The tenants of the Lagunes, with the fickleness with whichextreme ignorance acts on human passions, had suddenly experienced aviolent revolution in their feelings towards their ancient comrade. Hewho, an hour before, had been derided as a vain and ridiculouspretender, and on whose head bitter imprecations had been so lavishlypoured, was now lauded with cries of triumph. 

The gondoliers of the canals were laughed to scorn, and the ears of eventhe haughty nobles were not respected, as the exulting band tauntedtheir pampered menials. 

In short, by a process which is common enough with man in all thedivisions and subdivisions of society, the merit of one was at onceintimately and inseparably connected with the glory and exultation ofall. 

Had the triumph of the fishermen confined itself to this natural andcommonplace exhibition, it would not have given grave offence to thevigilant and jealous power that watched over the peace of Venice. Butamid the shouts of approbation were mingled cries of censure. Words ofgrave import were even heard, denouncing those who refused to restore toAntonio his child; and it was whispered on the deck of the Bucentaur, that, filled with the imaginary importance of their passing victory, thehardy band of rioters had dared to menace a forcible appeal, to obtainwhat they audaciously termed the justice of the case. 

This ebullition of popular feeling was witnessed by the assembledsenate in ominous and brooding silence. One unaccustomed to reflectionon such a subject, or unpractised in the world, might have fancied alarmand uneasiness were painted on the grave countenances of the patricians, and that the signs of the times were little favorable to the continuanceof an ascendency that was dependent more on the force of convention thanon the possession of any physical superiority. But, on the other hand, one who was capable of judging between the power of politicalascendency, strengthened by its combinations and order, and the mereebullitions of passion, however loud and clamorous, might readily haveseen that the latter was not yet displayed in sufficient energy to breakdown the barriers which the first had erected. 

The fishermen were permitted to go their way unmolested, though here andthere a gondola was seen stealing towards the Lido, bearing certain ofthose secret agents of the police whose duty it was to forewarn theexisting powers of the presence of danger. Among the latter was the boatof the wine-seller, which departed from the Piazzetta, containing astock of his merchandise, with Annina, under the pretence of making hisprofit out of the present turbulent temper of their ordinary customers. In the meantime, the sports proceeded, and the momentary interruptionwas forgotten; or, if remembered, it was in a manner suited to thesecret and fearful power which directed the destinies of that remarkablerepublic. 

There as another regatta, in which men of inferior powers contended, butwe deem it unworthy to detain the narrative by a description. 

Though the grave tenants of the Bucentaur seemed to take an interest inwhat was passing immediately before their eyes, they had ears for everyshout that was borne on the evening breeze from the distant Lido; andmore than once the Doge himself was seen to bend his looks in thatdirection, in a manner which betrayed the concern that was uppermost inhis mind. 

Still the day passed on as usual. The conquerors triumphed, the crowdapplauded, and the collected senate appeared to sympathize with thepleasures of a people, over whom they ruled with a certainty of powerthat resembled the fearful and mysterious march of destiny. 

CHAPTER XI. 

 "Which is the merchant here, and which the Jew?" SHAKSPEARE. 

The evening of such a day, in a city with the habits of Venice, was notlikely to be spent in the dulness of retirement. The great square of St. Mark was again filled with its active and motley crowd, and the scenesalready described in the opening chapters of this work were resumed, ifpossible, with more apparent devotion to the levities of the hour, thanon the occasion mentioned. The tumblers and jugglers renewed theirantics, the cries of the fruit-sellers and other venders of lightluxuries were again mingled with the tones of the flute and the notes ofthe guitar and harp; while the idle and the busy, the thoughtless andthe designing, the conspirator and the agent of the police, once moremet in privileged security. 

The night had advanced, beyond its turn, when a gondola came glidingthrough the shipping of the port with that easy and swan-like motionwhich is peculiar to its slow movement, and touched the quay with itsbeak, at the point where the canal of St. Mark forms its junction withthe bay. 

"Thou art welcome, Antonio, " said one, who approached the solitaryindividual that had directed the gondola, when the latter had thrust theiron spike of his painter between the crevices of the stones, asgondoliers are accustomed to secure their barges; "thou art welcome, Antonio, though late. "

"I begin to know the sounds of that voice, though they come from amasked face, " said the fisherman. "Friend, I owe my success to-day tothy kindness, and though it has not had the end for which I had bothhoped and prayed, I ought not to thank thee less. Thou hast thyself beenborne hard upon by the world, or thou would'st not have bethought theeof an old and despised man, when the shouts of triumph were ringing inthy ear, and when thy own young blood was stirred with the feelings ofpride and victory. "

"Nature gives thee strong language, fisherman. I have not passed thehours, truly, in the games and levities of my years. Life has been nofesta to me--but no matter. The senate was not pleased to hear oflessening the number of the galleys' crew, and thou wilt bethink thee ofsome other reward. I have here the chain and golden oar in the hope thatit will still be welcome. "

Antonio looked amazed, but, yielding to a natural curiosity, he gazed amoment with a longing at the prize. Then recoiling with a shudder, heuttered moodily, and with the tones of one whose determination was made:"I should think the bauble coined of my grandchild's blood! Keep it;they have trusted it to thee, for it is thine of right, and now thatthey refuse to hear my prayer, it will be useless to all but to him whofairly earned it. "

"Thou makest no allowance, fisherman, for difference of years and forsinews that are in their vigor. Methinks that in adjudging such a prize, thought should be had to these matters, and then wouldest thou be foundoutstripping us all. Holy St. Theodore! I passed my childhood with theoar in hand, and never before have I met one in Venice who has driven mygondola so hard! Thou touchest the water with the delicacy of a ladyfingering her harp, and yet with the force of the wave rolling on theLido!"

"I have seen the hour, Jacopo, when even thy young arm would have tiredin such a strife between us. That was before the birth of my eldest son, who died in battle with the Ottoman, when the dear boy he left me wasbut an infant in arms. Thou never sawest the comely lad, good Jacopo?"

"I was not so happy, old man; but if he resembled thee, well mayest thoumourn his loss. Body of Diana! I have little cause to boast of the smalladvantage youth and strength gave me. "

"There was a force within that bore me and the boat on, but of what usehath it been? Thy kindness and the pain given to an old frame, that hathbeen long racked by hardship and poverty, are both thrown away on therocky hearts of the nobles. "

"We know not yet, Antonio. The good saints will hear our prayers, whenwe least think they are listening. Come with me, for I am sent to seekthee. "

The fisherman regarded his new acquaintance with surprise, and thenturning to bestow an instant of habitual care on his boat, he cheerfullyprofessed himself ready to proceed. The place where they stood was alittle apart from the thoroughfare of the quays, and though there was abrilliant moon, the circumstance of two men in their garbs being there, was not likely to attract observation; but Jacopo did not appear to besatisfied with this security from remark. He waited until Antonio hadleft the gondola, and then unfolding a cloak, which had lain on his arm, he threw it, without asking permission, over the shoulders of the other. A cap, like that he wore himself, was next produced, and being placed onthe grey hairs of the fisherman, effectually completed hismetamorphosis. 

"There is no need of a mask, " he said, examining his companionattentively, when his task was accomplished. "None would know thee, Antonio, in this garb. "

"And is there need of what thou hast done, Jacopo? I owe thee thanks fora well meant, and, but for the hardness of heart of the rich andpowerful, for what would have proved a great kindness. Still I musttell thee that a mask was never yet put before my face; for what reasoncan there be why one who rises with the sun to go to his toil, whotrusteth to the favor of the blessed St. Anthony for the little he hath, should go abroad like a gallant, ready to steal the good name of avirgin, or a robber at night?"

"Thou knowest our Venetian custom, and it may be well to use somecaution in the business we are on. "

"Thou forgettest that thy intention is yet a secret to me. I say itagain, and I say it with truth and gratitude, that I owe thee manythanks, though the end is defeated, and the boy is still a prisoner inthe floating-school of wickedness; but thou hast a name, Jacopo, that Icould wish did not belong to thee. I find it hard to believe all thatthey have this day said on the Lido, of one who has so much feeling forthe weak and wronged. "

The Bravo ceased to adjust the disguise of his companion, and theprofound stillness which succeeded his remark proved so painful toAntonio, that he felt like one reprieved from suffocation, when he heardthe deep respiration that announced the relief of his companion. 

"I would not willingly say--"

"No matter, " interrupted Jacopo, in a hollow voice. "No matter, fisherman; we will speak of these things on some other occasion. Atpresent, follow, and be silent. "

As he ceased, the self-appointed guide of Antonio beckoned for thelatter to come on, when he led the way from the water side. Thefisherman obeyed; for little did it matter to one poor andheart-stricken as he, whither he was conducted. Jacopo took the firstentrance into the court of the Doge's palace. His footstep wasleisurely, and to the passing multitude they appeared like any others ofthe thousands who were abroad to breathe the soft air of the night, orto enter into the pleasures of the piazza. 

When within the dimmer and broken light of the court, Jacopo paused, evidently to scan the persons of those it contained. It is to bepresumed he saw no reason to delay, for with a secret sign to hiscompanion to follow, he crossed the area, and mounted the well knownsteps, down which the head of the Faliero had rolled, and which, fromthe statues on the summit, is called the Giant's Stairs. The celebratedmouths of the lions were passed, and they were walking swiftly along theopen gallery when they encountered a halberdier of the ducal guard. 

"Who comes?" demanded the mercenary, throwing forward his long anddangerous weapon. 

"Friends to the state and to St. Mark. "

"None pass at this hour without the word. "

Jacopo motioned to Antonio to stand fast, while he drew nearer to thehalberdier and whispered. The weapon was instantly thrown up, and thesentinel again paced the long gallery with practised indifference. Theway was no sooner cleared than they proceeded. Antonio, not a littleamazed at what he had already seen, eagerly followed his guide, for hisheart began to beat high with an exciting but undefined hope. He was notso ignorant of human affairs as to require to be told that those whoruled would sometimes concede that in secret which policy forbade themto yield openly. Full, therefore, of the expectation of being usheredinto the presence of the Doge himself, and of having his child restoredto his arms, the old man stepped lightly along the gloomy gallery, anddarting through an entrance, at the heels of Jacopo, he found himself atthe foot of another flight of massive steps. The route now becameconfused to the fisherman, for, quitting the more public vomitories ofthe palace, his companion held his way by a secret door, through manydimly lighted and obscure passages. They ascended and descendedfrequently, as often quitting or entering rooms of but ordinarydimensions and decorations, until the head of Antonio was completelyturned, and he no longer knew the general direction of their course. Atlength they stopped in an apartment of inferior ornaments, and of adusky color, which the feeble light rendered still more gloomy. 

"Thou art well acquainted with the dwelling of our prince, " said thefisherman, when his companion enabled him to speak, by checking hisswift movements. "The oldest gondolier of Venice is not more ready onthe canals, than thou appearest to be among these galleries andcorridors. "

"'Tis my business to bring thee hither, and what I am to do, I endeavorto do well. Antonio, thou art a man that feareth not to stand in thepresence of the great, as this day hath shown. Summon thy courage, for amoment of trial is before thee. "

"I have spoken boldly to the Doge. Except the Holy Father himself, whatpower is there on earth besides to fear?"

"Thou mayest have spoken, fisherman, too boldly. Temper thy language, for the great love not words of disrespect. "

"Is truth unpleasant to them?"

"That is as may be. They love to hear their own acts praised, when theiracts have merited praise, but they do not like to hear them condemned, even though they know what is said to be just. "

"I fear me, " said the old man, looking with simplicity at the other, "there is little difference between the powerful and the weak, when thegarments are stripped from both, and the man stands naked to the eye. "

"That truth may not be spoken here. "

"How! Do they deny that they are Christians, and mortals, and sinners?"

"They make a merit of the first, Antonio--they forget the second, andthey never like to be called the last by any but themselves. "

"I doubt, Jacopo, after all, if I get from them the freedom of theboy. "

"Speak them fair, and say naught to wound their self-esteem, or tomenace their authority--they will pardon much, if the last, inparticular, be respected. "

"But it is that authority which has taken away my child! Can I speak infavor of the power which I know to be unjust?"

"Thou must feign it, or thy suit will fail. "

"I will go back to the Lagunes, good Jacopo, for this tongue of minehath ever moved at the bidding of the heart. I fear I am too old to saythat a son may righteously be torn from the father by violence. Tellthem, thou, from me, that I came thus far, in order to do them respect, but that, seeing the hopelessness of beseeching further, I have gone tomy nets, and to my prayers to blessed St. Anthony. "

As he ceased speaking, Antonio wrung the hand of his motionlesscompanion, and turned away, as if to retire. Two halberds fell to thelevel of his breast ere his foot had quitted the marble floor, and henow saw, for the first time, that armed men crossed his passage, andthat, in truth, he was a prisoner. Nature had endowed the fisherman witha quick and just perception, and long habit had given great steadinessto his nerves. When he perceived his real situation, instead of enteringinto useless remonstrance, or in any manner betraying alarm, he againturned to Jacopo with an air of patience and resignation. 

"It must be that the illustrious Signore wish to do me justice, " hesaid, smoothing the remnant of his hair, as men of his class preparethemselves for the presence of their superiors, "and it would not bedecent in an humble fisherman to refuse them the opportunity. It wouldbe better, however, if there were less force used here in Venice, in amatter of simple right and wrong. But the great love to show theirpower, and the weak must submit. "

"We shall see!" answered Jacopo, who had manifested no emotion duringthe abortive attempt of the other to retire. 

A profound stillness succeeded. The halberdiers maintained their rigidattitudes within the shadow of the wall, looking like two insensiblestatues in the attire and armor of the age, while Jacopo and hiscompanion occupied the centre of the room with scarcely more of theappearance of consciousness and animation. It may be well to explainhere to the reader some of the peculiar machinery of the State, in thecountry of which we write, and which is connected with the scene that isabout to follow: for the name of a Republic, a word which, if it meananything, strictly implies the representation and supremacy of thegeneral interests, but which has so frequently been prostituted to theprotection and monopolies of privileged classes, may have induced him tobelieve that there was at least a resemblance between the outlines ofthat government, and the more just, because more popular, institutionsof his own country. 

In an age when rulers were profane enough to assert, and the ruled weakenough to allow, that the right of a man to govern his fellows was adirect gift from God, a departure from the bold and selfish principle, though it were only in profession, was thought sufficient to give acharacter of freedom and common sense to the polity of a nation. Thisbelief is not without some justification, since it establishes intheory, at least, the foundations of government on a base sufficientlydifferent from that which supposes all power to be the property of one, and that one to be the representative of the faultless and omnipotentRuler of the Universe. With the first of these principles we havenothing to do, except it be to add that there are propositions soinherently false that they only require to be fairly stated to producetheir own refutation; but our subject necessarily draws us into a shortdigression on the errors of the second as they existed in Venice. 

It is probable that when the patricians of St. Mark created a communityof political rights in their own body, they believed their State haddone all that was necessary to merit the high and generous title itassumed. They had innovated on a generally received principle, and theycannot claim the distinction of being either the first or the last whohave imagined that to take the incipient steps in political improvementis at once to reach the goal of perfection. Venice had no doctrine ofdivine right, and as her prince was little more than a pageant, sheboldly laid claim to be called a Republic. She believed that arepresentation of the most prominent and brilliant interests in societywas the paramount object of government, and faithful to the seductivebut dangerous error, she mistook to the last, collective power forsocial happiness. 

It may be taken as a governing principle, in all civil relations, thatthe strong will grow stronger and the feeble more weak, until the firstbecome unfit to rule or the last unable to endure. In this importanttruth is contained the secret of the downfall of all those states whichhave crumbled beneath the weight of their own abuses. It teaches thenecessity of widening the foundations of society until the base shallhave a breadth capable of securing the just representation of everyinterest, without which the social machine is liable to interruptionfrom its own movement, and eventually to destruction from its ownexcesses. 

Venice, though ambitious and tenacious of the name of a republic, was, in truth, a narrow, a vulgar, and an exceedingly heartless oligarchy. Tothe former title she had no other claim than her denial of the nakedprinciple already mentioned, while her practice is liable to thereproach of the two latter, in the unmanly and narrow character of itsexclusion, in every act of her foreign policy, and in every measure ofher internal police. An aristocracy must ever want the high personalfeeling which often tempers despotism by the qualities of the chief orthe generous and human impulses of a popular rule. It has the merit ofsubstituting things for men, it is true, but unhappily it substitutesthe things of a few men for those of the whole. It partakes, and italways has partaken, though necessarily tempered by circumstances andthe opinions of different ages, of the selfishness of all corporationsin which the responsibility of the individual, while his acts areprofessedly submitted to the temporizing expedients of a collectiveinterest, is lost in the subdivision of numbers. At the period of whichwe write, Italy had several of these self-styled commonwealths, in notone of which, however, was there ever a fair and just confiding of powerto the body of the people, though perhaps there is not one that has notbeen cited sooner or later in proof of the inability of man to governhimself! In order to demonstrate the fallacy of a reasoning which is sofond of predicting the downfall of our own liberal system, supported byexamples drawn from transatlantic states of the middle ages, it isnecessary only to recount here a little in detail the forms in whichpower was obtained and exercised in the most important of them all. 

Distinctions in rank, as separated entirely from the will of the nation, formed the basis of Venetian polity. Authority, though divided, was notless a birthright than in those governments in which it was openlyavowed to be a dispensation of Providence. The patrician order had itshigh and exclusive privileges, which were guarded and maintained with amost selfish and engrossing spirit. He who was not born to govern, hadlittle hope of ever entering into the possession of his natural rights:while he who was, by the intervention of chance, might wield a power ofthe most fearful and despotic character. At a certain age all ofsenatorial rank (for, by a specious fallacy, nobility did not take itsusual appellations) were admitted into the councils of the nation. Thenames of the leading families were inscribed in a register, which waswell entitled the "Golden Book, " and he who enjoyed the envieddistinction of having an ancestor thus enrolled could, with a fewexceptions (such as that named in the case of Don Camillo), presenthimself in the senate and lay claim to the honors of the "HornedBonnet. " Neither our limits nor our object will permit a digression ofsufficient length to point out the whole of the leading features of asystem so vicious, and which was, perhaps, only rendered tolerable tothose it governed by the extraneous contributions of captured andsubsidiary provinces, of which in truth, as in all cases of metropolitanrule, the oppression weighed most grievously. The reader will at oncesee that the very reason why the despotism of the self-styled Republicwas tolerable to its own citizens was but another cause of its eventualdestruction. 

As the senate became too numerous to conduct with sufficient secresy anddispatch the affairs of a state that pursued a policy alike tortuous andcomplicated, the most general of its important interests were intrustedto a council composed of three hundred of its members. In order to avoidthe publicity and delay of a body large even as this, a second selectionwas made, which was known as the Council of Ten, and to which much ofthe executive power that aristocratical jealousy withheld from thetitular chief of the state, was confided. To this point the politicaleconomy of the Venetian Republic, however faulty, had at least somemerit for simplicity and frankness. The ostensible agents of theadministration were known, and though all real responsibility to thenation was lost in the superior influence and narrow policy of thepatricians, the rulers could not entirely escape from the odium thatpublic opinion might attach to their unjust or illegal proceedings. Buta state whose prosperity was chiefly founded on the contribution andsupport of dependants, and whose existence was equally menaced by itsown false principles, and by the growth of other and neighboringpowers, had need of a still more efficient body in the absence of thatexecutive which its own Republican pretensions denied to Venice. Apolitical inquisition, which came in time to be one of the most fearfulengines of police ever known, was the consequence. An authority asirresponsible as it was absolute, was periodically confided to anotherand still smaller body, which met and exercised its despotic and secretfunctions under the name of the Council of Three. The choice of thesetemporary rulers was decided by lot, and in a manner that prevented theresult from being known to any but to their own number and to a few ofthe most confidential of the more permanent officers of the government. Thus there existed at all times in the heart of Venice a mysterious anddespotic power that was wielded by men who moved in society unknown, andapparently surrounded by all the ordinary charities of life; but which, in truth, was influenced by a set of political maxims that were perhapsas ruthless, as tyrannic, and as selfish, as ever were invented by theevil ingenuity of man. It was, in short, a power that could only beintrusted, without abuse, to infallible virtue and infiniteintelligence, using the terms in a sense limited by human means; and yetit was here confided to men whose title was founded on the doubleaccident of birth, and the colors of balls, and by whom it was wieldedwithout even the check of publicity. 

The Council of Three met in secret, ordinarily issued its decreeswithout communicating with any other body, and had them enforced with afearfulness of mystery, and a suddenness of execution, that resembledthe blows of fate. The Doge himself was not superior to its authority, nor protected from its decisions, while it has been known that one ofthe privileged three has been denounced by his companions. There isstill in existence a long list of the state maxims which this secrettribunal recognised as its rule of conduct, and it is not saying toomuch to affirm, that they set at defiance every other consideration butexpediency, --all the recognised laws of God, and every principle ofjustice, which is esteemed among men. The advances of the humanintellect, supported by the means of publicity, may temper the exerciseof a similar irresponsible power, in our own age; but in no country hasthis substitution of a soulless corporation for an electiverepresentation, been made, in which a system of rule has not beenestablished, that sets at naught the laws of natural justice and therights of the citizen. Any pretension to the contrary, by placingprofession in opposition to practice, is only adding hypocrisy tousurpation. 

It appears to be an unavoidable general consequence that abuses shouldfollow, when power is exercised by a permanent and irresponsible body, from whom there is no appeal. When this power is secretly exercised, theabuses become still more grave. It is also worthy of remark, that in thenations which submit, or have submitted, to these undue and dangerousinfluences, the pretensions to justice and generosity are of the mostexaggerated character; for while the fearless democrat vents hispersonal complaints aloud, and the voice of the subject of professeddespotism is smothered entirely, necessity itself dictates to theoligarchist the policy of seemliness, as one of the conditions of hisown safety. Thus Venice prided herself on the justice of St. Mark, andfew states maintained a greater show or put forth a more lofty claim tothe possession of the sacred quality, than that whose real maxims ofgovernment were veiled in a mystery that even the loose morality of theage exacted. 

CHAPTER XII. 

 "A power that if but named In casual converse, be it where it might, The speaker lowered at once his voice, his eyes, And pointed upward as at God in heaven. " ROGERS. 

The reader has probably anticipated, that Antonio was now standing in anantechamber of the secret and stern tribunal described in the precedingchapter. In common with all of his class, the fisherman had a vague ideaof the existence, and of the attributes, of the council before which hewas to appear; but his simple apprehension was far from comprehendingthe extent or the nature of functions that equally took cognizance ofthe most important interests of the Republic, and of the more triflingconcerns of a patrician family. While conjectures on the probable resultof the expected interview were passing through his mind, an inner dooropened, and an attendant signed for Jacopo to advance. 

The deep and imposing silence which instantly succeeded the entrance ofthe summoned into the presence of the Council of Three, gave time for aslight examination of the apartment and of those it contained. The roomwas not large for that country and climate, but rather of a size suitedto the closeness of the councils that had place within its walls. Thefloor was tessellated with alternate pieces of black and white marble;the walls were draped in one common and sombre dress of black cloth; asingle lamp of dark bronze was suspended over a solitary table in itscentre, which, like every other article of the scanty furniture, hadthe same melancholy covering as the walls. In the angles of the roomthere were projecting closets, which might have been what they seemed, or merely passages into the other apartments of the palace. All thedoors were concealed from casual observation by the hangings, which gaveone general and chilling aspect of gloom to the whole scene. On the sideof the room opposite to that on which Antonio stood, three men wereseated in curule chairs; but their masks, and the drapery whichconcealed their forms, prevented all recognition of their persons. Oneof this powerful body wore a robe of crimson, as the representative thatfortune had given to the select council of the Doge, and the othersrobes of black, being those which had drawn the lucky, or rather theunlucky balls, in the Council of Ten, itself a temporary andchance-created body of the senate. There were one or two subordinatesnear the table, but these, as well as the still more humble officials ofthe place, were hidden from all ordinary knowledge, by disguises similarto those of the chiefs. Jacopo regarded the scene like one accustomed toits effect, though with evident reverence and awe; but the impression onAntonio was too manifest to be lost. It is probable that the long pausewhich followed his introduction was intended to produce, and to notethis effect, for keen eyes were intently watching his countenance duringits continuance. 

"Thou art called Antonio of the Lagunes?" demanded one of thesecretaries near the table, when a sign had been secretly made from thecrimson member of that fearful tribunal to proceed. 

"A poor fisherman, eccellenza, who owes much to blessed Saint Antonio ofthe Miraculous Draught. "

"And thou hast a son who bears thine own name, and who follows the samepursuit?"

"It is the duty of a Christian to submit to the will of God! My boy hasbeen dead twelve years, come the day when the Republic's galleys chasedthe infidel from Corfu to Candia. He was slain, noble Signore, withmany others of his calling, in that bloody fight. "

There was a movement of surprise among the clerks, who whisperedtogether, and appeared to examine the papers in their hands with somehaste and confusion. Glances were sent back at the judges, who satemotionless, wrapped in the impenetrable mystery of their functions. Asecret sign, however, soon caused the armed attendants of the place tolead Antonio and his companion from the room. 

"Here is some inadvertency!" said a stern voice, from one of the maskedThree, so soon as the fall of the footsteps of those who retired was nolonger audible. "It is not seemly that the inquisition of St. Markshould show this ignorance. "

"It touches merely the family of an obscure fisherman, illustriousSignore, " returned the trembling dependant; "and it may be that his artwould wish to deceive us in the opening interrogatories. "

"Thou art in error, " interrupted another of the Three. "The man is namedAntonio Vecchio, and, as he sayeth, his only child died in the hotaffair with the Ottoman. He of whom there is question is a grandson, andstill a boy. "

"The noble Signore is right!" returned the clerk--"In the hurry ofaffairs, we have misconceived a fact, which the wisdom of the councilhas been quick to rectify. St. Mark is happy in having among hisproudest and oldest names, senators who enter thus familiarly into theinterests of his meanest children!"

"Let the man be again introduced, " resumed the judge, slightly bendinghis head to the compliment. "These accidents are unavoidable in thepress of affairs. "

The necessary order was given, and Antonio, with his companionconstantly at his elbow, was brought once more into the presence. 

"Thy son died in the service of the Republic, Antonio?" demanded thesecretary. 

"Signore, he did. Holy Maria have pity on his early fate, and listen tomy prayers! So good a child and so brave a man can have no great need ofmasses for his soul, or his death would have been doubly grievous to me, since I am too poor to buy them. "

"Thou hast a grandson?"

"I had one, noble senator; I hope he still lives. "

"He is not with thee in thy labors on the Lagunes?"

"San Teodoro grant that he were! he is taken, Signore, with many more oftender years, into the galleys, whence may our Lady give him a savedeliverance! If your eccellenza has an opportunity to speak with thegeneral of the galleys, or with any other who may have authority in sucha matter, on my knees I pray you to speak in behalf of the child, who isa good and pious lad, that seldom casts a line into the water without anave or a prayer to St. Anthony, and who has never given me uneasiness, until he fell into the grip of St. Mark. "

"Rise--this is not the affair in which I have to question thee. Thouhast this day spoken of thy prayer to our most illustrious prince, theDoge?"

"I have prayed his highness to give the boy liberty. "

"And this thou hast done openly, and with little deference to the highdignity and sacred character of the chief of the Republic?"

"I did it like a father and a man. If but half what they say of thejustice and kindness of the state were true, his highness would haveheard me as a father and a man. "

A slight movement among the fearful Three caused the secretary to pause;when he saw, however, that his superiors chose to maintain theirsilence, he continued--

"This didst thou once in public and among the senators, but whenrepulsed, as urging a petition both out of place and out of reason, thousoughtest other to prefer thy request?"

"True, illustrious Signore. "

"Thou camest among the gondoliers of the regatta in an unseemly garb, and placed thyself foremost with those who contended for the favor ofthe senate and its prince?"

"I came in the garb which I wear before the Virgin and St. Antonio, andif I was foremost in the race, it was more owing to the goodness andfavor of the man at my side, than any virtue which is still left inthese withered sinews and dried bones. San Marco remember him in hisneed, for the kind wish, and soften the hearts of the great to hear theprayer of a childless parent!"

There was another slight expression of surprise or curiosity among theinquisitors, and once more the secretary suspended his examination. 

"Thou hearest, Jacopo, " said one of the Three. "What answer dost thoumake the fisherman?"

"Signore, he speaketh truth. "

"And thou hast dared to trifle with the pleasures of the city, and toset at naught the wishes of the Doge!"

"If it be a crime, illustrious senator, to have pitied an old man whomourned for his offspring, and to have given up my own solitary triumphto his love for the boy, I am guilty. "

There was along and silent pause after his reply. Jacopo had spoken withhabitual reverence, but with the grave composure that appeared to enterdeeply into the composition of his character. The paleness of the cheekwas the same, and the glowing eye which so singularly lighted andanimated a countenance that possessed a hue not unlike that of death, scarce varied its gaze while he answered. A secret sign caused thesecretary to proceed with his duty. 

"And thou owest thy success in the regatta, Antonio, to the favor of thycompetitor--he who is now with thee in the presence of the council?"

"Under San Teodoro and St. Antonio, the city's patron and my own. "

"And thy whole desire was to urge again thy rejected petition in behalfof the young sailor?"

"Signore, I had no other. What is the vanity of a triumph among thegondoliers, or the bauble of a mimic oar and chain, to one of my yearsand condition?"

"Thou forgettest that the oar and chain are gold?"

"Excellent gentlemen, gold cannot heal the wounds which misery has lefton a heavy heart. Give me back the child, that my eyes may not be closedby strangers, and that I may speak good counsel into his young ears, while there is hope my words may be remembered, and I care not for allthe metals of the Rialto! Thou mayest see that I utter no vain vaunt, bythis jewel, which I offer to the nobles with the reverence due to theirgreatness and wisdom. "

When the fisherman had done speaking, he advanced with the timid step ofa man unaccustomed to move in superior presences, and laid upon the darkcloth of the table a ring that sparkled with what at least seemed to bevery precious stones. The astonished secretary raised the jewel, andheld it in suspense before the eyes of the judges. 

"How is this?" exclaimed he of the Three, who had oftenest interfered inthe examination; "that seemeth the pledge of our nuptials!"

"It is no other, illustrious senator: with this ring did the Doge wedthe Adriatic, in the presence of the ambassadors and the people. "

"Hadst thou aught to do with this, also, Jacopo?" sternly demanded thejudge. 

The Bravo turned his eye on the jewel with a look of interest, but hisvoice maintained its usual depth and steadiness as he answered--

"Signore, no--until now, I knew not the fortune of the fisherman. "

A sign to the secretary caused him to resume his questions. 

"Thou must account and clearly account, Antonio, " he said, "for themanner in which the sacred ring came into thy possession; hadst thou anyone to aid thee in obtaining it?"

"Signore, I had. "

"Name him at once, that we take measures for his security. "

"'Twill be useless, Signore; he is far above the power of Venice. "

"What meanest thou, fellow? None are superior to the right and the forceof the Republic that dwell within her limits. Answer without evasion, asthou valuest thy person. "

"I should prize that which is of little value, Signore, and be guilty ofa great folly as well as of a great sin, were I to deceive you to save abody old and worthless as mine from stripes. If your excellencies arewilling to hear, you will find that I am no less willing to tell themanner in which I got the ring. "

"Speak, then, and trifle not. "

"I know not, Signori, whether you are used to hearing untruths, that youcaution me so much not to deal with them; but we of the Lagunes are notafraid to say what we have seen and done, for most of our business iswith the winds and waves, which take their orders from God himself. There is a tradition, Signori, among us fishermen, that in times past, one of our body brought up from the bay the ring with which the Doge isaccustomed to marry the Adriatic. A jewel of that value was of littleuse to one who casts his nets daily for bread and oil, and he brought itto the Doge, as became a fisherman into whose hands the saints hadthrown a prize to which he had no title, as it were to prove hishonesty. This act of our companion is much spoken of on the Lagunes andat the Lido, and it is said there is a noble painting done by some ofour Venetian masters, in the halls of the palace, which tells the storyas it happened, showing the prince on his throne, and the luckyfisherman with his naked legs rendering back to his highness that whichhad been lost. I hope there is foundation for this belief, Signore, which greatly flatters our pride, and is not without use in keeping someamong us truer to the right, and better favored in the eyes of St. Anthony than might otherwise be. "

"The fact was so. "

"And the painting, excellent Signore? I hope our vanity has not deceivedus concerning the picture, neither?"

"The picture you mention is to be seen within the palace. "

"Corpo di Bacco! I have had my misgivings on that point, for it is notcommon that the rich and happy should take such note of what the humbleand the poor have done. Is the work from the hands of the great Tizianahimself, eccellenza?"

"It is not; one of little name hath put his pencil to the canvas. "

"They say that Tiziano had the art of giving to his work the look andrichness of flesh, and one would think that a just man might find, inthe honesty of the poor fisherman, a color bright enough to havesatisfied even his eye. But it may be that the senate saw danger in thusflattering us of the Lagunes. "

"Proceed with the account of thine own fortune with the ring. "

"Illustrious nobles, I have often dreamed of the luck of my fellow ofthe old times; and more than once have I drawn the nets with an eagerhand in my sleep, thinking to find that very jewel entangled in itsmeshes, or embowelled by some fish. What I have so often fancied has atlast happened. I am an old man, Signore, and there are few pools orbanks between Fusina and Giorgio, that my lines of my nets have notfathomed or covered. The spot to which the Bucentoro is wont to steer inthese ceremonies is well known to me, and I had a care to cover thebottom round about with all my nets in the hope of drawing up the ring. When his highness cast the jewel, I dropped a buoy to mark thespot--Signore, this is all--my accomplice was St. Anthony. "

"For doing this you had a motive?"

"Holy Mother of God! Was it not sufficient to get back my boy from thegripe of the galleys?" exclaimed Antonio, with an energy and asimplicity that are often found to be in the same character. "I thoughtthat if the Doge and the senate were willing to cause pictures to bepainted, and honors to be given to one poor fisherman for the ring, theymight be glad to reward another, by releasing a lad who can be of nogreat service to the Republic, but who is all to his parent. "

"Thy petition to his Highness, thy strife in the regatta, and thy searchfor the ring, had the same object?"

"To me, Signore, life has but one. "

There was a slight but suppressed movement among the council. 

"When thy request was refused by his Highness as ill-timed--"

"Ah! eccellenza, when one has a white head and a failing arm, he cannotstop to look for the proper moment in such a cause!" interrupted thefisherman, with a gleam of that impetuosity which forms the true base ofItalian character. 

"When thy request was denied, and thou hadst refused the reward of thevictor, thou went among thy fellows and fed their ears with complaintsof the injustice of St. Mark, and of the senate's tyranny?"

"Signore, no. I went away sad and heart-broken, for I had not thoughtthe Doge and nobles would have refused a successful gondolier so light aboon. "

"And this thou didst not hesitate to proclaim among the fishermen andidlers of the Lido?"

"Eccellenza, it was not needed--my fellows knew my unhappiness, andtongues were not wanting to tell the worst. "

"There was a tumult, with thee at its head, and sedition was uttered, with much vain-boasting of what the fleet of the Lagunes could performagainst the fleet of the Republic. "

"There is little difference, Signore, between the two, except that themen of the one go in gondolas with nets, and the men of the other are inthe galleys of the state. Why should brothers seek each other's blood?"

The movement among the judges was more manifest than ever. Theywhispered together, and a paper containing a few lines rapidly writtenin pencil, was put into the hands of the examining secretary. 

"Thou didst address thy fellows, and spoke openly of thy fancied wrongs;thou didst comment on the laws which require the services of thecitizens, when the Republic is compelled to send forth a fleet againstits enemies. "

"It is not easy to be silent, Signore, when the heart is full. "

"And there was a consultation among thee of coming to the palace in abody, and of asking the discharge of thy grandson from the Doge, in thename of the rabble of the Lido. "

"Signore, there were some generous enough to make the offer, but otherswere of advice it would be well to reflect before they took so bold ameasure. "

"And thou--what was thine own counsel on that point?"

"Eccellenza, I am old, and though unused to be thus questioned byillustrious senators, I had seen enough of the manner in which St. Markgoverns, to believe a few unarmed fishermen and gondoliers would not belistened to with--"

"Ha! Did the gondoliers become of thy party? I should have believedthem jealous, and displeased with the triumph of one who was not oftheir body. "

"A gondolier is a man, and though they had the feelings of human natureon being beaten, they had also the feelings of human nature when theyheard that a father was robbed of his son--Signore, " continued Antonio, with great earnestness and a singular simplicity, "there will be greatdiscontent on the canals, if the galleys sail with the boy aboard them!"

"Such is thy opinion; were the gondoliers on the Lido numerous?"

"When the sports ended, eccellenza, they came over by hundreds, and Iwill do the generous fellows the justice to say, that they had forgottentheir want of luck in the love of justice. Diamine! these gondoliers arenot so bad a class as some pretend, but they are men like ourselves, andcan feel for a Christian as well as another. "

The secretary paused, for his task was done; and a deep silence pervadedthe gloomy apartment. After a short pause one of the three resumed--

"Antonio Vecchio, " he said, "thou hast served thyself in these saidgalleys, to which thou now seemest so averse--and served bravely, as Ilearn?"

"Signore, I have done my duty by St. Mark. I played my part against theinfidel, but it was after my beard was grown, and at an age when I hadlearnt to know good from evil. There is no duty more cheerfullyperformed by us all, than to defend the islands and the Lagunes againstthe enemy. "

"And all the Republic's dominions. --Thou canst make no distinctionsbetween any of the rights of the state. "

"There is wisdom granted to the great, which God has denied the poor andthe weak, Signore. To me it does not seem clear that Venice, a citybuilt on a few islands, hath any more right to carry her rule into Creteor Candia, than the Turk hath to come here. "

"How! Dost thou dare on the Lido to question the claim of the Republicto her conquests? or do the irreverent fishermen dare thus to speaklightly of her glory?"

"Eccellenza, I know little of rights that come by violence. God hathgiven us the Lagunes, but I know not that he has given us more. Thisglory of which you speak may sit lightly on the shoulder of a senator, but it weighs heavily on a fisherman's heart. "

"Thou speakest, bold man, of that which thou dost not comprehend. "

"It is unfortunate, Signore, that the power to understand hath not beengiven to those who have so much power to suffer. "

An anxious pause succeeded this reply. 

"Thou mayest withdraw, Antonio, " said he, who apparently presided in thedread councils of the Three. "Thou wilt not speak of what has happened, and thou wilt await the inevitable justice of St. Mark in fullconfidence of its execution. "

"Thanks, illustrious senator; I will obey your excellency; but my heartis full, and I would fain say a few words concerning the child, before Iquit this noble company. "

"Thou mayest speak--and here thou mayest give free vent to all thywishes, or to all thy griefs, if any thou hast. St. Mark has no greaterpleasure than to listen to the wishes of his children. "

"I believe they have reviled the Republic in calling its chiefsheartless, and sold to ambition!" said the old man, with generouswarmth, disregarding the stern rebuke which gleamed in the eye ofJacopo. "A senator is but a man, and there are fathers and childrenamong them, as among us of the Lagunes. "

"Speak, but refrain from seditious or discreditable discourse, " uttereda secretary, in a half-whisper. "Proceed. "

"I have little now to offer, Signori; I am not used to boast of myservices to the state, excellent gentlemen, but there is a time whenhuman modesty must give way to human nature. These scars were got in oneof the proudest days of St. Mark, and in the foremost of all the galleysthat fought among the Greek Islands. The father of my boy wept over methen, as I have since wept over his own son--yes--I might be ashamed toown it among men, but if the truth must be spoken, the loss of the boyhas drawn bitter tears from me in the darkness of night, and in thesolitude of the Lagunes. I lay many weeks, Signori, less a man than acorpse, and when I got back again to my nets and my toil, I did notwithhold my son from the call of the Republic. He went in my place tomeet the infidel--a service from which he never came back. This was theduty of men who had grown in experience, and who were not to be deludedinto wickedness by the evil company of the galleys. But this calling ofchildren into the snares of the devil grieves a father, and--I will ownthe weakness, if such it be--I am not of a courage and pride to sendforth my own flesh and blood into the danger and corruption of war andevil society, as in days when the stoutness of the heart was like thestoutness of the limbs. Give me back, then, my boy, till he has seen myold head laid beneath the sands, and until, by the aid of blessed St. Anthony, and such counsels as a poor man can offer, I may give him moresteadiness in his love of the right, and until I may have so shaped hislife, that he will not be driven about by every pleasant or treacherouswind that may happen to blow upon his bark. Signori, you are rich, andpowerful, and honored, and though you may be placed in the way oftemptations to do wrongs that are suited to your high names andillustrious fortunes, ye know little of the trials of the poor. What arethe temptations of the blessed St. Anthony himself, to those of the evilcompany of the galleys! And now, Signori, though you may be angry tohear it, I will say, that when an aged man has no other kin on earth, or none so near as to feel the glow of the thin blood of the poor, thanone poor boy, St. Mark would do well to remember that even a fishermanof the Lagunes can feel as well as the Doge on his throne. This much Isay, illustrious senators, in sorrow, and not in anger; for I would getback the child, and die in peace with my superiors, as with my equals. "

"Thou mayest depart, " said one of the Three. 

"Not yet, Signore, I have still more to say of the men of the Lagunes, who speak with loud voices concerning this dragging of boys into theservice of the galleys. "

"We will hear their opinions. "

"Noble gentlemen, if I were to utter all they have said, word for word, I might do some disfavor to your ears! Man is man, though the Virgin andthe saints listen to his aves and prayers from beneath a jacket of sergeand a fisherman's cap. But I know too well my duty to the senate tospeak so plainly. But, Signori, they say, saving the bluntness of theirlanguage, that St. Mark should have ears for the meanest of his peopleas well as for the richest noble; and that not a hair should fall fromthe head of a fisherman, without its being counted as if it were a lockfrom beneath the horned bonnet; and that where God hath not made marksof his displeasure, man should not. "

"Do they dare to reason thus?"

"I know not if it be reason, illustrious Signore, but it is what theysay, and, eccellenza, it is holy truth. We are poor workmen of theLagunes, who rise with the day to cast our nets, and return at night tohard beds and harder fare; but with this we might be content, did thesenate count us as Christians and men. That God hath not given to allthe same chances in life, I well know, for it often happens that I drawan empty net, when my comrades are groaning with the weight of theirdraughts; but this is done to punish my sins, or to humble my heart, whereas it exceeds the power of man to look into the secrets of thesoul, or to foretell the evil of the still innocent child. Blessed St. Anthony knows how many years of suffering this visit to the galleys maycause to the child in the end. Think of these things, I pray you, Signori, and send men of tried principles to the wars. "

"Thou mayest retire, " rejoined the judge. 

"I should be sorry that any who cometh of my blood, " continued theinattentive Antonio, "should be the cause of ill-will between them thatrule and them that are born to obey. But nature is stronger even thanthe law, and I should discredit her feelings were I to go withoutspeaking as becomes a father. Ye have taken my child and sent him toserve the state at the hazard of body and soul, without givingopportunity for a parting kiss, or a parting blessing--ye have used myflesh and blood as ye would use the wood of the arsenal, and sent itforth upon the sea as if it were the insensible metal of the balls yethrow against the infidel. Ye have shut your ears to my prayers, as ifthey were words uttered by the wicked, and when I have exhorted you onmy knees, wearied my stiffened limbs to do ye pleasure, rendered ye thejewel which St. Anthony gave to my net, that it might soften yourhearts, and reasoned with you calmly on the nature of your acts, youturn from me coldly, as if I were unfit to stand forth in defence of theoffspring that God hath left my age! This is not the boasted justice ofSt. Mark, Venetian senators, but hardness of heart and a wasting of themeans of the poor, that would ill become the most grasping Hebrew of theRialto!"

"Hast thou aught more to urge, Antonio?" asked the judge, with the wilydesign of unmasking the fisherman's entire soul. 

"Is it not enough, Signore, that I urge my years, my poverty, my scars, and my love for the boy? I know ye not, but though ye are hid behind thefolds of your robes and masks, still must ye be men. There may be amongye a father, or perhaps some one who hath a still more sacred charge, the child of a dead son. To him I speak. In vain ye talk of justice whenthe weight of your power falls on them least able to bear it; and thoughye may delude yourselves, the meanest gondolier of the canal knows--"

He was stopped from uttering more by his companion, who rudely placed ahand on his mouth. 

"Why hast thou presumed to stop the complaints of Antonio?" sternlydemanded the judge. 

"It was not decent, illustrious senators, to listen to such disrespectin so noble a presence, " Jacopo answered, bending reverently as hespoke. "This old fisherman, dread Signori, is warmed by love for hisoffspring, and he will utter that which, in his cooler moments, he willrepent. "

"St. Mark fears not the truth! If he has more to say, let him declareit. "

But the excited Antonio began to reflect. The flush which had ascendedto his weather-beaten cheek disappeared, and his naked breast ceased toheave. He stood like one rebuked, more by his discretion than hisconscience, with a calmer eye, and a face that exhibited the composureof his years, and the respect of his condition. 

"If I have offended, great patricians, " he said, more mildly, "I prayyou to forget the zeal of an ignorant old man, whose feelings are masterof his breeding, and who knows less how to render the truth agreeable tonoble ears, than to utter it. "

"Thou mayest depart. "

The armed attendants advanced, and obedient to a sign from thesecretary, they led Antonio and his companion through the door by whichthey had entered. The other officials of the place followed, and thesecret judges were left by themselves in the chamber of doom. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

 "Oh! the days that we have seen. " SHELTON. 

A pause like that which accompanies self-contemplation, and perhapsconscious distrust of purpose, succeeded. Then the Three arose together, and began to lay aside the instruments of their disguise. When the maskswere removed, they exposed the grave visages of men in the decline oflife, athwart which worldly cares and worldly passions had drawn thosedeep lines, which no subsequent ease or resignation can erase. Duringthe process of unrobing neither spoke, for the affair on which they hadjust been employed, caused novel and disagreeable sensations to themall. When they were delivered from their superfluous garments and theirmasks, however, they drew near the table, and each sought that relieffor his limbs and person which was natural to the long restraint he hadundergone. 

"There are letters from the French king intercepted, " said one, aftertime had permitted them to rally their thoughts;--"it would appear theytreat of the new intentions of the emperor. "

"Have they been restored to the ambassador? or are the originals to gobefore the senate?" demanded another. 

"On that we must take counsel at our leisure. I have naught else tocommunicate, except that the order given to intercept the messenger ofthe Holy See hath failed of its object. "

"Of this the secretaries advertised me. We must look into the negligenceof the agents, for there is good reason to believe much usefulknowledge would have come from that seizure. "

"As the attempt is already known and much spoken of, care must be had toissue orders for the arrest of the robbers, else may the Republic fallinto disrepute with its friends. There are names on our list which mightbe readily marked for punishment, for that quarter of our patrimony isnever in want of proscribed to conceal an accident of this nature. "

"Good heed will be had to this, since, as you say, the affair isweighty. The government or the individual that is negligent ofreputation, cannot expect long to retain the respect of its equals. "

"The ambition of the House of Hapsburgh robs me of my sleep!" exclaimedthe other, throwing aside some papers, over which his eye had glanced indisgust. "Holy St. Theodore! what a scourge to the race is the desire toaugment territories and to extend an unjust rule, beyond the bounds ofreason and nature! Here have we, in Venice, been in undisputedpossession of provinces that are adapted to our institutions, convenientto our wants, and agreeable to our desires, for ages; provinces thatwere gallantly won by our ancestors, and which cling to us as habitslinger in our age: and yet are they become objects of a covetousambition to our neighbor, under a vain pretext of a policy that I fearis strengthened by our increasing weakness. I sicken, Signori, of myesteem for men, as I dive deeper into their tempers and desires, andoften wish myself a dog, as I study their propensities. In his appetitefor power, is not the Austrian the most rapacious of all the princes ofthe earth?"

"More so, think you, worthy Signore, than the Castilian? You overlookthe unsatiated desire of the Spanish king to extend his sway in Italy. "

"Hapsburgh or Bourbon; Turk or Englishman, they all seem actuated by thesame fell appetite for dominion; and now that Venice hath no more tohope, than to preserve her present advantages, the least of all ourenjoyments becomes a subject of covetous envy to our enemies. There arepassions to weary one of an interference with governments, and to sendhim to his cord of penitence and the cloisters!"

"I never listen to your observations, Signore, without quitting thechamber an edified man! Truly, this desire in the strangers to trespasson our privileges, and it may be well said, privileges which have beengained by our treasures and our blood, becomes more manifest daily. Should it not be checked, St. Mark will be stripped, in the end, of evena landing-place for a gondola on the main. "

"The leap of the winged lion is much curtailed, excellent Sir, or thesethings might not be! It is no longer in our power to persuade, or tocommand, as of old; and our canals begin to be encumbered with slimyweeds, instead of well freighted argosies and swift-sailing feluccas. "

"The Portuguese hath done us irretrievable harm, for without his Africandiscoveries we might yet have retained the traffic in Indiancommodities. I cordially dislike the mongrel race, being, as it is, halfGothic and half Moorish!"

"I trust not myself to think of their origin or of their deeds, myfriends, lest prejudice should kindle feelings unbecoming a man and aChristian. How now, Signor Gradenigo; thou art thoughtful?"

The third member of the secret council, who had not spoken since thedisappearance of the accused, and who was no other than the reader's oldacquaintance of the name just mentioned, slowly lifted his head from ameditative position at this address. 

"The examination of the fisherman hath recalled scenes of my boyhood, "he answered, with a touch of nature that seldom found place in thatchamber. 

"I heard thee say he was thy foster-brother, " returned the other, struggling to conceal a gape. 

"We drank of the same milk, and, for the first years of life, we spoiledat the same games. "

"These imaginary kindred often give great uneasiness. I am glad yourtrouble hath no other source, for I had heard that the young heir ofyour house hath shown a prodigal disposition of late, and I feared thatmatter might have come to your knowledge, as one of the council, that afather might not wish to learn. "

The selfish features of the Signor Gradenigo instantly underwent achange. He glanced curiously, and with a strong distrust, but in acovert manner, at the fallen eyes of his two companions, anxious topenetrate their secret thoughts ere he ventured to expose his own. 

"Is there aught of complaint against the youth?" he demanded in a voiceof hesitation. "You understand a father's interest, and will not concealthe truth. "

"Signore, you know that the agents of the police are active, and littlethat comes to their knowledge fails to reach the ears of the council. But, at the worst, the matter is not of life or death. It can only costthe inconsiderate young man a visit to Dalmatia, or an order to wastethe summer at the foot of the Alps. "

"Youth is the season of indiscretion, as ye know, Signori, " returned thefather, breathing more freely--"and as none become old that have notbeen young, I have little need to awaken your recollection of itsweaknesses. I trust my son is incapable of designing aught against theRepublic?"

"Of that he is not suspected. " A slight expression of irony crossed thefeatures of the old senator as he spoke. "But he is represented asaiming too freely at the person and wealth of your ward; and that shewho is the especial care of St. Mark is not to be solicited without theconsent of the Senate, is an usage well known to one of its mostancient and most honorable members. "

"Such is the law, and none coming of me shall show it disrespect. I havepreferred my claims to that connexion openly, but with diffidence; and Iawait the decision of the state in respectful confidence. "

His associates bowed in courteous acknowledgment of the justice of whathe said, and of the loyalty of his conduct, but it was in the manner ofmen too long accustomed to duplicity to be easily duped. 

"None doubt it, worthy Signor Gradenigo, for thy faith to the state isever quoted as a model for the young, and as a subject for theapprobation of the more experienced. Hast thou any communications tomake on the interest of the young heiress, thyself?"

"I am pained to say that the deep obligation conferred by Don CamilloMonforte, seems to have wrought upon her youthful imagination, and Iapprehend that, in disposing of my ward, the state will have to contendwith the caprice of a female mind. The waywardness of that age will givemore trouble than the conduct of far graver matters. "

"Is the lady attended by suitable companions in her daily life?"

"Her companions are known to the Senate. In so grave an interest, Iwould not act without their authority and sanction. But the affair hathgreat need of delicacy in its government. The circumstance that so muchof my ward's fortune lies in the states of the church, renders itnecessary to await the proper moment for disposing of her rights, and oftransferring their substance within the limits of the Republic, beforewe proceed to any act of decision. Once assured of her wealth, she maybe disposed of as seemeth best to the welfare of the state, withoutfurther delay. "

"The lady hath a lineage and riches, and an excellence of person, thatmight render her of great account in some of these knotty negotiationswhich so much fetter our movements of late. The time hath been when adaughter of Venice, not more fair, was wooed to the bed of a sovereign. "

"Signore, those days of glory and greatness exist no longer. Should itbe thought expedient to overlook the natural claims of my son, and tobestow my ward to the advantage of the Republic, the most that can beexpected through her means, is a favorable concession in some futuretreaty, or a new prop to some of the many decaying interests of thecity. In this particular, she maybe rendered of as much, or even moreuse, than the oldest and wisest of our body. But that her will may befree and the child may have no obstacles to her happiness, it will benecessary to make a speedy determination of the claim preferred by DonCamillo. Can we do better than to recommend a compromise, that he mayreturn without delay to his own Calabria?"

"The concern is weighty, and it demands deliberation. "

"He complains of our tardiness already, and not without show of reason. It is five years since the claim was first preferred. "

"Signor Gradenigo, it is for the vigorous and healthful to display theiractivity--the aged and the tottering must move with caution. Were we inVenice to betray precipitation in so weighty a concern, without seeingan immediate interest in the judgment, we should trifle with a gale offortune that every sirocco will not blow into the canals. We must haveterms with the lord of Sant' Agata, or we greatly slight our ownadvantage. "

"I hinted of the matter to your excellencies, as a consideration foryour wisdom; methinks it will be something gained to remove one sodangerous from the recollection and from before the eyes of a love-sickmaiden. "

"Is the damsel so amorous?"

"She is of Italy, Signore, and our sun bestows warm fancies and ferventminds. "

"Let her to the confessional and her prayers! The godly prior of St. Mark will discipline her imagination till she shall conceit theNeapolitan a Moor and an infidel. Just San Teodoro, forgive me! But thoucanst remember the time, my friends, when the penance of the church wasnot without service on thine own fickle tastes and truant practices. "

"The Signore Gradenigo was a gallant in his time, " observed the third, "as all well know who travelled in his company. Thou wert much spoken ofat Versailles and at Vienna; nay, thou canst not deny thy vogue to onewho, if he hath no other merit, hath a memory. "

"I protest against these false recollections, " rejoined the accused, awithered smile lighting his faded countenance; "we have been young, Signori, but among us all, I never knew a Venetian of more generalfashion and of better report, especially with the dames of France, thanhe who has just spoken. "

"Account it not--account it not--'twas the weakness of youth and the useof the times!--I remember to have seen thee, Enrico, at Madrid, and agayer or more accomplished gentleman was not known at the Spanishcourt. "

"Thy friendship blinded thee. I was a boy and full of spirits; no more, I may assure thee. Didst hear of my affair with the mousquetaire when atParis?"

"Did I hear of the general war? Thou art too modest to raise this doubtof a meeting that occupied the coteries for a month, as it had been avictory of the powers! Signor Gradenigo, it was a pleasure to call himcountryman at that time; for I do assure thee, a sprightlier or moregallant gentleman did not walk the terrace. "

"Thou tellest me of what my own eyes have been a witness. Did I notarrive when men's voices spoke of nothing else? A beautiful court and apleasant capital were those of France in our day, Signori. "

"None pleasanter or of greater freedom of intercourse. St. Mark aid mewith his prayers! The many pleasant hours that I have passed between theMarais and the Chateau! Didst ever meet La Comtesse de Mignon in thegardens?"

"Zitto, thou growest loquacious, caro; nay, she wanted not for grace andaffability, that I will say. In what a manner they played in the housesof resort at that time!"

"I know it to my cost. Will you lend me your belief, dear friends? Iarose from the table of La Belle Duchesse de------, the loser of athousand sequins, and to this hour it seemeth but a moment that I wasoccupied. "

"I remember the evening. Thou wert seated between the wife of theSpanish ambassador and a miladi of England. Thou wert playing atrouge-et-noir in more ways than one; for thy eyes were on thy neighbors, instead of thy cards. Giulio, I would have paid half the loss, to haveread the next epistle of the worthy senator thy father!"

"He never knew it--he never knew it. We had our friends on the Rialto, and the account was settled a few years later. Thou wast well withNinon, Enrico?"

"A companion of her leisure, and one who basked in the sunshine of herwit. "

"Nay, they said thou wert of more favor--"

"Mere gossip of the saloons. I do protest, gentlemen--not that otherswere better received--but idle tongues will have their discourse!"

"Wert thou of the party, Alessandro, that went in a fit of gaiety fromcountry to country till it numbered ten courts at which it appeared inas many weeks?"

"Was I not its mover? What a memory art thou getting! 'Twas for ahundred golden louis, and it was bravely won by an hour. A postponementof the reception by the elector of Bavaria went near to defeat us; butwe bribed the groom of the chambers, as thou mayest remember, and gotinto the presence as it were by accident. "

"Was that held to be sufficient?"

"That was it--for our terms mentioned the condition of holding discoursewith ten sovereigns in as many weeks, in their own palaces. Oh! it wasfairly won, and I believe I may say that it was as gaily expended!"

"For the latter will I vouch, since I never quitted thee while a pieceof it all remained. There are divers means of dispensing gold in thosenorthern capitals, and the task was quickly accomplished. They arepleasant countries for a few years of youth and idleness!"

"It is a pity that their climates are so rude. "

A slight and general shudder expressed their Italian sympathy, but thediscourse did not the less proceed. 

"They might have a better sun and a clearer sky, but there is excellentcheer, and no want of hospitality, " observed the Signor Gradenigo, whomaintained his full share of the dialogue, though we have not found itnecessary to separate sentiments that were so common among the differentspeakers. "I have seen pleasant hours even with the Genoese, thoughtheir town hath a cast of reflection and sobriety that is not alwayssuited to the dispositions of youth. "

"Nay, Stockholm and Copenhagen have their pleasures too, I do assurethee. I passed a season between them. Your Dane is a good joker and ahearty bottle companion. "

"In that the Englishman surpasseth all! If I were to relate their powersof living in this manner, dear friends, ye would discredit me. Thatwhich I have seen often, seemeth impossible even to myself. 'Tis agloomy abode, and one that we of Italy little like, in common. "

"Name it not in comparison with Holland--wert ever in Holland, friends?didst ever enjoy the fashion of Amsterdam and the Hague? I remember tohave heard a young Roman urge a friend to pass a winter there; for thewitty rogue termed it the beau-ideal of the land of petticoats!"

The three old Italians, in whom this sally excited a multitude of absurdrecollections and pleasant fancies, broke out into a general and heartyfit of laughter. The sound of their cracked merriment, echoing in thatgloomy and solemn room, suddenly recalled them to the recollection oftheir duties. Each listened an instant, as if in expectation that someextraordinary consequence was to follow so extraordinary an interruptionof the usual silence of the place, like a child whose truantpropensities were about to draw detection on his offence, and then theprincipal of the council furtively wiped the tears from his eyes, andresumed his gravity. 

"Signori, " he said, fumbling in a bundle of papers, "we must take up thematter of the fisherman--but we will first inquire into the circumstanceof the signet left the past night in the lion's mouth. Signor Gradenigo, you were charged with the examination. "

"The duty hath been executed, noble Sirs, and with a success I had nothoped to meet with. Haste at our last meeting prevented a perusal of thepaper to which it was attached, but it will now be seen that the twohave a connexion. Here is an accusation which charges Don CamilloMonforte with a design to bear away, beyond the power of the Senate, theDonna Violetta, my ward, in order to possess her person and riches. Itspeaketh of proofs in possession of the accuser, as if he were an agentintrusted by the Neapolitan. As a pledge of his truth, I suppose, forthere is no mention made of any other use, he sends the signet of DonCamillo himself, which cannot have been obtained without that noble'sconfidence. "

"Is it certain that he owns the ring?"

"Of that I am well assured. You know I am especially charged withconducting his personal demand with the Senate, and frequent interviewshave given me opportunity to note that he was wont to wear a signet, which is now wanting. My jeweller of the Rialto hath sufficientlyidentified this, as the missing ring. "

"Thus far it is clear, though there is an obscurity in the circumstancethat the signet of the accused should be found with the accusation, which, being unexplained, renders the charge vague and uncertain. Haveyou any clue to the writing, or any means of knowing whence it comes?"

There was a small but nearly imperceptible red spot on the cheek of theSignor Gradenigo, that did not escape the keen distrust of hiscompanions; but he concealed his alarm, answering distinctly that he hadnone. 

"We must then defer a decision for further proof. The justice of St. Mark hath been too much vaunted to endanger its reputation by a hastydecree, in a question which so closely touches the interest of apowerful noble of Italy. Don Camillo Monforte hath a name ofdistinction, and counteth too many of note among his kindred, to bedealt with as we might dispose of a gondolier, or the messenger of someforeign state. "

"As respects him, Signore, you are undoubtedly right. But may we notendanger our heiress by too much tenderness?"

"There are many convents in Venice, Signore. "

"The monastic life is ill suited to the temper of my ward, " the SignorGradenigo drily observed, "and I fear to hazard the experiment; gold isa key to unlock the strongest cell; besides, we cannot, with dueobservance of propriety, place a child of the state in durance. "

"Signor Gradenigo, we have had this matter under long and graveconsideration, and agreeably to our laws, when one of our number hath apalpable interest in the affair, we have taken counsel of his highness, who is of accord with as in sentiment. Your personal interest in thelady might have warped your usually excellent judgment, else, beassured, we should have summoned you to the conference. "

The old senator, who thus unexpectedly found himself excluded fromconsultation on the very matter that of all others made him most valuehis temporary authority, stood abashed and silent; reading in hiscountenance, however, a desire to know more, his associates proceeded tocommunicate all it was their intention he should hear. 

"It hath been determined to remove the lady to a suitable retirement, and for this purpose care hath been already had to provide the means. Thou wilt be temporarily relieved of a most grievous charge, whichcannot but have weighed heavily on thy spirits, and in other particularshave lessened thy much-valued usefulness to the Republic. "

This unexpected communication was made with marked courtesy of manner, but with an emphasis and tone that sufficiently acquainted the SignorGradenigo with the nature of the suspicions that beset him. He had toolong been familiar with the sinuous policy of the council, in which, atintervals, he had so often sat, not to understand that he would run therisk of a more serious accusation were he to hesitate in acknowledgingits justice. Teaching his features, therefore, to wear a smile astreacherous as that of his wily companion, he answered with seeminggratitude:

"His highness and you, my excellent colleagues, have taken counsel ofyour good wishes and kindness of heart, rather than of the duty of apoor subject of St. Mark, to toil on in his service while he hathstrength and reason for the task, " he said. "The management of acapricious female mind is a concern of no light moment; and while Ithank you for this consideration of my case, you will permit me toexpress my readiness to resume the charge whenever it shall please thestate again to confer it. "

"Of this none are more persuaded than we, nor are any better satisfiedof your ability to discharge the trust faithfully. But you enter, Signore, into all our motives, and will join us in the opinion that itis equally unbecoming the Republic, and one of its most illustriouscitizens, to leave a ward of the former in a position that shall subjectthe latter to unmerited censure. Believe me, we have thought less ofVenice in this matter than of the honor and the interests of the houseof Gradenigo; for, should this Neapolitan thwart our views, you of usall would be most liable to be disapproved of. "

"A thousand thanks, excellent Sir, " returned the deposed guardian. "Youhave taken a load from my mind, and restored some of the freshness andelasticity of youth! The claim of Don Camillo now is no longer urgent, since it is your pleasure to remove the lady for a season from thecity. "

"'Twere better to hold it in deeper suspense, if it were only to occupyhis mind. Keep up thy communications as of wont, and withhold not hope, which is a powerful exciter in minds that are not deadened byexperience. We shall not conceal from one of our number, that anegotiation is already near a termination, which will relieve the statefrom the care of the damsel, and at some benefit to the Republic. Herestates lying without our limits greatly facilitate the treaty, whichhath only been withheld from your knowledge by the consideration, thatof late we have rather too much overloaded thee with affairs. "

Again the Signor Gradenigo bowed submissively, and with apparent joy. Hesaw that his secret designs had been penetrated, notwithstanding all hispractised duplicity and specious candor; and he submitted with thatspecies of desperate resignation, which becomes a habit, if not avirtue, in men long accustomed to be governed despotically. When thisdelicate subject, which required the utmost finesse of Venetian policy, since it involved the interests of one who happened, at that moment, tobe in the dreaded council itself, was disposed of, the three turnedtheir attention to other matters, with that semblance of indifference topersonal feeling, which practice in tortuous paths of state-intrigueenabled men to assume. 

"Since we are so happily of opinion concerning the disposition of theDonna Violetta, " coolly observed the oldest senator, a rare specimen ofhackneyed and worldly morality, "we may look into our list of dailyduties--what say the lions' mouths to-night?"

"A few of the ordinary and unmeaning accusations that spring frompersonal hatred, " returned another. "One chargeth his neighbor withoversight in religious duties, and with some carelessness of the fastsof Holy Church--a. Foolish scandal, fitted for the ears of a curate. "

"Is there naught else?"

"Another complaineth of neglect in a husband. The scrawl is in a woman'shand, and beareth on its face the evidence of woman's resentment. "

"Sudden to rise and easy to be appeased. Let the neighborhood quiet thehousehold by its sneers. --What next?"

"A suitor in the courts maketh complaint of the tardiness of thejudges. "

"This toucheth the reputation of St. Mark; it must be looked to!"

"Hold!" interrupted the Signor Gradenigo. "The tribunal actedadvisedly--'tis in the matter of a Hebrew, who is thought to havesecrets of importance. The affair hath need of deliberation, I do assureyou. "

"Destroy the charge. --Have we more?"

"Nothing of note. The usual number of pleasantries and hobbling verseswhich tend to nothing. If we get some useful gleanings by these secretaccusations, we gain much nonsense. I would whip a youngster of ten whocould not mould our soft Italian into better rhyme than this?"

"'Tis the wantonness of security. Let it pass, for all that serveth toamuse suppresseth turbulent thoughts. Shall we now see his highness, Signori?"

"You forget the fisherman, " gravely observed the Signor Gradenigo. 

"Your honor sayeth true. What a head for business hath he! Nothing thatis useful escapeth his ready mind. "

The old senator, while he was too experienced to be cajoled by suchlanguage, saw the necessity of appearing flattered. Again he bowed, andprotested aloud and frequently against the justice of compliments thathe so little merited. When this little byplay was over, they proceededgravely to consider the matter before them. 

As the decision of the Council of Three will be made apparent in thecourse of the narrative, we shall not continue to detail theconversation that accompanied their deliberations. The sitting was long, so long indeed that when they arose, having completed their business, the heavy clock of the square tolled the hour of midnight. 

"The Doge will be impatient, " said one of the two nameless members, asthey threw on their cloaks, before leaving the chamber. "I thought hishighness wore a more fatigued and feeble air to-day, than he is wont toexhibit at the festivities of the city. "

"His highness is no longer young, Signore. If I remember right, hegreatly outnumbers either of us in years. Our Lady of Loretto lend himstrength long to wear the ducal bonnet, and wisdom to wear it well!"

"He hath lately sent offerings to her shrine. "

"Signore, he hath. His confessor hath gone in person with the offering, as I know of certainty. 'Tis not a serious gift, but a mere remembranceto keep himself in the odor of sanctity. I doubt that his reign will notbe long!"

"There are, truly, signs of decay in his system. He is a worthy prince, and we shall lose a father when called to weep for his loss!"

"Most true, Signore: but the horned bonnet is not an invulnerableshield against the arrows of death. Age and infirmities are more potentthan our wishes. "

"Thou art moody to-night, Signor Gradenigo. Thou art not used to be sosilent with thy friends. "

"I am not the less grateful, Signore, for their favors. If I have aloaded countenance, I bear a lightened heart. One who hath a daughter ofhis own so happily bestowed in wedlock as thine, may judge of the reliefI feel by this disposition of my ward. Joy affects the exterior, frequently, like sorrow; aye, even to tears. "

His two companions looked at the speaker with much obvious sympathy intheir manners. They then left the chamber of doom together. The menialsentered and extinguished the lights, leaving all behind them in anobscurity that was no bad type of the gloomy mysteries of the place. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

 "Then methought, A serenade broke silence, breathing hope Through walls of stone. " ITALY. 

Notwithstanding the lateness of the hour, the melody of music was rifeon the water. Gondolas continued to glide along the shadowed canals, while the laugh or the song was echoed among the arches of the palaces. The piazza and piazzetta were yet brilliant with lights, and gay withtheir multitudes of unwearied revellers. 

The habitation of Donna Violetta was far from the scene of generalamusement. Though so remote, the hum of the moving throng, and thehigher strains of the wind-instruments, came, from time to time, to theears of its inmates, mellowed and thrilling by distance. 

The position of the moon cast the whole of the narrow passage whichflowed beneath the windows of her private apartments into shadow. In abalcony which overhung the water, stood the youthful and ardent girl, listening with a charmed ear and a tearful eye to one of those softstrains, in which Venetian voices answered to each other from differentpoints on the canals, in the songs of the gondoliers. Her constantcompanion and Mentor was near, while the ghostly father of them bothstood deeper in the room. 

"There may be pleasanter towns on the main, and capitals of morerevelry, " said the charmed Violetta, withdrawing her person from itsleaning attitude, as the voices ceased; "but in such a night and at thiswitching hour, what city may compare with Venice?"

"Providence has been less partial in the distribution of its earthlyfavors than is apparent to a vulgar eye, " returned the attentiveCarmelite. "If we have our peculiar enjoyments and our moments of divinecontemplation, other towns have advantages of their own; Genoa and Pisa, Firenze, Ancona, Roma, Palermo, and, chiefest of all, Napoli--"

"Napoli, father!"

"Daughter, Napoli. Of all the towns of sunny Italy, 'tis the fairest andthe most blessed in natural gifts. Of every region I have visited, during a life of wandering and penitence, that is the country on whichthe touch of the Creator hath been the most God-like!"

"Thou art imaginative to-night, good Father Anselmo. The land must befair indeed, that can thus warm the fancy of a Carmelite. "

"The rebuke is just. I have spoken more under the influence ofrecollections that came from days of idleness and levity, than with thechastened spirit of one who should see the hand of the Maker in the mostsimple and least lovely of all his wondrous works. "

"You reproach yourself causelessly, holy father, " observed the mildDonna Florinda, raising her eyes towards the pale countenance of themonk; "to admire the beauties of nature, is to worship Him who gave thembeing. "

At that moment a burst of music rose on the air, proceeding from thewater beneath the balcony. Donna Violetta started back, abashed; and asshe held her breath in wonder, and haply with that delight which openadmiration is apt to excite in a youthful female bosom, the colormounted to her temples. 

"There passeth a band, " calmly observed the Donna Florinda. 

"No, it is a cavalier! There are gondoliers, servitors in his colors. "

"This is as hardy as it may be gallant, " returned the monk, wholistened to the air with an evident and grave displeasure. 

There was no longer any doubt but that a serenade was meant. Though thecustom was of much use, it was the first time that a similar honor hadbeen paid beneath the window of Donna Violetta. The studied privacy ofher life, her known destiny, and the jealousy of the despotic state, andperhaps the deep respect which encircled a maiden of her tender yearsand high condition, had, until that moment, kept the aspiring, the vain, and the interested, equally in awe. 

"It is for me!" whispered the trembling, the distressed, the delightedVioletta. 

"It is for one of us, indeed, " answered the cautious friend. 

"Be it for whom it may, it is bold, " rejoined the monk. 

Donna Violetta shrank from observation behind the drapery of the window, but she raised a hand in pleasure as the rich strains rolled through thewide apartments. 

"What a taste rules the band!" she half-whispered, afraid to trust hervoice lest a sound should escape her ears. "They touch an air ofPetrarch's sonatas! How indiscreet, and yet how noble!"

"More noble than wise, " said the Donna Florinda, who entered the balconyand looked intently on the water beneath. 

"Here are musicians in the color of a noble in one gondola, " shecontinued, "and a single cavalier in another. "

"Hath he no servitor? Doth he ply the oar himself?"

"Truly that decency hath not been overlooked; one in a flowered jacketguides the boat. "

"Speak, then, dearest Florinda, I pray thee. "

"Would it be seemly?"

"Indeed I think it. Speak them fair. Say that I am the Senate's--that itis not discreet to urge a daughter of the state thus--say what thouwilt--but speak them fair. "

"Ha! it is Don Camillo Monforte! I know him by his noble stature andthe gallant wave of his hand. "

"This temerity will undo him! His claim will be refused--himselfbanished. Is it not near the hour when the gondola of the police passes?Admonish him to depart, good Florinda--and yet can we use this rudenessto a Signor of his rank!"

"Father, counsel us; you know the hazards of this rash gallantry in theNeapolitan--aid us with thy wisdom, for there is not a moment to lose. "

The Carmelite had been an attentive and an indulgent observer of theemotion which sensations so novel had awakened in the ardent butunpractised breast of the fair Venetian. Pity, sorrow, and sympathy, were painted on his mortified face, as he witnessed the mastery offeeling over a mind so guileless, and a heart so warm; but the look wasrather that of one who knew the dangers of the passions, than of one whocondemned them without thought of their origin or power. At the appealof the governess he turned away and silently quitted the room. DonnaFlorinda left the balcony and drew near her charge. There was noexplanation, nor any audible or visible means of making their sentimentsknown to each other. Violetta threw herself into the arms of her moreexperienced friend, and struggled to conceal her face in her bosom. Atthis moment the music suddenly ceased, and the plash of oars fallinginto the water succeeded. 

"He is gone!" exclaimed the young creature who had been the object ofthe serenade, and whose faculties, spite of her confusion, had lost noneof their acuteness. "The gondolas are moving away, and we have not madeeven the customary acknowledgments for their civility!"

"It is not needed--or rather it might increase a hazard that is alreadytoo weighty. Remember thy high destiny, my child, and let them depart. "

"And yet methinks one of my station should not fail in courtesy. Thecompliment may mean no more than any other idle usage, and they shouldnot quit us unthanked. "

"Rest you within. I will watch the movement of the boats, for itsurpasseth female endurance not to note their aspect. "

"Thanks, dearest Florinda! hasten, lest they enter the other canal erethou seest them. "

The governess was quickly in the balcony. Active as was her movement, her eyes were scarcely cast upon the shadow beneath, before a hurriedquestion demanded what she beheld. 

"Both gondolas are gone, " was the answer; "that with the musicians isalready entering the great canal, but that of the cavalier hathunaccountably disappeared!"

"Nay, look again; he cannot be in such haste to quit us. "

"I had not sought him in the right direction. Here is his gondola, bythe bridge of our own canal. "

"And the cavalier? He waits for some sign of courtesy; it is meet thatwe should not withhold it. "

"I see him not. His servitor is seated on the steps of the landing, while the gondola appeareth to be empty. The man hath an air of waiting, but I nowhere see the master!"

"Blessed Maria! can aught have befallen the gallant Duca di Sant'Agata?"

"Naught but the happiness of casting himself here!" exclaimed a voicenear the person of the heiress. The Donna Violetta turned her gaze fromthe balcony, and beheld him who filled all her thoughts at her feet. 

The cry of the girl, the exclamation of her friend, and a rapid andeager movement of the monk, brought the whole party into a group. 

"This may not be, " said the latter in a reproving voice. "Arise, DonCamillo, lest I repent listening to your prayer; you exceed ourconditions. "

"As much as this emotion exceedeth my hopes, " answered the noble. "Holyfather, it is a sin to oppose Providence! Providence brought me to therescue of this lovely being when accident threw her into the Giudecca, and once more Providence is my friend, by permitting me to be a witnessof this feeling. Speak, fair Violetta, thou wilt not be an instrument ofthe Senate's selfishness--thou wilt not hearken to their wish ofdisposing of thy hand on the mercenary who would trifle with the mostsacred of all vows to possess thy wealth?"

"For whom am I destined?" demanded Violetta. 

"No matter, since it be not for me. Some trafficker in happiness, someworthless abuser of the gifts of fortune. "

"Thou knowest, Camillo, our Venetian custom, and must see that I amhopelessly in their hands. "

"Arise, Duke of St. Agata, " said the monk, with authority--"when Isuffered you to enter this palace, it was to remove a scandal from itsgates, and to save you from your own rash disregard of the state'sdispleasure. It is idle to encourage hopes that the policy of theRepublic opposes. Arise then, and respect your pledges. "

"That shall be as this lady may decide. Encourage me with but anapproving look, fairest Violetta, and not Venice, with its Doge andinquisition, shall stir me an inch from thy feet!"

"Camillo!" answered the trembling girl, "thou, the preserver of my life, hast little need to kneel to me!"

"Duke of St. Agata--daughter!"

"Nay, heed him not, generous Violetta. He utters words of convention--hespeaks as all speak in age, when men's tongues deny the feelings oftheir youth. He is a Carmelite, and must feign this prudence. He neverknew the tyranny of the passions. The dampness of his cell has chilledthe ardor of the heart. Had he been human, he would have loved; had heloved, he would never have worn a cowl. "

Father Anselmo receded a pace, like one pricked in conscience, and thepaleness of his ascetic features took a deadly hue. His lips moved as ifhe would have spoken, but the sounds were smothered by an oppressionthat denied him utterance. The gentle Florinda saw his distress, and sheendeavored to interpose between the impetuous youth and her charge. 

"It may be as you say, Signor Monforte, " she said--"and that the Senate, in its fatherly care, searches a partner worthy of an heiress of a houseso illustrious and so endowed as that of Tiepolo. But in this, what isthere more than of wont? Do not the nobles of all Italy seek theirequals in condition and in the gifts of fortune, in order that theirunion may be fittingly assorted. How know we that the estates of myyoung friend have not a value in the eye of the Duke of St. Agata aswell as in those of him that the Senate may elect for thy husband?"

"Can this be true?" exclaimed Violetta. 

"Believe it not; my errand in Venice is no secret. I seek therestitution of lands and houses long withheld from my family, with thehonors of the Senate that are justly mine. All these do I joyfullyabandon for the hope of thy favor. "

"Thou nearest, Florinda: Don Camillo is not to be distrusted!"

"What are the Senate and the power of St. Mark that they should crossour lives with misery? Be mine, lovely Violetta, and in the fastnessesof my own good Calabrian castle we will defy their vengeance and policy. Their disappointment shall furnish merriment for my vassals, and ourfelicity shall make the happiness of thousands. I affect no disrespectfor the dignity of the councils, nor any indifference to that I lose, but to me art thou far more precious than the horned bonnet itself, withall its fancied influence and glory. "

"Generous Camillo!"

"Be mine, and spare the cold calculators of the Senate another crime. They think to dispose of thee, as if thou wert worthless merchandise, totheir own advantage. But thou wilt defeat their design. I read thegenerous resolution in thine eye, Violetta; thou wilt manifest a willsuperior to their arts and egotism. "

"I would not be trafficked for, Don Camillo Monforte, but wooed and wonas befitteth a maiden of my condition. They may still leave me libertyof choice. The Signor Gradenigo hath much encouraged me of late withthis hope, when speaking of the establishment suited to my years. "

"Believe him not; a colder heart, a spirit more removed from charity, exists not in Venice. He courts thy favor for his own prodigal son; acavalier without honor, the companion of profligates, and the victim ofthe Hebrews. Believe him not, for he is stricken in deceit. "

"He is the victim of his own designs, if this be true. Of all the youthsof Venice I esteem Giacomo Gradenigo least. "

"This interview must have an end, " said the monk, imposing effectually, and compelling the lover to rise. "It would be easier to escape thetoils of sin than to elude the agents of the police. I tremble lest thisvisit should be known, for we are encircled with the ministers of thestate, and not a palace in Venice is more narrowly watched than this. Were thy presence here detected, indiscreet young man, thy youth mightpine in a prison, while thou would'st be the cause of persecution andunmerited sorrow to this innocent and inexperienced maiden. "

"A prison, sayest thou, father!"

"No less, daughter. Lighter offences are often expiated by heavierjudgments, when the pleasure of the Senate is thwarted. "

"Thou must not be condemned to a prison, Camillo!"

"Fear it not. The years and peaceful calling of the father make himtimid. I have long been prepared for this happy moment, and I ask but asingle hour to put Venice and all her toils at defiance. Give me theblessed assurance of thy truth, and confide in my means for the rest. "

"Thou nearest, Florinda!"

"This bearing is suited to the sex of Don Camillo, dearest, but it illbecometh thee. A maiden of high quality must await the decision of hernatural guardians. "

"But should that choice be Giacomo Gradenigo?"

"The Senate will not hear of it. The arts of his father have long beenknown to thee; and thou must have seen, by the secresy of his ownadvances, that he distrusts their decision. The state will have a careto dispose of thee as befitteth thy hopes. Thou art sought of many, andthose who guard thy fortune only await the proposals which best becomethy birth. "

"Proposals that become my birth?"

"Suitable in years, condition, expectations, and character. "

"Am I to regard Don Camillo Monforte as one beneath me?"

The monk again interposed. 

"This interview must end, " he said. "The eyes drawn upon us by yourindiscreet music, are now turned on other objects, Signore, and you mustbreak your faith, or depart. "

"Alone, father?"

"Is the Donna Violetta to quit the roof of her father with as littlewarning as an unfavored dependant?"

"Nay, Signor Monforte, you could not, in reason, have expected more, inthis interview, than the hope of some future termination to your suit---some pledge--"

"And that pledge?"

The eye of Violetta turned from her governess to her lover, from herlover to the monk, and from the latter to the floor. 

"Is thine, Camillo. "

A common cry escaped the Carmelite and the governess. 

"Thy mercy, excellent friends, " continued the blushing but decidedVioletta. "If I have encouraged Don Camillo, in a manner that thycounsels and maiden modesty would reprove, reflect that had he hesitatedto cast himself into the Giudecca, I should have wanted the power toconfer this trifling grace. Why should I be less generous than mypreserver? No, Camillo, when the senate condemns me to wed another thanthee, it pronounces the doom of celibacy; I will hide my griefs in aconvent till I die!"

There was a solemn and fearful interruption to a discourse which was sorapidly becoming explicit, by the sound of the bell, that the groom ofthe chambers, a long-tried and confidential domestic, had been commandedto ring before he entered. As this injunction had been accompanied byanother not to appear, unless summoned, or urged by some grave motive, the signal caused a sudden pause, even at that interesting moment. 

"How now!" exclaimed the Carmelite to the servant, who abruptly entered. "What means this disregard of my injunctions?"

"Father, the Republic!"

"Is St. Mark in jeopardy, that females and priests are summoned to aidhim?"

"There are officials of the state below, who demand admission in thename of the Republic?"

"This grows serious, " said Don Camillo, who alone retained hisself-possession. "My visit is known, and the active jealousy of thestate anticipates its object. Summon your resolution, Donna Violetta, and you, father, be of heart! I will assume the responsibility of theoffence, if offence it be, and exonerate all others from censure. "

"Forbid it, Father Anselmo. Dearest Florinda, we will share hispunishment!" exclaimed the terrified Violetta, losing all self-commandin the fear of such a moment. "He has not been guilty of thisindiscretion without participation of mine; he has not presumed beyondhis encouragement. "

The monk and Donna Florinda regarded each other in mute amazement, andhaply there was some admixture of feeling in the look that denoted theuselessness of caution when the passions were intent to elude thevigilance of those who were merely prompted by prudence. The formersimply motioned for silence, while he turned to the domestic. 

"Of what character are these ministers of the state?" he demanded. 

"Father, they are its known officers, and wear the badges of theircondition. "

"And their request?"

"Is to be admitted to the presence of the Donna Violetta. "

"There is still hope!" rejoined the monk, breathing more freely. Movingacross the room, he opened a door which communicated with the privateoratory of the palace. "Retire within this sacred chapel, Don Camillo, while we await the explanation of so extraordinary a visit. "

As the time pressed, the suggestion was obeyed on the instant. The loverentered the oratory, and when the door was closed upon his person, thedomestic, one known to be worthy of all confidence, was directed tousher in those who waited without. 

But a single individual appeared. He was known, at a glance, for apublic and responsible agent of the government, who was often chargedwith the execution of secret and delicate duties. Donna Violettaadvanced to meet him, in respect to his employers, and with the returnof that self-possession which long practice interweaves with the habitsof the great. 

"I am honored by this care of my dreaded and illustrious guardians, " shesaid, making an acknowledgment for the low reverence with which theofficial saluted the richest ward of Venice. "To what circumstance do Iowe this visit?"

The officer gazed an instant about him, with an habitual and suspiciouscaution, and then repeating his salutations, he answered. 

"Lady, " he said, "I am commanded to seek an interview with the daughterof the state, the heiress of the illustrious house of Tiepolo, with theDonna Florinda Mercato, her female companion, with the Father Anselmo, her commissioned confessor, and with any other who enjoy the pleasure ofher society and the honor of her confidence. "

"Those you seek are here; I am Violetta Tiepolo; to this lady am Iindebted for a mother's care, and this reverend Carmelite is myspiritual counsellor. Shall I summon my household?"

"It is unnecessary. My errand is rather of private than of publicconcern. At the decease of your late most honored and much lamentedparent, the illustrious senator Tiepolo, the care of your person, lady, was committed by the Republic, your natural and careful protector, tothe especial guardianship and wisdom of Signore Alessandro Gradenigo, ofillustrious birth and estimable qualities. "

"Signore, you say true. "

"Though the parental love of the councils may have seemed to be dormant, it has ever been wakeful and vigilant. Now that the years, instruction, beauty, and other excellences of their daughter, have come to so rareperfection, they wish to draw the ties that unite them nearer, byassuming their own immediate duties about her person. "

"By this I am to understand that I am no longer a ward of the SignorGradenigo?"

"Lady, a ready wit has helped you to the explanation. That illustriouspatrician is released from his cherished and well acquitted duties. To-morrow new guardians will be charged with the care of your prizedperson, and will continue their honorable trust, until the wisdom of theSenate shall have formed for you such an alliance, as shall notdisparage a noble name and qualities that might adorn a throne. "

"Am I to be separated from those I love?" demanded Violetta impetuously. 

"Trust to the Senate's wisdom. I know not its determination concerningthose who have long dwelt with you, but there can be no reason to doubtits tenderness or discretion. I have now only to add, that until thosecharged anew with the honorable office of your protectors shall arrive, it will be well to maintain the same modest reserve in the reception ofvisitors as of wont, and that your door, lady, must in propriety beclosed against the Signor Gradenigo as against all others of his sex. "

"Shall I not even thank him for his care?"

"He is tenfold rewarded in the Senate's gratitude. "

"It would have been gracious to have expressed my feelings towards theSignor Gradenigo in words; but that which is refused to the tongue willbe permitted to the pen. "

"The reserve that becomes the state of one so favored is absolute. St. Mark is jealous where he loves. And, now my commission is discharged, Ihumbly take my leave, flattered in having been selected to stand in sucha presence, and to have been thought worthy of so honorable a duty. "

As the officer ceased speaking and Violetta returned his bows, she fixedher eyes, filled with apprehension, on the sorrowful features of hercompanions. The ambiguous language of those employed in such missionswas too well known to leave much hope for the future. They allanticipated their separation on the morrow, though neither couldpenetrate the reason of this sudden change in the policy of the state. Interrogation was useless, for the blow evidently came from the secretcouncil, whose motives could no more be fathomed than its decreesforeseen. The monk raised his hands in silent benediction towards hisspiritual charge, and unable, even in the presence of the stranger, torepress their grief, Donna Florinda and Violetta sank into each other'sarms, and wept. 

In the mean time the minister of this cruel blow had delayed hisdeparture, like one who had a half-formed resolution. He regarded thecountenance of the unconscious Carmelite intently, and in a manner thatdenoted the habit of thinking much before he decided. 

"Reverend Father, " he said, "may I crave a moment of your time, for anaffair that concerns the soul of a sinner?"

Though amazed, the monk could not hesitate about answering such anappeal. Obedient to a gesture of the officer, he followed him from theapartment, and continued at his side while the other threaded themagnificent rooms and descended to his gondola. 

"You must be much honored of the Senate, holy monk, " observed the latterwhile they proceeded, "to hold so near a trust about the person of onein whom the state takes so great an interest?"

"I feel it as such, my son. A life of peace and prayer should have mademe friends. "

"Men like you, father, merit the esteem they crave. Are you long ofVenice?"

"Since the last conclave. I came into the Republic as confessor to thelate minister from Florence. "

"An honorable trust. You have been with us then long enough to know thatthe Republic never forgets a servitor, nor forgives an affront. "

"'Tis an ancient state, and one whose influence still reaches far andnear. "

"Have a care of the step. These marbles are treacherous to an uncertainfoot. "

"Mine is too practised in the descent to be unsteady. I hope I do notnow descend these stairs for the last time?"

The minister of the council affected not to understand the question, but he answered as if replying only to the previous observation. 

"'Tis truly a venerable state, " he said, "but a little tottering withits years. All who love liberty, father, must mourn to see so glorious asway on the decline. _Sic transit gloria mundi!_ You bare-footedCarmelites do well to mortify the flesh in youth, by which you escapethe pains of a decreasing power. One like you can have few wrongs of hisyounger days to repair?"

"We are none of us without sin, " returned the monk, crossing himself. "He who would flatter his soul with being perfect lays the additionalweight of vanity on his life. "

"Men of my occupation, holy Carmelite, have few opportunities of lookinginto themselves, and I bless the hour that hath brought me into companyso godly. My gondola waits--will you enter?"

The monk regarded his companion in distrust, but knowing the uselessnessof resistance, he murmured a short prayer and complied. A strong dash ofthe oars announced their departure from the steps of the palace. 

CHAPTER XV. 

 O pescator! dell' onda Fi da lin; O pescator! dell' onda, Fi da lin; Vien pescar in qua; Colla bella tua barca, Colla bella se ne va, Fi da lin, lin, la-- VENETIAN BOAT SONG. 

The moon was at the height. Its rays fell in a flood on the swellingdomes and massive roofs of Venice, while the margin of the town wasbrilliantly defined by the glittering bay. The natural and gorgeoussetting was more than worthy of that picture of human magnificence; forat that moment, rich as was the Queen of the Adriatic in her works ofart, the grandeur of her public monuments, the number and splendor ofher palaces, and most else that the ingenuity and ambition of man couldattempt, she was but secondary in the glories of the hour. 

Above was the firmament, gemmed with worlds, and sublime in immensity. Beneath lay the broad expanse of the Adriatic, endless to the eye, tranquil as the vault it reflected, and luminous with its borrowedlight. Here and there a low island, reclaimed from the sea by thepatient toil of a thousand years, dotted the Lagunes, burdened with thegroup of some conventual dwellings, or picturesque with the modest roofsof a hamlet of the fisherman. Neither oar, nor song, nor laugh, nor flapof sail, nor jest of mariner, disturbed the stillness. All in the nearview was clothed in midnight loveliness, and all in the distance bespokethe solemnity of nature at peace. The city and the Lagunes, the gulfand the dreamy Alps, the interminable plain of Lombardy, and the bluevoid of heaven, lay alike in a common and grand repose. 

There suddenly appeared a gondola. It issued from among the waterychannels of the town, and glided upon the vast bosom of the bay, noiseless as the fancied progress of a spirit. A practised and nervousarm guided its movement, which was unceasing and rapid. So swift indeedwas the passage of the boat, as to denote pressing haste on the part ofthe solitary individual it contained. It held the direction of theAdriatic, steering between one of the more southern outlets of the bayand the well known island of St. Giorgio. For half an hour the exertionsof the gondolier were unrelaxed, though his eye was often cast behindhim, as if he distrusted pursuit; and as often did he gaze ahead, betraying an anxious desire to reach some object that was yet invisible. When a wide reach of water lay between him and the town, however, hepermitted his oar to rest, and he lent all his faculties to a keen andanxious search. 

A small dark spot was discovered on the water still nearer to the sea. The oar of the gondolier dashed the element behind him, and his boatagain glided away, so far altering its course as to show that allindecision was now ended. The darker spot was shortly beheld quiveringin the rays of the moon, and it soon assumed the form and dimensions ofa boat at anchor. Again the gondolier ceased his efforts, and he leanedforward, gazing intently at this undefined object, as if he would aidhis powers of sight by the sympathy of his other faculties. Just thenthe notes of music came softly across the Lagunes. The voice was feebleeven to trembling, but it had the sweetness of tone and the accuracy ofexecution which belong so peculiarly to Venice. It was the solitary man, in the distant boat, indulging in the song of a fisherman. The strainswere sweet, and the intonations plaintive to melancholy. The air wascommon to all who plied the oar in the canals, and familiar to the earof the listener. He waited until the close of a verse had died away, andthen he answered with a strain of his own. The alternate parts were thusmaintained until the music ceased, by the two singing a final verse inchorus. 

When the song was ended, the oar of the gondolier stirred the wateragain, and he was quickly by the other's side. 

"Thou art busy with thy hook betimes, Antonio, " said he who had justarrived, as he stepped into the boat of the old fisherman already sowell known to the reader. "There are men, that an interview with theCouncil of Three would have sent to their prayers and a sleepless bed. "

"There is not a chapel in Venice, Jacopo, in which a sinner may so welllay bare his soul as in this. I have been here on the empty Lagunes, alone with God, having the gates of Paradise open before my eyes. "

"One like thee hath no need of images to quicken his devotion. "

"I see the image of my Saviour, Jacopo, in those bright stars, thatmoon, the blue heavens, the misty bank of mountain, the waters on whichwe float, aye, even in my own sinking form, as in all which has comefrom his wisdom and power. I have prayed much since the moon has risen. "

"And is habit so strong in thee that thou thinkest of God and thy sinswhile thou anglest?"

"The poor must toil and the sinful must pray. My thoughts have dwelt somuch of late on the boy, that I have forgotten to provide myself withfood. If I fish later or earlier than common, 'tis because a man cannotlive on grief. "

"I have bethought me of thy situation, honest Antonio; here is thatwhich will support life and raise thy courage. 

"See, " added the Bravo, stretching forth an arm Into his own gondola, from which he drew a basket, "here is bread from Dalmatia, wine of LowerItaly, and figs from the Levant--eat, then, and be of cheer. "

The fisherman threw a wistful glance at the viands, for hunger wasmaking powerful appeals to the weakness of nature, but his hand did notrelinquish its hold of the line, with which he still continued to angle. 

"And these are thy gifts, Jacopo?" he asked, in a voice that, spite ofhis resignation, betrayed the longings of appetite. 

"Antonio, they are the offerings of one who respects thy courage andhonors thy nature. "

"Bought with his earnings?"

"Can it be otherwise? I am no beggar for the love of the saints, and fewin Venice give unasked. Eat, then, without fear; seldom wilt thou bemore welcome. "

"Take them away, Jacopo, if thou lovest me. Do not tempt me beyond whatI can bear. "

"How! art thou commanded to a penance?" hastily exclaimed the other. 

"Not so--not so. It is long since I have found leisure or heart for theconfessional. "

"Then why refuse the gift of a friend? Remember thy years andnecessities. "

"I cannot feed on the price of blood!"

The hand of the Bravo was withdrawn as if repelled by an electric touch. The action caused the rays of the moon to fall athwart his kindling eye, and firm as Antonio was in honesty and principle, he felt the bloodcreep to his heart as he encountered the fierce and sudden glance of hiscompanion. A long pause succeeded, during which the fisherman diligentlyplied his line, though utterly regardless of the object for which it hadbeen cast. 

"I have said it, Jacopo, " he added at length, "and tongue of mine shallnot belie the thought of my heart. Take away thy food then, and forgetall that is past; for what I have said hath not been said in scorn, butout of regard to my own soul. Thou knowest how I have sorrowed for theboy, but next to his loss I could mourn over thee--aye, more bitterlythan over any other of the fallen!"

The hard breathing of the Bravo was audible, but still he spoke not. 

"Jacopo, " continued the anxious fisherman, "do not mistake me. The pityof the suffering and poor is not like the scorn of the rich and worldly. If I touch a sore, I do not bruise it with my heel. Thy present pain isbetter than the greatest of all thy former joys. "

"Enough, old man, " said the other in a smothered voice, "thy words areforgotten. Eat without fear, for the offering is bought with earnings aspure as the gleanings of a mendicant friar. "

"I will trust to the kindness of St. Anthony and the fortune of myhook, " simply returned Antonio. "'Tis common for us of the Lagunes to goto a supperless bed: take away the basket, good Jacopo, and let us speakof other things. "

The Bravo ceased to press his food upon the fisherman. Laying aside hisbasket, he sat brooding over what had occurred. 

"Hast thou come thus far for naught else, good Jacopo?" demanded the oldman, willing to weaken the shock of his refusal. 

The question appeared to restore Jacopo to a recollection of his errand. He stood erect, and looked about him, for more than a minute, with akeen eye and an entire intentness of purpose. The look in the directionof the city was longer and more earnest than those thrown towards thesea and the main, nor was it withdrawn, until an involuntary startbetrayed equally surprise and alarm. 

"Is there not a boat, here, in a line with the tower of the campanile?"he asked quickly, pointing towards the city. 

"It so seems. It is early for my comrades to be abroad, but the draughtshave not been heavy of late, and the revelry of yesterday drew many ofour people from their toil. The patricians must eat, and the poor mustlabor, or both would die. "

The Bravo slowly seated himself, and he looked with concern into thecountenance of his companion. 

"Art thou long here, Antonio?"

"But an hour. When they turned us away from the palace, thou knowestthat I told thee of my necessities. There is not, in common, a morecertain spot on the Lagunes than this, and yet have I long played theline in vain. The trial of hunger is hard, but, like all other trials, it must be borne. I have prayed to my patron thrice, and sooner or laterhe will listen to my wants. Thou art used to the manners of these maskednobles, Jacopo; dost thou think them likely to hearken to reason? I hopeI did the cause no wrong for want of breeding, but I spoke them fair andplainly as fathers and men with hearts. "

"As senators they have none. Thou little understandest, Antonio, thedistinctions of these patricians. In the gaiety of their palaces, andamong the companions of their pleasures, none will speak you fairer ofhumanity and justice--aye--even of God! but when met to discuss whatthey call the interests of St. Mark, there is not a rock on the coldestpeak of yonder Alp with less humanity, or a wolf among their valleysmore heartless!"

"Thy words are strong, Jacopo--I would not do injustice even to thosewho have done me this wrong. The Senators are men, and God has given allfeelings and nature alike. "

"The gift is then abused. Thou hast felt the want of thy dailyassistant, fisherman, and thou hast sorrowed for thy child; for thee itis easy to enter into another's griefs; but the Senators know nothingof suffering. Their children are not dragged to the galleys, their hopesare never destroyed by laws coming from hard task-masters, nor are theirtears shed for sons ruined by being made companions of the dregs of theRepublic. They will talk of public virtue and services to the state, butin their own cases they mean the virtue of renown, and services thatbring with them honors and rewards. The wants of the state is theirconscience, though they take heed those wants shall do themselves noharm. "

"Jacopo, Providence itself hath made a difference in men. One is large, another small; one weak, another strong; one wise, another foolish. Atwhat Providence hath done, we should not murmur?"

"Providence did not make the Senate; 't is an invention of man. Mark me, Antonio, thy language hath given offence, and thou art not safe inVenice. They will pardon all but complaints against their justice. Thatis too true to be forgiven. "

"Can they wish to harm one who seeks his own child?"

"If thou wert great and respected, they would undermine thy fortune andcharacter, ere thou should'st put their system in danger--as thou artweak and poor, they will do thee some direct injury, unless thou artmoderate. Before all, I warn thee that their system must stand!"

"Will God suffer this?"

"We may not enter into his secrets, " returned the Bravo, devoutlycrossing himself. "Did his reign end with this world, there might beinjustice in suffering the wicked to triumph, but, as it is, we------Yon boat approaches fast! I little like its air and movements. "

"They are not fishermen, truly, for there are many oars and a canopy!"

"It is a gondola of the state!" exclaimed Jacopo, rising and steppinginto his own boat, which he cast loose from that of his companion, whenhe stood in evident doubt as to his future proceedings. "Antonio, weshould do well to row away. "

"Thy fears are natural, " said the unmoved fisherman, "and 'tis athousand pities that there is cause for them. There is yet time for oneskilful as thou to outstrip the fleetest gondola on the canals. "

"Quick, lift thy anchor, old man, and depart, my eye is sure. I know theboat. "

"Poor Jacopo! what a curse is a tender conscience! Thou hast been kindto me in my need, and if prayers from a sincere heart can do theeservice, thou shalt not want them. "

"Antonio!" cried the other, causing his boat to whirl away, and thenpausing an instant like a man undecided--"I can stay no longer--trustthem not--they are false as fiends--there is no time to lose--I mustaway. "

The fisherman murmured an ejaculation of pity, as he waved a hand inadieu. 

"Holy St. Anthony, watch over my own child, lest he come to some suchmiserable life!" he added, in an audible prayer--"There hath been goodseed cast on a rock, in that youth, for a warmer or kinder heart is notin man. That one like Jacopo should live by striking the assassin'sblow!"

The near approach of the strange gondola now attracted the wholeattention of the old man. It came swiftly towards him, impelled by sixstrong oars, and his eye turned feverishly in the direction of thefugitive. Jacopo, with a readiness that necessity and long practicerendered nearly instinctive, had taken a direction which blended hiswake in a line with one of those bright streaks that the moon drew onthe water, and which, by dazzling the eye, effectually concealed theobjects within its width. When the fisherman saw that the Bravo haddisappeared, he smiled and seemed at ease. 

"Aye, let them come here, " he said; "it will give Jacopo more time. Idoubt not the poor fellow hath struck a blow, since quitting the palace, that the council will not forgive! The sight of gold hath been toostrong, and he hath offended those who have so long borne with him. Godforgive me, that I have had communion with such a man! but when theheart is heavy, the pity of even a dog will warm our feelings. Few carefor me now, or the friendship of such as he could never have beenwelcome. "

Antonio ceased, for the gondola of the state came with a rushing noiseto the side of his own boat, where it was suddenly stopped by a backwardsweep of the oars. The water was still in ebullition, when a form passedinto the gondola of the fisherman, the larger boat shot away again tothe distance of a few hundred feet, and remained at rest. 

Antonio witnessed this movement in silent curiosity; but when he saw thegondoliers of the state lying on their oars, he glanced his eye againfurtively in the direction of Jacopo, saw that all was safe, and facedhis companion with confidence. The brightness of the moon enabled him todistinguish the dress and aspect of a bare-footed Carmelite. The latterseemed more confounded than his companion, by the rapidity of themovement, and the novelty of his situation. Notwithstanding hisconfusion, however, an evident look of wonder crossed his mortifiedfeatures when he first beheld the humble condition, the thin andwhitened locks, and the general air and bearing of the old man with whomhe now found himself. 

"Who art thou?" escaped him, in the impulse of surprise. 

"Antonio of the Lamines! A fisherman that owes much to St. Anthony, forfavors little deserved. "

"And why hath one like thee fallen beneath the Senate's displeasure?"

"I am honest and ready to do justice to others. If that offend thegreat, they are men more to be pitied than envied. "

"The convicted are always more disposed to believe themselvesunfortunate than guilty. The error is fatal, and it should be eradicatedfrom the mind, lest it lead to death. "

"Go tell this to the patricians. They have need of plain counsel, and awarning from the church. "

"My son, there is pride and anger, and a perverse heart in thy replies. The sins of the senators--and as they are men, they are not withoutspot--can in no manner whiten thine own. Though an unjust sentenceshould condemn one to punishment, it leaves the offences against God intheir native deformity. Men may pity him who hath wrongfully undergonethe anger of the world, but the church will only pronounce pardon on himwho confesseth his errors, with a sincere admission of their magnitude. "

"Have you come, father, to shrive a penitent?"

"Such is my errand. I lament the occasion, and if what I fear be true, still more must I regret that one so aged should have brought hisdevoted head beneath the arm of justice. "

Antonio smiled, and again he bent his eyes along that dazzling streak oflight which had swallowed up the gondola and the person of the Bravo. 

"Father, " he said, when a long and earnest look was ended, "there can belittle harm in speaking truth to one of thy holy office. They have toldthee there was a criminal here in the Lagunes, who hath provoked theanger of St. Mark?"

"Thou art right. "

"It is not easy to know when St. Mark is pleased, or when he is not, "continued Antonio, plying his line with indifference, "for the very manhe now seeks has he long tolerated; aye, even in presence of the Doge. The Senate hath its reasons which lie beyond the reach of the ignorant, but it would have been better for the soul of the poor youth, and moreseemly for the Republic, had it turned a discouraging countenance on hisdeeds from the first. "

"Thou speakest of another! thou art not then the criminal they seek!"

"I am a sinner, like all born of woman, reverend Carmelite, but my handhath never held any other weapon than the good sword with which I struckthe infidel. There was one lately here, that, I grieve to add, cannotsay this!"

"And he is gone?"

"Father, you have your eyes, and you can answer that question foryourself. He is gone; though he is not far; still is he beyond the reachof the swiftest gondola in Venice, praised be St. Mark!"

The Carmelite bowed his head, where he was seated, and his lips moved, either in prayer or in thanksgiving. 

"Are you sorry, monk, that a sinner has escaped?"

"Son, I rejoice that this bitter office hath passed from me, while Imourn that there should be a spirit so depraved as to require it. Let ussummon the servants of the Republic, and inform them that their errandis useless. "

"Be not of haste, good father. The night is gentle, and these hirelingssleep on their oars, like gulls in the Lagunes. The youth will have moretime for repentance, should he be undisturbed. "

The Carmelite, who had risen, instantly reseated himself, like oneactuated by a strong impulse. 

"I thought he had already been far beyond pursuit, " he muttered, unconsciously apologizing for his apparent haste. 

"He is over bold, and I fear he will row back to the canals, in whichcase you might meet nearer to the city--or there may be more gondolasof the state out--in short, father, thou wilt be more certain to escapehearing the confession of a Bravo, by listening to that of a fisherman, who has long wanted an occasion to acknowledge his sins. "

Men who ardently wish the same result, require few words to understandeach other. The Carmelite took, intuitively, the meaning of hiscompanion, and throwing back his cowl, a movement that exposed thecountenance of Father Anselmo, he prepared to listen to the confessionof the old man. 

"Thou art a Christian, and one of thy years hath not to learn the stateof mind that becometh a penitent, " said the monk, when each was ready. 

"I am a sinner, father; give me counsel and absolution, that I may havehope. "

"Thy will be done--thy prayer is heard--approach and kneel. "

Antonio, who had fastened his line to his seat, and disposed of his netwith habitual care, now crossed himself devoutly, and took his stationbefore the Carmelite. His acknowledgments of error then began. Muchmental misery clothed the language and ideas of the fisherman with adignity that his auditor had not been accustomed to find in men of hisclass. A spirit so long chastened by suffering had become elevated andnoble. He related his hopes for the boy, the manner in which they hadbeen blasted by the unjust and selfish policy of the state, hisdifferent efforts to procure the release of his grandson, and his boldexpedients at the regatta, and the fancied nuptials with the Adriatic. When he had thus prepared the Carmelite to understand the origin of hissinful passions, which it was now his duty to expose, he spoke of thosepassions themselves, and of their influence on a mind that wasordinarily at peace with mankind. The tale was told simply and withoutreserve, but in a manner to inspire respect, and to awaken powerfulsympathy in him who heard it. 

"And these feelings thou didst indulge against the honored and powerfulof Venice!" demanded the monk, affecting a severity he could not feel. 

"Before my God do I confess the sin! In bitterness of heart I cursedthem; for to me they seemed men without feeling for the poor, andheartless as the marbles of their own palaces. "

"Thou knowest that to be forgiven, thou must forgive. Dost thou, atpeace with all of earth, forget this wrong, and can'st thou, in charitywith thy fellows, pray to Him who died for the race, in behalf of thosewho have injured thee?"

Antonio bowed his head on his naked breast, and he seemed to communewith his soul. 

"Father, " he said, in a rebuked tone, "I hope I do. "

"Thou must not trifle with thyself to thine own perdition. There is aneye in yon vault above us which pervades space, and which looks into theinmost secrets of the heart. Can'st thou pardon the error of thepatricians in a contrite spirit for thine own sins?"

"Holy Maria pray for them, as I now ask mercy in their behalf! Father, they are forgiven. "

"Amen!"

The Carmelite arose and stood over the kneeling Antonio with the wholeof his benevolent countenance illuminated by the moon. Stretching hisarms towards the stars, he pronounced the absolution in a voice that wastouched with pious fervor. The upward expectant eye, with the witheredlineaments of the fisherman, and the holy calm of the monk, formed apicture of resignation and hope that angels would have loved to witness. 

"Amen! amen!" exclaimed Antonio, as he arose crossing himself; "St. Anthony and the Virgin aid me to keep these resolutions!"

"I will not forget thee, my son, in the offices of holy church. Receivemy benediction, that I may depart. "

Antonio again bowed his knee while the Carmelite firmly pronounced thewords of peace. When this last office was performed, and a decentinterval of mutual but silent prayer had passed, a signal was given tosummon the gondola of the state. It came rowing down with great force, and was instantly at their side. Two men passed into the boat ofAntonio, and with officious zeal assisted the monk to resume his placein that of the Republic. 

"Is the penitent shrived?" half whispered one, seemingly the superior ofthe two. 

"Here is an error. He thou seek'st has escaped. This aged man is afisherman named Antonio, and one who cannot have gravely offended St. Mark. The Bravo hath passed towards the island of San Giorgio, and mustbe sought elsewhere. "

The officer released the person of the monk, who passed quickly beneaththe canopy, and he turned to cast a hasty glance at the features of thefisherman. The rubbing of a rope was audible, and the anchor of Antoniowas lifted by a sudden jerk. A heavy plashing of the water followed, andthe two boats shot away together, obedient to a violent effort of thecrew. The gondola of the state exhibited its usual number of gondoliers, bending to their toil, with its dark and hearse-like canopy, but that ofthe fisherman was empty!

The sweep of the oars and the plunge of the body of Antonio had beenblended in a common wash of the surge. When the fisherman came to thesurface after his fall, he was alone in the centre of the vast buttranquil sheet of water. There might have been a glimmering of hope ashe arose from the darkness of the sea to the bright beauty of thatmoonlit night. But the sleeping domes were too far for human strength, and the gondolas were sweeping madly towards the town. He turned, andswimming feebly, for hunger and previous exertion had undermined hisstrength, he bent his eye on the dark spot which he had constantlyrecognised as the boat of the Bravo. 

Jacopo had not ceased to watch the interview with the utmost intentnessof his faculties. Favored by position, he could see without beingdistinctly visible. He saw the Carmelite pronouncing the absolution, andhe witnessed the approach of the larger boat. He heard a plunge heavierthan that of falling oars, and he saw the gondola of Antonio towing awayempty. The crew of the Republic had scarcely swept the Lagunes withtheir oar-blades before his own stirred the water. 

"Jacopo!--Jacopo!" came fearfully and faintly to his ears. 

The voice was known, and the occasion thoroughly understood. The cry ofdistress was succeeded by the rush of the water, as it piled before thebeak of the Bravo's gondola. The sound of the parted element was likethe sighing of a breeze. Ripples and bubbles were left behind, as thedriven scud floats past the stars, and all those muscles which had oncebefore that day been so finely developed in the race of the gondoliers, were now expanded, seemingly in twofold volumes. Energy and skill werein every stroke, and the dark spot came down the streak of light, likethe swallow touching the water with its wing. 

"Hither, Jacopo--thou steerest wide!"

The beak of the gondola turned, and the glaring eye of the Bravo caughta glimpse of the fisherman's head. 

"Quickly, good Jacopo, --I fail!"

The murmuring of the water again drowned the stifled words. The effortsof the oar were frenzied, and at each stroke the light gondola appearedto rise from its element. 

"Jacopo--hither--dear Jacopo!"

"The mother of God aid thee, fisherman!--I come. "

"Jacopo--the boy!--the boy!"

The water gurgled; an arm was visible in the air, and it disappeared. The gondola drove upon the spot where the limb had just been visible, and a backward stroke, that caused the ashen blade to bend like a reed, laid the trembling boat motionless. The furious action threw the Laguneinto ebullition, but, when the foam subsided, it lay calm as the blueand peaceful vault it reflected. 

"Antonio!"--burst from the lips of the Bravo. 

A frightful silence succeeded the call. There was neither answer norhuman form. Jacopo compressed the handle of his oar with fingers ofiron, and his own breathing caused him to start. On every side he bent afrenzied eye, and on every side he beheld the profound repose of thattreacherous element which is so terrible in its wrath. Like the humanheart, it seemed to sympathize with the tranquil beauty of the midnightview; but, like the human heart, it kept its own fearful secrets. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

 "Yet a few days and dream-perturbed nights, And I shall slumber well--but where?--no matter. Adieu, my Angiolina. " MARINO FALIERO. 

When the Carmelite re-entered the apartment of Donna Violetta his facewas covered with the hue of death, and his limbs with difficultysupported him to a chair. He scarcely observed that Don Camillo Monfortewas still present, nor did he note the brightness and joy which glowedin the eyes of the ardent Violetta. Indeed his appearance was at firstunseen by the happy lovers, for the Lord of St. Agata had succeeded inwresting the secret from the breast of his mistress, if that may becalled a secret which Italian character had scarcely struggled toretain, and he had crossed the room before even the more tranquil lookof the Donna Florinda rested on his person. 

"Thou art ill!" exclaimed the governess. "Father Anselmo hath not beenabsent without grave cause!"

The monk threw back his cowl for air, and the act discovered the deadlypaleness of his features. But his eye, charged with a meaning of horror, rolled over the faces of those who drew around him, as if he struggledwith memory to recall their persons. 

"Ferdinando! Father Anselmo!" cried the Donna Florinda, correcting theunbidden familiarity, though she could not command the anxiety of herrebel features; "Speak to us--thou art suffering!"

"Ill at heart, Florinda. "

"Deceive us not--haply thou hast more evil tidings--Venice--"

"Is a fearful state. "

"Why hast thou quitted us?--why in a moment of so much importance to ourpupil--a moment that may prove of the last influence on herhappiness--hast thou been absent for a long hour?"

Violetta turned a surprised and unconscious glance towards the clock, but she spoke not. 

"The servants of the state had need of me, " returned the monk, easingthe pain of his spirit by a groan. 

"I understand thee, father;--thou hast shrived a penitent?"

"Daughter, I have: and few depart more at peace with God and theirfellows!"

Donna Florinda murmured a short prayer for the soul of the dead, piouslycrossing herself as she concluded. Her example was imitated by herpupil, and even the lips of Don Camillo moved, while his head was bowedby the side of his fair companion in seeming reverence. 

"'Twas a just end, father?" demanded Donna Florinda. 

"It was an unmerited one!" cried the monk, with fervor, "or there is nofaith in man. I have witnessed the death of one who was better fitted tolive, as happily he was better fitted to die, than those who pronouncedhis doom. What a fearful state is Venice!"

"And such are they who are masters of thy person, Violetta, " said DonCamillo: "to these midnight murderers will thy happiness be consigned!Tell us, father, does thy sad tragedy touch in any manner on theinterests of this fair being? for we are encircled here by mysteriesthat are as incomprehensible, while they are nearly as fearful as fateitself. "

The monk looked from one to the other, and a more human expression beganto appear in his countenance. 

"Thou art right, " he said; "such are the men who mean to dispose of theperson of our pupil. Holy St. Mark pardon the prostitution of hisrevered name, and shield her with the virtue of his prayers!"

"Father, are we worthy to know more of that thou hast witnessed?"

"The secrets of the confessional are sacred, my son; but this hath beena disclosure to cover the living, not the dead, with shame. "

"I see the hand of those up above in this!" for so most spoke of theCouncil of Three. "They have tampered with my right for years to suittheir selfish purposes, and to my shame must I own it, they have drivenme to a submission, in order to obtain justice, that as ill accords withmy feelings as with my character. "

"Nay, Camillo, thou art incapable of this injustice to thyself!"

"'Tis a fearful government, dearest, and its fruits are equallypernicious to the ruler and the subject. It hath, of all other dangersthe greatest, the curse of secresy on its intentions, its acts, and itsresponsibilities!"

"Thou sayest true, my son; there is no security against oppression andwrong in a state but the fear of God or the fear of man. Of the first, Venice hath none, for too many souls share the odium of her sins; and asfor the last, her deeds are hid from their knowledge. "

"We speak boldly, for those who live beneath her laws, " observed DonnaFlorinda, glancing a look timidly around her. "As we can neither changenor mend the practices of the state, better that we should be silent. "

"If we cannot alter the power of the council, we may elude it, " hastilyanswered Don Camillo, though he too dropped his voice, and assuredhimself of their security by closing the casement, and casting his eyestowards the different doors of the room. "Are you assured of thefidelity of the menials, Donna Florinda?"

"Far from it, Signore; we have those who are of ancient service and oftried character; but we have those who are named by the SenatorGradenigo, and who are doubtless no other than the agents of the State. "

"In this manner do they pry into the privacy of all! I am compelled toentertain in my palace varlets that I know to be their hirelings; andyet do I find it better to seem unconscious of their views, lest theyenviron me in a manner that I cannot even suspect. Think you, father, that my presence here hath escaped the spies?"

"It would be to hazard much were we to rely on such security. None sawus enter, as I think, for we used the secret gate and the more privateentrance; but who is certain of being unobserved when every fifth eye isthat of a mercenary?"

The terrified Violetta laid her hand on the arm of her lover. 

"Even now, Camillo, " she said, "thou mayest be observed, and secretlydevoted to punishment!"

"If seen, doubt it not: St. Mark will never pardon so bold aninterference with his pleasure. And yet, sweetest Violetta, to gain thyfavor this risk is nothing; nor will a far greater hazard turn me frommy purpose. "

"These inexperienced and confiding spirits have taken advantage of myabsence to communicate more freely than was discreet, " said theCarmelite, in the manner of one who foresaw the answer. 

"Father, nature is too strong for the weak preventives of prudence. "

The brow of the monk became clouded. His companions watched the workingsof his mind, as they appeared in a countenance that in common was sobenevolent, though always sad. For a few moments none broke the silence. 

The Carmelite at length demanded, raising his troubled look to thecountenance of Don Camillo, --

"Hast thou duly reflected on the consequences of this rashness, son?What dost thou purpose in thus braving the anger of the Republic, and insetting at defiance her arts, her secret means of intelligence, and herterrors?"

"Father, I have reflected as all of my years reflect, when in heart andsoul they love. I have brought myself to feel that any misery would behappiness compared to the loss of Violetta, and that no risk can exceedthe reward of gaining her favor. Thus much for the first of thyquestions; for the last I can only say that I am too much accustomed tothe wiles of the Senate to be a novice in the means of counteractingthem. "

"There is but one language for youth, when seduced by that pleasingdelusion which paints the future with hues of gold. Age and experiencemay condemn it, but the weakness will continue to prevail in all untillife shall appear in its true colors. Duke of Sant' Agata, though anoble of high lineage and illustrious name, and though lord of manyvassals, thou art not a power--thou can'st not declare thy palace inVenice a fortress, nor send a herald to the Doge with defiance. "

"True, reverend monk; I cannot do this--nor would it be well for him whocould, to trust his fortune on so reckless a risk. But the states of St. Mark do not cover the earth--we can fly. "

"The Senate hath a long arm, and it hath a thousand secret hands. "

"None know it better than I. Still it does no violence without motive;the faith of their ward irretrievably mine, the evil, as respects them, becomes irreparable. "

"Think'st thou so! Means would quickly be found to separate you. Believenot that Venice would be thwarted of its design so easily; the wealth ofa house like this would purchase many an unworthy suitor, and thy rightwould be disregarded, or haply denied. "

"But, father, the ceremony of the church may not be despised!"exclaimed Violetta; "it comes from heaven and is sacred. "

"Daughter, I say it with sorrow, but the great and the powerful findmeans even to set aside that venerable and holy sacrament. Thine owngold would serve to seal thy misery. "

"This might arrive, father, were we to continue within the grasp of St. Mark, " interrupted the Neapolitan; "but once beyond his borders, 'twouldbe a bold interference with the right of a foreign state to lay hands onour persons. More than this, I have a castle in St. Agata, that willdefy their most secret means, until events might happen which shouldrender it more prudent for them to desist than to persevere. "

"This reason hath force wert thou within the walls of St. Agata, insteadof being, as thou art, among the canals. "

"Here is one of Calabria, a vassal born of mine, a certain StefanoMilano, the padrone of a Sorrentine felucca, now lying in the port. Theman is in strict amity with my own gondolier, he who was third in thisday's race. Art thou ill, father, that thou appearest troubled?"

"Proceed with thy expedient, " answered the monk, motioning that hewished not to be observed. 

"My faithful Gino reports that this Stefano is on the canals, on someerrand of the Republic, as he thinks; for though the mariner is lessdisposed to familiarity than is wont, he hath let drop hints that leadto such a conclusion; the felucca is ready from hour to hour to put tosea, and doubt not that the padrone would rather serve his natural lordthan these double-dealing miscreants of the Senate. I can pay as well asthey, if served to my pleasure, and I can punish too, when offended. "

"There is reason in this, Signore, wert thou beyond the wiles of thismysterious city. But in what manner thou embark, without drawing thenotice of those who doubtless watch our movements, on thy person?"

"There are maskers on the canals at all hours, and if Venice be soimpertinent in her system of watchfulness, thou knowest, father, that, without extraordinary motive, that disguise is sacred. Without thisnarrow privilege, the town would not be habitable a day. "

"I fear the result, " observed the hesitating monk, while it was evidentfrom the thoughtfulness of his countenance, that he calculated thechances of the adventure. "If known and arrested, we are all lost!"

"Trust me, father, that thy fortune shall not be forgotten, even in thatunhappy issue. I have an uncle, as you know, high in the favor of thepontiff, and who wears the scarlet hat. I pledge to you the honor of acavalier, all my interest with this relative, to gain such intercessionfrom the church as shall weaken the blow to her servant. "

The features of the Carmelite flushed, and for the first time the ardentyoung noble observed around his ascetic mouth an expression of worldlypride. 

"Thou hast unjustly rated my apprehensions, Lord of St. Agata, " he said;"I fear not for myself, but for others. This tender and lovely childhath not been confided to my care, without creating a parentalsolicitude in her behalf, and"--he paused, and seemed to struggle withhimself--"I have too long known the mild and womanly virtues of DonnaFlorinda, to witness with indifference her exposure to a near andfearful danger. Abandon our charge we cannot; nor do I see in whatmanner, as prudent and watchful guardians, we may in any manner consentto this risk. Let us hope that they who govern, will yet consult thehonor and happiness of Donna Violetta. "

"That were to hope the winged lion would become a lamb, or the dark andsoulless senate a community of self-mortifying and godly Carthusians!No, reverend monk, we must seize the happy moment, and none is likelyto be more fortunate than this, or trust our hopes to a cold andcalculating policy that disregards all motives but its own object. Anhour--nay, half the time--would suffice to apprise the mariner, and erethe morning light, we might see the domes of Venice sinking into theirown hated Lagunes. "

"These are the plans of confident youth, quickened by passion. Believeme, son, it is not easy as thou imaginest, to mislead the agents of thepolice. This palace could not be quitted, the felucca entered, or anyone of the many necessary steps hazarded, without drawing upon us theireyes. Hark!--I hear the wash of oars--a gondola is even now at thewater-gate!"

Donna Florinda went hastily to the balcony, and as quickly returned toreport that she had seen an officer of the Republic enter the palace. There was no time to lose, and Don Camillo was again urged to concealhimself in the little oratory. This necessary caution had hardly beenobserved before the door of the room opened, and the privilegedmessenger of the senate announced his own appearance. It was the veryindividual who had presided at the fearful execution of the fisherman, and who had already announced the cessation of the Signor Gradenigo'spowers. His eye glanced suspiciously around the room as he entered, andthe Carmelite trembled in every limb at the look which encountered hisown. But all immediate apprehensions vanished when the usual artfulsmile with which he was wont to soften his disagreeable communications, took place of the momentary expression of a vague and habitualsuspicion. 

"Noble lady, " he said, bowing with deference to the rank of her headdressed, "you may learn by this assiduity on the part of theirservant, the interest which the Senate takes in your welfare. Anxious todo you pleasure, and ever attentive to the wishes of one so young, ithath been decided to give you the amusement and variety of anotherscene, at a season when the canals of our city become disagreeable, fromtheir warmth and the crowds which live in the air. I am sent to requestyou will make such preparations as may befit your convenience during afew months' residence in a purer atmosphere, and that this may be donespeedily, as your journey, always to prevent discomfort to yourself, will commence before the rising of the sun. "

"This is short notice, Signore, for a female about to quit the dwellingof her ancestors!"

"St. Mark suffers his love and parental care to overlook the vainceremonies of form. It is thus the parent dealeth with the child. Thereis little need of unusual notice, since it will be the business of thegovernment to see all that is necessary dispatched to the residencewhich is to be honored with the presence of so illustrious a lady. "

"For myself, Signore, little preparation is needed. But I fear the trainof servitors, that befit my condition, will require more leisure fortheir arrangements. "

"Lady, that embarrassment hath been foreseen, and to remove it, thecouncil hath decided to supply you with the only attendant you willrequire, during an absence from the city which will be so short. "

"How, Signore! am I to be separated from my people?"

"From the hired menials of your palace, lady, to be confided to thosewho will serve your person from a nobler motive. "

"And my maternal friend--my ghostly adviser?"

"They will be permitted to repose from their trusts, during yourabsence. "

An exclamation from Donna Florinda, and an involuntary movement of themonk, betrayed their mutual concern. Donna Violetta suppressed theexhibition of her own resentment, and of her wounded affections, by apowerful effort, in which she was greatly sustained by her pride; butshe could not entirely conceal the anguish of another sort, that wasseated in her eye. 

"Do I understand that this prohibition extends to her who in commonserves my person?"

"Signora, such are my instructions. "

"Is it expected that Violetta Tiepolo will do these menial offices forherself?"

"Signora, no. A most excellent and agreeable attendant has been providedfor that duty. Annina, " he continued, approaching the door, "thy noblemistress is impatient to see thee. "

As he spoke, the daughter of the wine-seller appeared. She wore an airof assumed humility, but it was accompanied by a secret mien, thatbetrayed independence of the pleasure of her new mistress. 

"And this damsel is to be my nearest confidante!" exclaimed DonnaYioletta, after studying the artful and demure countenance of the girl, a moment, with a dislike she did not care to conceal. 

"Such hath been the solicitude of your illustrious guardians, lady. Asthe damsel is instructed in all that is necessary, I will intrude nolonger, but take my leave, recommending that you improve the hours, which are now few, between this and the rising sun, that you may profitby the morning breeze in quitting the city. "

The officer glanced another look around the room, more, however, throughhabitual caution than any other reason, bowed, and departed. 

A profound and sorrowful silence succeeded. Then the apprehension thatDon Camillo might mistake their situation and appear, flashed upon themind of Violetta, and she hastened to apprise him of the danger, byspeaking to the new attendant. 

"Thou hast served before this, Annina?" she asked, so loud as to permitthe words to be heard in the oratory. 

"Never a lady so beautiful and illustrious, Signora. But I hope to makemyself agreeable to one that I hear is kind to all around her. "

"Thou art not new to the flattery of thy class; go then, and acquaint myancient attendants with this sudden resolution, that I may notdisappoint the council by tardiness. I commit all to thy care, Annina, since thou knowest the pleasure of my guardians--those without willfurnish the means. "

The girl lingered, and her watchful observers noted suspicion andhesitation in her reluctant manner of compliance. She obeyed, however, leaving the room with the domestic Donna Violetta summoned from theantechamber. The instant the door was closed behind her, Don Camillo wasin the group, and the whole four stood regarding each other in a commonpanic. 

"Canst thou still hesitate, father?" demanded the lover. 

"Not a moment, my son, did I see the means of accomplishing flight. "

"How! Thou wilt not then desert me!" exclaimed Violetta, kissing hishands in joy. "Nor thou, my second mother!"

"Neither, " answered the governess, who possessed intuitive means ofcomprehending the resolutions of the monk; "we will go with thee, love, to the Castle of St. Agata, or to the dungeon of St. Mark. "

"Virtuous and sainted Florinda, receive my thanks!" cried the reprievedVioletta, clasping her hands on her bosom, with an emotion in whichpiety and gratitude were mingled. "Camillo, we await thy guidance. "

"Refrain, " observed the monk; "a footstep--thy concealment. "

Don Camillo was scarce hid from view when Annina reappeared. She had thesame suspicious manner of glancing her eye around, as the official, andit would seem, by the idle question she put, that her entrance had someother object than the mere pretence which she made of consulting her newmistress's humor in the color of a robe. 

"Do as thou wilt, girl, " said Violetta, with impatience; "thou knowestthe place of my intended retirement, and can'st judge of the fitness ofmy attire. Hasten thy preparations, that I be not the cause of delay. Enrico, attend my new maid to the wardrobe. "

Annina reluctantly withdrew, for she was far too much practised in wilesnot to distrust this unexpected compliance with the will of the council, or not to perceive that she was admitted with displeasure to thedischarge of her new duties. As the faithful domestic of Donna Violettakept at her side, she was fain, however, to submit, and suffered herselfto be led a few steps from the door. Suddenly pretending to recollect anew question, she returned with so much rapidity as to be again in theroom before Enrico could anticipate the intention. 

"Daughter, complete thy errands, and forbear to interrupt our privacy, "said the monk, sternly. "I am about to confess this penitent, who maypine long for the consolations of the holy office ere we meet again. Ifthou hast not aught urgent, withdraw, ere thou seriously givest offenceto the church. "

The severity of the Carmelite's tone, and the commanding, though subduedgleaming of his eye, had the effect to awe the girl. Quailing before hislook, and in truth startled at the risk she ran in offending againstopinions so deeply seated in the minds of all, and from which her ownsuperstitious habits were far from free, she muttered a few words ofapology, and finally withdrew. There was another uneasy and suspiciousglance thrown around her, however, before the door was closed. When theywere once more alone, the monk motioned for silence to the impetuous DonCamillo, who could scarce restrain his impatience until the intruderdeparted. 

"Son, be prudent, " he said; "we are in the midst of treachery; in thisunhappy city none know in whom they can confide. "

"I think we are sure of Enrico, " said the Donna Florinda, though thevery doubts she affected not to feel lingered in the tones of her voice. 

"It matters not, daughter. He is ignorant of the presence of DonCamillo, and in that we are safe. Duke of Sant' Agata, if you candeliver us from these toils we will accompany you. "

A cry of joy was near bursting from the lips of Violetta; but obedientto the eye of the monk, she turned to her lover, as if to learn hisdecision. The expression of Don Camillo's face was the pledge of hisassent. Without speaking, he wrote hastily, with a pencil, a few wordson the envelope of a letter, and inclosing a piece of coin in its folds, he moved with a cautious step to the balcony. A signal was given, andall awaited in breathless silence the answer. Presently they heard thewash of the water caused by the movement of a gondola beneath thewindow. Stepping forward again, Don Camillo dropped the paper with suchprecision that he distinctly heard the fall of the coin in the bottom ofthe boat. The gondolier scarce raised his eyes to the balcony, butcommencing an air much used on the canals, he swept onward, like onewhose duty called for no haste. 

"That has succeeded!" said Don Camillo, when he heard the song of Gino. "In an hour my agent will have secured the felucca, and all now dependson our own means of quitting the palace unobserved. My people will awaitus shortly, and perhaps 'twould be well to trust openly to our speed ingaining the Adriatic. "

"There is a solemn and necessary duty to perform, " observed the monk;"daughters, withdraw to your rooms, and occupy yourselves with thepreparation necessary for your flight, which may readily be made toappear as intended to meet the Senate's pleasure. In a few minutes Ishall summon you hither again. "

Wondering, but obedient, the females withdrew. The Carmelite then made abrief but clear explanation of his intention. Don Camillo listenedeagerly, and when the other had done speaking they retired together intothe oratory. Fifteen minutes had not passed, before the monk reappeared, alone, and touched the bell which communicated with the closet ofVioletta. Donna Florinda and her pupil were quickly in the room. 

"Prepare thy mind for the confessional, " said the priest, placinghimself with grave dignity in that chair which he habitually used whenlistening to the self-accusations and failings of his spiritual child. 

The brow of Violetta paled and flushed again, as if there lay a heavysin on her conscience. She turned an imploring look on her maternalmonitor, in whose mild features she met an encouraging smile, and thenwith a beating heart, though ill-collected for the solemn duty, but witha decision that the occasion required, she knelt on the cushion at thefeet of the monk. 

The murmured language of Donna Violetta was audible to none but him forwhose paternal ear it was intended, and that dread Being whose justanger it was hoped it might lessen. But Don Camillo gazed, through thehalf-opened door of the chapel, on the kneeling form, the clasped hands, and the uplifted countenance of the beautiful penitent. As she proceededwith the acknowledgment of her errors, the flush on her cheek deepened, and a pious excitement kindled in those eyes which he had so lately seenglowing with a very different passion. The ingenuous and disciplinedsoul of Violetta was not so quickly disburdened of its load of sin asthat of the more practised mind of the Lord of Sant' Agata. The latterfancied that he could trace in the movement of her lips the sound of hisown name, and a dozen times during the confession he thought he couldeven comprehend sentences of which he himself was the subject. Twice thegood father smiled involuntarily, and at each indiscretion he laid ahand in affection on the bared head of the suppliant. But Violettaceased to speak, and the absolution was pronounced with a fervor thatthe remarkable circumstances in which they all stood did not fail toheighten. 

When this portion of his duty was ended, the Carmelite entered theoratory. With steady hands he lighted the candles of the altar, and madethe other dispositions for the mass. During this interval Don Camillowas at the side of his mistress, whispering with the warmth of atriumphant and happy lover. The governess stood near the door, watchingfor the sound of footsteps in the antechamber. The monk then advanced tothe entrance of the little chapel, and was about to speak, when ahurried step from Donna Florinda arrested his words. Don Camillo hadjust time to conceal his person within the drapery of a window, beforethe door opened and Annina entered. 

When the preparations of the altar and the solemn countenance of thepriest first met her eye, the girl recoiled with the air of one rebuked. But rallying her thoughts, with that readiness which had gained her theemployment she filled, she crossed herself reverently, and took a placeapart, like one who, while she knew her station, wished to participatein the mysteries of the holy office. 

"Daughter, none who commence this mass with us, can quit the presenceere it be completed, ", observed the monk. 

"Father, it is my duty to be near the person of my mistress, and it is ahappiness to be near it on the occasion of this early matin. "

The monk was embarrassed. He looked from one to the other, inindecision, and was about to frame some pretence to get rid of theintruder, when Don Cainillo appeared in the middle of the room. 

"Reverend monk, proceed, " he said; "'tis but another witness of myhappiness. "

While speaking, the noble touched the handle of his sword significantlywith a finger, and cast a look at the half petrified Annina, whicheffectually controlled the exclamation that was about to escape her. Themonk appeared to understand the terms of this silent compact, for with adeep voice he commenced the offices of the mass. The singularity oftheir situation, the important results of the act in which they wereengaged, the impressive dignity of the Carmelite, and the imminenthazard which they all ran of exposure, together with the certainty ofpunishment for their daring to thwart the will of Venice, if betrayed, caused a deeper feeling than that which usually pervades a marriageceremony, to preside at nuptials thus celebrated. The youthful Violettatrembled at every intonation of the solemn voice of the monk, andtowards the close she leaned in helplessness on the arm of the man towhom she had just plighted her vows. The eye of the Carmelite kindled ashe proceeded with the office, however; and long ere he had done, he hadobtained such a command over the feelings of even Annina as to hold hermercenary spirit in awe. The final union was pronounced, and thebenediction given. 

"Maria, of pure memory, watch over thy happiness, daughter!" said themonk, for the first time in his life saluting the fair brow of theweeping bride. "Duke of Sant' Agata, may thy patron hear thy prayers, asthou provest kind to this innocent and confiding child!"

"Amen!--Ha!--we are not too soon united, my Violetta; I hear the soundof oars. "

A glance from the balcony assured him of the truth of his words, andrendered it apparent that it had now become necessary to take the mostdecided step of all. A six-oared gondola, of a size suited to endurethe waves of the Adriatic at that mild season, and with a pavilion offit dimensions, stopped at the water-gate of the palace. 

"I wonder at this boldness!" exclaimed Don Camillo. "There must be nodelay, lest some spy of the Republic apprise the police. Away, dearestVioletta--away, Donna Florinda! Father, away!"

The governess and her charge passed swiftly into the inner rooms. In aminute they returned bearing the caskets of Donna Violetta, and asufficient supply of necessaries for a short voyage. The instant theyreappeared, all was ready; for Don Camillo had long held himselfprepared for this decisive moment, and the self-denying Carmelite hadlittle need of superfluities. It was no moment for unnecessaryexplanation or trivial objections. 

"Our hope is in celerity, " said Don Camillo. "Secresy is impossible. "

He was still speaking, when the monk led the way from the room. DonnaFlorinda and the half-breathless Violetta followed; Don Camillo drew thearm of Annina under his own, and in a low voice bid her, at her peril, refuse to obey. 

The long suite of outer rooms was passed without meeting a singleobserver of the extraordinary movement. But when the fugitive enteredthe great hall that communicated with the principal stairs, they foundthemselves in the centre of a dozen menials of both sexes. 

"Place, " cried the Duke of Sant' Agata, whose person and voice werealike unknown to them. "Your mistress will breathe the air of thecanals. "

Wonder and curiosity were alive in every countenance, but suspicion andeager attention were uppermost in the features of many. The foot ofDonna Violetta had scarcely touched the pavement of the lower hall, whenseveral menials glided down the flight and quitted the palace by itsdifferent outlets. Each sought those who engaged him in the service. One flew along the narrow streets of the islands, to the residence ofthe Signor Gradenigo; another sought his son; and one, ignorant of theperson of him he served, actually searched an agent of Don Camillo, toimpart a circumstance in which that noble was himself so conspicuous anactor. To such a pass of corruption had double-dealing and mysteryreduced the household of the fairest and richest in Venice! The gondolalay at the marble steps of the water gate, held against the stones bytwo of its crew. Don Camillo saw at a glance that the masked gondoliershad neglected none of the precautions he had prescribed, and he inwardlycommended their punctuality. Each wore a short rapier at his girdle, andhe fancied he could trace beneath the folds of their garments evidenceof the presence of the clumsy fire-arms in use at that period. Theseobservations were made while the Carmelite and Violetta entered theboat. Donna Florinda followed, and Annina was about to imitate herexample, when she was arrested by the arm of Don Camillo. 

"Thy service ends here, " whispered the bridegroom. "Seek anothermistress; in fault of a better, thou mayest devote thyself to Venice. "

The little interruption caused Don Camillo to look backwards, and for asingle moment he paused to scrutinize the group of eyes that crowded thehall of the palace, at a respectful distance. 

"Adieu, my friends!" he added. "Those among ye who love your mistressshall be remembered. "

He would have said more, but a rude seizure of his arms caused him toturn hastily away. He was firm in the grasp of the two gondoliers whohad landed. While he was yet in too much astonishment to struggle, Annina, obedient to a signal, darted past him and leaped into the boat. The oars fell into the water; Don Camillo was repelled by a violentshove backwards into the hall, the gondoliers stepped lightly intotheir places, and the gondola swept away from the steps, beyond thepower of him they left to follow. 

"Gino!--miscreant!--what means this treachery?"

The moving of the parting gondola was accompanied by no other sound thanthe usual washing of the water. In speechless agony Don Camillo saw theboat glide, swifter and swifter at each stroke of the oars, along thecanal, and then whirling round the angle of a palace, disappear. 

Venice admitted not of pursuit like another city; for there was nopassage along the canal taken by the gondola, but by water. Several ofthe boats used by the family, lay within the piles on the great canal, at the principal entrance, and Don Camillo was about to rush into one, and to seize its oars with his own hands, when the usual soundsannounced the approach of a gondola from the direction of the bridgethat had so long served as a place of concealment to his own domestic. It soon issued from the obscurity cast by the shadows of the houses, andproved to be a large gondola pulled, like the one which had justdisappeared, by six masked gondoliers. The resemblance between theequipments of the two was so exact, that at first not only the wonderingCamillo, but all the others present, fancied the latter, by someextraordinary speed, had already made the tour of the adjoining palaces, and was once more approaching the private entrance of that of DonnaVioletta. 

"Gino!" cried the bewildered bridegroom. 

"Signore mio?" answered the faithful domestic. 

"Draw nearer, varlet. What meaneth this idle trifling at a moment likethis?"

Don Camillo leaped a fearful distance, and happily he reached thegondola. To pass the men and rush into the canopy needed but a moment;to perceive that it was empty was the work of a glance. 

"Villains, have you dared to be false!" cried the confounded noble. 

At that instant the clock of the city began to tell the hour of two, and it was only as that appointed signal sounded heavy and melancholy onthe night-air, that the undeceived Camillo got a certain glimpse of thetruth. 

"Gino, " he said, repressing his voice, like one summoning a desperateresolution--"are thy fellows true?"

"As faithful as your own vassals, Signore. "

"And thou didst not fail to deliver the note to my agent?"

"He had it before the ink was dry, eccellenza. "

"The mercenary villain! He told thee where to find the gondola, equippedas I see it?"

"Signore, he did; and I do the man the justice to say that nothing iswanting, either to speed or comfort. "

"Aye, he even deals in duplicates, so tender is his care!" muttered DonCamillo between his teeth. "Pull away, men; your own safety and myhappiness now depend on your arms. A thousand ducats if you equal myhopes--my just anger if you disappoint them!"

Don Camillo threw himself on the cushions as he spoke, in bitterness ofheart, though he seconded his words by a gesture which bid the menproceed. Gino, who occupied the stern and managed the directing oar, opened a small window in the canopy which communicated with theinterior, and bent to take his master's directions as the boat sprangahead. Rising from his stooping posture, the practised gondolier gave asweep with his blade, which caused the sluggish element of the narrowcanal to whirl in eddies, and then the gondola glided into the greatcanal, as if it obeyed an instinct. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

 "Why liest thou so on the green earth? 'Tis not the hour of slumber:--why so pale?" CAIN. 

Notwithstanding his apparent decision, the Duke of Sant' Agata wascompletely at a loss in what manner to direct his future movements. Thathe had been duped by one or more of the agents to whom he had beencompelled to confide his necessary preparations for the flight he hadmeditated several days, was too certain to admit of his deceivinghimself with the hopes that some unaccountable mistake was the cause ofhis loss. He saw at once that the Senate was master of the person of hisbride, and he too well knew its power and its utter disregard of humanobligations when any paramount interest of the state was to beconsulted, to doubt for an instant its willingness to use its advantagein any manner that was most likely to contribute to its own views. Bythe premature death of her uncle, Donna Violetta had become the heiressof vast estates in the dominions of the church, and a compliance withthat jealous and arbitrary law of Venice, which commanded all of itsnobles to dispose of any foreign possessions they might acquire, wasonly suspended on account of her sex, and, as has already been seen, with the hope of disposing of her hand in a manner that would prove moreprofitable to the Republic. With this object still before them, and withthe means of accomplishing it in their own hands, the bridegroom wellknew that his marriage would not only be denied, but he feared thewitnesses of the ceremony would be so disposed of, as to give littlereason ever to expect embarrassment from their testimony. For himself, personally, he felt less apprehension, though he foresaw that he hadfurnished his opponents with an argument that was likely to defer to anindefinite period, if it did not entirely defeat, his claims to thedisputed succession. But he had already made up his mind to this result, though it is probable that his passion for Violetta had not entirelyblinded him to the fact, that her Roman signories would be no unequaloffset for the loss. He believed that he might possibly return to hispalace with impunity, so far as any personal injury was concerned; forthe great consideration he enjoyed in his native land, and the highinterest he possessed at the court of Rome, were sufficient pledges thatno open violence would be done him. The chief reason why his claim hadbeen kept in suspense, was the wish to profit by his near connexion withthe favorite cardinal; and though he had never been able entirely tosatisfy the ever-increasing demands of the council in this respect, hethought it probable that the power of the Vatican would not be spared, to save him from any very imminent personal hazard. Still he had giventhe state of Venice plausible reasons for severity; and liberty, just atthat moment, was of so much importance, that he dreaded falling into thehands of the officials, as one of the greatest misfortunes which couldmomentarily overtake him. He so well knew the crooked policy of thosewith whom he had to deal, that he believed he might be arrested solelythat the government could make an especial merit of his future release, under circumstances of so seeming gravity. His order to Gino, therefore, had been to pull down the principal passage towards the port. 

Before the gondola, which sprang at each united effort of its crew, likesome bounding animal, entered among the shipping, its master had time torecover his self-possession, and to form some hasty plans for thefuture. Making a signal for the crew to cease rowing, he came frombeneath the canopy. Notwithstanding the lateness of the hour, boats wereplying on the water within the town, and the song was still audible onthe canals. But among the mariners a general stillness prevailed, suchas befitted their toil during the day, and their ordinary habits. 

"Call the first idle gondolier of thy acquaintance hither, Gino, " saidDon Camillo, with assumed calmness; "I would question him. "

In less than a minute he was gratified. 

"Hast seen any strongly manned gondola plying, of late, in this part ofthe canal?" demanded Don Camillo, of the man they had stopped. 

"None, but this of your own, Signore; which is the fastest of all thatpassed beneath the Rialto in this day's regatta. "

"How knowest thou, friend, aught of the speed of my boat?"

"Signore, I have pulled an oar on the canals of Venice six-and-twentyyears, and I do not remember to have seen a gondola move more swiftly onthem than did this very boat but a few minutes ago, when it dashed amongthe feluccas, further down in the port, as if it were again running forthe oar. Corpo di Bacco! There are rich wines in the palaces of thenobles, that men can give such life to wood!"

"Whither did we steer?" eagerly asked Don Camillo. 

"Blessed San Teodoro! I do not wonder, eccellenza, that you ask thatquestion, for though it is but a moment since, here I see you lying asmotionless on the water as a floating weed!"

"Friend, here is silver--addio. "

The gondolier swept slowly onwards, singing a strain in honor of hisbark, while the boat of Don Camillo darted ahead. Mystic, felucca, xebec, brigantine, and three-masted ship, were apparently floating pastthem, as they shot through the maze of shipping, when Gino bent forwardand drew the attention of his master to a large gondola, which waspulling with a lazy oar towards them, from the direction of the Lido. Both boats were in a wide avenue in the midst of the vessels, the usualtrack of those who went to sea, and there was no object whatever betweenthem. By changing the course of his own boat, Don Camillo soon foundhimself within an oar's length of the other. He saw, at a glance, it wasthe treacherous gondola by which he had been duped. 

"Draw, men, and follow!" shouted the desperate Neapolitan, preparing toleap into the midst of his enemies. 

"You draw against St. Mark!" cried a warning voice from beneath thecanopy. "The chances are unequal, Signore; for the smallest signal wouldbring twenty galleys to our succor. "

Don Camillo might have disregarded this menace, had he not perceivedthat it caused the half-drawn rapiers of his followers to return totheir scabbards. 

"Robber!" he answered, "restore her whom you have spirited away. "

"Signore, you young nobles are often pleased to play your extravaganceswith the servants of the Republic. Here are none but the gondoliers andmyself. " A movement of the boat permitted Don Camillo to look into thecovered part, and he saw that the other uttered no more than the truth. Convinced of the uselessness of further parley, knowing the value ofevery moment, and believing he was on a track which might still lead tosuccess, the young Neapolitan signed to his people to go on. The boatsparted in silence, that of Don Camillo proceeding in the direction fromwhich the other had just come. 

In a short time the gondola of Don Camillo was in an open part of theGiudecca, and entirely beyond the tiers of the shipping. It was so latethat the moon had begun to fall, and its light was cast obliquely on thebay, throwing the eastern sides of the buildings and the other objectsinto shadow. A dozen different vessels were seen, aided by theland-breeze, steering towards the entrance of the port. The rays of themoon fell upon the broad surface of those sides of their canvas whichwere nearest to the town, and they resembled so many spotless clouds, sweeping the water and floating seaward. 

"They are sending my wife to Dalmatia!" cried Don Camillo, like a manon whom the truth began to dawn. 

"Signore mio!" exclaimed the astonished Gino. 

"I tell thee, sirrah, that this accursed Senate hath plotted against myhappiness, and having robbed me of thy mistress, hath employed one ofthe many feluccas that I see, to transport her to some of itsstrongholds on the eastern coast of the Adriatic. "

"Blessed Maria! Signor Duca, and my honored master; they say that thevery images of stone in Venice have ears, and that the horses of bronzewill kick, if an evil word is spoken against those up above. "

"Is it not enough, varlet, to draw curses from the meek Job, to rob himof a wife? Hast thou no feeling for thy mistres?'

"I did not dream, eccellenza, that you were so happy as to have the one, or that I was so honored as to have the other. "

"Thou remindest me of my folly, good Gino. In aiding me on thisoccasion, thou wilt have thy own fortune in view, as thy efforts, likethose of thy fellows, will be made in behalf of the lady to whom I havejust plighted a husband's vows. "

"San Theodoro help us all, and hint what is to be done! The lady is mosthappy, Signor Don Camillo, and if I only knew by what name to mentionher she should never be forgotten in any prayer that so humble a sinnermight dare to offer. "

"Thou hast not forgotten the beautiful lady I drew from the Giudecca?"

"Corpo di Bacco! Your eceellenza floated like a swan, and swam fasterthan a gull. Forgotten! Signore, no, --I think of it every time I hear aplash in the canals, and every time I think of it I curse the Ancona-manin my heart. St. Theodore forgive me if it be unlike a Christian to doso. But, though we all tell marvels of what our Lord did in theGiudecca, the dip of its waters is not the marriage ceremony, nor can wespeak with much certainty of beauty that was seen to so greatdisadvantage. "

"Thou art right, Gino. But that lady, the illustrious Donna ViolettaTiepolo, the daughter and heiress of a famed senator, is now thymistress. It remains for us to establish her in the Castle of Sant'Agata, where I shall defy Venice and its agents. "

Gino bowed his head in submission, though he cast a look behind to makesure that none of those agents, whom his master set so openly atdefiance, were within ear-shot. 

In the meantime the gondola proceeded, for the dialogue in no mannerinterrupted the exertions of Gino, still holding the direction of theLido. As the land-breeze freshened, the different vessels in sightglided away, and by the time Don Camillo reached the barrier of sandwhich separates the Lagunes from the Adriatic, most of them had glidedthrough the passages, and were now shaping their courses, according totheir different destinations, across the open gulf. The young noble hadpermitted his people to pursue the direction originally taken, in pureindecision. He was certain that his bride was in one of the many barquesin sight, but he possessed no clue to lead him towards the right one, nor any sufficient means of pursuit were he even master of thatimportant secret. When he landed, therefore, it was with the simple hopeof being able to form some general conjecture as to the portion of theRepublic's dominions in which he might search for her he had lost, byobserving to what part of the Adriatic the different feluccas held theirway. He had determined on immediate pursuit, however, and before hequitted the gondola, he once more turned to his confidential gondolierto give the necessary instructions. 

"Thou knowest, Gino, " he said, "that there is one born a vassal on myestates, here in the port, with a felucca from the Sorrentine shore?"

"I know the man better than I know my own faults Signore, or even my ownvirtues. "

"Go to him at once, and make sure of his presence. I have imagined aplan to decoy him into the service of his lord; but I would now know thecondition of his vessel. "

Gino said a few words in commendation of the zeal of his friend Stefano, and in praise of the Bella Sorrentina, as the gondola receded from theshore; and then he dashed his oar into the water, like a man in earnestto execute the commission. 

There is a lonely spot on the Lido di Palestrina where Catholicexclusion has decreed that the remains of all who die in Venice, withoutthe pale of the church of Rome, shall moulder into their kindred dust. Though it is not distant from the ordinary landing and the few buildingswhich line the shore, it is a place that, in itself, is no bad emblem ofa hopeless lot. Solitary, exposed equally to the hot airs of the southand the bleak blasts of the Alps, frequently covered with the spray ofthe Adriatic, and based on barren sands, the utmost that human art, aided by a soil which has been fattened by human remains, can do, hasbeen to create around the modest graves a meagre vegetation, that is inslight contrast to the sterility of most of the bank. This place ofinterment is without the relief of trees: at the present day it isuninclosed, and in the opinions of those who have set it apart forheretic and Jew, it is unblessed. And yet, though condemned alike tothis, the last indignity which man can inflict on his fellow, the twoproscribed classes furnish a melancholy proof of the waywardness ofhuman passions and prejudice, by refusing to share in common the scantypittance of earth which bigotry has allowed for their everlastingrepose! While the Protestant sleeps by the side of the Protestant inexclusive obloquy, the children of Israel moulder apart on the samebarren heath, sedulous to preserve, even in the grave, the outwarddistinctions of faith. We shall not endeavor to seek that deeply-seatedprinciple which renders man so callous to the most eloquent and strikingappeals to liberality, but rest satisfied with being grateful that wehave been born in a land in which the interests of religion are aslittle as possible sullied by the vicious contamination of those oflife; in which Christian humility is not exhibited beneath the purple, nor Jewish adhesion by intolerance; in which man is left to care for thewelfare of his own soul, and in which, so far as the human eye canpenetrate, God is worshipped for himself. 

Don Camillo Monforte landed near the retired graves of the proscribed. As he wished to ascend the low sand-hills, which have been thrown up bythe waves and the winds of the gulf on the outer edge of the Lido, itwas necessary that he should pass directly across the contemned spot, ormake such a circuit as would have been inconvenient. Crossing himself, with a superstition that was interwoven with all his habits andopinions, and loosening his rapier, in order that he might not miss thesuccor of that good weapon at need, he moved across the heath tenantedby the despised dead, taking care to avoid the mouldering heaps of earthwhich lay above the bones of heretic or Jew. He had not threaded morethan half the graves, however, when a human form arose from the grass, and seemed to walk like one who mused on the moral that the piles athis feet would be apt to excite. Again Don Camillo touched the handle ofhis rapier; then moving aside, in a manner to give himself an equaladvantage from the light of the moon, he drew near the stranger. Hisfootstep was heard, for the other paused, regarded the approachingcavalier, and folding his arms, as it might be in sign of neutrality, awaited his nearer approach. 

"Thou hast chosen a melancholy hour for thy walk, Signore, " said theyoung Neapolitan; "and a still more melancholy scene. I hope I do notintrude on an Israelite, or a Lutheran, who mourns for his friend?"

"Don Camillo Monforte, I am, like yourself, a Christian. "

"Ha! Thou knowest me--'tis Battista, the gondolier that I onceentertained in my household?"

"Signore, 'tis not Battista. "

As he spoke, the stranger faced the moon, in a manner that threw all ofits mild light upon his features. 

"Jacopo!" exclaimed the duke, recoiling, as did all in Venicehabitually, when that speaking eye was unexpectedly met. 

"Signore--Jacopo. "

In a moment the rapier of Don Camillo glittered in the rays of the moon. 

"Keep thy distance, fellow, and explain the motive that hath broughtthee thus across my solitude!"

The Bravo smiled, but his arms maintained their fold. 

"I might, with equal justice, call upon the Duke of Sant' Agata tofurnish reasons why he wanders at this hour among the Hebrew graves. "

"Nay, spare thy pleasantry; I trifle not with men of thy reputation; ifany in Venice have thought fit to employ thee against my person, thouwilt have need of all thy courage and skill ere thou earnest thy fee. "

"Put up thy rapier, Don Camillo, here is none to do you harm. Thinkyou, if employed in the manner you name, I would be in this spot to seekyou? Ask yourself whether your visit here was known, or whether it wasmore than the idle caprice of a young noble, who finds his bed less easythan his gondola. We have met, Duke of Sant' Agata, when you distrustedmy honor less. "

"Thou speakest true, Jacopo, " returned the noble, suffering the point ofhis rapier to fall from before the breast of the Bravo, though he stillhesitated to withdraw the weapon. "Thou sayest the truth. My visit tothis spot is indeed accidental, and thou could'st not have possiblyforeseen it. Why art thou here?"

"Why are these here?" demanded Jacopo, pointing to the graves at hisfeet. "We are born, and we die--that much is known to us all; but thewhen and the where are mysteries, until time reveals them. "

"Thou art not a man to act without good motive. Though these Israelitescould not foresee their visit to the Lido, thine hath not been withoutintention. "

"I am here, Don Camillo Monforte, because my spirit hath need of room. Iwant the air of the sea--the canals choke me--I can only breathe infreedom on this bank of sand!"

"Thou hast another reason, Jacopo?"

"Aye, Signore--I loathe yon city of crimes!"

As the Bravo spoke, he shook his hand in the direction of the domes ofSt. Mark, and the deep tones of his voice appeared to heave up from thedepths of his chest. 

"This is extraordinary language for a----"

"Bravo; speak the word boldly, Signore--it is no stranger to my ears. But even the stiletto of a Bravo is honorable, compared to that sword ofpretended justice which St. Mark wields! The commonest hireling ofItaly--he who will plant his dagger in the heart of his friend for twosequins, is a man of open dealing, compared to the merciless treacheryof some in yonder town!"

"I understand thee, Jacopo; thou art, at length, proscribed. The publicvoice, faint as it is in the Republic, has finally reached the ears ofthy employers, and they withdraw their protection. "

Jacopo regarded the noble, for an instant, with an expression soambiguous, as to cause the latter insensibly to raise the point of hisrapier, but when he answered it was with his ordinary quiet. 

"Signor Duca, " he said, "I have been thought worthy to be retained byDon Camillo Monforte!"

"I deny it not--and now that thou recallest the occasion, new lightbreaks in upon me. Villain, to thy faithlessness I owe the loss of mybride!"

Though the rapier was at the very throat of Jacopo, he did not flinch. Gazing at his excited companion, he laughed in a smothered manner, butbitterly. 

"It would seem that the Lord of Sant' Agata wishes to rob me of mytrade, " he said. "Arise, ye Israelites, and bear witness, lest mendoubt the fact! A common bravo of the canals is waylaid, among yourdespised graves, by the proudest Signor of Calabria! You have chosenyour spot in mercy, Don Camillo, for sooner or later this crumbling andsea-worn earth is to receive me. Were I to die at the altar itself, withthe most penitent prayer of holy church on my lips, the bigots wouldsend my body to rest among these hungry Hebrews and accursed heretics. Yes, I am a man proscribed, and unfit to sleep with the faithful!"

His companion spoke with so strange a mixture of irony and melancholy, that the purpose of Don Camillo wavered. But remembering his loss, heshook the rapier's point, and continued:--

"Thy taunts and effrontery will not avail thee, knave, " he cried. "Thouknowest that I would have engaged thee as the leader of a chosen band, to favor the flight of one dear from Venice. "

"Nothing more true, Signore. "

"And thou didst refuse the service?"

"Noble duke, I did. "

"Not content with this, having learned the particulars of my project, thou sold the secret to the Senate?"

"Don Camillo Monforte, I did not. My engagements with the council wouldnot permit me to serve you; else, by the brightest star of yonder vault!it would have gladdened my heart to have witnessed the happiness of twoyoung and faithful lovers. No--no--no; they know me not, who think Icannot find pleasure in the joy of another. I told you that I was theSenate's, and there the matter ended. "

"And I had the weakness to believe thee, Jacopo, for thou hast acharacter so strangely compounded of good and evil, and bearest so faira name for observance of thy faith, that the seeming frankness of theanswer lulled me to security. Fellow, I have been betrayed, and that atthe moment when I thought success most sure. "

Jacopo manifested interest, but, as he moved slowly on, accompanied bythe vigilant and zealous noble, he smiled coldly, like one who had pityfor the other's credulity. 

"In bitterness of soul, I have cursed the whole race for its treachery, "continued the Neapolitan. 

"This is rather for the priore of St. Mark, than for the ear of one whocarries a public stiletto. "

"My gondola has been imitated--the liveries of my people copied--mybride stolen. Thou answerest not, Jacopo?"

"What answer would you have? You have been cozened, Signore, in a state, whose very prince dare not trust his secrets to his wife. You would haverobbed Venice of an heiress, and Venice has robbed you of a bride. Youhave played high, Don Camillo, and have lost a heavy stake. You havethought of your own wishes and rights, while you have pretended to serveVenice with the Spaniard. "

Don Camillo started in surprise. 

"Why this wonder, Signore? You forget that I have lived much among thosewho weigh the chances of every political interest, and that your name isoften in their mouths. This marriage is doubly disagreeable to Venice, who has nearly as much need of the bridegroom as of the bride. Thecouncil hath long ago forbidden the banns. "

"Aye--but the means?--explain the means by which I have been duped, lestthe treachery be ascribed to thee. "

"Signore, the very marbles of the city give up their secrets to thestate. I have seen much, and understood much, when my superiors havebelieved me merely a tool; but I have seen much that even those whoemployed me could not comprehend. I could have foretold thisconsummation of your nuptials, had I known of their celebration. "

"This thou could'st not have done, without being an agent of theirtreachery. "

"The schemes of the selfish may be foretold; it is only the generous andthe honest that baffle calculation. He who can gain a knowledge of thepresent interest of Venice is master of her dearest secrets of state;for what she wishes she will do, unless the service cost too dear. Asfor the means--how can they be wanting in a household like yours, Signore?"

"I trusted none but those deepest in my confidence. "

"Don Camillo, there is not a servitor in your palace, Gino aloneexcepted, who is not a hireling of the Senate, or of its agents. Thevery gondoliers who row you to your daily pleasures have had their haudscrossed with the Republic's sequins. Nay, they are not only paid towatch you, but to watch each other. "

"Can this be true!"

"Have you ever doubted it, Signore?" asked Jacopo, looking up like onewho admired another's simplicity. 

"I knew them to be false--pretenders to a faith that in secret theymock; but I had not believed they dared to tamper with the very menialsof my person. This undermining of the security of families is to destroysociety at its core. "

"You talk like one who hath not been long a bridegroom, Signore, " saidthe Bravo with a hollow laugh. "A year hence, you may know what it is tohave your own wife turning your secret thoughts into gold. "

"And thou servest them, Jacopo?"

"Who does not, in some manner suited to his habits? We are not mastersof our fortune, Don Camillo, or the Duke of Sant' Agata would not beturning his influence with a relative to the advantage of the Republic. What I have done hath not been done without bitter penitence, and anagony of soul that your own light servitude may have spared you, Signore. "

"Poor Jacopo!"

"If I have lived through it all, 'tis because one mightier than thestate hath not deserted me. But, Don Camillo Monforte, there are crimeswhich pass beyond the powers of man to endure. "

The Bravo shuddered, and he moved among the despised graves in silence. 

"They have then proved too ruthless even for thee?" said Don Camillo, who watched the contracting eye and heaving form of his companion, inwonder. 

"Signore, they have. I have witnessed, this night, a proof of theirheartlessness and bad faith, that hath caused me to look forward to myown fate. The delusion is over; from this hour I serve them no longer. "

The Bravo spoke with deep feeling, and his companion fancied, strange asit was coming from such a man, with an air of wounded integrity. DonCamillo knew that there was no condition of life, however degraded orlost to the world, which had not its own particular opinions of thefaith due to its fellows; and he had seen enough of the sinuous courseof the oligarchy of Venice, to understand that it was quite possible itsshameless and irresponsible duplicity might offend the principles ofeven an assassin. Less odium was attached to men of that class, in Italyand at that day, than will be easily imagined in a country like this;for the radical defects and the vicious administration of the laws, caused an irritable and sensitive people too often to take into theirown hands the right of redressing their own wrongs. Custom had lessenedthe odium of the crime; and though society denounced the assassinhimself, it is scarcely too much to say, that his employer was regardedwith little more disgust than the religious of our time regard thesurvivor of a private combat. Still it was not usual for nobles like DonCamillo to hold intercourse, beyond that which the required serviceexacted, with men of Jacopo's cast; but the language and manner of theBravo so strongly attracted the curiosity, and even the sympathy of hiscompanion, that the latter unconsciously sheathed his rapier and drewnearer. 

"Thy penitence and regrets, Jacopo, may lead thee yet nearer to virtue, "he said, "than mere abandonment of the Senate's service. Seek out somegodly priest, and ease thy soul by confession and prayer. "

The Bravo trembled in every limb, and his eye turned wistfully to thecountenance of the other. 

"Speak, Jacopo; even I will hear thee, if thou would'st remove themountain from thy breast. "

"Thanks, noble Signore! a thousand thanks for this glimpse of sympathyto which I have long been a stranger! None know how dear a word ofkindness is to one who has been condemned by all, as I have been. I haveprayed--I have craved--I have wept for some ear to listen to my tale, and I thought I had found one who would have heard me without scorn, when the cold policy of the Senate struck him. I came here to communewith the hated dead, when chance brought us together. Could I--" theBravo paused and looked doubtfully again at his companion. 

"Say on, Jacopo. "

"I have not dared to trust my secrets even to the confessional, Signore, and can I be so bold as to offer them to you. "

"Truly, it is a strange behest!"

"Signore, it is. You are noble, I am of humble blood. Your ancestorswere senators and Doges of Venice, while mine have been, since thefishermen first built their huts in the Lagunes, laborers on the canals, and rowers of gondolas. You are powerful, and rich, and courted; while Iam denounced, and in secret, I fear, condemned. In short, you are DonCamillo Monforte, and I am Jacopo Frontoni!"

Don Camillo was touched, for the Bravo spoke without bitterness, and indeep sorrow. 

"I would thou wert at the confessional, poor Jacopo!" he said; "I amlittle able to give ease to such a burden. "

"Signore, I have lived too long shut out from the good wishes of myfellows, and I can bear with it no longer. The accursed Senate may cutme off without warning, and then who will stop to look at my grave!Signore, I must speak or die!"

"Thy case is piteous, Jacopo! Thou hast need of ghostly counsel. "

"Here is no priest, Signore, and I carry a weight past bearing. The onlyman who has shown interest in me, for three long and dreadful years, isgone!"

"But he will return, poor Jacopo. "

"Signore, he will never return. He is with the fishes of the Lagunes. "

"By thy hand, monster!"

"By the justice of the illustrious Republic, " said the Bravo, with asmothered but bitter smile. 

"Ha! they are then awake to the acts of thy class? Thy repentance isthe fruit of fear!"

Jacopo seemed choked. He had evidently counted on the awakened sympathyof his companion, notwithstanding the difference in their situations, and to be thus thrown off again, unmanned him. He shuddered, and everymuscle and nerve appeared about to yield its power. Touched by sounequivocal signs of suffering, Don Camillo kept close at his side, reluctant to enter more deeply into the feelings of one of his knowncharacter, and yet unable to desert a fellow-creature in so grievousagony. 

"Signor Duca, " said the Bravo, with a pathos in his voice that went tothe heart of his auditor, "leave me. If they ask for a proscribed man, let them come here; in the morning they will find my body near thegraves of the heretics. "

"Speak, I will hear thee. "

Jacopo looked up with doubt expressed on his features. 

"Unburden thyself; I will listen, though thou recounted theassassination of my dearest friend. "

The oppressed Bravo gazed at him, as if he still distrusted hissincerity. His face worked, and his look became still more wistful; butas Don Camillo faced the moon, and betrayed the extent of his sympathy, the other burst into tears. 

"Jacopo, I will hear thee--I will hear thee, poor Jacopo!" cried DonCamillo, shocked at this exhibition of distress in one so stern bynature. A wave from the hand of the Bravo silenced him, and Jacopo, struggling with himself for a moment, spoke. 

"You have saved a soul from perdition, Signore, " he said, smothering hisemotion. "If the happy knew how much power belongs to a single word ofkindness--a glance of feeling, when given to the despised, they wouldnot look so coldly on the miserable. This night must have been my last, had you cast me off without pity--but you will hear my tale, Signore--you will not scorn the confession of a Bravo?"

"I have promised. Be brief, for at this moment I have great care of myown. "

"Signore, I know not the whole of your wrongs, but they will not be lesslikely to be redressed for this grace. "

Jacopo made an effort to command himself, when he commenced his tale. 

The course of the narrative does not require that we should accompanythis extraordinary man though the relation of the secrets he imparted toDon Camillo. It is enough for our present purposes to say, that, as heproceeded, the young Calabrian noble drew nearer to his side, andlistened with growing interest. The Duke of Sant' Agata scarcelybreathed, while his companion, with that energy of language and feelingwhich marks Italian character, recounted his secret sorrows, and thescenes in which he had been an actor. Long before he was done, DonCamillo had forgotten his own private causes of concern, and, by thetime the tale was finished, every shade of disgust had given place to anungovernable expression of pity. In short, so eloquent was the speaker, and so interesting the facts with which he dealt, that he seemed to playwith the sympathies of the listener, as the improvisatore of that regionis known to lead captive the passions of the admiring crowd. 

During the time Jacopo was speaking, he and his wondering auditor hadpassed the limits of the despised cemetery; and as the voice of theformer ceased, they stood on the outer beach of the Lido. When the lowtones of the Bravo were no longer audible, they were succeeded by thesullen wash of the Adriatic. 

"This surpasseth belief!" Don Camillo exclaimed after a long pause, which had only been disturbed by the rush and retreat of the waters. 

"Signore, as holy Maria is kind! it is true. "

"I doubt you not, Jacopo--poor Jacopo! I cannot distrust a tale thustold! Thou hast, indeed, been a victim of their hellish duplicity, andwell mayest thou say, the load was past bearing. What is thy intention?"

"I serve them no longer, Don Camillo--I wait only for the last solemnscene, which is now certain, and then I quit this city of deceit, toseek my fortune in another region. They have blasted my youth, andloaded my name with infamy--God may yet lighten the load!"

"Reproach not thyself beyond reason, Jacopo, for the happiest and mostfortunate of us all are not above the power of temptation. Thou knowestthat even my name and rank have not, altogether, protected me from theirarts. "

"I know them capable, Signore, of deluding angels! Their arts are onlysurpassed by their means, and their pretence of virtue by theirindifference to its practice. "

"Thou sayest true, Jacopo: the truth is never in greater danger, thanwhen whole communities lend themselves to the vicious deception ofseemliness, and without truth there is no virtue. This it is tosubstitute profession for practice--to use the altar for a worldlypurpose--and to bestow power without any other responsibility than thatwhich is exacted by the selfishness of caste! Jacopo--poor Jacopo! thoushalt be my servitor--I am lord of my own seignories, and once rid ofthis specious Republic, I charge myself with the care of thy safety andfortunes. Be at peace as respects thy conscience: I have interest nearthe Holy See, and thou shalt not want absolution!"

The gratitude of the Bravo was more vivid in feeling than in expression. He kissed the hand of Don Camillo, but it was with a reservation ofself-respect that belonged to the character of the man. 

"A system like this of Venice, " continued the musing noble, "leaves noneof us masters of our own acts. The wiles of such a combination arestronger than the will. It cloaks its offences against right in athousand specious forms, and it enlists the support of every man underthe pretence of a sacrifice for the common good. We often fancyourselves simple dealers in some justifiable state intrigue, when intruth we are deep in sin. Falsehood is the parent of all crimes, and inno case has it a progeny so numerous as that in which its own birth isderived from the state. I fear I may have made sacrifices to thistreacherous influence, I could wish forgotten. "

Though Don Camillo soliloquized, rather than addressed his companion, itwas evident, by the train of his thoughts, that the narrative of Jacopohad awakened disagreeable reflections on the manner in which he hadpushed his own claims with the Senate. Perhaps he felt the necessity ofsome apology to one who, though so much his inferior in rank, was socompetent to appreciate his conduct, and who had just denounced, in thestrongest language, his own fatal subserviency to the arts of thatirresponsible and meretricious body. 

Jacopo uttered a few words of a general nature, but such as had atendency to quiet the uneasiness of his companion; after which, with areadiness that proved him qualified for the many delicate missions withwhich he had been charged, he ingeniously turned the discourse to therecent abduction of Donna Violetta, with the offer of rendering his newemployer all the services in his power to regain his bride. 

"That thou mayest know all thou hast undertaken, " rejoined Don Camillo, "listen, Jacopo, and I will conceal nothing from thy shrewdness. "

The Duke of Sant' Agata now briefly, but explicitly, laid bare to hiscompanion all his own views and measures with respect to her he loved, and all those events with which the reader has already becomeacquainted. 

The Bravo gave great attention to the minutest parts of the detail, andmore than once, as the other proceeded, he smiled to himself, like a manwho was able to trace the secret means by which this or that intriguehad been effected. The whole was just related, when the sound of afootstep announced the return of Gino. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

 "Pale she looked, Yet cheerful; though methought, once, if not twice. She wiped away a tear that would be coming. " ROGERS. 

The hours passed as if naught had occurred, within the barriers of thecity, to disturb their progress. On the following morning men proceededto their several pursuits, of business or of pleasure, as had been donefor ages, and none stopped to question his neighbor of the scene whichmight have taken place during the night. Some were gay, and otherssorrowing; some idle, and others occupied; here one toiled, thereanother sported; and Venice presented, as of wont, its noiseless, suspicious, busy, mysterious, and yet stirring throngs, as it had beforedone at a thousand similar risings of the sun. 

The menials lingered around the water-gate of Donna Violetta's palacewith distrustful but cautious faces, scarce whispering among themselvestheir secret suspicions of the fate of their mistress. The residence ofthe Signor Gradenigo presented its usual gloomy magnificence, while theabode of Don Camillo Monforte betrayed no sign of the heavydisappointment which its master had sustained. The Bella Sorrentinastill lay in the port, with a yard on deck, while the crew repaired itssails in the lazy manner of mariners who work without excitement. 

The Lagunes were dotted with the boats of fishermen, and travellersarrived and departed from the city by the well known channels of Fusinaand Mestre. Here, some adventurer from the north quitted the canals onhis return towards the Alps, carrying with him a pleasing picture of theceremonies he had witnessed, mingled with some crude conjectures of thatpower which predominated in the suspected state; and there, a countrymanof the Main sought his little farm, satisfied with the pageants andregatta of the previous day. In short, all seemed as usual, and theevents we have related remained a secret with the actors, and thatmysterious council which had so large a share in their existence. 

As the day advanced, many a sail was spread for the pillars of Herculesor the genial Levant, and feluccas, mystics, and golettas, went and cameas the land or sea-breeze prevailed. Still the mariner of Calabrialounged beneath the awning which sheltered his deck, or took his siestaon a pile of old sails, which were ragged with the force of many a hotsirocco. As the sun fell, the gondolas of the great and idle began toglide over the water; and when the two squares were cooled by the air ofthe Adriatic, the Broglio began to fill with those privileged to paceits vaulted passage. Among these came the Duke of Sant' Agata, who, though an alien to the laws of the Republic, being of so illustriousdescent, and of claims so equitable, was received among the senators, intheir moments of ease, as a welcome sharer in this vain distinction. Heentered the Broglio at the wonted hour, and with his usual composure, for he trusted to his secret influence at Rome, and something to thesuccess of his rivals, for impunity. Reflection had shown Don Camillothat, as his plans were known to the council, they would long since havearrested him had such been their intention; and it had also led him tobelieve that the most efficient manner of avoiding the personalconsequences of his adventure was to show confidence in his own power towithstand them. When he appeared, therefore, leaning on the arm of ahigh officer of the papal embassy, and with an eye that spoke assurancein himself, he was greeted, as usual, by all who knew him, as was due tohis rank and expectations. Still Don Camillo walked among the patriciansof the Republic with novel sensations. More than once he thought hedetected, in the wandering glances of those with whom he conversed, signs of their knowledge of his frustrated attempt; and more than once, when he least suspected such scrutiny, his countenance was watched, asif the observer sought some evidence of his future intentions. Beyondthis none might have discovered that an heiress of so much importancehad been so near being lost to the state, or, on the other hand, that abridegroom had been robbed of his bride. Habitual art, on the part ofthe state, and resolute but wary intention, on the part of the youngnoble, concealed all else from observation. 

In this manner the day passed, not a tongue in Venice, beyond thosewhich whispered in secret, making any allusion to the incidents of ourtale. 

Just as the sun was setting a gondola swept slowly up to the water-gateof the ducal palace. The gondolier landed, fastened his boat in theusual manner to the stepping-stones, and entered the court. He wore amask, for the hour of disguise had come, and his attire was so like theordinary fashion of men of his class, as to defeat recognition by itssimplicity. Glancing an eye about him, he entered the building by aprivate door. 

The edifice in which the Doges of Venice dwelt still stands a gloomymonument of the policy of the Republic, furnishing evidence, in itself, of the specious character of the prince whom it held. It is built arounda vast but gloomy court, as is usual with nearly all of the principaledifices of Europe. One of its fronts forms a side of the piazzetta sooften mentioned, and another lines the quay next the port. Thearchitecture of these two exterior faces of the palace renders thestructure remarkable. A low portico, which forms the Broglio, sustainsa row of massive oriental windows, and above these again lies a pile ofmasonry, slightly relieved by apertures, which reverses the ordinaryuses of the art. A third front is nearly concealed by the cathedral ofSt. Mark, and the fourth is washed by its canal. The public prison ofthe city forms the other side of this canal, eloquently proclaiming thenature of the government by the close approximation of the powers oflegislation and of punishment. The famous Bridge of Sighs is thematerial, and we might add the metaphorical, link between the two. Thelatter edifice stands on the quay, also, and though less lofty andspacious, in point of architectural beauty it is the superior structure, though the quaintness and unusual style of the palace are most apt toattract attention. 

The masked gondolier soon reappeared beneath the arch of the water-gate, and with a hurried step he sought his boat. It required but a minute tocross the canal, to land on the opposite quay, and to enter the publicdoor of the prison. It would seem that he had some secret means ofsatisfying the vigilance of the different keepers, for bolts were drawn, and doors unlocked, with little question, wherever he presented himself. In this manner he quickly passed all the outer barriers of the place, and reached a part of the building which had the appearance of beingfitted for the accommodation of a family. Judging from the air of allaround him, those who dwelt there took the luxury of their abode butlittle into the account, though neither the furniture nor the rooms werewanting in most of the necessaries suited to people of their class andthe climate, and in that age. 

The gondolier had ascended a private stairway, and he was now before adoor which had none of those signs of a prison that so freely aboundedin other parts of the building. He paused to listen, and then tappedwith singular caution. 

"Who is without?" asked a gentle female voice, at the same instant thatthe latch moved and fell again, as if she within waited to be assuredof the character of her visitor before she opened the door. 

"A friend to thee, Gelsomina, " was the answer. 

"Nay, here all are friends to the keepers, if words can be believed. Youmust name yourself, or go elsewhere for your answer. "

The gondolier removed the mask a little, which had altered his voice aswell as concealed his face. 

"It is I, Gessina, " he said, using the diminutive of her name. 

The bolts grated, and the door was hurriedly opened. 

"It is wonderful that I did not know thee, Carlo!" said the female, witheager simplicity; "but thou takest so many disguises of late, and socounterfeitest strange voices, that thine own mother might havedistrusted her ear. "

The gondolier paused to make certain they were alone; then laying asidethe mask altogether, he exposed the features of the Bravo. 

"Thou knowest the need of caution, " he added, "and wilt not judge meharshly. "

"I said not that, Carlo--but thy voice is so familiar, that I thought itwonderful thou could'st speak as a stranger. "

"Hast thou aught for me?"

The gentle girl--for she was both young and gentle--hesitated. 

"Hast thou aught new, Gelsomina?" repeated the Bravo, reading herinnocent face with his searching gaze. 

"Thou art fortunate in not being sooner in the prison. I have just had avisitor. Thou would'st not have liked to be seen, Carlo!"

"Thou knowest I have good reasons for coming masked. I might, or I mightnot have disliked thy acquaintance, as he should have proved. "

"Nay, now thou judgest wrong, " returned the female, hastily--"I had noother here but my cousin Annina. "

"Dost thou think me jealous?" said the Bravo, smiling in kindness, ashe took her hand. "Had it been thy cousin Pietro, or Michele, orRoberto, or any other youth of Venice, I should have no other dread thanthat of being known. "

"But it was only Annina--my cousin Annina, whom thou hast neverseen--and I have no cousins Pietro, and Michele, and Roberto. We are notmany, Carlo. Annina has a brother, but he never comes hither. Indeed itis long since she has found it convenient to quit her trade to come tothis dreary place. Few children of sisters see each other so seldom asAnnina and I!"

"Thou art a good girl, Gessina, and art always to be found near thymother. Hast thou naught in particular for my ear?"

Again the soft eyes of Gelsomina, or Gessina, as she was familiarlycalled, dropped to the floor; but raising them ere he could note thecircumstance, she hurriedly continued the discourse. 

"I fear Annina will return, or I would go with thee at once. "

"Is this cousin of thine still here, then?" asked the Bravo, withuneasiness. "Thou knowest I would not be seen. "

"Fear not. She cannot enter without touching that bell; for she is abovewith my poor bed-ridden mother. Thou can'st go into the inner room asusual, when she comes, and listen to her idle discourse, if thou wilt;or--but we have not time--for Annina comes seldom, and I know not why, but she seems to love a sick room little, as she never stays manyminutes with her aunt. "

"Thou would'st have said, or I might go on my errand, Gessina?"

"I would, Carlo, but I am certain we should be recalled by my impatientcousin. "

"I can wait. I am patient when with thee, dearest Gessina. "

"Hist!--'Tis my cousin's step. Thou canst go in. "

While she spoke, a small bell rang, and the Bravo withdrew into theinner room, like one accustomed to that place of retreat. He left thedoor ajar--for the darkness of the closet sufficiently concealed hisperson. In the meantime Gelsomina opened the outer door for theadmission of her visitor. At the first sound of the latter's voice, Jacopo, who had little suspected the fact from a name which was socommon, recognised the artful daughter of the wine-seller. 

"Thou art at thy ease, here, Gelsomina, " cried the latter, entering andthrowing herself into a seat, like one fatigued. "Thy mother is better, and thou art truly mistress of the house. "

"I would I were not, Annina; for I am young to have this trust, withthis affliction. "

"It is not so insupportable, Gessina, to be mistress within doors, atseventeen! Authority is sweet, and obedience is odious. "

"I have found neither so, and I will give up the first with joy, whenever my poor mother shall be able to take command of her own familyagain. "

"This is well, Gessina, and does credit to the good father confessor. But authority is dear to woman, and so is liberty. Thou wast not withthe maskers yesterday, in the square?"

"I seldom wear a disguise, and I could not quit my mother. "

"Which means that thou would'st have been glad to do it. Thou hast agood reason for thy regrets, since a gayer marriage of the sea, or abraver regatta, has not been witnessed in Venice since thou wast born. But the first was to be seen from thy window?"

"I saw the galley of state sweeping towards the Lido, and the train ofpatricians on its deck; but little else. "

"No matter. Thou shalt have as good an idea of the pageant as if thouhad'st played the part of the Doge himself. First came the men of theguard with their ancient dresses--"

"Nay, this I remember to have often seen; for the same show is kept fromyear to year. "

"Thou art right; but Venice never witnessed such a brave regatta! Thouknowest that the first trial is always between gondolas of many oars, steered by the best esteemed of the canals. Luigi was there, and thoughhe did not win, he more than merited success, by the manner in which hedirected his boat. Thou knowest Luigi?"

"I scarce know any in Venice, Annina; for the long illness of my mother, and this unhappy office of my father, keep me within when others are onthe canals. "

"True. Thou art not well placed to make acquaintances. But Luigi issecond to no gondolier in skill or reputation, and he is much themerriest rogue of them all, that put foot on the Lido. "

"He was foremost, then, in the grand race?"

"He should have been, but the awkwardness of his fellows, and someunfairness in the crossing, threw him back to be second. 'Twas a sightto behold, that of many noble watermen struggling to maintain or to geta name on the canals. Santa Maria! I would thou could'st have seen it, girl!"

"I should not have been glad to see a friend defeated. "

"We must take fortune as it offers. But the most wonderful sight of theday, after all, though Luigi and his fellows did so well, was to see apoor fisherman, named Antonio, in his bare head and naked legs, a man ofseventy years, and with a boat no better than that I use to carryliquors to the Lido, entering on the second race, and carrying off theprize!"

"He could not have met with powerful rivals?"

"The best of Venice; though Luigi, having strived for the first, couldnot enter for the second trial. 'Tis said, too, " continued Annina, looking about her with habitual caution, "that one, who may scarce benamed in Venice, had the boldness to appear in that regatta masked; andyet the fisherman won! Thou hast heard of Jacopo?"

"The name is common. "

"There is but one who bears it now in Venice. All mean the same whenthey say Jacopo. "

"I have heard of a monster of that name. Surely he hath not dared toshow himself among the nobles, on such a festa!"

"Gessina, we live in an unaccountable country! The man walks the piazzawith a step as lordly as the Doge, at his pleasure, and yet none sayaught to him! I have seen him, at noonday, leaning against the triumphalmast, or the column of San Theodoro, with as proud an air as if he wereput there to celebrate a victory of the Republic!"

"Perhaps he is master of some terrible secret, which they fear he willreveal?"

"Thou knowest little of Venice, child! Holy Maria! a secret of that kindis a death-warrant of itself. It is as dangerous to know too much as itis to know too little, when one deals with St. Mark. But they say Jacopowas there, standing eye to eye with the Doge, and scaring the Senatorsas if he had been an uncalled spectre from the vaults of their fathers. Nor is this all; as I crossed the Lagunes this morning, I saw the bodyof a young cavalier drawn from the water, and those who were near itsaid it had the mark of his fatal hand!"

The timid Gelsomina shuddered. 

"They who rule, " she said, "will have to answer for this negligence toGod, if they let the wretch longer go at large. "

"Blessed St. Mark protect his children! They say there is much of thissort of sin to answer for--but see the body I did, with my own eyes, inentering the canals this morning. "

"And didst thou sleep on the Lido, that thou wert abroad so early?"

"The Lido--yes--nay--I slept not, but thou knowest my father had a busyday during the revels, and I am not like thee, Gessina, mistress of thehousehold, to do as I would. But I tarry here to chat with thee, whenthere is great need of industry at home. Hast thou the package, child, which I trusted to thy keeping at my last visit?"

"It is here, " answered Gelsomina, opening a drawer, and handing to hercousin a small but closely enveloped package, which, unknown to herself, contained some articles of forbidden commerce, and which the other, inher indefatigable activity, had been obliged to secrete for a time. "Ihad begun to think that thou hadst forgotten it, and was about to sendit to thee. "

"Gelsomina, if thou lovest me, never do so rash an act! My brotherGiuseppe--thou scarce knowest Giuseppe?"

"We have little acquaintance, for cousins. "

"Thou art fortunate in thy ignorance. I cannot say what I might of thechild of the same parents, but had Giuseppe seen this package by anyaccident, it might have brought thee into great trouble!"

"Nay, I fear not thy brother, nor any else, " said the daughter of theprison-keeper, with the firmness of innocence; "he could do me no harmfor dealing kindly by a relative. "

"Thou art right; but he might have caused me great vexation. SaintedMaria! if thou knewest the pain that unthinking and misguided boy giveshis family! He is my brother, after all, and you will fancy the rest. Addio, good Gessina; I hope thy father will permit thee to come andvisit, at last, those who so much love thee. "

"Addio, Annina; thou knowest I would come gladly, but that I scarcequit the side of my poor mother. "

The wily daughter of the wine-seller gave her guileless and unsuspectingfriend a kiss, and then she was let out and departed. 

"Carlo, " said the soft voice of Gessina; "thou can'st come forth, for wehave no further fear of visits. "

The Bravo appeared, but with a paleness deeper than common on his cheek. He looked mournfully at the gentle and affectionate being who awaitedhis return, and when he struggled to answer her ingenuous smile, theabortive effort gave his features an expression of ghastliness. 

"Annina has wearied thee with her idle discourse of the regatta, and ofmurders on the canals. Thou wilt not judge her harshly, for the mannerin which she spoke of Giuseppe, who may deserve this, and more. But Iknow thy impatience, and I will not increase thy weariness. "

"Hold, Gessina--this girl is thy cousin?"

"Have I not told thee so? Our mothers are sisters. "

"And she is here often?"

"Not as often as she could wish, I am certain, for her aunt has notquitted her room for many, many months. "

"Thou art an excellent daughter, kind Gessina, and would make all othersas virtuous as thyself. And thou hast been to return these visits?"

"Never. My father forbids it, for they are dealers in wines, andentertain the gondoliers in revelry. But Annina is blameless for thetrade of her parents. "

"No doubt--and that package? it hath been long in thy keeping. "

"A month; Annina left it at her last visit, for she was hurried to crossto the Lido. But why these questions? You do not like my cousin, who isgiddy, and given to idle conversation, but who, I think, must have agood heart. Thou heard'st the manner in which she spoke of the wretchedbravo, Jacopo, and of this late murder?"

"I did. "

"Thou could'st not have shown more horror at the monster's crimethyself, Carlo. Nay, Annina is thoughtless, and she might be lessworldly; but she hath, like all of us, a holy aversion to sin. Shall Ilead thee to the cell?"

"Go on. "

"Thy honest nature, Carlo, revolts at the cold villany of the assassin. I have heard much of his murders, and of the manner in which those upabove bear with him. They say, in common, that his art surpasseththeirs, and that the officers wait for proof, that they may not doinjustice. "

"Is the Senate so tender, think you?" asked the Bravo, huskily, butmotioning for his companion to proceed. 

The girl looked sad, like one who felt the force of this question; andshe turned away to open a private door, whence she brought forth alittle box. 

"This is the key, Carlo, " she said, showing him one of a massive bunch, "and I am now the sole warder. This much, at least, we have effected;the day may still come when we shall do more. "

The Bravo endeavored to smile, as if he appreciated her kindness; but heonly succeeded in making her understand his desire to go on. The eye ofthe gentle-hearted girl lost its gleam of hope in an expression ofsorrow, and she obeyed. 

CHAPTER XIX. 

 "But let us to the roof, And, when thou hast surveyed the sea, the land, Visit the narrow cells that cluster there, As in a place of tombs. " ST. MARK'S PLACE. 

We shall not attempt to thread the vaulted galleries, the gloomycorridors, and all the apartments, through which the keeper's daughterled her companion. Those who have ever entered an extensive prison, willrequire no description to revive the feeling of pain which it excited, by barred windows, creaking hinges, grating bolts, and all those othersigns, which are alike the means and evidence of incarceration. Thebuilding, unhappily like most other edifices intended to repress thevices of society, was vast, strong, and intricate within, although, ashas been already intimated, of a chaste and simple beauty externally, that might seem to have been adopted in mockery of its destination. 

Gelsomina entered a low, narrow, and glazed gallery, when she stopped. 

"Thou soughtest me, as wont, beneath the water-gate, Carlo, " she asked, "at the usual hour?"

"I should not have entered the prison had I found thee there, for thouknowest I would be little seen. But I bethought me of thy mother, andcrossed the canal. "

"Thou wast wrong. My mother rests much as she has done for manymonths--thou must have seen that we are not taking the usual route tothe cell?"

"I have; but as we are not accustomed to meet in thy father's rooms, onthis errand, I thought this the necessary direction. "

"Hast thou much knowledge of the palace and the prison, Carlo?"

"More than I could wish, good Gelsomina; but why am I thus questioned, at a moment when I would be otherwise employed?"

The timid and conscious girl did not answer. Her cheek was never bright, for, like a flower reared in the shade, it had the delicate hue of hersecluded life; but at this question it became pale. Accustomed to theingenuous habits of the sensitive being at his side, the Bravo studiedher speaking features intently. He moved swiftly to a window, andlooking out, his eye fell upon a narrow and gloomy canal. Crossing thegallery, he cast a glance beneath him, and saw the same dark waterypassage, leading between the masonry of two massive piles to the quayand the port. 

"Gelsomina!" he cried, recoiling from the sight, "this is the Bridge ofSighs!"

"It is, Carlo; hast thou ever crossed it before?"

"Never: nor do I understand why I cross it now. I have long thought thatit might one day be my fortune to walk this fatal passage, but I couldnot dream of such a keeper!"

The eye of Gelsomina brightened, and her smile was cheerful. 

"Thou wilt never cross it to thy harm with me. "

"Of that I am certain, kind Gessina, " he answered, taking her hand. "Butthis is a riddle that I cannot explain. Art thou in the habit ofentering the palace by this gallery?"

"It is little used, except by the keepers and the condemned, asdoubtless thou hast often heard; but yet they have given me the keys, and taught me the windings of the place, in order that I might serve, asusual, for thy guide. "

"Gelsomina, I fear I have been too happy in thy company to note, asprudence would have told me, the rare kindness of the council inpermitting me to enjoy it!"

"Dost thou repent, Carlo, that thou hast known me?"

The reproachful melancholy of her voice touched the Bravo, who kissedthe hand he held with Italian fervor. 

"I should then repent me of the only hours of happiness I have known foryears, " he said. "Thou hast been to me, Gelsomina, like a flower in adesert--a pure spring to a feverish man--a gleam of hope to onesuffering under malediction. No, no, not for a moment have I repentedknowing thee, my Gelsomina!"

"'Twould not have made my life more happy, Carlo, to have thought I hadadded to thy sorrows. I am young, and ignorant of the world, but I knowwe should cause joy, and not pain, to those we esteem. "

"Thy nature would teach thee this gentle lesson. But is it not strangethat one like me should be suffered to visit the prison unattended byany other keeper?"

"I had not thought it so, Carlo; but surely, it is not common!"

"We have found so much pleasure in each other, dear Gessina, that wehave overlooked what ought to have caused alarm. "

"Alarm, Carlo!"

"Or, at least, distrust; for these wily senators do no act of mercywithout a motive. But it is now too late to recall the past if we would;and in that which relates to thee I would not lose the memory of amoment. Let us proceed. "

The slight cloud vanished from the face of the mild auditor of theBravo; but still she did not move. 

"Few pass this bridge, they say, " she added tremulously, "and enter theworld again; and yet thou dost not even ask why we are here, Carlo!"

There was a transient gleam of distrust in the hasty glance of theBravo, as he shot a look at the undisturbed eye of the innocent beingwho put this question. But it scarcely remained long enough to changethe expression of manly interest she was accustomed to meet in his look. 

"Since thou wilt have me curious, " he said, "why hast thou come hither, and more than all, being here, why dost thou linger?"

"The season is advanced, Carlo, " she answered, speaking scarcely aboveher breath, "and we should look in vain among the cells. "

"I understand thee, " he said; "we will proceed. "

Gelsomina lingered to gaze wistfully into the face of her companion, butfinding no visible sign of the agony he endured she went on. Jacopospoke hoarsely, but he was too long accustomed to disguise to permit theweakness to escape, when he knew how much it would pain the sensitiveand faithful being who had yielded her affections to him with asingleness and devotion which arose nearly as much from her manner oflife as from natural ingenuousness. 

In order that the reader may be enabled to understand the allusions, which seem to be so plain to our lovers, it may be necessary to explainanother odious feature in the policy of the Republic of Venice. 

Whatever may be the pretension of a state, in its acknowledged theories, an unerring clue to its true character is ever to be found in themachinery of its practice. In those governments which are created forthe good of the people, force is applied with caution and reluctance, since the protection and not the injury of the weak is their object:whereas the more selfish and exclusive the system becomes, the moresevere and ruthless are the coercive means employed by those in power. Thus in Venice, whose whole political fabric reposed on the narrowfoundation of an oligarchy, the jealousy of the Senate brought theengines of despotism in absolute contact with even the pageantry oftheir titular prince, and the palace of the Doge himself was polluted bythe presence of the dungeons. The princely edifice had its summer andwinter cells. The reader may be ready to believe that mercy had dictatedsome slight solace for the miserable in this arrangement. But this wouldbe ascribing pity to a body which, to its latest moment, had no tie tosubject it to the weakness of humanity. So far from consulting thesufferings of the captive, his winter cell was below the level of thecanals, while his summers were to be passed beneath the leads exposed tothe action of the burning sun of that climate. As the reader hasprobably anticipated already, that Jacopo was in the prison on an errandconnected with some captive, this short explanation will enable him tounderstand the secret allusion of his companion. He they sought had, intruth, been recently conveyed from the damp cells where he had passedthe winter and spring, to the heated chambers beneath the roof. 

Gelsomina continued to lead the way with a sadness of eye and featurethat betrayed her strong sympathy with the sufferings of her companion, but without appearing to think further delay necessary. She hadcommunicated a circumstance which weighed heavily on her own mind, and, like most of her mild temperament, who had dreaded such a duty, now thatit was discharged she experienced a sensible relief. They ascended manyflights of steps, opened and shut numberless doors, and threaded severalnarrow corridors in silence, before reaching the place of destination. While Gelsomina sought the key of the door before which they stopped, inthe large bunch she carried, the Bravo breathed the hot air of the atticlike one who was suffocating. 

"They promised me that this should not be done again!" he said. "Butthey forget their pledges, fiends as they are!"

"Carlo! thou forgettest that this is the palace of the Doge!" whisperedthe girl, while she threw a timid glance behind her. 

"I forget nothing that is connected with the Republic! It is all here, "striking his flushed brow--"what is not there, is in my heart!"

"Poor Carlo! this cannot last for ever--there will be an end!"

"Thou art right, " answered the Bravo hoarsely. "The end is nearer thanthou thinkest. No matter; turn the key, that we may go in. "

The hand of Gelsomina lingered on the lock, but admonished by hisimpatient eye, she complied, and they entered the cell. 

"Father!" exclaimed the Bravo, hastening to the side of a pallet thatlay on the floor. 

The attenuated and feeble form of an old man rose at the word, and aneye which, while it spoke mental feebleness, was at that moment evenbrighter than that of his son, glared on the faces of Gelsomina and hercompanion. 

"Thou hast not suffered, as I had feared, by this sudden change, father!" continued the latter, kneeling by the side of the straw. "Thineeye, and cheek, and countenance are better, than in the damp cavesbelow!"

"I am happy here, " returned the prisoner; "there is light, and thoughthey have given me too much of it, thou canst never know, my boy, thejoy of looking at the day, after so long a night. "

"He is better, Gelsomina. They have not yet destroyed him. See! his eyeis bright even, and his cheek has a glow!"

"They are ever so, after passing the winter in the lower dungeons, "whispered the gentle girl. 

"Hast thou news for me, boy? What tidings from thy mother?"

Jacopo bowed his head to conceal the anguish occasioned by thisquestion, which he now heard for the hundredth time. 

"She is happy, father--happy as one can be, who so well loves thee, whenaway from thy side. "

"Does she speak of me often?"

"The last word that I heard from her lips, was thy name. "

"Holy Maria bless her! I trust she remembers me in her prayers?"

"Doubt it not, father, they are the prayers of an angel!"

"And thy patient sister? thou hast not named her, son. "

"She, too, is well, father. "

"Has she ceased to blame herself for being the innocent cause of mysufferings?"

"She has. "

"Then she pines no longer over a blow that cannot be helped. "

The Bravo seemed to search for relief in the sympathizing eye of thepale and speechless Gelsomina. 

"She has ceased to pine, father, " he uttered with compelled calmness. 

"Thou hast ever loved thy sister, boy, with manly tenderness. Thy heartis kind, as I have reason to know. If God has given me grief, he hasblessed me in my children!"

A long pause followed, during which the parent seemed to muse on thepast, while the child rejoiced in the suspension of questions whichharrowed his soul, since those of whom the other spoke had long been thevictims of family misfortune. The old man, for the prisoner was aged aswell as feeble, turned his look on the still kneeling Bravo, thoughtfully, and continued. 

"There is little hope of thy sister marrying, for none are fond of tyingthemselves to the proscribed. "

"She wishes it not--she wishes it not--she is happy, with my mother!"

"It is a happiness the Republic will not begrudge. Is there no hope ofour being able to meet soon?"

"Thou wilt meet my mother--yes, that pleasure will come at last!"

"It is a weary time since any of my blood, but thee, have stood in mysight. Kneel, that I may bless thee. "

Jacopo, who had risen under his mental torture, obeyed, and bowed hishead in reverence to receive the paternal benediction. The lips of theold man moved, and his eyes were turned to Heaven, but his language wasof the heart, rather than that of the tongue. Gelsomina bent her head toher bosom, and seemed to unite her prayers to those of the prisoner. When the silent but solemn ceremony was ended, each made the customarysign of the cross, and Jacopo kissed the wrinkled hand of the captive. 

"Hast thou hope for me?" the old man asked, this pious and grateful dutydone. "Do they still promise to let me look upon the sun again?"

"They do. They promise fair. "

"Would that their words were true! I have lived on hope for a wearytime--I have now been within these walls more than four years, methinks. "

Jacopo did not answer, for he knew that his father named the period onlythat he himself had been permitted to see him. 

"I built upon the expectation that the Doge would remember his ancientservant, and open my prison-doors. "

Still Jacopo was silent, for the Doge, of whom the other spoke, had longbeen dead. 

"And yet I should be grateful, for Maria and the saints have notforgotten me. I am not without my pleasures in captivity. "

"God be praised!" returned the Bravo. "In what manner dost thou ease thysorrows, father?"

"Look hither, boy, " exclaimed the old man, whose eye betrayed a mixtureof feverish excitement, caused by the recent change in his prison, andthe growing imbecility of a mind that was gradually losing its powersfor want of use; "dost thou see the rent in that bit of wood? It openswith the heat, from time to time, and since I have been an inhabitanthere, that fissure has doubled in length--I sometimes fancy, that whenit reaches the knot, the hearts of the senators will soften, and that mydoors will open. There is a satisfaction in watching its increase, as itlengthens, inch by inch, year after year!"

"Is this all?"

"Nay, I have other pleasures. There was a spider the past year, thatwove his web from yonder beam, and he was a companion, too, that I lovedto see; wilt thou look, boy, if there is hope of his coming back?"

"I see him not, " whispered the Bravo. 

"Well, there is always the hope of his return. The flies will entersoon, and then he will be looking for his prey. They may shut me up on afalse charge, and keep me weary years from my wife and daughter, butthey cannot rob me of all my happiness!"

The aged captive was mute and thoughtful. A childish impatience glowedin his eye, and he gazed from the rent, the companion of so manysolitary summers, to the face of his son, like one who began to distrusthis enjoyments. 

"Well, let them take it away, " he said, burying his head beneath thecovering of his bed: "I will not curse them!"

"Father!"

The prisoner made no reply. 

"Father!"

"Jacopo!"

In his turn the Bravo was speechless. He did not venture, even, to steala glance towards the breathless and attentive Gelsomina, though hisbosom heaved with longing to examine her guileless features. 

"Dost thou hear me, son?" continued the prisoner, uncovering his head:"dost thou really think they will have the heart to chase the spiderfrom my cell?"

"They will leave thee this pleasure, father, for it touches neithertheir power nor their fame. So long as the Senate can keep its foot onthe neck of the people, and so long as it can keep the seemliness of agood name, it will not envy thee this. "

"Blessed Maria make me thankful!--I had my fears, child; for it is notpleasant to lose any friend in a cell!"

Jacopo then proceeded to soothe the mind of the prisoner, and hegradually led his thoughts to other subjects. He laid by the bed-side afew articles of food, that he was allowed to bring with him, and againholding out the hope of eventual liberation, he proposed to take hisleave. 

"I will try to believe thee, son, " said the old man, who had good reasonto distrust assurances so often made. "I will do all I can to believeit. Thou wilt tell thy mother, that I never cease to think of her, andto pray for her; and thou wilt bless thy sister, in the name of her poorimprisoned parent. "

The Bravo bowed in acquiescence, glad of any means to escape speech. Ata sign from the old man he again bent his knee, and received the partingbenediction. After busying himself in arranging the scanty furniture ofthe cell, and in trying to open one or two small fissures, with a viewto admit more light and air, he quitted the place. 

Neither Gelsomina nor Jacopo spoke, as they returned by the intricatepassages through which they had ascended to the attic, until they wereagain on the Bridge of Sighs. It was seldom that human foot trod thisgallery, and the former, with female quickness, selected it as a placesuited to their further conference. 

"Dost thou find him changed?" she asked, lingering on the arch. 

"Much. "

"Thou speakest with a frightful meaning!"

"I have not taught my countenance to lie to thee, Gelsomina. "

"But there is hope. --- Thou told'st him there was hope, thyself. "

"Blessed Maria forgive the fraud! I could not rob the little life he hasof its only comfort. "

"Carlo!--Carlo!--Why art thou so calm? I have never heard thee speak socalmly of thy father's wrongs and imprisonment. "

"It is because his liberation is near. "

"But this moment he was without hope, and thou speakest now ofliberation!"

"The liberation of death. Even the anger of the Senate will respect thegrave. "

"Dost thou think his end near? I had not seen this change. "

"Thou art kind, good Gelsomina, and true to thy friends, and withoutsuspicion of those crimes of which thou art so innocent: but to one whohas seen as much evil as I, a jealous thought comes at every new event. The sufferings of my poor father are near their end, for nature is wornout; but were it not, I can foresee that means would be found to bringthem to a close. "

"Thou can'st not suspect that any here would do him harm!"

"I suspect none that belong to thee. Both thy father and thyself, Gelsomina, are placed here by the interposition of the saints, that thefiends should not have too much power on earth. "

"I do not understand thee, Carlo--but thou art often so. --Thy fatherused a word to-day that I could wish he had not, in speaking to thee. "

The eye of the Bravo threw a quick, uneasy, suspicious glance at hiscompanion, and then averted its look with haste. 

"He called thee Jacopo!" continued the girl. 

"Men often have glimpses of their fate, by the kindness of theirpatrons. "

"Would'st thou say, Carlo, that thy father suspects the senate willemploy the monster he named?"

"Why not?--they have employed worse men. If report says true, he is notunknown to them. "

"Can this be so!--Thou art bitter against the Republic, because it hasdone injury to thy family; but thou canst not believe it has ever dealtwith the hired stiletto. "

"I said no more than is whispered daily on the canals. "

"I would thy father had not called thee by this terrible name, Carlo!"

"Thou art too wise to be moved by a word, Gelsomina. But what thinkestthou of my unhappy father?"

"This visit has not been like the others thou hast made him in mycompany. I know not the reason, but to me thou hast ever seemed to feelthe hope with which thou hast cheered the prisoner; while now, thouseemest to have even a frightful pleasure in despair. "

"Thy fears deceive thee, " returned the Bravo, scarce speaking above hisbreath. "Thy fears deceive thee, and we will say no more. The senatemean to do us justice, at last. They are honorable Signori, ofillustrious birth, and renowned names! 'Twould be madness to distrustthe patricians! Dost thou not know, girl, that he who is born of gentleblood is above the weaknesses and temptations that beset us of baseorigin! They are men placed by birth above the weaknesses of mortals, and owing their account to none, they will be sure to do justice. Thisis reasonable, and who can doubt it!"

As he ended, the Bravo laughed bitterly. 

"Nay, now thou triflest with me, Carlo; none are above the danger ofdoing wrong, but those whom the saints and kind Maria favor. "

"This comes of living in a prison, and of saying thy prayers night andmorning! No--no--silly girl, there are men in the world born wise, fromgeneration to generation; born honest, virtuous, brave, incorruptible, and fit in all things to shut up and imprison those who are born baseand ignoble. Where hast thou passed thy days, foolish Gelsomina, not tohave felt this truth in the very air thou breathest? 'Tis clear as thesun's light, and palpable--aye--palpable as these prison walls!"

The timid girl recoiled from his side, and there was a moment when shemeditated flight; for never before, during their numberless andconfidential interviews, had she ever heard so bitter a laugh, or seenso wild a gleam in the eye of her companion. 

"I could almost fancy, Carlo, that my father was right in using the namehe did, " she said, as, recovering herself, she turned a reproachful lookon his still excited features. 

"It is the business of parents to name their children;--but enough. Imust leave thee, good Gelsomina, and I leave thee with a heavy heart. "

The unsuspecting Gelsomina forgot her alarm. She knew not why, but, though the imaginary Carlo seldom quitted her that she was not sad, shefelt a weight heavier than common on her spirits at this declaration. 

"Thou hast thy affairs, and they must not be forgotten. Art fortunatewith the gondola of late, Carlo?"

"Gold and I are nearly strangers. The Republic throws the whole chargeof the venerable prisoner on my toil. "

"I have little, as thou knowest, Carlo, " said Gelsomina in ahalf-audible voice; "but it is thine. My father is not rich, as thoucan'st feel, or he would not live on the sufferings of others, byholding the keys of the prison. "

"He is better employed than those who set the duty. Were the choicegiven me, girl, to wear the horned bonnet, to feast in their halls, torest in their palaces, to be the gayest bauble in such a pageant as thatof yesterday, to plot in their secret councils, and to be the heartlessjudge to condemn my fellows to this misery--or to be merely the keeperof the keys and turner of the bolts--I should seize on the latteroffice, as not only the most innocent, but by far the most honorable!"

"Thou dost not judge as the world judges, Carlo. I had feared thoumight'st feel shame at being the husband of a jailor's daughter; nay, Iwill not hide the secret longer, since thou speakest so calmly, I havewept that it should be so. "

"Then thou hast neither understood the world nor me. Were thy father ofthe Senate, or of the Council of Three, could the grievous fact beknown, thou would'st have cause to sorrow. But, Gelsomina, the canalsare getting dusky, and I must leave thee. "

The reluctant girl saw the truth of what he said, and applying a key, she opened the door of the covered bridge. A few turnings and a shortdescent brought the Bravo and his companion to the level of the quays. Here the former took a hurried leave and quitted the prison. 

CHAPTER XX. 

 "But they who blunder thus are raw beginners. " DON JUAN. 

The hour had come for the revels of the Piazza, and for the movement ofthe gondolas. Maskers glided along the porticoes as usual; the song andcry were heard anew, and Venice was again absorbed in delusive gaiety. 

When Jacopo issued from the prison on the quay, he mingled with thestream of human beings that was setting towards the squares, protectedfrom observation by the privileged mask. While crossing the lower bridgeof the canal of St. Mark, he lingered an instant, to throw a look at theglazed gallery he had just quitted, and then moved forward with thecrowd--the image of the artless and confiding Gelsomina uppermost in histhoughts. As he passed slowly along the gloomy arches of the Broglio, his eye sought the person of Don Camillo Monforte. They met at the angleof the little square, and exchanging secret signs, the Bravo moved onunnoticed. 

Hundreds of boats lay at the foot of the Piazzetta. Among these Jacoposought his own gondola, which he extricated from the floating mass, andurged into the stream. A few sweeps of the oar, and he lay at the sideof La Bella Sorrentina. The padrone paced the deck, enjoying the cool ofthe evening with Italian indolence, while his people, grouped on theforecastle, sang, or rather chanted, a song of those seas. The greetingswere blunt and brief, as is usual among men of that class. But thepadrone appeared to expect the visit, for he led his guest far from theears of his crew, to the other extremity of the felucca. 

"Hast thou aught in particular, good Roderigo?" demanded the mariner, who knew the Bravo by a sign, and yet who only knew him by thatfictitious name. "Thou seest we have not passed the time idly, thoughyesterday was a festa. "

"Art thou ready for the gulf?"

"For the Levant, or the pillars of Hercules, as shall please the Senate. We have got our yard aloft since the sun went behind the mountains, andthough we may seem careless of delay, an hour's notice will fit us forthe outside of the Lido. "

"Then take the notice. "

"Master Roderigo, you bring your news to an overstocked market. I havealready been informed that we shall be wanted to-night. "

The quick movement of suspicion made by the Bravo escaped theobservation of the padrone, whose eye was running over the felucca'sgear, with a sailor's habitual attention to that part of his vessel, when there was question of its service. 

"Thou art right, Stefano. But there is little harm in repeated caution. Preparation is the first duty in a delicate commission. "'

"Will you look for yourself, Signor Roderigo?" said the mariner, in alower tone. "La Bella Sorrentina is not the Bucentaur, nor a galley ofthe Grand Master of Malta; but, for her size, better rooms are not to behad in the palace of the Doge. When they told me there was a lady in thefreight, the honor of Calabria was stirred in her behalf. "

"'Tis well. If they have named to thee all the particulars, thou wiltnot fail to do thyself credit. "

"I do not say that they have shown me half of them, good Signore, "interrupted Stefano. "The secresy of your Venetian shipments is mygreatest objection to the trade. It has more than once happened to me, that I have lain weeks in the canals, with my hold as clean as afriar's conscience, when orders have come to weigh, with some such cargoas a messenger, who has got into his berth as we cleared the port, toget out of it on the coast of Dalmatia, or among the Greek islands. "

"In such cases thou hast earned thy money easily. "

"Diamine! Master Roderigo, if I had a friend in Venice to give timelyadvice, the felucca might be ballasted with articles that would bring aprofit on the other shore. Of what concern is it to the Senate, when Ido my duty to the nobles faithfully, that I do my duty at the same timeto the good woman and her little brown children left at home inCalabria?"

"There is much reason in what thou sayest, Stefano; but thou knowest theRepublic is a hard master. An affair of this nature must be touched witha gentle hand. "

"None know it better than I, for when they sent the trader with all hismovables out of the city, I was obliged to throw certain casks into thesea, to make room for his worthless stuffs. The Senate owes me justcompensation for that loss, worthy Signor Roderigo!"

"Which thou would'st be glad to repair to-night?"

"Santissima Maria! You may be the Doge himself, Signore, for anything Iknow of your countenance; but I could swear at the altar you ought to beof the Senate for your sagacity! If this lady will not be burdened withmany effects, and there is yet time, I might humor the tastes of theDalmatians with certain of the articles that come from the countriesbeyond the pillars of Hercules!"

"Thou art the judge of the probability thyself, since they told thee ofthe nature of thy errand. "

"San Gennaro of Napoli open my eyes!--They said not a word beyond thislittle fact, that a youthful lady, in whom the Senate had greatinterest, would quit the city this night for the eastern coast. If it isat all agreeable to your conscience, Master Roderigo, I should be happyto hear who are to be her companions?"

"Of that thou shalt hear more in proper season. In the meantime, I wouldrecommend to thee a cautious tongue, for St. Mark makes no idle jokeswith those who offend him. I am glad to see thee in this state ofpreparation, worthy padrone, and wishing thee a happy night, and aprosperous voyage, I commit thee to thy patron. But hold--ere I quitthee, I would know the hour that the land-breeze will serve?"

"You are exact as a compass in your own matters, Signore, but of littlecharity to thy friends! With the burning sun of to-day we should havethe air of the Alps about the turn of the night. "

"'Tis well. My eye shall be on thee. Once more, addio!"

"Cospetto! and thou hast said nothing of the cargo?"

"'Twill not be so weighty in bulk as in value, " carelessly answeredJacopo, shoving his gondola from the side of the felucca. The fall ofhis oar into the water succeeded, and as Stefano stood, meditating thechances of his speculation on his deck, the boat glided away towards thequay with a swift but easy movement. 

Deceit, like the windings of that subtle animal the fox, often crossesits own path. It consequently throws out those by whom it is practised, as well as those who art meant to be its victims. When Jacopo partedfrom Don Camillo, it was with an understanding that he should adopt allthe means that his native sagacity or his experience might suggest, toascertain in what manner the council intended to dispose of the personof Donna Yioletta. They had separated on the Lido, and as none knew oftheir interview but him, and none would probably suspect their recentalliance, the Bravo entered on his new duty with some chances ofsuccess, that might otherwise have been lost. A change of its agents, inaffairs of peculiar delicacy, was one of the ordinary means taken by theRepublic to avoid investigation. Jacopo had often been its instrumentin negotiating with the mariner, who, as has been so plainly intimated, had frequently been engaged in carrying into effect its secret, andperhaps justifiable measures of police; but in no instance had it everbeen found necessary to interpose a second agent between thecommencement and the consummation of its bargains, except in this. Hehad been ordered to see the padrone, and to keep him in preparation forimmediate service; but since the examination of Antonio before thecouncil, his employers had neglected to give him any furtherinstructions. The danger of leaving the bride within reach of the agentsof Don Camillo was so obvious, that this unusual caution had beenconsidered necessary. It was under this disadvantage, therefore, thatJacopo entered on the discharge of his new and important duties. 

That cunning, as has just been observed, is apt to overreach itself, haspassed into a proverb; and the case of Jacopo and his employers was onein point to prove its truth. The unusual silence of those who ordinarilysought him on similar occasions, had not been lost on the agent; and thesight of the felucca, as he strayed along the quays, gave an accidentaldirection to his inquiries. The manner in which they were aided by thecupidity of the Calabrian, has just been related. 

Jacopo had no sooner touched the quay and secured his boat, than hehastened again to the Broglio. It was now filled by maskers and theidlers of the Piazzetta. The patricians had withdrawn to the scenes oftheir own pleasures, or, in furtherance of that system of mysterioussway which it was their policy to maintain, they did not choose toremain exposed to the common eye, during the hours of license which wereabout to follow. 

It would seem that Jacopo had his instructions, for no sooner did hemake sure that Don Camillo had retired, than he threaded the throng withthe air of a man whose course was decided. By this time, both thesquares were full, and at least half of those who spent the night inthose places of amusement, were masked. The step of the Bravo, though sounhesitating, was leisurely, and he found time, in passing up thePiazzetta, to examine the forms, and, when circumstances permitted, thefeatures of all he met. He proceeded, in this manner, to the point ofjunction between the two squares, when his elbow was touched by a lighthand. 

Jacopo was not accustomed, unnecessarily, to trust his voice in thesquare of St. Mark, and at that hour. But his look of inquiry wasreturned by a sign to follow. He had been stopped by one whose figurewas so completely concealed by a domino, as to baffle all conjectureconcerning his true character. Perceiving, however, that the otherwished to lead him to a part of the square that was vacant, and whichwas directly on the course he was about to pursue, the Bravo made agesture of compliance and followed. No sooner were the two apart fromthe pressure of the crowd, and in a place where no eaves-dropper couldoverhear their discourse without detection, than the stranger stopped. He appeared to examine the person, stature, and dress of Jacopo, frombeneath his mask, with singular caution, closing the whole with a signthat meant recognition. Jacopo returned his dumb show, but maintained arigid silence. 

"Just Daniel!" muttered the stranger, when he found that his companionwas not disposed to speak; "one would think, illustrious Signore, thatyour confessor had imposed a penance of silence, by the manner in whichyou refuse to speak to your servant. "

"What would'st thou?"

"Here am I, sent into the piazza, among knights of industry, valets, gondoliers, and all other manner of revellers that adorn this Christianland, in search of the heir of one of the most ancient and honorablehouses of Venice. "

"How knowest thou I am he thou seekest?"

"Signore, there are many signs seen by a wise man, that escape theunobservant. When young cavaliers have a taste for mingling with thepeople in honorable disguise, as in the case of a certain patrician ofthis Republic, they are to be known by their air, if not by theirvoices. "

"Thou art a cunning agent, Hosea; but the shrewdness of thy race is itslivelihood!"

"It is its sole defence against the wrongs of the oppressor, youngnoble. We are hunted like wolves, and it is not surprising that wesometimes show the ferocity of the beasts yon take us for. But whyshould I tell the wrongs of my people to one who believes life is amasquerade!"

"And who would not be sorry, ingenious Hosea, were it composed only ofHebrews! But thy errand; I have no gage unredeemed, nor do I know that Iowe thee gold. "

"Righteous Samuel! your cavaliers of the Senate are not always mindfulof the past, Signore, or these are words that might have been spared. Ifyour excellency is inclined to forget pledges, the fault is not of myseeking; but as for the account that has been so long growing betweenus, there is not a dealer on the Rialto that will dispute the proofs. "

"Well, be it so--would'st thou dun my father's son in the face of therevellers in St. Mark?"

"I would do no discredit to any come of that illustrious race, Signore, and therefore we will say no more of the matter; always relying that, atthe proper moment, you will not question your own hand and seal. "

"I like thy prudence, Hebrew. It is a pledge thou comest on some errandless ungracious than common. As I am pressed for time, 'twill be a favorwert thou to name it. "

Hosea examined, in a covert but very thorough manner, the vacant spotaround them, and drawing nearer to the supposed noble, he continued:

"Signore, your family is in danger of meeting with a great loss! It isknown to you that the Senate has altogether and suddenly removed DonnaVioletta from the keeping of the faithful and illustrious senator yourfather. "

Though Jacopo started slightly, the movement was so natural for adisappointed lover, that it rather aided than endangered his disguise. 

"Compose yourself, young Signore, " continued Hosea; "thesedisappointments attend us all in youth, as I know by severe trials. Leahwas not gained without trouble, and next to success in barter, successin love is perhaps the most uncertain. Gold is a great make-weight inboth, and it commonly prevails. But you are nearer to losing the lady ofyour love and her possessions than you may imagine, for I am sentexpressly to say that she is about to be removed from the city. "

"Whither?" demanded Jacopo, so quickly as to do credit to his assumedcharacter. 

"That is the point to learn, Signore. Thy father is a sagacious senator, and is deep at times in the secrets of the State. But judging from hisuncertainty on this occasion, I think he is guided more by hiscalculations than by any assurance of his own knowledge. Just Daniel! Ihave seen the moments when I have suspected that the venerable patricianhimself was a member of the Council of Three!"

"His house is ancient and his privileges well established--why should henot?"

"I say naught against it, Signore. It is a wise body, that doeth muchgood, and preventeth much harm. None speak evil of the secret councilson the Rialto, where men are more given to gainful industry that to wilddiscussions of their rulers' acts. But, Signore, be he of this or thatcouncil, or merely of the Senate, a heedful hint has fallen from hislips of the danger we are in of losing--"

"We!--Hast thou thoughts of Donna Violetta, Hosea?"

"Leah and the law forbid!--If the comely queen of Sheba herself were totempt me, and a frail nature showed signs of weakness, I doubt that ourrabbis would find reasons for teaching self-denial! Besides, thedaughter of Levi is no favorer of polygamy, nor any other of our sex'sprivileges. I spoke in pluralities, Signore, because the Rialto has somestake in this marriage as well as the house of Gradenigo. "

"I understand thee. Thou hast fears for thy gold?"

"Had I been easily alarmed, Signor Giacomo, in that particular, I mightnot have parted with it so readily. But, though the succession of thyillustrious father will be ample to meet any loan within my humblemeans, that of the late Signor Tiepolo will not weaken the security. "

"I admit thy sagacity, and feel the importance of thy warning. But itseems to have no other object or warranty than thy own fears. "

"With certain obscure hints from your honored father, Signore?"

"Did he say more to the point?"

"He spoke in parables, young noble, but having an oriental ear his wordswere not uttered to the wind. That the rich damsel is about to beconveyed from Venice am I certain, and for the benefit of the littlestake I have myself in her movements, I would give the best turquoise inmy shop to know whither. "

"Canst thou say with certainty, 'twill be this night?"

"Giving no pledge for redemption in the event of mistake, I am so sure, young cavalier, as to have many unquiet thoughts. "

"Enough--I will look to my own interests and to thine. "

Jacopo waved his hand in adieu, and pursued his walk up the piazza. 

"Had I looked more sharply to the latter, as became one accustomed todeal with the accursed race, " muttered the Hebrew, "it would be amatter of no concern to me if the girl married a Turk!"

"Hosea, " said a mask at his ear; "a word with thee in secret. "

The jeweller started, and found that in his zeal he had suffered one toapproach within sound of his voice unseen. The other was in a dominoalso, and so well enveloped as to be effectually concealed. 

"What would'st thou, Signor Mask?" demanded the wary Jew. 

"A word in friendship and in confidence. --Thou hast moneys to lend atusury?"

"The question had better be put to the Republic's treasury! I have manystones valued much below their weight, and would be glad to put themwith some one more lucky than myself who will be able to keep them. "

"Nay, this will not suffice--thou art known to be abounding in sequins;one of thy race and riches will never refuse a sure loan with securitiesas certain as the laws of Venice. A thousand ducats in thy willing handis no novelty"

"They who call me rich, Signor Mask, are pleased to joke with theunhappy child of a luckless race. That I might have been abovewant--nay, that I am not downright needy, may be true; but when theyspeak of a thousand ducats, they speak of affairs too weighty for myburdened shoulders. Were it your pleasure to purchase an amethyst or aruby, gallant Signore, there might possibly be dealings between us?"

"I have need of gold, old man, and can spare thee jewels myself at need. My wants are urgent at this moment, and I have little time to lose inwords--name thy conditions. "

"One should have good securities, Signore, to be so peremptory in amatter of money. "

"Thou hast heard that the laws of Venice are not more certain. Athousand sequins, and that quickly. Thou shalt settle the usury withthine own conscience. "

Hosea thought that this was giving ample room to the treaty, and hebegan to listen more seriously. 

"Signore, " he said, "a thousand ducats are not picked up at pleasurefrom the pavement of the great square. He who would lend them must firstearn them with long and patient toil; and he who would borrow----"

"Waits at thy elbow. "

"Should have a name and countenance well known on the Rialto. "

"Thou lendest on sufficient pledges to masks, careful Hosea, or famebelies thy generosity. "

"A sufficient pledge gives me power to see the way clearly, though theborrower should be as much hidden as those up above. But here is noneforthcoming. Come to me to-morrow, masked or not, as may suit your ownpleasure, for I have no impertinent desire to pry into any man's secretsbeyond what a regard to my own interests requires, and I will look intomy coffers; though those of no heir-apparent in Venice can be emptier. "

"My necessities are too urgent to brook delay. Hast thou the gold, oncondition of naming thine own usury?"

"With sufficient pledges, in stones of price, I might rake together thesum among our dispersed people, Signore. But he who goes on the islandto borrow, as I shall be obliged to do, should be able to satisfy alldoubts concerning the payment. "

"The gold can then be had--on that point I may be easy?"

Hosea hesitated, for he had in vain endeavored to penetrate the other'sdisguise, and while he thought his assurance a favorable omen, with alender's instinct he disliked his impatience. 

"I have said, by the friendly aid of our people, " he answered, withcaution. 

"This uncertainty will not answer my need. Addio, Hosea--I must seekelsewhere. "

"Signore, you could not be more hurried were the money to pay the costof your nuptials. Could I find Isaac and Aaron within, at this latehour, I think I might be safe in saying, that part of the money might behad. "

"I cannot trust to this chance. "

"Nay, Signore, the chance is but small, since Aaron is bed-ridden, andIsaac never fails to look into his affairs after the toil of the day isended. The honest Hebrew finds sufficient recreation in the employment, though I marvel at his satisfaction, since nothing but losses have comeover our people the year past!"

"I tell thee, Jew, no doubt must hang over the negotiation. The money, with pledges, and thine own conscience for arbiter between us; but noequivocal dealings, to be followed by a disappointment, under thepretence that second parties are not satisfied. "

"Just Daniel! to oblige you, Signore, I think I may venture. The wellknown Hebrew, Levi of Livorno, has left with me a sack, containing thevery sum of which there is question, and, under the conditions named, Iwill convert it to my uses, arid repay the good jeweller his gold, withmoneys of my own, at a later day. "

"I thank thee for the fact, Hosea, " said the other, partially removinghis mask, but as instantly replacing it. "It will greatly shorten ournegotiations. Thou hast not that sack of the Jew of Livorno beneath thydomino?"

Hosea was speechless. The removal of the mask had taught him twomaterial facts. He had been communicating his distrust of the Senate'sintentions, concerning Donna Violetta, to an unknown person, and, possibly, to an agent of the police; and he had just deprived himself ofthe only argument he had ever found available, in refusing the attemptsof Giacomo Gradenigo to borrow, by admitting to that very individualthat he had in his power the precise sum required. 

"I trust the face of an old customer is not likely to defeat ourbargain, Hosea?" demanded the profligate heir of the senator, scarceconcealing the irony in which the question was put. 

"Father Abraham! Had I known it had been you, Signor Giacomo, we mighthave greatly shortened the treaty. "

"By denying that thou hadst the money, as thou hast so often done oflate!"

"Nay, nay, I am not a swallower of my own words, young Signore; but myduty to Levi must not be forgotten. The careful Hebrew made me take avow, by the name of our tribe, that I would not part with his gold toany that had not the means of placing its return beyond all chances. "

"This assurance is not wanting, since thou art the borrower, thyself, tolend to me. "

"Signore, you place my conscience in an awkward position. You are now mydebtor some six thousand sequins, and were I to make this loan of moneyin trust, and were you to return it--two propositions I make onsupposition--a natural love for my own might cause me to pass thepayment to account, whereby I should put the assets of Levi injeopardy. "

"Settle that as thou wilt with thy conscience, Hosea--thou hastconfessed to the money, and here are jewels for the pledge--I ask onlythe sequins. "

It is probable that the appeal of Giacomo Gradenigo would not haveproduced much effect on the flinty nature of the Hebrew, who had all thefailings of a man proscribed by opinion; but having recovered from hissurprise, he began to explain to his companion his apprehensions onaccount of Donna Violetta, whose marriage, it will be remembered, was asecret to all but the witnesses and the Council of Three, when to hisgreat joy he found that the gold was wanting to advance his own designof removing her to some secret place. This immediately changed the wholeface of the bargain. As the pledges offered were really worth the sum tobe received, Hosea thought, taking the chances of recovering back hisancient loans, from the foreign estates of the heiress, into theaccount, the loan would be no bad investment of the pretended sequins ofhis friend Levi. 

As soon as the parties had come to a clear understanding, they left thesquare together, to consummate their bargain. 

CHAPTER XXI. 

 "We'll follow Cade, we'll follow Cade. " HENRY VI. 

The night wore on. The strains of music again began to break through theordinary stillness of the town, and the boats of the great were oncemore in motion on every canal. Hands waved timidly in recognition, fromthe windows of the little dark canopies, as the gondolas glided by, butfew paused to greet each other in that city of mystery and suspicion. Even the refreshing air of the evening was inhaled under an appearanceof restraint, which, though it might not be at the moment felt, was toomuch interwoven with the habits of the people, ever to be entirelythrown aside. 

Among the lighter and gayer barges of the patricians, a gondola of morethan usual size, but of an exterior so plain as to denote vulgar uses, came sweeping down the great canal. Its movement was leisurely, and theaction of the gondoliers that of men either fatigued or little pressedfor time. He who steered, guided the boat with consummate skill, butwith a single hand, while his three fellows, from time to time, sufferedtheir oars to trail on the water in very idleness. In short, it had theordinary listless appearance of a boat returning to the city from anexcursion on the Brenta, or to some of the more distant isles. 

Suddenly the gondola diverged from the centre of the passage, down whichit rather floated than pulled, and shot into one of the least frequentedcanals of the city. From this moment its movement became more rapid andregular, until it reached a quarter of the town inhabited by the lowestorder of the Venetians. Here it stopped by the side of a warehouse, andone of its crew ascended to a bridge. The others threw themselves on thethwarts and seemed to repose. 

He who quitted the boat threaded a few narrow but public alleys, such asare to be found in every part of that confined town, and knocked lightlyat a window. It was not long before the casement opened, and a femalevoice demanded the name of him without. 

"It is I, Annina, " returned Gino, who was not an unfrequent applicantfor admission at that private portal. "Open the door, girl, for I havecome on a matter of pressing haste. "

Annina complied, though not without making sure that her suitor wasalone. 

"Thou art come unseasonably, Gino, " said the wine-seller's daughter; "Iwas about to go to St. Mark's to breathe the evening air. My father andbrothers are already departed, and I only stay to make sure of thebolts. "

"Their gondola will hold a fourth?"

"They have gone by the footways. "

"And thou walkest the streets alone at this hour, Annina?"

"I know not thy right to question it, if I do, " returned the girl withspirit. "San Theodore be praised, I am not yet the slave of aNeapolitan's servitor!"

"The Neapolitan is a powerful noble, Annina, able and willing to keephis servitors in respect. "

"He will have need of all his interest--but why hast thou come at thisunseasonable hour? Thy visits are never too welcome, Gino, and when Ihave other affairs they are disagreeable. "

Had the passion of the gondolier been very deep or very sensitive, thisplain dealing might have given him a shock; but Gino appeared to takethe repulse as coolly as it was given. 

"I am used to thy caprices, Annina, " he said, throwing himself upon abench like one determined to remain where he was. "Some young patricianhas kissed his hand to thee as thou hast crossed San Marco, or thyfather has made a better day of it than common on the Lido; thy pridealways mounts with thy father's purse. "

"Diamine! to hear the fellow one would think he had my troth, and thathe only waited in the sacristy for the candles to be lighted to receivemy vows! What art thou to me, Gino Tullini, that thou takest on theethese sudden airs?"

"And what art thou to me, Annina, that thou playest off these worn-outcaprices on Don Camillo's confidant?"

"Out upon thee, insolent! I have no time to waste in idleness. "

"Thou art in much haste to-night, Annina. "

"To be rid of thee. Now listen to what I say, Gino, and let every wordgo to thy heart, for they are the last thou wilt ever hear from me. Thouservest a decayed noble, one who will shortly be chased in disgrace fromthe city, and with him will go all his idle servitors. I choose toremain in the city of my birth. "

The gondolier laughed in real indifference at her affected scorn. Butremembering his errand, he quickly assumed a graver air, and endeavoredto still the resentment of his fickle mistress by a more respectfulmanner. 

"St. Mark protect me, Annina!" he said. "If we are not to kneel beforethe good priore together, it is no reason we should not bargain inwines. Here have I come into the dark canals, within stone's throw ofthy very door, with a gondola of mellow Lachryma Christi, such as honest'Maso, thy father, has rarely dealt in, and thou treatest me as a dogthat is chased from a church!"

"I have little time for thee or thy wines to-night, Gino. Hadst thou notstayed me, I should already have been abroad and happy. "

"Close thy door, girl, and make little ceremony with an old friend, "said the gondolier, officiously offering to aid her in securing thedwelling. Annina took him at his word, and as both appeared to work withgood will, the house was locked, and the wilful girl and her suitor weresoon in the street. Their route lay across the bridge already named. Gino pointed to the gondola as he said, "Thou art not to be tempted, Annina?"

"Thy rashness in leading the smugglers to my father's door will bring usto harm some day, silly fellow!"

"The boldness of the act will prevent suspicion. "

"Of what vineyard is the liquor?"

"It came from the foot of Vesuvius, and is ripened by the heat of thevolcano. Should my friends part with it to thy enemy, old Beppo, thyfather will rue the hour!"

Annina, who was much addicted to consulting her interests on alloccasions, cast a longing glance at the boat. The canopy was closed, butit was large, and her willing imagination readily induced her to fancyit well filled with skins from Naples. 

"This will be the last of thy visits to our door, Gino?"

"As thou shalt please. But go down and taste. "

Annina hesitated, and, as a woman is said always to do when shehesitates, she complied. They reached the boat with quick steps, andwithout regarding the men who were still lounging on the thwarts, Anninaglided immediately beneath the canopy. A fifth gondolier was lying atlength on the cushions, for, unlike a boat devoted to the contraband, the canopy had the usual arrangement of a barque of the canals. 

"I see nothing to turn me aside!" exclaimed the disappointed girl. "Wiltthou aught with me, Signore?"

"Thou art welcome. We shall not part so readily as before. "

The stranger had arisen while speaking, and as he ended, he laid a handon the shoulder of his visitor, who found herself confronted with DonCamillo Monforte. 

Annina was too much practised in deception to indulge in any of theordinary female symptoms, either of real or of affected alarm. Commanding her features, though in truth her limbs shook, she said withassumed pleasantry--

"The secret trade is honored in the services of the noble Duke of St. Agata!"

"I am not here to trifle, girl, as thou wilt see in the end. Thou hastthy choice before thee, frank confession or my just anger. "

Don Camillo spoke calmly, but in a manner that plainly showed Annina shehad to deal with a resolute man. 

"What confession would your eccellenza have from the daughter of a poorwine-seller?" she asked, her voice trembling in spite of herself. 

"The truth--and remember that this time we do not part until I amsatisfied. The Venetian police and I are now fairly at issue, and thouart the first fruits of my plan. "

"Signor Duca, this is a bold step to take in the heart of the canals!"

"The consequences be mine. Thy interest will teach thee to confess. "

"I shall make no great merit, Signore, of doing that which is forcedupon me. As it is your pleasure to know the little I can tell you, I amhappy to be permitted to relate it. "

"Speak then; for time presses. "

"Signore, I shall not pretend to deny you have been ill-treated. Capperi! how ill has the council treated you! A noble cavalier, of astrange country, who, the meanest gossip in Venice knows, has a justright to the honors of the Senate, to be so treated is a disgrace to theRepublic! I do not wonder that your eccellenza is out of humor withthem. Blessed St. Mark himself would lose his patience to be thustreated!"

"A truce with this, girl, and to your facts. "

"My facts, Signor Duca, are a thousand times clearer than the sun, andthey are all at your eccellenza's service. I am sure I wish I had moreof them, since they give you pleasure. "

"Enough of this profession. Speak to the facts themselves. "

Annina, who in the manner of most of her class in Italy, that had beenexposed to the intrigues of the towns, had been lavish of her words, nowfound means to cast a glance at the water, when she saw that the boathad already quitted the canals, and was rowing easily out upon theLagunes. Perceiving how completely she was in the power of Don Camillo, she began to feel the necessity of being more explicit. 

"Your eccellenza has probably suspected that the council found means tobe acquainted with your intention to fly from the city with DonnaVioletta?"

"All that is known to me. "

"Why they chose me to be the servitor of the noble lady is beyond mypowers to discover. Our Lady of Loretto! I am not the person to be sentfor, when the state wishes to part two lovers!"

"I have borne with thee, Annina, because I would let the gondola getbeyond the limits of the city; but now thou must throw aside thysubterfuge, and speak plainly. Where didst thou leave my wife?"

"Does your eccellenza then think the state will admit the marriage to belegal?"

"Girl, answer, or I will find means to make thee. Where didst thou leavemy wife?"

"Blessed St. Theodore! Signore, the agents of the Republic had littleneed of me, and I was put on the first bridge that the gondola passed. "

"Thou strivest to deceive me in vain. Thou wast on the Lagunes till alate hour in the day, and I have notice of thy having visited the prisonof St. Mark as the sun was setting; and this on thy return from the boatof Donna Violetta. "

There was no acting in the wonder of Annina. 

"Santissima Maria! You are better served, Signore, than the councilthinks!"

"As thou wilt find to thy cost, unless the truth be spoken. From whatconvent did'st thou come?"

"Signore, from none. If your eccellenza has discovered that the Senatehas shut up the Signora Tiepolo in the prison of St. Mark, forsafe-keeping, it is no fault of mine. "

"Thy artifice is useless, Annina, " observed Don Camillo, calmly. "Thouwast in the prison, in quest of forbidden articles that thou hadst longleft with thy cousin Gelsomina, the keeper's daughter, who littlesuspected thy errand, and on whose innocence and ignorance of the worldthou hast long successfully practised. Donna Violetta is no vulgarprisoner, to be immured in a jail. "

"Santissima Madre di Dio!"

Amazement confined the answer of the girl to this single, but strongexclamation. 

"Thou seest the impossibility of deception. I am acquainted with so muchof thy movements as to render it impossible that thou should'st lead mefar astray. Thou art not wont to visit thy cousin; but as thou enteredthe canals this evening----"

A shout on the water caused Don Camillo to pause. On looking out he sawa dense body of boats sweeping towards the town as if they were allimpelled by a single set of oars. A thousand voices were speaking atonce, and occasionally a general and doleful cry proclaimed that thefloating multitude, which came on, was moved by a common feeling. Thesingularity of the spectacle, and the fact that his own gondola laydirectly in the route of the fleet, which was composed of severalhundred boats, drove the examination of the girl, momentarily, from thethoughts of the noble. 

"What have we here, Jacopo?" he demanded, in an under-tone, of thegondolier who steered his own barge. 

"They are fishermen, Signore, and by the manner in which they come downtowards the canals, I doubt they are bent on some disturbance. There hasbeen discontent among them since the refusal of the Doge to liberate theboy of their companion from the galleys. "

Curiosity induced the people of Don Camillo to linger a minute, and thenthey perceived the necessity of pulling out of the course of thefloating mass, which came on like a torrent, the men sweeping theirboats with that desperate stroke which is so often seen among theItalian oarsmen. A menacing hail, with a command to remain, admonishedDon Camillo of the necessity of downright flight, or of obedience. Hechose the latter, as the least likely to interfere with his own plans. 

"Who art thou?" demanded one, who had assumed the character of a leader. "If men of the Lagunes and Christians, join your friends, and away withus to St. Mark for justice!"

"What means this tumult?" asked Don Camillo, whose dress effectuallyconcealed his rank, a disguise that he completed by adopting theVenetian dialect. "Why are you here in these numbers, friends?"

"Behold!"

Don Camillo turned, and he beheld the withered features and glaring eyesof old Antonio, fixed in death. The explanation was made by a hundredvoices, accompanied by oaths so bitter, and denunciations so deep, thathad not Don Camillo been prepared by the tale of Jacopo, he would havefound great difficulty in understanding what he heard. 

In dragging the Lagunes for fish, the body of Antonio had been found, and the result was, first, a consultation on the probable means of hisdeath, and then a collection of the men of his calling, and finally thescene described. 

"Giustizia!" exclaimed fifty excited voices, as the grim visage of thefisherman was held towards the light of the moon; "Giustizia in Palazzoe paue in Piazza!"

"Ask it of the Senate!" returned Jacopo, not attempting to conceal thederision of his tones. 

"Thinkest thou our fellow has suffered for his boldness yesterday?"

"Stranger things have happened in Venice!"

"They forbid us to cast our nets in the Canale Orfano, lest the secretsof justice should be known, and yet they have grown bold enough to drownone of our own people in the midst of our gondolas!"

"Justice, justice!" shouted numberless hoarse throats. 

"Away to St. Mark's! Lay the body at the feet of the Doge! Away, brethren, Antonio's blood is on their souls!"

Bent on a wild and undigested scheme of asserting their wrongs, thefishermen again plied their oars, and the whole fleet swept away, as ifit was composed of a single mass. 

The meeting, though so short, was accompanied by cries, menaces, and allthose accustomed signs of rage which mark a popular tumult among thoseexcitable people, and it had produced a sensible effect on the nerves ofAnnina. Don Camillo profited by her evident terror to press hisquestions, for the hour no longer admitted of trifling. 

The result was, that while the agitated mob swept into the mouth of theGreat Canal, raising hoarse shouts, the gondola of Don Camillo Monforteglided away across the wide and tranquil surface of the Lagunes. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

 "A Clifford, a Clifford! we'll follow the king and Clifford. " HENRY VI. 

The tranquillity of the best ordered society may be disturbed, at anytime, by a sudden outbreaking of the malcontents. Against such adisaster there is no more guarding than against the commission of morevulgar crimes; but when a government trembles for its existence, beforethe turbulence of popular commotion, it is reasonable to infer someradical defect in its organization. Men will rally around theirinstitutions, as freely as they rally around any other cherishedinterest, when they merit their care, and there can be no surer sign oftheir hollowness than when the rulers seriously apprehend the breath ofthe mob. No nation ever exhibited more of this symptomatic terror, onall occasions of internal disturbance, than the pretending Republic ofVenice. There was a never-ceasing and a natural tendency to dissolution, in her factious system, which was only resisted by the alertness of heraristocracy, and the political buttresses which their ingenuity hadreared. Much was said of the venerable character of her polity, and ofits consequent security, but it is in vain that selfishness contendswith truth. Of all the fallacies with which man has attempted to glosshis expedients, there is none more evidently false than that whichinfers the duration of a social system, from the length of time it hasalready lasted. It would be quite as reasonable to affirm that the manof seventy has the same chances for life as the youth of fifteen, orthat the inevitable fate of all things of mortal origin was notdestruction. There is a period in human existence when the principle ofvitality has to contend with the feebleness of infancy, but thisprobationary state passed, the child attains the age when it has themost reasonable prospect of living. Thus the social, like any othermachine, which has run just long enough to prove its fitness, is at theprecise period when it is least likely to fail, and although he that isyoung may not live to become old, it is certain that he who is old wasonce young. The empire of China was, in its time, as youthful as our ownrepublic, nor can we see any reason for believing that it is to outlastus, from the decrepitude which is a natural companion of its years. 

At the period of our tale, Venice boasted much of her antiquity, anddreaded, in an equal degree, her end. She was still strong in hercombinations, but they were combinations that had the vicious error ofbeing formed for the benefit of the minority, and which, like the mimicfortresses and moats of a scenic representation, needed only a stronglight to destroy the illusion. The alarm with which the patricians heardthe shouts of the fishermen, as they swept by the different palaces, ontheir way to the great square, can be readily imagined. Some feared thatthe final consummation of their artificial condition, which had so longbeen anticipated by a secret political instinct, was at length arrived, and began to bethink them of the savest means of providing for their ownsecurity. Some listened in admiration, for habit had so far mastereddulness, as to have created a species of identity between the state andfar more durable things, and they believed that St. Mark had gained avictory, in that decline, which was never exactly intelligible to theirapathetic capacities. But a few, and these were the spirits thataccumulated all the national good which was vulgarly and falselyascribed to the system itself, intuitively comprehended the danger, with a just appreciation of its magnitude, as well as of the means toavoid it. 

But the rioters were unequal to any estimate of their own force, and hadlittle aptitude in measuring their accidental advantages. They actedmerely on impulse. The manner in which their aged companion hadtriumphed on the preceding day, his cold repulse by the Doge, and thescene of the Lido, which in truth led to the death of Antonio, hadprepared their minds for the tumult. When the body was found, therefore, after the time necessary to collect their forces on the Lagunes, theyyielded to passion, and moved away towards the palace of St. Mark, asdescribed, without any other definite object than a simple indulgence offeeling. 

On entering the canal, the narrowness of the passage compressed theboats into a mass so dense, as, in a measure, to impede the use of oars, and the progress of the crowd was necessarily slow. All were anxious toget as near as possible to the body of Antonio, and, like all mobs, theyin some degree frustrated their own objects by ill-regulated zeal. Onceor twice the names of offensive senators were shouted, as if thefishermen intended to visit the crimes of the state on its agents; butthese cries passed away in the violent breath that was expended. Onreaching the bridge of the Rialto, more than half of the multitudelanded, and took the shorter course of the streets to the point ofdestination, while those in front got on the faster, for beingdisembarrassed of the pressure in the rear. As they drew nearer to theport, the boats began to loosen, and to take something of the form of afuneral procession. 

It was during this moment of change that a powerfully manned gondolaswept, with strong strokes, out of a lateral passage into the GreatCanal. Accident brought it directly in front of the moving phalanx ofboats that was coming down the same channel. Its crew seemed staggeredby the extraordinary appearance which met their view, and for aninstant its course was undecided. 

"A gondola of the Republic!" shouted fifty fishermen. A single voiceadded--"Canale Orfano!"

The bare suspicion of such an errand, as was implied by the latterwords, and at that moment, was sufficient to excite the mob. They raiseda cry of denunciation, and some twenty boats made a furiousdemonstration of pursuit. The menace, however, was sufficient; forquicker far than the movements of the pursuers, the gondoliers of theRepublic dashed towards the shore, and leaping on one of those passagesof planks which encircle so many of the palaces of Venice, theydisappeared by an alley. 

Encouraged by this success, the fishermen seized the boat as a waif, andtowed it into their own fleet, filling the air with cries of triumph. Curiosity led a few to enter the hearse-like canopy, whence theyimmediately reissued dragging forth a priest. 

"Who art thou?" hoarsely demanded he who took upon himself the authorityof a leader. 

"A Carmelite, and a servant of God!"

"Dost thou serve St. Mark? Hast thou been to the Canale Orfano to shrivea wretch?"

"I am here in attendance on a young and noble lady, who has need of mycounsel and prayers. The happy and the miserable, the free and thecaptive, are equally my care!"

"Ha! Thou art not above thy office? Thou wilt say the prayers for thedead in behalf of a poor man's soul?"

"My son, I know no difference, in this respect, between the Doge and thepoorest fisherman. Still I would not willingly desert the females. "

"The ladies shall receive no harm. Come into my boat, for there is needof thy holy office. "

Father Anselmo--the reader will readily anticipate that it washe--entered the canopy, said a few words in explanation to histrembling companions, and complied. He was rowed to the leading gondola, and, by a sign, directed to the dead body. 

"Thou see'st that corpse, father?" continued his conductor. "It is theface of one who was an upright and pious Christian!"

"He was. "

"We all knew him as the oldest and the most skilful fisherman of theLagunes, and one ever ready to assist an unlucky companion. "

"I can believe thee!"

"Thou mayest, for the holy books are not more true than my words:yesterday he came down this very canal in triumph, for he bore away thehonors of the regatta from the stoutest oars in Venice. "

"I have heard of his success. "

"They say that Jacopo, the Bravo--he who once held the best oar in thecanals--was of the party! Santa Madonna! such a man was too precious todie!"

"It is the fate of all--rich and poor, strong and feeble, happy andmiserable, must alike come to this end. "

"Not to this end, reverend Carmelite, for Antonio having given offenceto the Republic, in the matter of a grandson that is pressed for thegalleys, has been sent to purgatory without a Christian hope for hissoul. "

"There is an eye that watcheth on the meanest of us, son; we willbelieve he was not forgotten. "

"Cospetto! They say that those the Senate look black upon get but littleaid from the church! Wilt thou pray for him, Carmelite, and make goodthy words?"

"I will, " said Father Anselmo, firmly. "Make room, son, that no decencyof my duty be overlooked. "

The swarthy, expressive faces of the fishermen gleamed withsatisfaction, for, in the midst of the rude turmoil, they all retained adeep and rooted respect for the offices of the church in which they hadbeen educated. Silence was quickly obtained, and the boats moved on withgreater order than before. 

The spectacle was now striking. In front rowed the gondola whichcontained the remains of the dead. The widening of the canal, as itapproached the port, permitted the rays of the moon to fall upon therigid features of old Antonio, which were set in such a look as might besupposed to characterize the dying thoughts of a man so suddenly and sofearfully destroyed. The Carmelite, bare-headed, with clasped hands, anda devout heart, bowed his head at the feet of the body, with his whiterobes flowing in the light of the moon. A single gondolier guided theboat, and no other noise was audible but the plash of the water, as theoars slowly fell and rose together. This silent procession lasted a fewminutes, and then the tremulous voice of the monk was heard chanting theprayers for the dead. The practised fishermen, for few in thatdisciplined church, and that obedient age, were ignorant of those solemnrites, took up the responses in a manner that must be familiar to everyear that has ever listened to the sounds of Italy, the gentle washing ofthe element, on which they glided, forming a soft accompaniment. Casement after casement opened while they passed, and a thousand curiousand anxious faces crowded the balconies as the funeral cortége sweptslowly on. 

The gondola of the Republic was towed in the centre of the moving massby fifty lighter boats, for the fishermen still clung to their prize. Inthis manner the solemn procession entered the port, and touched the quayat the foot of the Piazzetta. While numberless eager hands were aidingin bringing the body of Antonio to land, there arose a shout from thecentre of the ducal palace, which proclaimed the presence already of theother part of their body in its court. 

The squares of St. Mark now presented a novel picture. The quaint andoriental church, the rows of massive and rich architecture, the giddypile of the Campanile, the columns of granite, the masts of triumph, andall those peculiar and remarkable fixtures, which had witnessed so manyscenes of violence, of rejoicing, of mourning, and of gaiety, werethere, like landmarks of the earth, defying time; beautiful andvenerable in despite of all those varying exhibitions of human passionsthat were daily acted around them. 

"But the song, the laugh, and the jest, had ceased. The lights of thecoffee-houses had disappeared, the revellers had fled to their homes, fearful of being confounded with those who braved the anger of theSenate, while the grotesque, the ballad-singers, and the buffoon, hadabandoned their assumed gaiety for an appearance more in unison with thetrue feelings of their hearts. 

"Giustizia!--" cried a thousand deep voices, as the body of Antonio wasborne into the court--"Illustrious Doge! Giustizia. In palazzo, e panein piazza! Give us justice! We are beggars for justice!"

The gloomy but vast court was paved with the swarthy faces andglittering eyes of the fishermen. The corpse was laid at the foot of theGiant's Stairs, while the trembling halberdier at the head of theflight, scarce commanded himself sufficiently to maintain that air offirmness which was exacted by discipline and professional pride. Butthere was no other show of military force, for the politic power whichruled in Venice, knew too well its momentary impotency, to irritate whenit could not quell. The mob beneath was composed of nameless rioters, whose punishment could carry no other consequences than the suppressionof immediate danger, and for that, those who ruled were not prepared. 

The Council of Three had been apprised of the arrival of the excitedfishermen. When the mob entered the court, it was consulting in secretconclave, on the probabilities of the tumult having a graver and moredetermined object, than was apparent in the visible symptoms. Theroutine of office had not yet dispossessed the men already presented tothe reader, of their dangerous and despotic power. 

"Are the Dalmatians apprised of this movement?" asked one of the secrettribunal, whose nerves were scarcely equal to the high functions hedischarged. "We may have occasion for their volleys, ere this riot isappeased. "

"Confide in the ordinary authorities for that, Signore, " answered theSenator Gradenigo. "I have only concern, lest some conspiracy, which maytouch the fidelity of the troops, lies concealed beneath the outcry. "

"The evil passions of man know no limits! What would the wretches have?For a state in the decline, Venice is to the last degree prosperous. Ourships are thriving; the bank flourishes with goodly dividends; and I doassure you, Signore, that, for many years, I have not known so amplerevenues for most of our interests, as at this hour. All cannot thrivealike!"

"You are happily connected with flourishing affairs, Signore, but thereare many that are less lucky. Our form of government is somewhatexclusive, and it is a penalty that we have ever paid for itsadvantages, to be liable to sudden and malevolent accusations, for anyevil turn of fortune that besets the Republic. "

"Can nothing satisfy these exacting spirits? Are they not free--are theynot happy?"

"It would seem that they want better assurance of these facts, than ourown feelings, or our words. "

"Man is the creature of envy! The poor desire to be rich--the weak, powerful. "

"There is an exception to your rule, at least, Signore, since the richrarely wish to be poor, or the powerful, weak. "

"You deride my sentiments to-night, Signor Gradenigo. I speak, I hope, as becomes a Senator of Venice, and in a manner that you are notunaccustomed to hear!"

"Nay, the language is not unusual. But I fear me there is somethingunsuited to a falling fortune, in the exacting and narrow spirit of ourlaws. When a state is eminently flourishing, its subjects overlookgeneral defects in private prosperity, but there is no more fastidiouscommentator on measures than your merchant of a failing trade. "

"This is their gratitude! Have we not converted these muddy isles into amart for half Christendom, and now they are dissatisfied that theycannot retain all the monopolies that the wisdom of our ancestors hasaccumulated. "

"They complain much in your own spirit, Signore, --but you are right insaying the present riot must be looked to. Let us seek his highness, whowill go out to the people, with such patricians as may be present, andone of our number as a witness: more than that might expose ourcharacter. "

The Secret Council withdrew to carry this resolution into effect, justas the fishermen in the court received the accession of those whoarrived by water. 

There is no body so sensible of an increase of its members as a mob. Without discipline, and dependent solely on animal force for itsascendency, the sentiment of physical power is blended with its veryexistence. When they saw the mass of living beings which had assembledwithin the wall of the ducal palace, the most audacious of that throngbecame more hardy, and even the wavering grew strong. This is thereverse of the feeling which prevails among those who are called on torepress this species of violence, who generally gain courage as itsexhibition is least required. 

The throng in the court was raising one of its loudest and most menacingcries as the train of the Doge appeared, approaching by one of the longopen galleries of the principal floor of the edifice. 

The presence of the venerable man who nominally presided over thatfactitious state, and the long training of the fishermen in habits ofdeference to authority, notwithstanding their present tone ofinsubordination, caused a sudden and deep silence. A feeling of awegradually stole over the thousand dark faces that were gazing upwards, as the little cortége drew near. So profound, indeed, was the stillnesscaused by this sentiment, that the rustling of the ducal robes wasaudible, as the prince, impeded by his infirmities, and consulting thestate usual to his rank, slowly advanced. The previous violence of theuntutored fishermen, and their present deference to the external statethat met their eyes, had its origin in the same causes;--ignorance andhabit were the parents of both. 

"Why are ye assembled here, my children?" asked the Doge, when he hadreached the summit of the Giant's Stairs, "and most of all, why have yecome into the palace of your prince with these unbefitting cries?"

The tremulous voice of the old man was clearly audible, for the lowestof its tones were scarcely interrupted by a breath. The fishermen gazedat each other, and all appeared to search for him who might be boldenough to answer. At length one in the centre of the crowded mass, andeffectually concealed from observation, cried, "Justice!"

"Such is our object, " mildly continued the prince; "and such, I willadd, is our practice. Why are ye assembled here, in a manner sooffensive to the state, and so disrespectful to your prince?"

Still none answered. The only spirit of their body, which had beencapable of freeing itself from the trammels of usage and prejudice, haddeserted the shell which lay on the lower step of the Giant's Stairs. 

"Will none speak! are ye so bold with your voices when unquestioned, andso silent when confronted?"

"Speak them fair, your highness, " whispered he of the council, who wascommissioned to be a secret witness of the interview; "the Dalmatiansare scarce yet apparelled. "

The prince bowed to advice which he well knew must be respected, and heassumed his former tone. 

"If none will acquaint me with your wants, I must command you to retire, and while my parental heart grieves----"

"Giustizia!" repeated the hidden member of the crowd. 

"Name thy wants, that we may know them. "

"Highness! deign to look at this!"

One bolder than the rest had turned the body of Antonio to the moon, ina manner to expose the ghastly features, and, as he spoke, he pointedtowards the spectacle he had prepared. The prince started at theunexpected sight, and, slowly descending the steps, closely accompaniedby his companions and his guards, he paused over the body. 

"Has the assassin done this?" he asked, after looking at the deadfisherman, and crossing himself. "What could the end of one like thisprofit a Bravo? Haply the unfortunate man hath fallen in a broil of hisclass?"

"Neither, illustrious Doge! we fear that Antonio has suffered for thedispleasure of St. Mark!"

"Antonio! Is this the hardy fisherman who would have taught us how torule in the state regatta!"

"Eccellenza, it is, " returned the simple laborer of the Lagunes, "and abetter hand with a net, or a truer friend in need, never rowed a gondolato or from the Lido. Diavolo! It would have done your highness pleasureto have seen the poor old Christian among us, on a saint's day, takingthe lead in our little ceremonies, and teaching us the manner in whichour fathers used to do credit to the craft!"

"Or to have been with us, illustrious Doge, " cried another, for, the iceonce broken, the tongues of a mob soon grow bold, "in a merry-making onthe Lido, when old Antonio was always the foremost in the laugh, and thediscreetest in knowing when to be grave. "

The Doge began to have a dawning of the truth, and he cast a glanceaside to examine the countenance of the unknown inquisitor. 

"It is far easier to understand the merits of the unfortunate man, thanthe manner of his death, " he said, finding no explanation in the drilledmembers of the face he had scrutinized. "Will any of your party explainthe facts?"

The principal speaker among the fishermen willingly took on himself theoffice, and, in the desultory manner of one of his habits, he acquaintedthe Doge with the circumstances connected with the finding of the body. When he had done, the prince again asked explanations, with his eye, from the senator at his side, for he was ignorant whether the policy ofthe state required an example, or simply a death. "

"I see nothing in this, your highness, " observed he of the council, "butthe chances of a fisherman. The unhappy old man has come to his end byaccident, and it would be charity to have a few masses said for hissoul. "

"Noble senator!" exclaimed the fisherman, doubtingly, "St. Mark wasoffended!"

"Rumor tells many idle tales of the pleasure and displeasure of St. Mark, If we are to believe all that the wit of men can devise, inaffairs of this nature, the criminals are not drowned in the Lagunes, but in the Canale Orfano. "

"True, eccellenza, and we are forbidden to cast our nets there, on painof sleeping with the eels at its bottom. "

"So much greater reason for believing that this old man hath died byaccident. Is there mark of violence on his body? for though the statecould scarcely occupy itself with such as he, some other might. Hath thecondition of the body been looked to?"

"Eccellenza, it was enough to cast one of his years into the centre ofthe Lagunes. The stoutest arm in Venice could not save him. "

"There may have been violence in some quarrel, and the proper authorityshould be vigilant. Here is a Carmelite! Father, do you know aught ofthis?"

The monk endeavored to answer, but his voice failed. He stared wildlyabout him, for the whole scene resembled some frightful picture of theimagination, and then folding his arms on his bosom, he appeared toresume his prayers. 

"Thou dost not answer, Friar?" observed the Doge, who had been aseffectually deceived, by the natural and indifferent manner of theinquisitor, as any other of his auditors. "Where didst thou find thisbody?"

Father Anselmo briefly explained the manner in which he had been pressedinto the service of the fishermen. 

At the elbow of the prince there stood a young patrician, who, at themoment, filled no other office in the state than such as belonged to hisbirth. Deceived, like the others, by the manner of the only one who knewthe real cause of Antonio's death, he felt a humane and praiseworthydesire to make sure that no foul play had been exercised towards thevictim. 

"I have heard of this Antonio, " said this person, who was called theSenator Soranzo, and who was gifted by nature with feelings that, in anyother form of government, would have made him a philanthropist, "and ofhis success in the regatta. Was it not said that Jacopo, the Bravo, washis competitor?"

A low, meaning, and common murmur ran through the throng. 

"A man of his reputed passions and ferocity may well have sought torevenge defeat by violence!"

A second and a louder murmur denoted the effect this suggestion hadproduced. 

"Eccellenza, Jacopo deals in the stiletto!" observed the half-credulousbut still doubting fisherman. 

"That is as may be necessary. A man of his art and character may haverecourse to other means to gratify his malice. Do you not agree with me, Signore?"

The Senator Soranzo put this question, in perfect good faith, to theunknown member of the secret council. The latter appeared struck withthe probability of the truth of his companion's conjecture, butcontented himself with a simple acknowledgment to that effect, bybowing. 

"Jacopo! Jacopo!" hoarsely repeated voice after voice in thecrowd--"Jacopo has done this! The best gondolier in Venice has beenbeaten by an old fisherman, and nothing but blood could wipe out thedisgrace!"

"It shall be inquired into, my children, and strict justice done, " saidthe Doge, preparing to depart. "Officers, give money for masses, thatthe soul of the unhappy man be not the sufferer. Reverend Carmelite, Icommend the body to thy care, and thou canst do no better service thanto pass the night in prayer by its side. "

A thousand caps were waved in commendation of this gracious command, andthe whole throng stood in silent respect, as the prince, followed by hisretinue, retired as he had approached, through the long, vaulted galleryabove. 

A secret order of the Inquisition prevented the appearance of theDalmatians. 

A few minutes later and all was prepared. A bier and canopy were broughtout of the adjoining cathedral, and the corpse was placed upon theformer. Father Anselmo then headed the procession, which passed throughthe principal gate of the palace into the square, chanting the usualservice. The Piazzetta and the piazza were still empty. Here and there, indeed, a curious face, belonging to some agent of the police, or tosome observer more firm than common, looked out from beneath the archesof the porticoes on the movements of the mob, though none ventured tocome within its influence. 

But the fishermen were no longer bent on violence. With the ficklenessof men little influenced by reflection, and subject to sudden andviolent emotions, a temperament which, the effect of a selfish system, is commonly tortured into the reason why it should never be improved, they had abandoned all idea of revenge on the agents of the police, andhad turned their thoughts to the religious services, which, beingcommanded by the prince himself, were so flattering to their class. 

It is true that a few of the sterner natures among them mingled menacesagainst the Bravo with their prayers for the dead, but these had noother effect on the matter in hand, than is commonly produced by theby-players on the principal action of the piece. 

The great portal of the venerable church was thrown open, and the solemnchant was heard issuing, in responses, from among the quaint columns andvaulted roofs within. The body of the lowly and sacrificed Antonio wasborne beneath that arch which sustains the precious relics of Grecianart, and deposited in the nave. Candles glimmered before the altar andaround the ghastly person of the dead, throughout the night; and thecathedral of St. Mark was pregnant with all the imposing ceremonials ofthe Catholic ritual, until the day once more appeared. 

Priest succeeded priest, in repeating the masses, while the attentivethrong listened, as if each of its members felt that his own honor andimportance were elevated by this concession to one of their number. Inthe square the maskers gradually reappeared, though the alarm had beentoo sudden and violent, to admit a speedy return to the levity whichordinarily was witnessed in that spot, between the setting and therising of the sun. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

 "'Tis of a lady in her earliest youth, The very last of that illustrious race. " ROGERS. 

When the fishermen landed on the quay, they deserted the gondola of thestate to a man. Donna Violetta and her governess heard the tumultuousdeparture of their singular captors with alarm, for they were nearly inentire ignorance of the motive which had deprived them of the protectionof Father Anselmo, and which had so unexpectedly made them actors in theextraordinary scene. The monk had simply explained that his offices wererequired in behalf of the dead, but the apprehension of excitingunnecessary terror prevented him from adding that they were in the powerof a mob. Donna Florinda, however, had ascertained sufficient, bylooking from the windows of the canopy and from the cries of thosearound her, to get a glimmering of the truth. Under the circumstances, she saw that the most prudent course was to keep themselves as much aspossible from observation. But when the profound stillness thatsucceeded the landing of the rioters announced that they were alone, both she and her charge had an intuitive perception of the favorablechance which fortune had so strangely thrown in their way. 

"They are gone!" whispered Donna Florinda, holding her breath inattention, as soon as she had spoken. 

"And the police will be soon here to seek us!"

No further explanation passed, for Venice was a town in which even theyoung and innocent were taught caution. Donna Florinda stole anotherlook without. 

"They have disappeared, Heaven knows where! Let us go!"

In an instant the trembling fugitives were on the quay. The Piazzettawas without a human form, except their own. A low, murmuring sound arosefrom the court palace, which resembled the hum of a disturbed hive; butnothing was distinct or intelligible. 

"There is violence meditated, " again whispered the governess; "would toGod that Father Anselmo were here!"

A shuffling footstep caught their ears, and both turned towards a boy, in the dress of one of the Lagunes, who approached from the direction ofthe Broglio. 

"A reverend Carmelite bid me give you this, " said the youth, stealing aglance behind him, like one who dreaded detection. Then putting a smallpiece of paper in the hand of Donna Florinda, he turned his own swarthypalm, in which a small silver coin glittered, to the moon, and vanished. 

By the aid of the same light the governess succeeded in tracingpencil-marks, in a hand that had been well known to her younger days. 

"Save thyself, Florinda--There is not an instant to lose. Avoid publicplaces, and seek a shelter quickly. "

"But whither?" asked the bewildered woman, when she had read aloud thescroll. 

"Anywhere but here, " rejoined Donna Violetta; "follow me. "

Nature frequently more than supplies the advantages of training andexperience, by her own gifts. Had Donna Florinda been possessed of thenatural decision and firmness of her pupil, she would not now have beenexisting in the isolated condition which is so little congenial tofemale habits, nor would Father Anselmo have been a monk. Both hadsacrificed inclination to what they considered to be duty, and if theungenial life of the governess was owing to the tranquil course of herordinary feelings, it is probable that its impunity was to be ascribedto the same respectable cause. Not so with Violetta. She was ever moreready to act than to reflect, and though, in general, the advantagemight possibly be with those of a more regulated temperament, there areoccasions that form exceptions to the rule. The present moment was oneof those turns in the chances of life, when it is always better to doanything than to do nothing. 

Donna Violetta had scarcely spoken, before her person was shadowedbeneath the arches of the Broglio. Her governess clung to her side, morein affection than in compliance with the warnings of the monk, or withthe dictates of her own reason. A vague and romantic intention ofthrowing herself at the feet of the Doge, who was a collateraldescendant of her own ancient house, had flashed across the mind of theyouthful bride, when she first fled; but no sooner had they reached thepalace, than a cry from the court acquainted them with its situation, and consequently with the impossibility of penetrating to the interior. 

"Let us retire, by the streets, to thy dwelling, my child, " said DonnaFlorinda, drawing her mantle about her in womanly dignity. "None willoffend females of our condition; even the Senate must, in the end, respect our sex. "

"This from thee, Florinda! Thou, who hast so often trembled for theiranger! But go, if thou wilt--I am no longer the Senate's. Don CamilloMonforte has my duty. "

Donna Florinda had no intention of disputing this point, and as themoment had now arrived when the most energetic was likely to lead, shequietly submitted herself to the superior decision of her pupil. Thelatter took the way along the portico, keeping always within itsshadows. In passing the gateway which opened towards the sea, thefugitives had a glimpse of what was going on in the court. The sightquickened their steps, and they now flew, rather than ran, along thearched passage. In a minute they were on the bridge which crosses thecanal of St. Mark, still flying with all their force. A few marinerswere looking from their feluccas and gazing in curiosity, but the sightof two terrified females, seeking refuge from a mob, had nothing initself likely to attract notice. 

At this moment, a dark mass of human bodies appeared advancing along thequay in the opposite direction. Arms glittered in the moon-beams, andthe measured tread of trained men became audible. The Dalmatians weremoving down from the arsenal in a body. Advance and retreat now seemedequally impossible to the breathless fugitives. As decision andself-possession are very different qualities, Donna Violetta did notunderstand so readily as the circumstances required, that it was morethan probable the hirelings of the Republic would consider the flightperfectly natural, as it had appeared to the curious gazers of the port. 

Terror made them blind, and as shelter was now the sole object of thefugitives, they would probably have sought it in the chamber of doomitself, had there been an opportunity. As it was, they turned andentered the first, and indeed the only gate which offered. They were metby a girl, whose anxious face betrayed that singular compound ofself-devotion and terror, which probably has its rise in the instinct offeminine sympathies. 

"Here is safety, noble ladies, " said the youthful Venetian, in the softaccent of her native islands; "none will dare do you harm within thesewalls. "

"Into whose palace have I entered?" demanded the half-breathlessVioletta. "If its owner has a name in Venice, he will not refusehospitality to a daughter of Tiepolo. "

"Signora, you are welcome, " returned the gentle girl, curtsying low, andstill leading the way deeper within the vast edifice. "You bear the nameof an illustrious house!"

"There are few in the Republic of note, from whom I may not claim, either the kindness of ancient and near services, or that of kindred. Dost thou serve a noble master?"

"The first in Venice, lady. "

"Name him, that we may demand his hospitality as befits us. "

"Saint Mark. "

Donna Violetta and her governess stopped short. 

"Have we unconsciously entered a portal of the palace?"

"That were impossible, lady, since the canal lies between you and theresidence of the Doge. Still is St. Mark master here. I hope you willnot esteem your safety less, because it has been obtained in the publicprison, and by the aid of its keeper's daughter. "

The moment for headlong decision was passed, and that of reflection hadreturned. 

"How art thou called, child?" asked Donna Florinda, moving ahead of herpupil and taking the discourse up, where in wonder the other hadpermitted it to pause. "We are truly grateful for the readiness withwhich thou threw open the gate for our admission, in a moment of suchalarm--How art thou called?"

"Gelsomina, " answered the modest girl. "I am the keeper's onlychild--and when I saw ladies of your honorable condition fleeing on thequay, with the Dalmatians marching on one side, and a mob shouting onthe other, I bethought me that even a prison might be welcome. "

"Thy goodness of heart did not mislead thee. "

"Had I known it was a lady of the Tiepolo, I should have been even moreready; for there are few of that great name now left to do us honor. "

Violetta curtsied to the compliment, but she seemed uneasy that hasteand pride of rank had led her so indiscreetly to betray herself. 

"Canst thou not lead us to some place less public?" she asked, observing that her conductor had stopped in a public corridor to makethis explanation. 

"Here you will be retired as in your own palaces, great ladies, "answered Gelsomina, turning into a private passage, and leading the waytowards the rooms of her family, from a window of which she had firstwitnessed the embarrassment of her guests. "None enter here, withoutcause, but my father and myself; and my father is much occupied with hischarge. "

"Hast thou no domestic?"

"None, lady. A prison-keeper's daughter should not be too proud to serveherself. "

"Thou sayest well. One of thy discretion, good Gelsomina, must know itis not seemly for females of condition to be thrown within walls likethese, even by accident, and thou wilt do us much favor, by taking morethan common means to be certain that we are unseen. We give thee muchtrouble, but it shall not go unrequited. Here is gold. "

Gelsomina did not answer, but as she stood with her eyes cast to thefloor, the color stole to her cheeks, until her usually bloodless facewas in a soft glow. 

"Nay, I have mistaken thy character!" said Donna Florinda, secreting thesequins, and taking the unresisting hand of the silent girl. "If I havepained thee by my indiscretion, attribute the offer to our dread of thedisgrace of being seen in this place. "

The glow deepened, and the lips of the girl quivered. 

"Is it then a disgrace to be innocently within these walls, lady?" sheasked, still with an averted eye. "I have long suspected this, but nonehas ever before said it, in my hearing!"

"Holy Maria pardon me! If I have uttered a syllable to pain thee, excellent girl, it has been unwittingly and without intention!"

"We are poor, lady, and the needy must submit to do that which theirwishes might lead them to avoid. I understand your feelings, and willmake sure of your being secret, and Blessed Maria will pardon a greatersin than any you have committed here. "

While the ladies were wondering, at witnessing such proofs of delicacyand feeling in so singular a place, the girl withdrew. 

"I had not expected this in a prison!" exclaimed Violetta. 

"As all is not noble or just in a palace, neither is all to be condemnedunheard, that we find in a prison. But this is, in sooth, anextraordinary girl for her condition, and we are indebted to blessed St. Theodore (crossing herself) for putting her in our way. "

"Can we do better than by making her a confidante and a friend?"

The governess was older, and less disposed than her pupil to confide inappearances. But the more ardent mind and superior rank of the latterhad given her an influence that the former did not always successfullyresist. Gelsomina returned before there was time to discuss the prudenceof what Violetta had proposed. 

"Thou hast a father, Gelsomina?" asked the Venetian heiress, taking thehand of the gentle girl, as she put her question. 

"Holy Maria be praised! I have still that happiness. "

"It is a happiness--for surely a father would not have the heart to sellhis own child to ambition and mercenary hopes! And thy mother?"

"Has long been bed-ridden, lady. I believe we should not have been here, but we have no other place so suitable for her sufferings as this jail. "

"Gelsomina, thou art happier than I, even in thy prison. I amfatherless--motherless--I could almost say, friendless. "

"And this from a lady of the Tiepolo!"

"All is not as it seems in this evil world, kind Gelsomina. We have hadmany Doges, but we have had much suffering. Thou mayest have heard thatthe house of which I come is reduced to a single, youthful girl likethyself, who has been left in the Senate's charge?"

"They speak little of these matters, lady, in Venice; and, of all here, none go so seldom into the square as I. Still have I heard of the beautyand riches of Donna Violetta. The last I hope is true; the first I nowsee is so. "

The daughter of Tiepolo colored, in turn, but it was not in resentment. 

"They have spoken in too much kindness for an orphan, " she answered;"though that fatal wealth is perhaps not over-estimated. Thou knowestthat the state charges itself with the care and establishment of allnoble females, whom Providence has left fatherless?"

"Lady, I did not. It is kind of St. Mark to do it!"

"Thou wilt think differently, anon. Thou art young, Gelsomina, and hastpassed thy time in privacy?"

"True, lady. It is seldom I go further than my mother's room, or thecell of some suffering prisoner. "

Violetta looked towards her governess, with an expression which seemedto say, that she anticipated her appeal would be made in vain, to one solittle exposed to the feelings of the world. 

"Thou wilt not understand, then, that a noble female may have littleinclination to comply with all the Senate's wishes, in disposing of herduties and affections?"

Gelsomina gazed at the fair speaker, but it was evident that she did notclearly comprehend the question. Again Violetta looked at the governessas if asking aid. 

"The duties of our sex are often painful, " said Donna Florinda, understanding the appeal with female instinct. "Our attachments may notalways follow the wishes of our friends. We may not choose, but wecannot always obey. "

"I have heard that noble ladies are not suffered to see those to whomthey are to be wedded, Signora, if that is what your eccellenza means, and, to me, the custom has always seemed unjust, if not cruel. "

"And are females of thy class permitted to make friends among those whomay become dearer at any other day?" asked Violetta. 

"Lady, we have that much freedom even in the prisons. "

"Then art thou happier than those of the palaces! I will trust thee, generous girl, for thou canst not be unfaithful to the weakness andwrongs of thy sex. "

Gelsomina raised a hand, as if to stop the impetuous confidence of herguest, and then she listened intently. 

"Few enter here, " she said; "but there are many ways of learning secretswithin these walls which are still unknown to me. Come deeper into therooms, noble ladies, for here is a place that I have reason to think issafe, even from listeners. "

The keeper's daughter led the way into the little room in which she wasaccustomed to converse with Jacopo. 

"You were saying, lady, that I had a feeling for the weakness andhelplessness of our sex, and surely you did me justice. "

Violetta had leisure to reflect an instant, in passing from one room tothe other, and she began her communications with more reserve. But thesensitive interest that a being of the gentle nature and secluded habitsof Gelsomina took in her narrative, won upon her own natural frankness, and, in a manner nearly imperceptible to herself, she made the keeper'sdaughter mistress of most of the circumstances under which she hadentered the prison. 

The cheek of Gelsomina became colorless as she listened and when DonnaVioletta ceased, every limb of her slight frame trembled with interest. 

"The Senate is a fearful power to resist!" she said, speaking so low ashardly to be audible. "Have you reflected, lady, on the chances of whatyou do?"

"If I have not, it is now too late to change my intentions, I am thewife of the Duke of Sant' Agata, and can never wed another. "

"Gesu! This is true. And yet, methinks, I would choose to die a nunrather than offend the council!"

"Thou knowest not, good girl, to what courage the heart of even a youngwife is equal. Thou art still bound to thy father, in the instructionand habits of childhood, but thou mayest live to know that all thy hopeswill centre in another. "

Gelsomina ceased to tremble, and her mild eye brightened. 

"The council is terrible, " she answered, "but it must be more terribleto desert one to whom you have vowed duty and love at the altar!"

"Hast thou the means of concealing us, kind girl, " interrupted DonnaFlorinda, "and canst thou, when this tumult shall be quieted, in anymanner help us to further secresy or flight?"

"Lady, I have none. Even the streets and squares of Venice are nearlystrangers to me. Santissima Maria! what would I give to know the ways ofthe town as well as my cousin Annina, who passes at will from herfather's shop to the Lido, and from St. Mark's to the Rialto, as herpleasure suits. I will send for my cousin, who will counsel us in thisfearful strait!"

"Thy cousin! Hast thou a cousin named Annina?"

"Lady, Annina. My mother's sister's child. "

"The daughter of a wine-seller called Tomaso Torti?"

"Do the noble dames of the city take such heed of their inferiors! Thiswill charm my cousin, for she has great desires to be noted by thegreat. "

"And does thy cousin come hither?"

"Rarely, lady--we are not of much intimacy. I suppose Annina finds agirl, simple and uninstructed as I, unworthy of her company. But shewill not refuse to aid us in a danger like this. I know she little lovesthe Republic, for we have had words on its acts, and my cousin has beenbolder of speech about them, than befits one of her years, in thisprison. "

"Gelsomina, thy cousin is a secret agent of the police, and unworthy ofthy confidence--"

"Lady!"

"I do not speak without reason. Trust me, she is employed in duties thatare unbecoming her sex, and unworthy of thy confidence. "

"Noble dames, I will not say anything to do displeasure to your highrank and present distress, but you should not urge me to think thus ofmy mother's niece. You have been unhappy, and you may have cause todislike the Republic, and you are safe here--but I do not desire to hearAnnina censured. "

Both Donna Florinda and her less experienced pupil knew enough of humannature, to consider this generous incredulity as a favorable sign of theintegrity of her who manifested it, and they wisely contented themselveswith stipulating that Annina should on no account be made acquaintedwith their situation. After this understanding, the three discussed moreleisurely the prospect of the fugitives being able to quit the place, when ready, without detection. 

At the suggestion of the governess, a servitor of the prison was sentout by Gelsomina, to observe the state of the square. He wasparticularly charged, though in a manner to avoid suspicion, to searchfor a Carmelite of the order of the bare-footed friars. On his return, the menial reported that the mob had quitted the court of the palace, and was gone to the cathedral, with the body of the fisherman who had sounexpectedly gained the prize in the regatta of the preceding day. 

"Repeat your aves and go to sleep, Bella Gelsomina, " concluded thesub-keeper, "for the fishermen have left off shouting to say theirprayers. Per Diana! The bare-headed and bare-legged rascals are asimpudent as if St. Mark were their inheritance! The noble patriciansshould give them a lesson in modesty, by sending every tenth knave amongthem to the galleys. Miscreants! to disturb the quiet of an orderly townwith their vulgar complaints!"

"But thou hast said nothing of the friar; is he with the rioters?"

"There is a Carmelite at the altar--but my blood boiled at seeing suchvagabonds disturb the peace of respectable persons, and I took littlenote of his air or years. "

"Then thou failedst to do the errand on which I sent thee. It is now toolate to repair thy fault. Thou canst return to thy charge. "

"A million pardons, Bellissima Gelsomina, but indignation is theuppermost feeling, when one in office sees his rights attacked by themultitude. Send me to Corfu, or to Candia, if you please, and I willbring back the color of every stone in their prisons, but do not send meamong rebels. My gorge rises at the sight of villany!"

As the keeper's daughter withdrew, while her father's assistant wasmaking this protestation of loyalty, the latter was compelled to givevent to the rest of his indignation in a soliloquy. 

One of the tendencies of oppression is to create a scale of tyranny, descending from those who rule a state, to those who domineer over asingle individual. He, who has been much accustomed to view men, neednot be told that none are so arrogant with their inferiors, as those whoare oppressed by their superiors; for poor human nature has a secretlonging to revenge itself on the weak for all the injuries it receivesfrom the strong. On the other hand, no class is so willing to renderthat deference, when unexacted, which is the proper meed of virtue, andexperience, and intelligence, as he who knows that he is fortified onevery side against innovations on his natural rights. Thus it is, thatthere is more security against popular violence and popular insults inthese free states, than in any other country on earth, for there isscarcely a citizen so debased as not to feel that, in assuming theappearance of a wish to revenge the chances of fortune, he is making anundue admission of inferiority. 

Though the torrent may be pent up and dammed by art, it is with theconstant hazard of breaking down the unnatural barriers; but left to itsown course, it will become the tranquil and the deep stream, until itfinally throws off its superfluous waters into the common receptacle ofthe ocean. 

When Gelsomina returned to her visitors, it was with a report favorableto their tranquillity. The riot in the court of the palace, and themovement of the Dalmatians, had drawn all eyes in another direction; andalthough some errant gaze might have witnessed their entrance into thegate of the prison, it was so natural a circumstance, that no one wouldsuspect females of their appearance of remaining there an instant longerthan was necessary. The momentary absence of the few servants of theprison, who took little heed of those who entered the open parts of thebuilding, and who had been drawn away by curiosity, completed theirsecurity. The humble room they were in was exclusively devoted to theuse of their gentle protector, and there was scarcely a possibility ofinterruption, until the council had obtained the leisure and the meansof making use of those terrible means, which rarely left anything itwished to know concealed. 

With this explanation Donna Violetta and her companion were greatlysatisfied. It left them leisure to devise means for their flight, andkindled a hope, in the former, of being speedily restored to DonCamillo. Still there existed the cruel embarrassment of not possessingthe means of acquainting the latter with their situation. As the tumultceased, they resolved to seek a boat, avored by such disguises as themeans of Gelsomina could supply, and to row to his palace; butreflection convinced Donna Florinda of the danger of such a step, sincethe Neapolitan was known to be surrounded by the agents of the police. Accident, which is more effectual than stratagem in defeating intrigues, had thrown them into a place of momentary security, and it would be tolose the vantage-ground of their situation to cast themselves, withoutthe utmost caution, into the hazards of the public canals. 

At length the governess bethought her of turning the services of thegentle creature, who had already shown so much sympathy in their behalf, to account. During the revelations of her pupil, the feminine instinctof Donna Florinda had enabled her to discover the secret springs whichmoved the unpractised feelings of their auditor. Gelsomina had listenedto the manner in which Don Camillo had thrown himself into the canal tosave the life of Violetta, with breathless admiration; her countenancewas a pure reflection of her thoughts, when the daughter of Tiepolospoke of the risks he had run to gain her love, and woman glowed inevery lineament of her mild face, when the youthful bride touched on thenature of the engrossing tie which had united them, and which was fartoo holy to be severed by the Senate's policy. 

"If we had the means of getting our situation to the ears of DonCamillo, " said the governess, "all might yet be saved; else will thishappy refuge in the prison avail us nothing. "

"Is the cavalier of too stout a heart to shrink before those up above?"demanded Gelsomina. 

"He would summon the people of his confidence, and ere the dawn of daywe might still be beyond their power. Those calculating senators willdeal with the vows of my pupil as if they were childish oaths, and setthe anger of the Holy See itself at defiance, when there is question oftheir interest. "

"But the sacrament of marriage is not of man; that, at least, they willrespect!"

"Believe it not. There is no obligation so solemn as to be respected, when their policy is concerned. What are the wishes of a girl, or whatthe happiness of a solitary and helpless female, to their fortunes? Thatmy charge is young, is a reason why their wisdom should interfere, though it is none to touch their hearts with the reflection that themisery to which they would condemn her, is to last the longer. They takeno account of the solemn obligations of gratitude; the ties of affectionare so many means of working upon the fears of those they rule, but nonefor forbearance; and they laugh at the devotedness of woman's love, as afolly to amuse their leisure, or to take off the edge of disappointmentin graver concerns. "

"Can anything be more grave than wedlock, lady?"

"To them it is important, as it furnishes the means of perpetuatingtheir honors and their proud names. Beyond this, the council lookslittle at domestic interests. "

"They are fathers and husbands!"

"True, for to be legally the first, they must become the last. Marriageto them is not a tie of sacred and dear affinity, but the means ofincreasing their riches and of sustaining their names, " continued thegoverness, watching the effect of her words on the countenance of theguileless girl. "They call marriages of affection children's games, andthey deal with the wishes of their own daughters, as they would trafficwith their commodities of commerce. When a state sets up an idol of goldas its god, few will refuse to sacrifice at its altar!"

"I would I might serve the noble Donna Violetta!"

"Thou art too young, good Gelsomina, and I fear too little practised inthe cunning of Venice. "

"Doubt me not, lady; for I can do my duty like another, in a goodcause. "

"If it were possible to convey to Don Camillo Monforte a knowledge ofour situation--but thou art too inexperienced for the service!"

"Believe it not, Signora, " interrupted the generous Gelsomina, whosepride began to stimulate her natural sympathies with one so near her ownage, and one too, like herself, subject to that passion which engrossesa female heart. "I may be apter than my appearance would give reason tothink. "

"I will trust thee, kind girl, and if the Sainted Virgin protects us, thy fortunes shall not be forgotten!"

The pious Gelsomina crossed herself, and, first acquainting hercompanions with her intentions, she went within to prepare herself, while Donna Florinda penned a note, in terms so guarded as to defydetection in the event of accident, but which might suffice to let thelord of St. Agata understand their present situation. 

In a few minutes the keeper's daughter reappeared. Her ordinary attire, which was that of a modest Venetian maiden of humble condition, neededno concealment; and the mask, an article of dress which none in thatcity were without, effectually disguised her features. She then receivedthe note, with the name of the street, and the palace she was to seek, adescription of the person of the Neapolitan, with often-repeatedcautions to be wary, and departed. 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

 "Which is the wiser here?--Justice or iniquity?" MEASURE FOR MEASURE. 

In the constant struggle between the innocent and the artful, the latterhave the advantage, so long as they confine themselves to familiarinterests. But the moment the former conquer their disgust for the studyof vice, and throw themselves upon the protection of their own highprinciples, they are far more effectually concealed from thecalculations of their adversaries than if they practised the mostrefined of their subtle expedients. Nature has given to every man enoughof frailty to enable him to estimate the workings of selfishness andfraud, but her truly privileged are those who can shroud their motivesand intentions in a degree of justice and disinterestedness, whichsurpass the calculations of the designing. Millions may bow to thecommands of a conventional right, but few, indeed, are they who know howto choose in novel and difficult cases. There is often a mystery invirtue. While the cunning of vice is no more than a pitiful imitation ofthat art which endeavors to cloak its workings in the thin veil ofdeception, the other, in some degree, resembles the sublimity ofinfallible truth. 

Thus men too much practised in the interests of life, constantlyoverreach themselves when brought in contact with the simple andintelligent; and the experience of every day proves that, as there is nofame permanent which is not founded on virtue, so there is no policysecure which is not bottomed on the good of the whole. Vulgar minds maycontrol the concerns of a community so long as they arc limited tovulgar views; but woe to the people who confide on great emergencies inany but the honest, the noble, the wise, and the philanthropic; forthere is no security for success when the meanly artful control theoccasional and providential events which regenerate a nation. More thanhalf the misery which has defeated as well as disgraced civilization, proceeds from neglecting to use those great men that are always createdby great occasions. 

Treating, as we are, of the vices of the Venetian system, our pen hasrun truant with its subject, since the application of the moral must bemade on the familiar scale suited to the incidents of our story. It hasalready been seen that Gelsomina was intrusted with certain importantkeys of the prison. For this trust there had been sufficient motive withthe wily guardians of the jail, who had made their calculations on herserving their particular orders, without ever suspecting that she wascapable of so far listening to the promptings of a generous temper, asmight induce her to use them in any manner prejudicial to their ownviews. The service to which they were now to be applied proved that thekeepers, one of whom was her own father, had not fully known how toestimate the powers of the innocent and simple. 

Provided with the keys in question, Gelsomina took a lamp and passedupwards from the mezzinino in which she dwelt, to the first floor of theedifice, instead of descending to its court. Door was opened after door, and many a gloomy corridor was passed by the gentle girl, with theconfidence of one who knew her motive to be good. She soon crossed theBridge of Sighs, fearless of interruption in that unfrequented gallery, and entered the palace. Here she made her way to a door that opened onthe common and public vomitories of the structure. Moving withsufficient care to make impunity from detection sure, she extinguishedthe light and applied the key. At the next instant she was on the vastand gloomy stairway. It required but a moment to descend it, and toreach the covered gallery which surrounded the court. A halberdier waswithin a few feet of her. He looked at the unknown female with interest;but as it was not his business to question those who issued from thebuilding, nothing was said. Gelsomina walked on. A half-repenting butvindictive being was dropping an accusation in the lion's mouth. Gelsomina stopped involuntarily until the secret accuser had done histreacherous work and departed. Then, when she was about to proceed, shesaw that the halberdier at the head of the Giant's stairway was smilingat her indecision, like one accustomed to such scenes. 

"Is there danger in quitting the palace?" she asked of the roughmountaineer. 

"Corpo di Bacco! There might have been an hour since, Bella Donna; butthe rioters are muzzled and at their prayers. "

Gelsomina hesitated no longer. She descended the well known flight, downwhich the head of Faliero had rolled, and was soon beneath the arch ofthe gate. Here the timid and unpractised maid again stopped, for shecould not venture into the square without assuring herself, like a deerabout to quit its cover, of the tranquillity of the place into which shewas to enter. 

The agents of the police had been too much alarmed by the rising of thefishermen not to call their usual ingenuity and finesse into play, themoment the disturbance was appeased. Money had been given to themountebanks and ballad singers to induce them to reappear, and groups ofhirelings, some in masks and others without concealment, wereostentatiously assembled in different parts of the piazza. In short, those usual expedients were resorted to which are constantly used torestore the confidence of a people, in those countries in whichcivilization is so new, that they are not yet considered sufficientlyadvanced to be the guardians of their own security. There are fewartifices so shallow that many will not be their dupes. The idler, thecurious, the really discontented, the factious, the designing, with asuitable mixture of the unthinking, and of those who only live for thepleasure of the passing hour, a class not the least insignificant fornumbers, had lent themselves to the views of the police; and whenGelsomina was ready to enter the Piazzetta, she found both the squarespartly filled. A few excited fishermen clustered about the doors of thecathedral, like bees swarming before their hive; but, on that side, there was no very visible cause of alarm. Unaccustomed as she was toscenes like that before her, the first glance assured the gentle girl ofthe real privacy which so singularly distinguishes the solitude of acrowd. Gathering her simple mantle more closely about her form, andsettling her mask with care, she moved with a swift step into the centreof the piazza. 

We shall not detail the progress of our heroine, as, avoiding thecommonplace gallantry that assailed and offended her ear, she went herway on her errand of kindness. Young, active, and impelled by herintentions, the square was soon passed, and she reached the place of SanNico. Here was one of the landings of the public gondolas. But at themoment there was no boat in waiting, for curiosity or fear had inducedthe men to quit their usual stand. Gelsomina had ascended the bridge, and was on the crown of its arch, when a gondolier came sweeping lazilyin from the direction of the Grand Canal. Her hesitation and doubtingmanner attracted his attention, and the man made the customary signwhich conveyed the offer of his services. As she was nearly a strangerin the streets of Venice, labyrinths that offer greater embarrassment tothe uninitiated than perhaps the passages of any other town of its size, she gladly availed herself of the offer. To descend to the steps, toleap into the boat, to utter the word "Rialto, " and to conceal herselfin the pavilion, was the business of a minute. The boat was instantly inmotion. 

Gelsomina now believed herself secure of effecting her purpose, sincethere was little to apprehend from the knowledge or the designs of acommon boatman. He could not know her object, and it was his interest tocarry her in safety to the place she had commanded. But so important wassuccess, that she could not feel secure of attaining it while it wasstill unaccomplished. She soon summoned sufficient resolution to lookout at the palaces and boats they were passing, and she felt therefreshing air of the canal revive her courage. Then turning with asensitive distrust to examine the countenance of the gondolier, she sawthat his features were concealed beneath a mask that was so welldesigned, as not to be perceptible to a casual observer by moonlight. 

Though it was common on occasions for the servants of the great, it wasnot usual for the public gondoliers to be disguised. The circumstanceitself was one justly to excite slight apprehension, though, on secondthoughts, Gelsomina saw no more in it than a return from some expeditionof pleasure, or some serenade perhaps, in which the caution of a loverhad compelled his followers to resort to this species of concealment. 

"Shall I put you on the public quay, Signora, " demanded the gondolier, "or shall I see you to the gate of your own palace?"

The heart of Gelsomina beat high. She liked the tone of the voice, though it was necessarily smothered by the mask, but she was so littleaccustomed to act in the affairs of others, and less still in any of sogreat interest, that the sounds caused her to tremble like one lessworthily employed. 

"Dost thou know the palace of a certain Don Camillo Monforte, a lord ofCalabria, who dwells here in Venice?" she asked, after a moment's pause. The gondolier sensibly betrayed surprise, by the manner in which hestarted at the question. 

"Would you be rowed there, lady?"

"If thou art certain of knowing the palazzo. "

The water stirred, and the gondola glided between high walls. Gelsominaknew by the sound that they were in one of the smaller canals, and sheaugured well of the boatman's knowledge of the town. They soon stoppedby the side of a water-gate, and the man appeared on the step, holdingan arm to aid her in ascending, after the manner of people of his craft. Gelsomina bade him wait her return, and proceeded. 

There was a marked derangement in the household of Don Camillo, that onemore practised than our heroine would have noted. The servants seemedundecided in the manner of performing the most ordinary duties; theirlooks wandered distrustfully from one to another, and when theirhalf-frightened visitor entered the vestibule, though all arose, noneadvanced to meet her. A female masked was not a rare sight in Venice, for few of that sex went upon the canals without using the customarymeans of concealment; but it would seem by their hesitating manner thatthe menials of Don Camillo did not view the entrance of her who nowappeared with the usual indifference. 

"I am in the dwelling of the Duke of St. Agata, a Signore of Calabria?"demanded Gelsomina, who saw the necessity of being firm. 

"Signora, si----"

"Is your lord in the palace?"

"Signora, he is--and he is not. What beautiful lady shall I tell himdoes him this honor?"

"If he be not at home it will not be necessary to tell him anything. Ifhe is, I could wish to see him. "

The domestics, of whom there were several, put their heads together, and seemed to dispute on the propriety of receiving the visit. At thisinstant a gondolier in a flowered jacket entered the vestibule. Gelsomina took courage at his good-natured eye and frank manner. 

"Do you serve Don Camillo Monforte?" she asked, as he passed her, on hisway to the canal. 

"With the oar, Bellissima Donna, " answered Gino, touching his cap, though scarce looking aside at the question. 

"And could he be told that a female wishes earnestly to speak to him inprivate?--A female. "

"Santa Maria! Bella Donna, there is no end to females who come on theseerrands in Venice. You might better pay a visit to the statue of SanTeodore, in the piazza, than see my master at this moment; the stonewill give you the better reception. "

"And this he commands you to tell all of my sex who come!"

"Diavolo! Lady, you are particular in your questions. Perhaps my mastermight, on a strait, receive one of the sex I could name, but on thehonor of a gondolier he is not the most gallant cavalier of Venice, justat this moment. "

"If there is one to whom he would pay this deference, you are bold for aservitor. How know you I am not that one?"

Gino started. He examined the figure of the applicant, and lifting hiscap, he bowed. 

"Lady, I do not know anything about it, " he said; "you may be hisHighness the Doge, or the ambassador of the emperor. I pretend to knownothing in Venice of late----"

The words of Gino were cut short by a tap on the shoulder from thepublic gondolier, who had hastily entered the vestibule. The manwhispered in the ear of Don Camillo's servitor. 

"This is not a moment to refuse any, " he said. "Let the stranger go up. "

Gino hesitated no longer. With the decision of a favored menial hepushed the groom of the chambers aside, and offered to conduct Gelsominahimself to the presence of his master. As they ascended the stairs, three of the inferior servants disappeared. 

The palace of Don Camillo had an air of more than Venetian gloom. Therooms were dimly lighted, many of the walls had been stripped of themost precious of their pictures, and in other respects a jealous eyemight have detected evidence of a secret intention, on the part of itsowner, not to make a permanent residence of the dwelling. But these wereparticulars that Gelsomina did not note, as she followed Gino throughthe apartments, into the more private parts of the building. Here thegondolier unlocked a door, and regarding his companion with an air, half-doubting, half-respectful, he made a sign for her to enter. 

"My master commonly receives the ladies here, " he said. "Enter, eccellenza, while I run to tell him of his happiness. "

Gelsomina did not hesitate, though she felt a violent throb at the heartwhen she heard the key turning in the lock behind her. She was in anante-chamber, and inferring from the light which shone through the doorof an adjoining room that she was to proceed, she went on. No sooner hadshe entered the little closet than she found herself alone, with one ofher own sex. 

"Annina!" burst from the lips of the unpractised prison-girl, under theimpulse of surprise. 

"Gelsomina! The simple, quiet, whispering, modest Gelsomina!" returnedthe other. 

The words of Annina admitted but of one construction. Wounded, like thebruised sensitive plant, Gelsomina withdrew her mask for air, actuallygasping for breath, between offended pride and wonder. 

"Thou here!" she added, scarce knowing-what she uttered. 

"Thou here!" repeated Annina, with such a laugh as escapes the degradedwhen they believe the innocent reduced to their own level. 

"Nay, I come on an errand of pity. "

"Santa Maria! we are both here with the same end!"

"Annina! I know not what thou would'st say! This is surely the palace ofDon Camillo Monforte! a noble Neapolitan, who urges claims to the honorsof the Senate?"

"The gayest, the handsomest, the richest, and the most inconstantcavalier in Venice! Hadst thou been here a thousand times thou could'stnot be better informed!"

Gelsomina listened in horror. Her artful cousin, who knew her characterto the full extent that vice can comprehend innocence, watched hercolorless cheek and contracting eye with secret triumph. At the firstmoment she had believed all that she insinuated, but second thoughts anda view of the visible distress of the frightened girl gave a newdirection to her suspicions. 

"But I tell thee nothing new, " she quickly added. "I only regret thoushould'st find me, where, no doubt, you expected to meet the Duca diSant' Agata himself. "

"Annina!--This from thee!"

"Thou surely didst not come to his palace to seek thy cousin!"

Gelsomina had long been familiar with grief, but until this moment shehad never felt the deep humiliation of shame. Tears started from hereyes, and she sank back into a seat, in utter inability to stand. 

"I would not distress thee out of bearing, " added the artful daughter ofthe wine-seller. "But that we are both in the closet of the gayestcavalier of Venice, is beyond dispute. "

"I have told thee that pity for another brought me hither. "

"Pity for Don Camillo. "

"For a noble lady--a young, a virtuous, and a beautiful wife--a daughterof the Tiepolo--of the Tiepolo, Annina!"

"Why should a lady of the Tiepolo employ a girl of the public prisons!"

"Why!--because there has been injustice by those up above. There hasbeen a tumult among the fishermen--and the lady and her governess wereliberated by the rioters--and his Highness spoke to them in the greatcourt--and the Dalmatians were on the quay--and the prison was a refugefor ladies of their quality, in a moment of so great terror--and theHoly Church itself has blessed their love--"

Gelsomina could utter no more, but breathless with the wish to vindicateherself, and wounded to the soul by the strange embarrassment of hersituation, she sobbed aloud. Incoherent as had been her language, shehad said enough to remove every doubt from the mind of Annina. Privy tothe secret marriage, to the rising of the fishermen, and to thedeparture of the ladies from the convent on a distant island, where theyhad been carried on quitting their own palace, the preceding night, andwhither she had been compelled to conduct Don Camillo, who hadascertained the departure of those he sought without discovering theirdestination, the daughter of the wine-seller readily comprehended, notonly the errand of her cousin, but the precise situation of thefugitives. 

"And thou believest this fiction, Gelsomina?" she said, affecting pityfor her cousin's credulity. "The characters of thy pretended daughter ofTiepolo and her governess are no secrets to those who frequent thepiazza of San Marco. "

"Hadst thou seen the beauty and innocence of the lady, Annina, thouwould'st not say this!"

"Blessed San Teodoro! What is more beautiful than vice! 'Tis thecheapest artifice of the devil to deceive frail sinners. This thou hastheard of thy confessor, Gelsomina, or he is of much lighter discoursethan mine. "

"But why should a woman of this life enter the prisons?"

"They had good reasons to dread the Dalmatians, no doubt. But it is inmy power to tell thee more, of these thou hast entertained, with suchperil to thine own reputation. There are women in Venice who discredittheir sex in various ways, and of these more particularly she who callsherself Florinda, is notorious for her agency in robbing St. Mark of hisrevenue. She has received a largess from the Neapolitan, of wines grownon his Calabrian mountains, and wishing to tamper with my honesty, sheoffered the liquor to me, expecting one like me to forget my duty, andto aid her in deceiving the Republic. "

"Can this be true, Annina!"

"Why should I deceive thee! Are we not sisters' children, and thoughaffairs on the Lido keep me much from thy company, is not the lovebetween us natural! I complained to the authorities, and the liquorswere seized, and the pretended noble ladies were obliged to hidethemselves this very day. 'Tis thought they wish to flee the city withtheir profligate Neapolitan. Driven to take shelter, they have sent theeto acquaint him with their hiding-place, in order that he may come totheir aid. "

"And why art thou here, Annina?"

"I marvel that thou didst not put the question sooner. Gino, thegondolier of Don Camillo, has long been an unfavored suitor of mine, andwhen this Florinda complained of my having, what every honest girl inVenice should do, exposed her fraud to the authorities, she advised hismaster to seize me, partly in revenge, and partly with the vain hope ofmaking me retract the complaint I have made. Thou hast heard of thebold violence of these cavaliers when thwarted in their wills. "

Annina then related the manner of her seizure, with sufficientexactitude, merely concealing those facts that it was not her interestto reveal. 

"But there is a lady of the Tiepolo, Annina!"

"As sure as there are cousins like ourselves. Santa Madre di Dio! thatwoman so treacherous and so bold should have met one of thy innocence!It would have been better had they fallen in with me, who am tooignorant for their cunning, blessed St. Anna knows!--but who have not tolearn their true characters. "

"They did speak of thee, Annina!"

The glance which the wine-seller's daughter threw at her cousin, wassuch as the treacherous serpent casts at the bird; but preserving herself-possession she added--

"Not to my favor; it would sicken me to hear words of favor from such asthey!"

"They are not thy friends, Annina. "

"Perhaps they told thee, child, that I was in the employment of thecouncil?"

"Indeed they did. "

"No wonder. Your dishonest people can never believe one can do an act ofpure conscience. But here comes the Neapolitan. --Note the libertine, Gelsomina, and thou wilt feel for him the same disgust as I!"

The door opened, and Don Camillo Monforte entered. There was anappearance of distrust in his manner, which proved that he did notexpect to meet his bride. Gelsomina arose, and, though bewildered by thetale of her cousin, and her own previous impressions, she stoodresembling a meek statue of modesty, awaiting his approach. TheNeapolitan was evidently struck by her beauty, and the simplicity of herair, but his brow was fixed, like that of a man who had steeled hisfeelings against deceit. 

"Thou would'st see me?" he said. 

"I had that wish, noble Signore, but--Annina--"

"Seeing another, thy mind hath changed. "

"Signore, it has. "

Don Camillo looked at her earnestly, and with manly regret. 

"Thou art young for thy vocation--here is gold. Retire as thouearnest. --But hold--dost thou know this Annina?"

"She is my mother's sister's daughter, noble Duca. 

"Per Diana! a worthy sisterhood! Depart together, for I have no need ofeither. But mark me, " and as he spoke, Don Camillo took Annina by thearm, and led her aside, when he continued with a low but menacingvoice--"Thou seest I am to be feared, as well as thy Councils. Thoucanst not cross the threshold of thy father without my knowledge. Ifprudent, thou wilt teach thy tongue discretion. Do as thou wilt, I fearthee not; but remember, prudence. "

Annina made an humble reverence, as if in acknowledgment of the wisdomof his advice, and taking the arm of her half-unconscious cousin, sheagain curtsied, and hurried from the room. As the presence of theirmaster in his closet was known to them, none of the menials presumed tostop those who issued from the privileged room. Gelsomina, who was evenmore impatient than her wily companion to escape from a place shebelieved polluted, was nearly breathless when she reached the gondola. Its owner was in waiting on the steps, and in a moment the boat whirledaway from a spot which both of those it contained were, though forreasons so very different, glad to quit. 

Gelsomina had forgotten her mask in her hurry, and the gondola was nosooner in the great canal than she put her face at the window of thepavilion in quest of the evening air. The rays of the moon fell upon herguileless eye, and a cheek that was now glowing, partly with offendedpride, and partly with joy at her escape from a situation she felt tobe so degrading. Her forehead was touched with a finger, and turning shesaw the gondolier making a sign of caution. He then slowly lifted hismask. 

"Carlo!" had half burst from her lips, but another sign suppressed thecry. 

Gelsomina withdrew her head, and, after her beating heart had ceased tothrob, she bowed her face and murmured thanksgivings at finding herself, at such a moment, under the protection of one who possessed all herconfidence. 

The gondolier asked no orders for his direction. The boat moved on, taking the direction of the port, which appeared perfectly natural tothe two females. 

Annina supposed it was returning to the square, the place she would havesought had she been alone, and Gelsomina, who believed that he whom shecalled Carlo, toiled regularly as a gondolier for support, fancied, ofcourse, that he was taking her to her ordinary residence. 

But though the innocent can endure the scorn of the world, it is hardindeed to be suspected by those they love. All that Annina had told herof the character of Don Camillo and his associates came gradually acrossthe mind of the gentle Gelsomina, and she felt the blood creeping to hertemples, as she saw the construction her lover might put on her conduct. A dozen times did the artless girl satisfy herself with saying inwardly, "he knows me and will believe the best, " and as often did her feelingsprompt her to tell the truth. Suspense is far more painful, at suchmoments, than even vindication, which, in itself, is a humiliating dutyto the virtuous. Pretending a desire to breathe the air, she left hercousin in the canopy. Annina was not sorry to be alone, for she had needto reflect on all the windings of the sinuous path on which she hadentered. 

Gelsomina succeeded in passing the pavilion, and in gaining the side ofthe gondolier. 

"Carlo!"--she said, observing that he continued to row in silence. 

"Gelsomina!"

"Thou hast not questioned me!"

"I know thy treacherous cousin, and can believe thou art her dupe. Themoment to learn the truth will come. "

"Thou didst not know me, Carlo, when I called thee from the bridge?"

"I did not. Any fare that would occupy my time was welcome. "

"Why dost thou call Annina treacherous?"

"Because Venice does not hold a more wily heart, or a falser tongue. "

Gelsomina remembered the warning of Donna Florinda. Possessed of theadvantage of blood, and that reliance which the inexperienced alwaysplace in the integrity of their friends, until exposure comes to destroythe illusion, Annina had found it easy to persuade her cousin of theunworthiness of her guests. But here was one who had all her sympathies, who openly denounced Annina herself. In such a dilemma the bewilderedgirl did what nature and her feelings suggested. She recounted, in a lowbut rapid voice, the incidents of the evening, and Annina's constructionof the conduct of the females whom she had left behind in the prison. 

Jacopo listened so intently that his oar dragged in the water. 

"Enough, " he said, when Gelsomina, blushing with her own earnestness tostand exculpated in his eyes, had done; "I understand it all. Distrustthy cousin, for the Senate itself is not more false. "

The pretended Carlo spoke cautiously, but in a firm voice. Gelsominatook his meaning, though wondering at what she heard, and returned toAnnina within. The gondola proceeded, as if nothing had occurred. 

CHAPTER XXV. 

 "Enough. I could be merry now: Hubert, I love thee; Well, I'll not say what I intend for thee: Remember. " KING JOHN. 

Jacopo was deeply practised in the windings of Venetian deceit. He knewhow unceasingly the eyes of the Councils, through their agents, were onthe movements of those in whom they took an interest, and he was farfrom feeling all the advantage circumstances had seemingly thrown in hisway. Annina was certainly in his power, and it was not possible that shehad yet communicated the intelligence, derived from Gelsomina, to any ofher employers. But a gesture, a look in passing the prison-gates, theappearance of duresse, or an exclamation, might give the alarm to someone of the thousand spies of the police. The disposal of Annina's personin some place of safety, therefore, became the first and the mostmaterial act. To return to the palace of Don Camillo, would be to gointo the midst of the hirelings of the Senate; and although theNeapolitan, relying on his rank and influence, had preferred this step, when little importance was attached to the detention of the girl, andwhen all she knew had been revealed, the case was altered, now that shemight become the connecting link in the information necessary to enablethe officers to find the fugitives. 

The gondola moved on. Palace after palace was passed, and the impatientAnnina thrust her head from a window to note its progress. They cameamong the shipping of the port, and her uneasiness sensibly increased. Making? pretext similar to that of Gelsomina, the wine-seller's daughterquitted the pavilion, to steal to the side of the gondolier. 

"I would be landed quickly at the water-gate of the Doge's palace, " shesaid, slipping a piece of silver into the hand of the boatman. 

"You shall be served, Bella Donna. But--Diamine! I marvel that a girl ofthy wit should not scent the treasures in yonder felucca!"

"Dost thou mean the Sorrentine?"

"What other padrone brings as well flavored liquors within the Lido!Quiet thy impatience to land, daughter of honest old Maso, and trafficwith the padrone, for the comfort of us of the canals. "

"How! Thou knowest me, then?"

"To be the pretty wine-seller of the Lido. Corpo di Bacco! Thou art aswell known as the sea-wall itself to us gondoliers. "

"Why art thou masked? Thou canst not be Luigi!"

"It is little matter whether I am called Luigi, or Enrico, or Giorgio; Iam thy customer, and honor the shortest hair of thy eyebrows. Thouknowest, Annina, that the young patricians have their frolics, and theyswear us gondoliers to keep secret till all danger of detection is over;were any impertinent eyes following me, I might be questioned as to themanner of having passed the earlier hours. "

"Methinks it would be better to have given thee gold, and to have sentthee at once to thy home. "

"To be followed like a denounced Hebrew to my door. When I haveconfounded my boat with a thousand others it will be time to uncover. Wilt thou to the Bella Sorrentina?"

"Nay, 'tis not necessary to ask, since thou takest the direction ofthine own will?"

The gondolier laughed and nodded his head, as if he would give hiscompanion to understand that he was master of her secret wishes. Anninawas hesitating in what manner she should make him change his purpose, when the gondola touched the felucca's side. 

"We will go up and speak to the padrone, " whispered Jacopo. 

"It is of no avail; he is without liquors. "

"Trust him not; I know the man and his pretences, "

"Thou forgettest my cousin. "

"She is an innocent and unsuspecting child. "

Jacopo lifted Annina, as he spoke, on the deck of the Bella Sorrentina, in a manner between gallantry and force, and leaped after her. Withoutpausing, or suffering her to rally her thoughts, he led her to the cabinstairs, which she descended, wondering at his conduct, but determinednot to betray her own secret wrongs on the customs to a stranger. 

Stefano Milano was asleep in a sail on deck. A touch aroused him, and asign gave him to understand that the imaginary Roderigo stood beforehim. 

"A thousand pardons, Signore, " said the gaping mariner; "is the freightcome?"

"In part only. I have brought thee a certain Annina Torti, the daughterof old Tommaso Torti, a wine-seller of the Lido. "

"Santa Madre! does the Senate think it necessary to send one like herfrom the city in secret?"

"It does; and it lays great stress on her detention. I have come hitherwith her, without suspicion of my object, and she has been prevailed onto enter thy cabin, under a pretence of some secret dealings in wines. According to our former understanding, it will be thy business to makesure of her presence. "

"That is easily done, " returned Stefano, stepping forward and closingthe cabin-door, which he secured by a bolt. 

"She is alone, now, with the image of our Lady, and a better occasionto repeat her aves cannot offer. "

"This is well, if thou canst keep her so. It is now time to lift thyanchors, and to go beyond the tiers of the vessels with the felucca. "

"Signore, there wants but five minutes for that duty, since we areready. "

"Then perform it, in all speed, for much depends on the management ofthis delicate duty. I will be with thee anon. Harkee, Master Stefano;take heed of thy prisoner, for the Senate makes great account of hersecurity. "

The Calabrian made such a gesture, as one initiated uses, when he wouldexpress a confidence in his own shrewdness. While the pretended Roderigore-entered his gondola, Stefano began to awaken his people. As thegondola entered the canal of San Marco, the sails of the felucca fell, and the low Calabrian vessel stole along the tiers towards the clearwater beyond. 

The boat quickly touched the steps of the water-gate of the palace. Gelsomina entered the arch, and glided up the Giant's Stairway, theroute by which she had quitted the palace. The halberdier was the samethat watched as she went out. He spoke to her, in gallantry, but offeredno impediment to her entrance. 

"Haste, noble ladies, hasten for the love of the Holy Virgin!" exclaimedGelsomina, as she burst into the room in which Donna Violetta and hercompanion awaited her appearance. "I have endangered your liberty by myweakness, and there is not a moment to lose. Follow while you may, norstop to whisper even a prayer. "

"Thou art hurried and breathless, " returned Donna Florinda; "hast thouseen the Duca di Sant' Agata?"

"Nay, question me not, but follow, noble dames. " Gelsomina seized thelamp, and casting a glance that appealed strongly to her visitors fortacit compliance, she led the way into the corridors. It is scarcelynecessary to say that she was followed. 

The prison was left in safety, the Bridge of Sighs was passed, for itwill be remembered that Gelsomina was still mistress of the keys, andthe party went swiftly by the great stairs of the palace into the opengallery. No obstruction was offered to their progress, and they alldescended to the court, with the quiet demeanor of females who went outon their ordinary affairs. 

Jacopo awaited at the water-gate. In less than a minute he was drivinghis gondola across the port, following the course of the felucca, whosewhite sail was visible in the moonlight, now bellying in the breeze, andnow flapping as the mariners checked her speed. Gelsomina watched theirprogress for a moment in breathless interest, and then she crossed thebridge of the quay, and entered the prison by its public gate. 

"Hast thou made sure of the old 'Maso's daughter?" demanded Jacopo, onreaching the deck of the Bella Sorrentina again. 

"She is like shifting ballast, Master Roderigo; first on one side of thecabin, and then on the other; but you see the bolt is undrawn. "

"'Tis well: here is more of thy freight; thou hast the proper passes forthe galley of the guard?"

"All is in excellent order, Signore; when was Stefano Milano out of rulein a matter of haste? Diamine! let the breeze come, and though theSenate should wish us back again, it might send all its sbirri after usin vain. "

"Excellent, Stefano! fill thy sails, then, for our masters watch yourmovements, and set a value on your diligence. "

While the Calabrian complied, Jacopo assisted the females to come up outof the gondola. In a moment the heavy yards swung off, wing and wing, and the bubbles that appeared to glance past the side of the BellaSorrentina, denoted her speed. 

"Thou hast noble ladies in thy passengers, " said Jacopo to the padrone, when the latter was released from the active duties of getting hisvessel in motion; "and though policy requires that they should quit thecity for a time, thou wilt gain favor by consulting their pleasures. "

"Doubt me not, Master Roderigo; but thou forgettest that I have not yetreceived my sailing instructions; a felucca without a course is as badlyoff as an owl in the sun. "

"That in good time; there will come an officer of the Republic to settlethis matter with thee. I would not have these noble ladies know, thatone like Annina is to be their fellow-passenger, while they are near theport; for they might complain of disrespect. Thou understandest, Stefano?"

"Cospetto! am I a fool? a blunderer? if so, why does the Senate employme? the girl is out of hearing, and there let her stay. As long as thenoble dames are willing to breathe the night air, they shall have noneof her company. "

"No fear of them. The dwellers of the land little relish the pent air ofthy cabin. Thou wilt go without the Lido, Stefano, and await my coming. If thou should'st not see me before the hour of one, bear away for theport of Ancona, where thou wilt get further tidings. "

Stefano, who had often previously received his instructions from theimaginary Roderigo, nodded assent, and they parted. It is scarcelynecessary to add, that the fugitives had been fully instructed in theconduct they were to maintain. 

The gondola of Jacopo never flew faster, than he now urged it towardsthe land. In the constant passage of the boats, the movements of onewere not likely to be remarked; and he found, when he reached the quayof the square, that his passing and repassing had not been observed. Heboldly unmasked and landed. It was near the hour when he had given DonCamillo a rendezvous in the piazza, and he walked slowly up the smallersquare, towards the appointed place of meeting. 

Jacopo, as has been seen in an earlier chapter, had a practice ofwalking near the columns of granite in the first hours of the night. Itwas the vulgar impression that he waited there for custom in his bloodycalling, as men of more innocent lives take their stands in places ofmark. When seen on his customary stand, he was avoided by all who werechary of their character, or scrupulous of appearances. 

The persecuted and yet singularly tolerated Bravo, was slowly pacing theflags on his way to the appointed place, unwilling to anticipate themoment, when a laquais thrust a paper into his hand, and disappeared asfast as legs would carry him. It has been seen that Jacopo could notread, for that was an age when men of his class were studiously kept inignorance. He turned to the first passenger who had the appearance ofbeing likely to satisfy his wishes, and desired him to do the office ofinterpreter. 

He had addressed an honest shop-keeper of a distant quarter. The mantook the scroll, and good-naturedly commenced reading its contentsaloud. "I am called away, and cannot meet thee, Jacopo!" At the name ofJacopo, the tradesman dropped the paper and fled. 

The Bravo walked slowly back again towards the quay, ruminating on theawkward accident which had crossed his plans; his elbow was touched, anda masker confronted him when he turned. 

"Thou art Jacopo Frontoni?" said the stranger. 

"None else. "

"Thou hast a hand to serve an employer faithfully?"

"I keep my faith. "

"'Tis well, thou wilt find a hundred sequins in this sack. "

"Whose life is set against this gold?" asked Jacopo, in an under tone. 

"Don Camillo Monforte. "

"Don Camillo Monforte!"

"The same; dost thou know the rich noble!"

"You have well described him, Signore. He would pay his barber this forletting blood. "

"Do thy job thoroughly, and the price shall be doubled. "

"I want the security of a name. I know you not, Signore. "

The stranger looked cautiously around him, and raising his mask for aninstant, he showed the countenance of Giacomo Gradenigo. 

"Is the pledge sufficient?"

"Signore, it is. When must this deed be done?"

"This night. Nay, this hour, even. "

"Shall I strike a noble of his rank in his palace--in his verypleasures?"

"Come hither, Jacopo, and thou shalt know more. Hast thou a mask?"

The Bravo signified his assent. 

"Then keep thy face behind a cloud, for it is not in favor here, andseek thy boat. I will join thee. "

The young patrician, whose form was effectually concealed by his attire, quitted his companion, with a view of rejoining him anew, where hisperson should not be known. Jacopo forced his boat from among the crowdat the quay, and having entered the open space between the tiers, he layon his oar, well knowing that he was watched, and that he would soon befollowed. His conjecture was right, for in a few moments a gondolapulled swiftly to the side of his own, and two men in masks passed fromthe strange boat into that of the Bravo, without speaking. 

"To the Lido, " said a voice, which Jacopo knew to be that of his newemployer. 

He was obeyed, the boat of Giacomo Gradenigo following at a littledistance. When they were without the tiers, and consequently beyond thedanger of being overheard, the two passengers came out of the pavilion, and made a sign to the Bravo to cease rowing. 

"Thou wilt accept the service, Jacopo Frontoni?" demanded the profligateheir of the old senator. 

"Shall I strike the noble in his pleasures, Signore?"

"It is not necessary. We have found means to lure him from his palace, and he is now in thy power, with no other hope than that which may comefrom his single arm and courage. Wilt thou take the service?"

"Gladly, Signore--It is my humor to encounter the brave. "

"Thou wilt be gratified. The Neapolitan has thwarted me in my--shall Icall it love, Hosea; or hast thou a better name?"

"Just Daniel! Signor Giacomo, you have no respect for reputations andsurety! I see no necessity for a home thrust, Master Jacopo; but a smartwound, that may put matrimony out of the head of the Duca for a time atleast, and penitence into its place, would be better--"

"Strike to the heart!" interrupted Giacomo. "It is the certainty of thyblow which has caused me to seek thee. "

"This is usurious vengeance, Signor Giacomo, " returned the less resoluteJew. "'Twill be more than sufficient for our purposes, if we cause theNeapolitan to keep house for a month. "

"Send him to his grave. Harkee, Jacopo, a hundred for thy blow--a secondfor insurance of its depth--a third if the body shall be buried in theOrfano, so that the water will never give back the secret. "

"If the two first must be performed, the last will be prudent caution, "muttered the Jew, who was a wary villain, and who greatly preferred suchsecondary expedients as might lighten the load on his conscience. "Youwill not trust, young Signore, to a smart wound?"

"Not a sequin. 'Twill be heating the fancy of the girl with hopes andpity. Dost thou accept the terms, Jacopo?"

"I do. "

"Then row to the Lido. Among the graves of Hosea's people--why dost thoupull at my skirts, Jew! would'st thou hope to deceive a man of thischaracter with a flimsy lie--among the graves of Hosea's people thouwilt meet Don Camillo within the hour. He is deluded by a pretendedletter from the lady of our common pursuit, and will be alone, in thehopes of flight; I trust to thee to hasten the latter, so far as theNeapolitan is concerned. Dost take my meaning?"

"Signore, it is plain. "

"'Tis enough. Thou knowest me, and can take the steps necessary for thyreward as thou shalt serve me. Hosea, our affair is ended. "

Giacomo Gradenigo made a sign for his gondola to approach, and droppinga sack which contained the retainer in this bloody business, he passedinto it with the indifference of one who had been accustomed to considersuch means of attaining his object lawful. Not so Hosea: he was a roguerather than a villain. The preservation of his money, with thetemptation of a large sum which had been promised him by both father andson in the event of the latter's success with Violetta, wereirresistible temptations to one who had lived contemned by those aroundhim, and he found his solace for the ruthless attempt in the acquisitionof those means of enjoyment which are sought equally by Christian andJew. Still his blood curdled at the extremity to which Giacomo wouldpush the affair, and he lingered to utter a parting word to the Bravo. 

"Thou art said to carry a sure stiletto, honest Jacopo, " he whispered. "A hand of thy practice must know how to maim as well as to slay. Strike the Neapolitan smartly, but spare his life. Even the bearer of apublic dagger like thine may not fare the worse, at the coming ofShiloh, for having been tender of his strength on occasion. "

"Thou forgettest the gold, Hosea!"

"Father Abraham! what a memory am I getting in my years! Thou sayesttruth, mindful Jacopo; the gold shall be forthcoming in anyevent--always provided that the affair is so managed as to leave myyoung friend a successful adventurer with the heiress. "

Jacopo made an impatient gesture, for at that moment he saw a gondolierpulling rapidly towards a private part of the Lido. The Hebrew joinedhis companion, and the boat of the Bravo darted ahead. It was not longere it lay on the strand of the Lido. The steps of Jacopo were rapid, ashe moved towards those proscribed graves among which he had made hisconfession to the very man he was now sent to slay. 

"Art thou sent to meet me?" demanded one who started from behind arising in the sands, but who took the precaution to bare his rapier ashe appeared. 

"Signor Duca, I am, " returned the Bravo, unmasking. 

"Jacopo! This is even better than I had hoped. Hast thou tidings from mybride?"

"Follow, Don Camillo, and you shall quickly meet her. "

Words were unnecessary to persuade, when there was such a promise. Theywere both in the gondola of Jacopo, and on their way to one of thepassages through the Lido which conducts to the gulf, before the Bravocommenced his explanation. This, however, was quickly made, notforgetting the design of Giacomo Gradenigo on the life of his auditor. 

The felucca, which had been previously provided with the necessary passby the agents of the police itself, had quitted the port under easy sailby the very inlet through which the gondola made its way into theAdriatic. The water was smooth, the breeze fresh from the land, and inshort all things were favorable to the fugitives. Donna Violetta and hergoverness were leaning against a mast, watching with impatient eyes thedistant domes and the midnight beauty of Venice. Occasionally strains ofmusic came to their ears from the canals, and then a touch of naturalmelancholy crossed the feelings of the former as she feared they mightbe the last sounds of that nature she should ever hear from her nativetown. But unalloyed pleasure drove every regret from her mind when DonCamillo leaped from the gondola and folded her in triumph to his heart. 

There was little difficulty in persuading Stefano Milano to abandon forever the service of the Senate for that of his feudal lord. The promisesand commands of the latter were sufficient of themselves to reconcilehim to the change, and all were convinced there was no time to lose. Thefelucca soon spread her canvas to the wind and slid away from the beach. Jacopo permitted his gondola to be towed a league to sea before heprepared to re-enter it. 

"You will steer for Ancona, Signor Don Camillo, " said the Bravo, leaningon the felucca's side, still unwilling to depart, "and throw yourself atonce under the protection of the Cardinal Secretary. If Stefano keep thesea he may chance to meet the galleys of the Senate. "

"Distrust us not--but thou, my excellent Jacopo--what wilt thou becomein their hands?"

"Fear not for me, Signore. God disposes of all as he sees fit. I havetold your eccellenza that I cannot yet quit Venice. If fortune favor me, I may still see your stout castle of Sant' Agata. "

"And none will be more welcome within its secure walls; I have much fearfor thee, Jacopo!"

"Signore, think not of it. I am used to danger--and to misery--and tohopelessness. I have known a pleasure this night, in witnessing thehappiness of two young hearts, that God, in his anger, has long deniedme. Lady, the Saints keep you, and God, who is above all, shield youfrom harm!"

He kissed the hand of Donna Violetta, who, half ignorant still of hisservices, listened to his words in wonder. 

"Don Camillo Monforte, " he continued, "distrust Venice to your dyingday. Let no promises--no hopes--no desire of increasing your honors oryour riches, ever tempt you to put yourself in her power. None know thefalsehood of the state better than I, and with my parting words I warnyou to be wary!"

"Thou speakest as if we were to meet no more, worthy Jacopo!"

The Bravo turned, and the action brought his features to the moon. Therewas a melancholy smile, in which deep satisfaction at the success of thelovers was mingled with serious forebodings for himself. 

"We are certain only of the past, " he said in a low voice. 

Touching the hand of Don Camillo, he kissed his own and leaped hastilyinto his gondola. The fast was thrown loose, and the felucca glidedaway, leaving this extraordinary being alone on the waters. TheNeapolitan ran to the taffrail, and the last he saw of Jacopo, theBravo, was rowing leisurely back towards that scene of violence anddeception from which he himself was so glad to have escaped. 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

 "My limbs are bowed, though not with toil, But rusted with a vile repose, For they have been a dungeon's spoil, And mine hath been the fate of those To whom the goodly earth and air Are banned, and barred--forbidden fare. " PRISONER OF CHILLON. 

When the day dawned on the following morning the square of St. Mark wasempty. The priests still chanted their prayers for the dead near thebody of old Antonio, and a few fishermen still lingered in and near thecathedral, but half persuaded of the manner in which their companion hadcome to his end. But as was usual at that hour of the day the cityappeared tranquil, for though a slight alarm had passed through thecanals at the movement of the rioters, it had subsided in that speciousand distrustful quiet, which is more or less the unavoidable consequenceof a system that is not substantially based on the willing support ofthe mass. 

Jacopo was again in the attic of the Doge's palace, accompanied by thegentle Gelsomina. As they threaded the windings of the building, herecounted to the eager ear of his companion all the details connectedwith the escape of the lovers; omitting, as a matter of prudence, theattempt of Giacomo Gradenigo on the life of Don Camillo. The unpractisedand single-hearted girl heard him in breathless attention, the color ofher cheek and the changeful eye betraying the force of her sympathies ateach turn in their hazardous adventure. 

"And dost thou think they can yet escape from those up above?" murmuredGelsomina, for few in Venice would trust their voices, by putting such aquestion aloud. "Thou knowest the Republic hath at all times its galleysin the Adriatic!"

"We have had thought of that, and the Calabrian is advised to steer forthe mole of Ancona. Once within the States of the Church the influenceof Don Camillo and the rights of his noble wife will protect them. Isthere a place here whence we can look out upon the sea?"

Gelsomina led the Bravo into an empty room of the attic which commandeda view of the port, the Lido, and the waste of water beyond. The breezecame in strong currents over the roofs of the town, and causing themasts of the port to rock, it lighted on the Lagunes, without the tiersof the shipping. From this point to the barrier of sand, it was apparentby the stooping sails and the struggles of the gondoliers who pulledtowards the quay, that the air was swift. Without the Lido itself, theelement was shadowed and fitful, while further in the distance thetroubled waters, with their crests of foam, sufficiently proved itspower. 

"Santa Maria be praised!" exclaimed Jacopo, when his understanding eyehad run over the near and distant view--"they are already far down thecoast, and with a wind like this they cannot fail to reach their havenin a few hours. Let us go to the cell. "

Gelsomina smiled when he assured her of the safety of the fugitives, buther look saddened when he changed the discourse. Without reply, however, she did as he desired, and in a very few moments they were standing bythe side of the prisoner's pallet. The latter did not appear to observetheir entrance, and Jacopo was obliged to announce himself. 

"Father!" he said, with that melancholy pathos which always crept intohis voice when he addressed the old man, "it is I. "

The prisoner turned, and though, evidently much enfeebled since thelast visit, a wan smile gleamed on his wasted features. 

"And thy mother, boy?" he asked, so eagerly as to cause Gelsomina toturn hastily aside. 

"Happy, father--happy. "

"Happy without me?"

"She is ever with thee in spirit, father. She thinks of thee in herprayers. Thou hast a saint for an intercessor in my mother--father. "

"And thy good sister?"

"Happy too--doubt it not, father. They are both patient and resigned. "

"The Senate, boy?"

"Is the same: soulless, selfish, and pretending!" answered Jacoposternly; then turning away his face, in bitterness of heart, thoughwithout permitting the words to be audible, he cursed them. 

"The noble Signori were deceived in believing me concerned in theattempt to rob their revenues, " returned the patient old man; "one daythey will see and acknowledge their error. "

Jacopo made no answer, for unlettered as he was, and curtailed of thatknowledge which should be, and is bestowed on all by every paternalgovernment, the natural strength of his mind had enabled him tounderstand that a system, which on its face professed to be founded onthe superior acquirements of a privileged few, would be the least likelyto admit the fallacy of its theories, by confessing it could err. 

"Thou dost the nobles injustice, son; they are illustrious patricians, and have no motive in oppressing one like me. "

"None, father, but the necessity of maintaining the severity of thelaws, which make them senators and you a prisoner. "

"Nay, boy, I have known worthy gentlemen of the Senate! There was thelate Signor Tiepolo, who did me much favor in my youth. But for thisfalse accusation, I might now have been one of the most thriving of mycraft in Venice. "

"Father, we will pray for the soul of the Tiepolo. "

"Is the senator dead?"

"So says a gorgeous tomb in the church of the Redentore. "

"We must all die at last, " whispered the old man, crossing himself. "Doge as well as patrician--patrician as well as gondolier, --Jaco--"

"Father!" exclaimed the Bravo, so suddenly as to interrupt the comingword; then kneeling by the pallet of the prisoner, he whispered in hisear, "thou forgettest there is reason why thou should'st not call me bythat name. I have told thee often if thus called my visits must stop. "

The prisoner looked bewildered, for the failing of nature rendered thatobscure which was once so evident to his mind. After gazing long at hisson, his eye wandered between him and the wall, and he smiledchildishly. 

"Wilt thou look, good boy, if the spider is come back?"

Jacopo groaned, but he rose to comply. 

"I do not see it, father; the season is not yet warm. "

"Not warm! my veins feel heated to bursting. Thou forgettest this is theattic, and that these are the leads, and then the sun--oh! the sun! Theillustrious senators do not bethink them of the pain of passing thebleak winter below the canals, and the burning summers beneath hotmetal. "

"They think of nothing but their power, " murmured Jacopo--"that which iswrongfully obtained, must be maintained by merciless injustice--but whyshould we speak of this, father; hast thou all thy body needs?"

"Air--son, air!--give me of that air, which God has made for the meanestliving thing. "

The Bravo rushed towards those fissures in the venerable but pollutedpile he had already striven to open, and with frantic force heendeavored to widen them with his hands. The material resisted, thoughblood flowed from the ends of his fingers in the desperate effort. 

"The door, Gelsomina, open wide the door!" he cried, turning away fromthe spot, exhausted with his fruitless exertions. 

"Nay, I do not suffer now, my child--it is when thou hast left me, andwhen I am alone with my own thoughts, when I see thy weeping mother andneglected sister, that I most feel the want of air--are we not in thefervid month of August, son?"

"Father, it is not yet June. "

"I shall then have more heat to bear! God's will be done, and blessedSanta Maria, his mother undefiled!--give me strength to endure it. "

The eye of Jacopo gleamed with a wildness scarcely less frightful thanthe ghastly look of the old man, his chest heaved, his fingers wereclenched, and his breathing was audible. 

"No, " he said, in a low, but in so determined a voice, as to prove howfiercely his resolution was set, "thou shalt not await their torments:arise, father, and go with me. The doors are open, the ways of thepalace are known to me in the darkest night, and the keys are at hand. Iwill find means to conceal thee until dark, and we will quit theaccursed Republic for ever. "

Hope gleamed in the eye of the old captive, as he listened to thisfrantic proposal, but distrust of the means immediately altered itsexpression. 

"Thou forgettest those up above, son. "

"I think only of One truly above, father. "

"And this girl--how canst thou hope to deceive her?"

"She will take thy place--she is with us in heart, and will lendherself to a seeming violence. I do not promise for thee idly, kindestGelsomina?"

The frightened girl, who had never before witnessed so plain evidence ofdesperation in her companion, had sunk upon an article of furniture, speechless. The look of the prisoner changed from one to the other, andhe made an effort to rise, but debility caused him to fall backwards, and not till then did Jacopo perceive the impracticability, on manyaccounts, of what, in a moment of excitement, he had proposed. A longsilence followed. The hard breathing of Jacopo gradually subsided, andthe expression of his face changed to its customary settled andcollected look. 

"Father, " he said, "I must quit thee; our misery draws near a close. "

"Thou wilt come to me soon again?"

"If the saints permit--thy blessing, father. "

The old man folded his hands above the head of Jacopo, and murmured aprayer. When this pious duty was performed, both the Bravo and Gelsominabusied themselves a little time in contributing to the bodily comfortsof the prisoner, and then they departed in company. 

Jacopo appeared unwilling to quit the vicinity of the cell. A melancholypresentiment seemed to possess his mind, that these stolen visits weresoon to cease. After a little delay, however, they descended to theapartments below, and as Jacopo desired to quit the palace withoutre-entering the prisons, Gelsomina prepared to let him out by theprincipal corridor. 

"Thou art sadder than common, Carlo, " she observed, watching withfeminine assiduity his averted eye. "Methinks thou should'st rejoice inthe fortunes of the Neapolitan, and of the lady of the Tiepolo. "

"That escape is like a gleam of sunshine in a wintry day. Good girl--butwe are observed! who is yon spy on our movements?"

"'Tis a menial of the palace; they constantly cross us in this part ofthe building: come hither, if thou art weary. The room is little used, and we may again look out upon the sea. "

Jacopo followed his mild conductor into one of the neglected closets ofthe second floor, where, in truth, he was glad to catch a glimpse of thestate of things in the piazza, before he left the palace. His first lookwas at the water, which was still rolling southward, before the galefrom the Alps. Satisfied with this prospect, he bent his eye beneath. Atthe instant, an officer of the Republic issued from the palace gate, preceded by a trumpeter, as was usual, when there was occasion to makepublic proclamation of the Senate's will. Gelsomina opened the casement, and both leaned forward to listen. When the little procession hadreached the front of the cathedral, the trumpet sounded, and the voiceof the officer was heard. 

"Whereas many wicked and ruthless assassinations have of late beencommitted on the persons of divers good citizens of Venice, "--heproclaimed--"the Senate, in its fatherly care of all whom it is chargedto protect, has found reason to resort to extraordinary means ofpreventing the repetition of crimes so contrary to the laws of God andthe security of society. The illustrious Ten therefore offer, thuspublicly, a reward of one hundred sequins to him who shall discover theperpetrator of any of these most horrible assassinations; and, whereas, during the past night, the body of a certain Antonio, a well knownfisherman, and a worthy citizen, much esteemed by the patricians, hasbeen found in the Lagunes, and, whereas, there is but too much reason tobelieve that he has come to his death by the hands of a certain JacopoFrontoni, who has the reputation of a common Bravo, but who has beenlong watched in rain by the authorities, with the hope of detecting himin the commission of some one of the aforesaid horrible assassinations;now, all good and honest citizens of the Republic are enjoined to assistthe authorities in seizing the person of the said Jacopo Frontoni, eventhough he should take sanctuary: for Venice can no longer endure thepresence of one of his sanguinary habits, and for the encouragement ofthe same, the Senate, in its paternal care, offers the reward of threehundred sequins. " The usual words of prayer and sovereignty closed theproclamation. 

As it was not usual for those who ruled so much in the dark to maketheir intentions public, all near listened with wonder and awe to thenovel procedure. Some trembled, lest the mysterious and much-dreadedpower was about to exhibit itself; while most found means of makingtheir admiration of the fatherly interest of their rulers audible. 

None heard the words of the officer with more feeling than Gelsomina. She bent her body far from the window, in order that not a syllableshould escape her. 

"Did'st thou hear, Carlo?" demanded the eager girl, as she drew back herhead; "they proclaim, at last, money for the monster who has committedso many murders!"

Jacopo laughed; but to the ears of his startled companion the soundswere unnatural. 

"The patricians are just, and what they do is right, " he said. "They areof illustrious birth, and cannot err! They will do their duty. "

"But here is no other duty than that they owe to God, and to thepeople. "

"I have heard of the duty of the people, but little is said of theSenate's. "

"Nay, Carlo, we will not refuse them credit when in truth they seek tokeep the citizens from harm. This Jacopo is a monster, detested by all, and his bloody deeds have too long been a reproach to Venice. Thouhearest that the patricians are not niggard of their gold, when there ishope of his being taken. Listen! they proclaim again!"

The trumpet sounded, and the proclamation was repeated between thegranite columns of the Piazzetta, and quite near to the window occupiedby Gelsomina and her unmoved companion. 

"Why dost thou mask, Carlo?" she asked, when the officer had done; "itis not usual to be disguised in the palace at this hour. "

"They will believe it the Doge, blushing to be an auditor of his ownliberal justice, or they may mistake me for one of the Three itself. "

"They go by the quay to the arsenal; thence they will take boat, as iscustomary, for the Rialto. "

"Thereby giving this redoubtable Jacopo timely notice to secretehimself! Your judges up above are mysterious when they should be open;and open when they should be secret. I must quit thee, Gelsomina; go, then, back to the room of thy father, and leave me to pass out by thecourt of the palace. "

"It may not be, Carlo--thou knowest the permission of the authorities--Ihave exceeded--why should I wish to conceal it from thee--but it was notpermitted to thee to enter at this hour. "

"And thou hast had the courage to transgress the leave for my sake, Gelsomina?"

The abashed girl hung her head, and the color which glowed about hertemples was like the rosy light of her own Italy. 

"Thou would'st have it so, " she said. 

"A thousand thanks, dearest, kindest, truest Gelsomina; but doubt not mybeing able to leave the palace unseen. The danger was in entering. Theywho go forth do it with the air of having authority. "

"None pass the halberdiers masked by day, Carlo, but they who have thesecret word. "

The Bravo appeared struck with this truth, and there was greatembarrassment expressed in his manner. The terms of his admittance wereso well understood to himself, that he distrusted the expediency ofattempting to get upon the quays by the prison, the way he had entered, since he had little doubt that his retreat would be intercepted by thosewho kept the outer gate, and who were probably, by this time, in thesecret of his true character. It now appeared that egress by the otherroute was equally hazardous. He had not been surprised so much by thesubstance of the proclamation, as by the publicity the Senate had seenfit to give to its policy, and he had heard himself denounced, with asevere pang, it is true, but without terror. Still he had so many meansof disguise, and the practice of personal concealment was so general inVenice, that he had entertained no great distrust of the result until henow found himself in this awkward dilemma. Gelsomina read his indecisionin his eye, and regretted that she should have caused him so muchuneasiness. 

"It is not so bad as thou seemest to think, Carlo, " she observed; "theyhave permitted thee to visit thy father at stated hours, and thepermission is a proof that the Senate is not without pity. Now that I, to oblige thy wishes, have forgotten one of their injunctions, they willnot be so hard of heart as to visit the fault as a crime. "

Jacopo gazed at her with pity, for well did he understand how little sheknew of the real nature and wily policy of the state. 

"It is time that we should part, " he said, "lest thy innocence should bemade to pay the price of my mistake. I am now near the public corridor, and must trust to my fortune to gain the quay. "

Gelsomina hung upon his arm, unwilling to trust him to his own guidancein that fearful building. 

"It will not do, Carlo; thou wilt stumble on a soldier, and thy faultwill be known; perhaps they will refuse to let thee come again; perhapsaltogether shut the door of thy poor father's cell. "

Jacopo made a gesture for her to lead the way, and followed. With abeating, but still lightened heart, Gelsomina glided along the passages, carefully locking each door, as of wont, behind her, when she had passedthrough it. At length they reached the well known Bridge of Sighs. Theanxious girl went on with a lighter step, when she found herselfapproaching her own abode, for she was busy in planning the means ofconcealing her companion in her father's rooms, should there be hazardin his passing out of the prison during the day. 

"But a single minute, Carlo, " she whispered, applying the key to thedoor which opened into the latter building--the lock yielded, but thehinges refused to turn. Gelsomina paled as she added--"They have drawnthe bolts within!"

"No matter; I will go down by the court of the palace, and boldly passthe halberdier unmasked. "

Gelsomina, after all, saw but little risk of his being known by themercenaries who served the Doge, and, anxious to relieve him from soawkward a position, she flew back to the other end of the gallery. Another key was applied to the door by which they had just entered, withthe same result. Gelsomina staggered back, and sought support againstthe waft. 

"We can neither return nor proceed!" she exclaimed, frightened she knewnot why. 

"I see it all, " answered Jacopo, "we are prisoners on the fatal bridge. "

As he spoke, the Bravo calmly removed his mask, and showed thecountenance of a man whose resolution was at its height. 

"Santa Madre di Dio! what can it mean?"

"That we have passed here once too often, love. The council is tender ofthese visits. "

The bolts of both doors grated, and the hinges creaked at the sameinstant. An officer of the inquisition entered armed, and bearingmanacles. Gelsomina shrieked, but Jacopo moved not limb or muscle, whilehe was fettered and chained. 

"I too!" cried his frantic companion. "I am the most guilty--bindme--cast me into a cell, but let poor Carlo go. "

"Carlo!" echoed an officer, laughing unfeelingly. 

"Is it such a crime to seek a father in his prison! They knew of hisvisits--they permitted them--he has only mistaken the hour. "

"Girl, dost thou know for whom thou pleadest?"

"For the kindest heart--the most faithful son in Venice! Oh! if ye hadseen him weep as I have done, over the sufferings of the old captive--ifye had seen his very form shivering in agony, ye would have pity onhim!"

"Listen, " returned the officer, raising a finger for attention. 

The trumpeter sounded on the bridge of St. Mark, immediately beneaththem, and proclamation was again made, offering gold for the arrest ofthe Bravo. 

"'Tis the officer of the Republic, bidding for the head of one whocarries a common stiletto, " cried the half-breathless Gelsomina, wholittle heeded the ceremony at that instant; "he merits his fate. "

"Then why resist it?"

"Ye speak without meaning!"

"Doting girl, this is Jacopo Frontoni!"

Gelsomina would have disbelieved her ears, but for the anguishedexpression of Jacopo's eye. The horrible truth burst upon her mind, andshe fell lifeless. At that moment the Bravo was hurried from the bridge. 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

 "Let us lift up the curtain, and observe What passes in that chamber. " ROGERS. 

There were many rumors uttered in the fearful and secret manner whichcharacterized the manner of the town, in the streets of Venice that day. Hundreds passed near the granite columns, as if they expected to see theBravo occupying his accustomed stand, in audacious defiance of theproclamation, for so long and so mysteriously had he been permitted toappear in public, that men had difficulty in persuading themselves hewould quit his habits so easily. It is needless to say that the vagueexpectation was disappointed. Much was also said, vauntingly, in behalfof the Republic's justice, for the humbled are bold enough in praisingtheir superiors; and he, who had been dumb for years on subjects of apublic nature, now found his voice like a fearless freeman. 

But the day passed away without any new occurrence to call the citizensfrom their pursuits. The prayers for the dead were continued with littleintermission, and masses were said before the altars of half thechurches for the repose of the fisherman's soul. His comrades, a littledistrustful, but greatly gratified, watched the ceremonies with jealousyand exultation singularly blended. Ere the night set in again, they wereamong the most obedient of those the oligarchy habitually trod upon; forsuch is the effect of this species of domination, that it acquires apower to appease, by its flattery, the very discontents created by itsinjustice. Such is the human mind: a factitious but deeply-seatedsentiment of respect is created by the habit of submission, which givesthe subject of its influence a feeling of atonement, when he who haslong played the superior comes down from his stilts, and confesses thecommunity of human frailties!

The square of St. Mark filled at the usual hour, the patricians desertedthe Broglio as of wont, and the gaieties of the place were againuppermost, before the clock had struck the second hour of the night. Gondolas, filled with noble dames, appeared on the canals; the blinds ofthe palaces were raised for the admission of the sea-breeze;--and musicbegan to be heard in the port, on the bridges, and under the balconiesof the fair. The course of society was not to be arrested, merelybecause the wronged were unavenged, or the innocent suffered. 

There stood, then, on the grand canal, as there stand now, many palacesof scarcely less than royal magnificence. The reader has had occasion tobecome acquainted with one or two of these splendid edifices, and it isnow our duty to convey him, in imagination, to another. 

The peculiarity of construction, which is a consequence of the waterysite of Venice, gives the same general character to all the superiordwellings of that remarkable town. The house to which the thread of thenarrative now leads us, had its water-gate, its vestibule, its massivemarble stairs, its inner court, its magnificent suites of rooms above, its pictures, its lustres, and its floors of precious stones embedded incomposition, like all those which we have already found it necessary todescribe. 

The hour was ten, according to our own manner of computing time. A smallbut lovely family picture presented itself, deep within the walls of thepatrician abode to which we have alluded. There was a father, agentleman who had scarcely attained the middle age, with an eye in whichspirit, intelligence, philanthropy, and, at that moment, paternalfondness were equally glowing. He tossed in his arms, with paternalpride, a laughing urchin of some three or four years, who rioted in theamusement which brought him, and the author of his being, for a timeseemingly on a level. A fair Venetian dame, with golden locks andglowing cheeks, such as Titian loved to paint her sex, reclined on acouch nigh by, following the movements of both, with the joint feelingsof mother and wife, and laughing in pure sympathy with the noisymerriment of her young hope. A girl, who was the youthful image ofherself, with tresses that fell to her waist, romped with a crowinginfant, whose age was so tender as scarcely to admit the uncertainevidence of its intelligence. Such was the scene as the clock of thepiazza told the hour. Struck with the sound, the father set down the boyand consulted his watch. 

"Dost thou use thy gondola to-night, love?" he demanded. 

"With thee, Paolo?"

"Not with me, dearest; I have affairs which will employ me untiltwelve. "

"Nay, thou art given to cast me off, when thy caprices are wayward. "

"Say not so. I have named to-night for an interview with my agent, and Iknow thy maternal heart too well, to doubt thy being willing to spare mefor that time, while I look to the interests of these dear ones. "

The Donna Giulietta rang for her mantle and attendants. The crowinginfant and the noisy boy were dismissed to their beds, while the ladyand the eldest child descended to the gondola. Donna Giulietta was notpermitted to go unattended to her boat, for this was a family in whichthe inclinations had fortunately seconded the ordinary calculations ofinterest when the nuptial knot was tied. Her husband kissed her handfondly, as he assisted her into the gondola, and the boat had glidedsome distance from the palace ere he quitted the moist stones of thewater-gate. 

"Hast thou prepared the cabinet for my friends?" demanded the SignorSoranzo, for it was the same Senator who had been in company with theDoge when the latter went to meet the fishermen. 

"Signore, si. "

"And the quiet, and the lights--as ordered?"

"Eccellenza, all will be done. "

"Thou hast placed seats for six--we shall be six. "

"Signore, there are six arm-chairs. "

"'Tis well: when the first of my friends arrive, I will join them. "

"Eccellenza, there are already two cavaliers in masks within. "

The Signor Soranzo started, again consulted his watch, and went hastilytowards a distant and very silent part of the palace. He reached a smalldoor unattended, and closing it, found himself at once in the presenceof those who evidently awaited his appearance. 

"A thousand pardons, Signori, " cried the master of the house; "this isnovel duty to me, at least--I know not what may be your honorableexperience--and the time stole upon me unmarked. I pray for grace, Messires; future diligence shall repair the present neglect. "

Both the visitors were older men than their host, and it was quiteevident by their hardened visages they were of much longer practice inthe world. His excuses were received with courtesy, and, for a littletime, the discourse was entirely of usage and convention. 

"We are in secret here, Signore?" asked one of the guests, after somelittle time had been wasted in this manner. 

"As the tomb. None enter here unbidden but my wife, and she has thismoment taken boat for better enjoyment of the evening. "

"The world gives you credit, Signor Soranzo, for a happy ménage. I hopeyou have duly considered the necessity of shutting the door even againstthe Donna Giulietta to-night?"

"Doubt me not, Signore; the affairs of St. Mark are paramount. "

"I feel myself thrice happy, Signori, that in drawing a lot for thesecret council, my good fortune hath given me so excellent colleagues. Believe me, I have discharged this awful trust, in my day, in lessagreeable company. "

This flattering speech, which the wily old senator had made regularly toall whom chance had associated with him in the inquisition, during along life, was well received, and it was returned with equalcompliments. 

"It would appear that the worthy Signor Alessandro Gradenigo was one ofour predecessors, " he continued, looking at some papers; for though theactual three were unknown, at the time being, to all but a fewsecretaries and officers of the state, Venetian policy transmitted theirnames to their successors, as a matter of course, --"a noble gentleman, and one of great devotion to the state!"

The others assented, like men accustomed to speak with caution. 

"We were about to have entered on our duties at a troublesome moment, Signori, " observed another. "But it would seem that this tumult of thefishermen has already subsided. I understand the knaves had some reasonfor their distrust of the state. "

"It is an affair happily settled, " answered the senior of the three, whowas long practised in the expediency of forgetting all that policyrequired should cease to be remembered after the object was attained. "The galleys must be manned, else would St. Mark quickly hang his headin shame. "

The Signor Soranzo, who had received some previous instruction in hisnew duties, looked melancholy; but he, too, was merely the creature of asystem. 

"Is there matter of pressing import for our reflection?" he demanded. 

"Signori, there is every reason to believe that the state has justsustained a grievous loss. Ye both well know the heiress of Tiepolo, byreputation at least, though her retired manner of life may have kept youfrom her company. "

"Donna Giulietta is eloquent in praise of her beauty, " said the younghusband. 

"We had not a better fortune in Venice, " rejoined the third inquisitor. 

"Excellent in qualities, and better in riches, as she is, I fear we havelost her, Signori! Don Camillo Monforte, whom God protect until we haveno future use for his influence! had come near to prevail against us;but just as the state baffled his well laid schemes, the lady has beenthrown by hazard into the hands of the rioters, since which time thereis no account of her movements!"

Paolo Soranzo secretly hoped she was in the arms of the Neapolitan. 

"A secretary has communicated to me the disappearance of the Duca diSant' Agata also, " observed the third; "nor is the felucca, usuallyemployed in distant and delicate missions, any longer at her anchors. "

The two old men regarded each other as if the truth was beginning todawn upon their suspicions. They saw that the case was hopeless, and astheirs was altogether a practical duty, no time was lost in uselessregrets. 

"We have two affairs which press, " observed the elder. "The body of theold fisherman must be laid quietly in the earth with as little risk offuture tumult as may be; and we have this notorious Jacopo to disposeof. "

"The latter must first be taken, " said the Signor Soranzo. 

"That has been done already. Would you think it, Sirs he was seized inthe very palace of the Doge!"

"To the block with him without delay!"

The old men again looked at each other, and it was quite apparent that, as both of them had been in previous councils, they had a secretintelligence, to which their companion was yet a stranger. There wasalso visible in their glances something like a design to manage hisfeelings before they came more openly to the graver practices of theirduties. 

"For the sake of blessed St. Mark, Signori, let justice be done openlyin this instance!" continued the unsuspecting member of the Three. "Whatpity can the bearer of a common stiletto claim? and what more lovelyexercise of our authority than to make public an act of severe andmuch-required justice?"

The old senators bowed to this sentiment of their colleague, which wasuttered with the fervor of young experience, and the frankness of anupright mind; for there is a conventional acquiescence in receivedmorals which is permitted, in semblance at least, to adorn the mosttortuous. 

"It may be well, Signore Soranzo, to do this homage to the right, "returned the elder. "Here have been sundry charges found in differentlions' mouths against the Neapolitan, Signor Don Camillo Monforte. Ileave it to your wisdom, my illustrious colleagues, to decide on theircharacter. "

"An excess of malice betrays its own origin, " exclaimed the leastpractised member of the Inquisition. "My life on it, Signori, theseaccusations come of private spleen, and are unworthy of the state'sattention. I have consorted much with the young lord of Sant' Agata, anda more worthy gentleman does not dwell among us. "

"Still hath he designs on the hand of old Tiepolo's daughter!"

"Is it a crime in youth to seek beauty? He did great service to thelady in her need, and that youth should feel these sympathies is nothingstrange. "

"Venice hath her sympathies, as well as the youngest of us all, Signore. "

"But Venice cannot wed the heiress!"

"True. St. Mark must be satisfied with playing the prudent father'spart. You are yet young, Signore Soranzo, and the Donna Giulietta is ofrare beauty! As life wears upon ye both, ye will see the fortunes ofkingdoms, as well as of families, differently. But we waste our breathuselessly in this matter, since our agents have not yet reported theirsuccess in the pursuit. The most pressing affair, just now, is thedisposition of the Bravo. Hath his Highness shown you the letter of thesovereign pontiff, in the question of the intercepted dispatches, Signore?"

"He hath. A fair answer was returned by our predecessors, and it mustrest there. "

"We will then look freely into the matter of Jacopo Frontoni. There willbe necessity of our assembling in the chamber of the Inquisition, thatwe may have the prisoner confronted to his accusers. 'Tis a grave trial, Signori, and Venice would lose in men's estimation, were not the highesttribunal to take an interest in its decision. "

"To the block with the villain!" again exclaimed the Signor Soranzo. 

"He may haply meet with that fate, or even with the punishment of thewheel. A mature examination will enlighten us much on the course whichpolicy may dictate. "

"There can be but one policy when the protection of the lives of ourcitizens is in question. I have never before felt impatience to shortenthe life of man, but in this trial I can scarce brook delay. "

"Your honorable impatience shall be gratified, Signor Soranzo: for, foreseeing the urgency of the case, my colleague, the worthy senator whois joined with us in this high duty, and myself, have already issuedthe commands necessary to that object. The hour is near, and we willrepair to the chamber of the Inquisition in time to our duty. "

The discourse then turned on subjects of a more general concern. Thissecret and extraordinary tribunal, which was obliged to confine itsmeetings to no particular place, which could decide on its decreesequally in the Piazza or the palace, amidst the revelries of themasquerade or before the altar, in the assemblies of the gay or in theirown closets, had of necessity much ordinary matter submitted to itsinspection. As the chances of birth entered into its originalcomposition, and God hath not made all alike fit for so heartless aduty, it sometimes happened, as in the present instance, that the moreworldly of its members had to overcome the generous disposition of acolleague, before the action of the terrible machine could go on. 

It is worthy of remark, that communities always establish a higherstandard of justice and truth, than is exercised by their individualmembers. The reason is not to be sought for, since nature hath left toall a perception of that right, which is abandoned only under thestronger impulses of personal temptation. We commend the virtue wecannot imitate. Thus it is that those countries, in which public opinionhas most influence, are always of the purest public practice. It followsas a corollary from this proposition, that a representation should be asreal as possible, for its tendency will be inevitably to elevatenational morals. Miserable, indeed, is the condition of that people, whose maxims and measures of public policy are below the standard of itsprivate integrity, for the fact not only proves it is not the master ofits own destinies, but the still more dangerous truth, that thecollective power is employed in the fatal service of undermining thosevery qualities which are necessary to virtue, and which have enough todo, at all times, in resisting the attacks of immediate selfishness. Astrict legal representation of all its interests is far more necessaryto a worldly than to a simple people, since responsibility, which is theessence of a free government, is more likely to keep the agents of anation near to its own standard of virtue than any other means. Thecommon opinion that a Republic cannot exist without an extraordinarydegree of virtue in its citizens, is so flattering to our own actualcondition, that we seldom take the trouble to inquire into its truth;but, to us, it seems quite apparent that the effect is here mistaken forthe cause. It is said, as the people are virtually masters in aRepublic, that the people ought to be virtuous to rule well. So far asthis proposition is confined to degrees, it is just as true of aRepublic as of any other form of government. But kings do rule, andsurely all have not been virtuous; and that aristocracies have ruledwith the very minimum of that quality, the subject of our talesufficiently shows. That, other things being equal, the citizens of aRepublic will have a higher standard of private virtue than the subjectsof any other form of government, is true as an effect, we can readilybelieve; for responsibility to public opinion existing in all thebranches of its administration, that conventional morality whichcharacterizes the common sentiment, will be left to act on the mass, andwill not be perverted into a terrible engine of corruption, as is thecase when factitious institutions give a false direction to itsinfluence. 

The case before us was in proof of the truth of what has here been said. The Signor Soranzo was a man of great natural excellence of character, and the charities of his domestic circle had assisted in confirming hisoriginal dispositions. Like others of his rank and expectations, he had, from time to time, made the history and polity of the self-styledRepublic his study, and the power of collective interests and speciousnecessities had made him admit sundry theories, which, presented inanother form, he would have repulsed with indignation. Still the SignorSoranzo was far from understanding the full effects of that systemwhich he was born to uphold. Even Venice paid that homage to publicopinion, of which there has just been question, and held forth to theworld but a false picture of her true state maxims. Still, many of thosewhich were too apparent to be concealed were difficult of acceptance, with one whose mind was yet untainted with practice; and the youngsenator rather shut his eyes on their tendency, or, as he felt theirinfluence in every interest which environed him, but that of poor, neglected, abstract virtue, whose rewards were so remote, he was fain toseek out some palliative, or some specious and indirect good as theexcuse for his acquiescence. 

In this state of mind the Signor Soranzo was unexpectedly admitted amember of the Council of Three. Often, in the day-dreams of his youth, had he contemplated the possession of this very irresponsible power asthe consummation of his wishes. A thousand pictures of the good he wouldperform had crossed his brain, and it was only as he advanced in life, and came to have a near view of the wiles which beset thebest-intentioned, that he could bring himself to believe most of thatwhich he meditated was impracticable. As it was, he entered into thecouncil with doubts and misgivings. Had he lived in a later age, underhis own system modified by the knowledge which has been a consequence ofthe art of printing, it is probable that the Signor Soranzo would havebeen a noble in opposition, now supporting with ardor some measure ofpublic benevolence, and now yielding gracefully to the suggestions of asterner policy, and always influenced by the positive advantages he wasborn to possess, though scarcely conscious himself he was not all heprofessed to be. The fault, however, was not so much that of thepatrician as that of circumstances, which, by placing interest inopposition to duty, lures many a benevolent mind into still greaterweaknesses. 

The companions of the Signor Soranzo, however, had a more difficulttask to prepare him for the duties of the statesman, which were so verydifferent from those he was accustomed to perform as a man, than theyhad anticipated. They were like two trained elephants of the east, possessing themselves all the finer instincts and generous qualities ofthe noble animal, but disciplined by a force quite foreign to theirnatural condition into creatures of mere convention, placed one on eachside of a younger brother, fresh from the plains, and whom it was theirduty to teach new services for the trunk, new affections, and haply themanner in which to carry with dignity the howdah of a Rajah. 

With many allusions to their policy, but with no direct intimation oftheir own intention, the seniors of the council continued theconversation until the hour for the meeting in the Doge's palace drewnigh. They then separated as privately as they had come together, inorder that no vulgar eye might penetrate the mystery of their officialcharacter. 

The most practised of the three appeared in an assembly of thepatricians, which noble and beautiful dames graced with their presence, from which he disappeared in a manner to leave no clue to his motions. The other visited the death-bed of a friend, where he discoursed longand well with a friar, of the immortality of the soul and the hopes of aChristian: when he departed, the godly man bestowing his blessing, andthe family he left being loud and eloquent in his praise. 

The Signor Soranzo clung to the enjoyments of his own family circleuntil the last moment. The Donna Giulietta had returned, fresher andmore lovely than ever, from the invigorating sea-breeze, and her softvoice, with the melodious laugh of his first-born, the blooming, ringlet-covered girl described, still rang in his ears, when hisgondolier landed him beneath the bridge of the Rialto. Here he masked, and drawing his cloak about him, he moved with the current towards thesquare of St. Mark, by means of the narrow streets. Once in the crowdthere was little danger of impertinent observation. Disguise was asoften useful to the oligarchy of Venice as it was absolutely necessaryto elude its despotism, and to render the town tolerable to the citizen. Paolo saw swarthy, bare-legged men of the Lagunes, entering occasionallyinto the cathedral. He followed, and found himself standing near thedimly lighted altar at which masses were still saying for the soul ofAntonio. 

"This is one of thy fellows?" he asked of a fisherman, whose dark eyeglittered in that light, like the organ of a basilisk. 

"Signore, he was--a more honest or a more just man did not cast his netin the gulf. "

"He has fallen a victim to his craft?"

"Cospetto di Bacco! none know in what manner he came by his end. Somesay St. Mark was impatient to see him in paradise, and some pretend hehas fallen by the hand of a common Bravo, named Jacopo Frontoni. "

"Why should a Bravo take the life of one like this?"

"By having the goodness to answer your own question, Signore, you willspare me some trouble. Why should he, sure enough? They say Jacopo isrevengeful, and that shame and anger at his defeat in the late regatta, by one old as this, was the reason. "

"Is he so jealous of his honor with the oar?"

"Diamine! I have seen the time when Jacopo would sooner die than lose arace; but that was before he carried a stiletto. Had he kept to his oarthe thing might have happened, but once known for the hired blow, itseems unreasonable he should set his heart so strongly on the prizes ofthe canals. "

"May not the man have fallen into the Lagunes by accident?"

"No doubt, Signore. This happens to some of us daily; but then we thinkit wiser to swim to the boat than to sink. Old Antonio had an arm inyouth to carry him from the quay to the Lido. "

"But he may have been struck in falling, and rendered unable to dohimself this good office. "

"There would be marks to show this, were it true, Signore!"

"Would not Jacopo have used the stiletto?"

"Perhaps not on one like Antonio. The gondola of the old man was foundin the mouth of the Grand Canal, half a league from the body and againstthe wind! We note these things, Signore, for they are within ourknowledge. "

"A happy night to thee, fisherman. "

"A most happy night, eccellenza, " said the laborer of the Lagunes, gratified with having so long occupied the attention of one he rightlybelieved so much his superior. The disguised senator passed on. He hadno difficulty in quitting the cathedral unobserved, and he had hisprivate means of entering the palace, without attracting any impertinenteye to his movements. Here he quickly joined his colleagues of thefearful tribunal. 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

 "_There_ the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. " JOB. 

The manner in which the Council of Three held its more public meetings, if aught connected with that mysterious body could be called public, hasalready been seen. On the present occasion there were the same robes, the same disguises, and the same officers of the inquisition, as in thescene related in a previous chapter. The only change was in thecharacter of the judges, and in that of the accused. By a peculiararrangement of the lamp, too, most of the light was thrown upon the spotit was intended the prisoner should occupy, while the side of theapartment on which the inquisitors sat, was left in a dimness that wellaccorded with their gloomy and secret duties. Previously to the openingof the door by which the person to be examined was to appear, there wasaudible the clanking of chains, the certain evidence that the affair inhand was considered serious. The hinges turned, and the Bravo stood inpresence of those unknown men who were to decide on his fate. 

As Jacopo had often been before the council, though not as a prisoner, he betrayed neither surprise nor alarm at the black aspect of all hiseye beheld. His features were composed, though pale, his limbsimmovable, and his mien decent. When the little bustle of his entrancehad subsided, there reigned a stillness in the room. 

"Thou art called Jacopo Frontoni?" said the secretary, who acted as themouth-piece of the Three, on this occasion. 

"I am. "

"Thou art the son of a certain Ricardo Frontoni, a man well known ashaving been concerned in robbing the Republic's customs, and who isthought to have been banished to the distant islands, or to be otherwisepunished?"

"Signore--or otherwise punished. "

"Thou wert a gondolier in thy youth?"

"I was a gondolier. "

"Thy mother is----"

"Dead, " said Jacopo, perceiving the other paused to examine his notes. 

The depth of the tone in which this word was uttered, caused a silence, that the secretary did not interrupt, until he had thrown a glancebackwards at the judges. 

"She was not accused of thy father's crime?"

"Had she been, Signore, she is long since beyond the power of theRepublic. "

"Shortly after thy father fell under the displeasure of the state, thouquittedst thy business of a gondolier?"

"Signore, I did. "

"Thou art accused, Jacopo, of having laid aside the oar for thestiletto?"

"Signore, I am. "

"For several years, the rumors of thy bloody deeds have been growing inVenice, until, of late, none have met with an untimely fate that theblow has not been attributed to thy hand?"

"This is too true, Signor Segretario--I would it were not!"

"The ears of his highness, and of the Councils, have not been closed tothese reports, but they have long attended to the rumors with theearnestness which becomes a paternal and careful government. If theyhave suffered thee to go at large, it hath only been that there mightbe no hazard of sullying the ermine of justice, by a premature and notsufficiently supported judgment. "

Jacopo bent his head, but without speaking. A smile so wild and meaning, however, gleamed on his face at this declaration, that the permanentofficer of the secret tribunal, he who served as its organ ofcommunication, bowed nearly to the paper he held, as it might be to lookdeeper into his documents. Let not the reader turn back to this page insurprise, when he shall have reached the explanation of the tale, formysticisms quite as palpable, if not of so ruthless a character, havebeen publicly acted by political bodies in his own times. 

"There is now a specific and a frightful charge brought against thee, Jacopo Frontoni, " continued the secretary; "and, in tenderness of thecitizen's life, the dreaded Council itself hath taken the matter inhand. Didst thou know a certain Antonio Vecchio, a fisherman here in ourLagunes?"

"Signore, I knew him well of late, and much regret that it was only oflate. "

"Thou knowest, too, that his body hath been found, drowned in the bay?"

Jacopo shuddered, signifying his assent merely by a sign. The effect ofthis tacit acknowledgment on the youngest of the three was apparent, forhe turned to his companions, like one struck by the confession itimplied. His colleagues made dignified inclinations in return, and thesilent communication ceased. 

"His death has excited discontent among his fellows, and its cause hasbecome a serious subject of inquiry for the illustrious Council. "

"The death of the meanest man in Venice should call forth the care ofthe patricians, Signore. "

"Dost thou know, Jacopo, that thou art accused of being his murderer?"

"Signore, I do. "

"It is said that thou earnest among the gondoliers in the late regatta, and that, but for this aged fisherman, thou would'st have been winner ofthe prize?"

"In that, rumor hath not lied, Signore. "

"Thou dost not, then, deny the charge!" said the examiner, in evidentsurprise. 

"It is certain that, but for the fisherman, I should have been thewinner. "

"And thou wished it, Jacopo?"

"Signore, greatly, " returned the accused, with a show of emotion, thathad not hitherto escaped him. "I was a man condemned of his fellows, andthe oar had been my pride, from childhood to that hour. "

Another movement of the third inquisitor betrayed equally his interestand his surprise. 

"Dost thou confess the crime?"

Jacopo smiled, but more in derision than with any other feeling. 

"If the illustrious senators here present will unmask, I may answer thatquestion, haply, with greater confidence, " he said. 

"Thy request is bold and out of rule. None know the persons of thepatricians who preside over the destinies of the state. Dost thouconfess the crime?"

The entrance of an officer, in some haste, prevented a reply. The manplaced a written report in the hands of the inquisitor in red, andwithdrew. After a short pause, the guards were ordered to retire withtheir prisoner. 

"Great senators!" said Jacopo, advancing earnestly towards the table, asif he would seize the moment to urge what he was about to say;--"Mercy!grant me your authority to visit one in the prisons, beneath theleads!--I have weighty reasons for the wish, and I pray you, as men andfathers, to grant it!"

The interest of the two, who were consulting apart on the newintelligence, prevented them from listening to what he urged. The otherinquisitor, who was the Signer Soranzo, had drawn near the lamp, anxiousto read the lineaments of one so notorious, and was gazing at hisstriking countenance. Touched by the pathos of his voice, and agreeablydisappointed in the lineaments he studied, he took upon himself thepower to grant the request. 

"Humor his wish, " he said to the halberdiers; "but have him inreadiness to reappear. "

Jacopo looked his gratitude, but fearful that the others might stillinterfere to prevent his wish, he hurried from the room. 

The march of the little procession, which proceeded from the chamber ofthe inquisition to the summer cells of its victims, was sadlycharacteristic of the place and the government. 

It went through gloomy and secret corridors, that were hid from thevulgar eye, while thin partitions only separated them from theapartments of the Doge, which, like the specious aspect of the state, concealed the nakedness and misery within, by their gorgeousness andsplendor! On reaching the attic, Jacopo stopped, and turned to hisconductors. 

"If you are beings of God's forming, " he said, "take off these clankingchains, though it be but for a moment. "

The keepers regarded each other in surprise, neither offering to do thecharitable office. 

"I go to visit, probably for the last time, " continued the prisoner, "abed-ridden--I may say--a dying father, who knows nothing of mysituation, --will ye that he should see me thus?"

The appeal which was made, more with the voice and manner, than in thewords, had its effect. A keeper removed the chains, and bade himproceed. With a cautious tread, Jacopo advanced, and when the door wasopened he entered the room alone, for none there had sufficientinterest in an interview between a common Bravo and his father, toendure the glowing warmth of the place, the while. The door was closedafter him, and the room became dark. 

Notwithstanding his assumed firmness, Jacopo hesitated when he foundhimself so suddenly introduced to the silent misery of the forlorncaptive. A hard breathing told him the situation of the pallet, but thewalls, which were solid on the side of the corridor, effectuallyprevented the admission of light. 

"Father!" said Jacopo with gentleness. 

He got no answer. 

"Father!" he repeated in a stronger voice. 

The breathing became more audible, and then the captive spoke. 

"Holy Maria hear my prayers!" he said feebly. "God hath sent thee, son, to close my eyes!"

"Doth thy strength fail thee, father?"

"Greatly--my time is come--I had hoped to see the light of the day againto bless thy dear mother and sister--God's will be done!"

"They pray for us both, father. They are beyond the power of theSenate. "

"Jacopo, I do not understand thee!"

"My mother and sister are dead; they are saints in Heaven, father. "

The old man groaned, for the tie of earth had not yet been entirelysevered. Jacopo heard him murmuring a prayer, and he knelt by the sideof his pallet. 

"This is a sudden blow!" whispered the old man. "We depart together. "

"They are long dead, father. "

"Why hast thou not told me this before, Jacopo?"

"Hadst thou not sorrows enough without this? Now that thou art about tojoin them, it will be pleasant to know that they have so long beenhappy. "

"And thou?--thou wilt be alone--give me thy hand--poor Jacopo!"

The Bravo reached forth and took the feeble member of his parent; it wasclammy and cold. 

"Jacopo, " continued the captive, whose mind still sustained the body, "Ihave prayed thrice within the hour: once for my own soul--once for thepeace of thy mother--lastly, for thee!"

"Bless thee, father!--bless thee! I have need of prayer!"

"I have asked of God favor in thy behalf. I have bethought me of all thylove and care--of all thy devotion to my age and sufferings. When thouwert a child, Jacopo, tenderness for thee tempted me to acts ofweakness: I trembled lest thy manhood might bring upon me pain andrepentance. Thou hast not known the yearnings of a parent for hisoffspring, but thou hast well requited them. Kneel, Jacopo, that I mayask of God, once more, to remember thee. "

"I am at thy side, father. "

The old man raised his feeble arms, and with a voice whose forceappeared reviving, he pronounced a fervent and solemn benediction. 

"The blessing of a dying parent will sweeten thy life, Jacopo, " he addedafter a pause, "and give peace to thy last moments. "

"It will do the latter, father. "

A rude summons at the door interrupted them. 

"Come forth, Jacopo, " said a keeper, "the Council seeks thee!"

Jacopo felt the convulsive start of his father, but he did not answer. 

"Will they not leave thee--a few minutes longer?" whispered the oldman--"I shall not keep thee long!"

The door opened, and a gleam from the lamp fell on the group in thecell. The keeper had the humanity to shut it again, leaving all inobscurity. The glimpse which Jacopo obtained, by that passing light, wasthe last look he had of his father's countenance. Death was fearfully onit, but the eyes were turned in unutterable affection on his own. 

"The man is merciful--he will not shut thee out!" murmured the parent. 

"They cannot leave thee to die alone, father!"

"Son, I am with my God--yet I would gladly have thee by my side!--Didstthou say--thy mother and thy sister were dead!"

"Dead!"

"Thy young sister, too?"

"Father, both. They are saints in Heaven. "

The old man breathed thick, and there was silence. Jacopo felt a handmoving in the darkness, as if in quest of him. He aided the effort, andlaid the member in reverence on his own head. 

"Maria undefiled, and her Son, who is God!--bless thee, Jacopo!"whispered a voice, that to the excited imagination of the kneeling Bravoappeared to hover in the air. The solemn words were followed by aquivering sigh. Jacopo hid his face in the blanket, and prayed. Afterwhich there was deep quiet. 

"Father!" he added, trembling at his own smothered voice. 

He was unanswered; stretching out a hand, it touched the features of acorpse. With a firmness that had the quality of desperation, he againbowed his head and uttered fervently a prayer for the dead. 

When the door of the cell opened, Jacopo appeared to the keepers, with adignity of air that belongs only to character, and which was heightenedby the scene in which he had just been an actor. He raised his hands, and stood immovable while the manacles were replaced. This office done, they walked away together in the direction of the secret chamber. It wasnot long ere all were again in their places, before the Council ofThree. 

"Jacopo Frontoni, " resumed the secretary, "thou art suspected of beingprivy to another dark deed that hath had place of late within our city. Hast thou any knowledge of a noble Calabrian, who hath high claim to thesenate's honors, and who hath long had his abode in Venice?"

"Signore, I have. "

"Hast thou had aught of concern with him?"

"Signore, yes. "

A movement of common interest made itself apparent among the auditors. 

"Dost thou know where the Don Camillo Monforte is at present. "

Jacopo hesitated. He so well understood the means of intelligencepossessed by the Council, that he doubted how far it might be prudent todeny his connexion with the flight of the lovers. Besides, at thatmoment, his mind was deeply impressed with a holy sentiment of truth. 

"Canst thou say, why the young duca is not to be found in his palace?"repeated the secretary. 

"Illustrissimo, he hath quitted Venice for ever. "

"How canst thou know this?--Would he make a confidant of a commonBravo?"

The smile which crossed the features of Jacopo was full of superiority;it caused the conscious agent of the Secret Tribunal to look closely athis papers, like one who felt its power. 

"Art thou his confidant--I ask again?"

"Signore, in this, I am--I have the assurance from the mouth of DonCamillo Monforte himself, that he will not return. "

"This is impossible, since it would involve a loss of all his fairhopes and illustrious fortunes. "

"He consoled himself, Signore, with the possession of the heiress ofTiepolo's love, and with her riches. "

Again there was a movement among the Three, which all their practisedrestraint, and the conventional dignity of their mysterious functions, could not prevent. 

"Let the keepers withdraw, " said the inquisitor of the scarlet robe. Sosoon as the prisoner was alone with the Three, and their permanentofficer, the examination continued; the Senators themselves, trusting tothe effect produced by their masks, and some feints, speaking asoccasion offered. 

"This is important intelligence that thou hast communicated, Jacopo, "continued he of the robe of flame. "It may yet redeem thy life, wertthou wise enough to turn it to account. "

"What would your eccellenza at my hands? It is plain that the Councilknow of the flight of Don Camillo, nor will I believe that eyes, whichso seldom are closed, have not yet missed the daughter of the Tiepolo. "

"Both are true, Jacopo; but what hast thou to say of the means?Remember, that as thou findest favor with the council, thine own fatewill be decided. "

The prisoner suffered another of those freezing gleams to cross hisface, which invariably caused his examiners to bend their looks aside. 

"The means of escape cannot be wanting to a bold lover, Signore, " hereplied. "Don Camillo is rich, and might employ a thousand agents, hadhe need of them. "

"Thou art equivocating; 'twill be the worse for thee, that thou triflestwith the Council--who are these agents?"

"He had a generous household, Eccellenza;--many hardy gondoliers, andservitors of all conditions. "

"Of these we have nothing to learn. He hath escaped by other means--orart thou sure he hath escaped at all?"

"Signore, is he in Venice?"

"Nay, that we ask of thee. Here is an accusation, found in the lion'smouth, which charges thee with his assassination. "

"And the Donna Violetta's, too, eccellenza?"

"Of her, we have heard nothing. What answer dost make to the charge?"

"Signore, why should I betray my own secrets?"

"Ha! art thou equivocating and faithless? Remember that we have aprisoner beneath the leads, who can extract the truth from thee. "

Jacopo raised his form to such an altitude as one might fancy to expressthe mounting of a liberated spirit. Still his eye was sad, and, spite ofan effort to the contrary, his voice melancholy. 

"Senators, " he said, "your prisoner beneath the leads is free. "

"How! thou art trifling, in thy despair!"

"I speak truth. The liberation, so long delayed, hath come at last. "

"Thy father----"

"Is dead, " interrupted Jacopo, solemnly. 

The two elder members of the Council looked at each other in surprise, while their junior colleague listened with the interest of one who wasjust entering on a noviciate of secret and embarrassing duties. Theformer consulted together, and then they communicated as much of theiropinions to the Signor Soranzo, as they deemed necessary to theoccasion. 

"Wilt thou consult thine own safety, Jacopo, and reveal all thou knowestof this affair of the Neapolitan?" continued the inquisitor, when thisby-play was ended. 

Jacopo betrayed no weakness at the menace implied by the words of thesenator; but, after a moment's reflection, he answered writh as muchfrankness as he could have used at the confessional. 

"It is known to you, illustrious senator, " he said, "that the state hada desire to match the heiress of Tiepolo, to its own advantage; that shewas beloved of the Neapolitan noble; and that, as is wont between youngand virtuous hearts, she returned his love as became a maiden of herhigh condition and tender years. Is there anything extraordinary in thecircumstance that two of so illustrious hopes should struggle to preventtheir own misery? Signori, the night that old Antonio died, I was alone, among the graves of the Lido, with many melancholy and bitter thoughts, and life had become a burden to me. Had the evil spirit which was thenuppermost, maintained its mastery, I might have died the death of ahopeless suicide. God sent Don Camillo Monforte to my succor. Praised bethe immaculate Maria, and her blessed Son, for the mercy! It was there Ilearned the wishes of the Neapolitan, and enlisted myself in hisservice. I swore to him, senators of Venice, to be true--to die in hiscause, should it be necessary, and to help him to his bride. This pledgehave I redeemed. The happy lovers are now in the States of the Church, and under the puissant protection of the cardinal secretary, DonCamillo's mother's brother. "

"Fool! why did'st thou this? Had'st thou no thought for thyself?"

"Eccellenza, but little. I thought more of finding a human bosom to pourout my sufferings to, than of your high displeasure. I have not known sosweet a moment in years, as that in which I saw the lord of Sant' Agatafold his beautiful and weeping bride to his heart!"

The inquisitors were struck with the quiet enthusiasm of the Bravo, andsurprise once more held them in suspense. At length the elder of thethree resumed the examination. 

"Wilt thou impart the manner of this escape, Jacopo?" he demanded. "Remember, thou hast still a life to redeem!"

"Signore, it is scarce worth the trouble. But to do your pleasure, nothing shall be concealed. "

Jacopo then recounted in simple and undisguised terms, the entire meansemployed by Don Camillo in effecting his escape--his hopes, hisdisappointments, and his final success. In this narrative nothing wasconcealed but the place in which the ladies had temporarily takenrefuge, and the name of Gelsomina. Even the attempt of Giacomo Gradenigoon the life of the Neapolitan, and the agency of the Hebrew, were fullyexposed. None listened to this explanation so intently as the younghusband. Notwithstanding his public duties, his pulses quickened as theprisoner dwelt on the different chances of the lovers, and when theirfinal union was proclaimed, he felt his heart bound with delight. On theother hand, his more practised colleagues heard the detail of the Bravowith politic coolness. The effect of all factitious systems is to renderthe feelings subservient to expediency. Convention and fiction takeplace of passion and truth, and like the Mussulman with his doctrine ofpredestination, there is no one more acquiescent in defeat, than he whohas obtained an advantage in the face of nature and justice; hisresignation being, in common, as perfect as his previous arrogance wasinsupportable. The two old senators perceived at once that Don Camilloand his fair companion were completely beyond the reach of their power, and they instantly admitted the wisdom of making a merit of necessity. Having no farther occasion for Jacopo, they summoned the keepers, anddismissed him to his cell. 

"It will be seemly to send letters of congratulation to the cardinalsecretary, on the union of his nephew with so rich an heiress of ourcity, " said the Inquisitor of the Ten, as the door closed on theretiring group. "So great an interest as that of the Neapolitan shouldbe propitiated. "

"But should he urge the state's resistance to his hopes?" returned theSignor Soranzo, in feeble objection to so bold a scheme. 

"We will excuse it as the act of a former council. These misconceptionsare the unavoidable consequences of the caprices of liberty, Signore. The steed that ranges the plains in the freedom of nature, cannot beheld to perfect command, like the dull beast that draws the car. This isthe first of your sittings in the Three; but experience will show youthat excellent as we are in system, we are not quite perfect inpractice. This is grave matter of the young Gradenigo, Signori!"

"I have long known his unworthiness, " returned his more aged colleague. "It is a thousand pities that so honorable and so noble a patricianshould have produced so ignoble a child. But neither the state nor thecity can tolerate assassination. "

"Would it were less, frequent!" exclaimed the Signore Soranzo, inperfect sincerity. 

"Would it were, indeed! There are hints in our secret information, whichtend to confirm the charge of Jacopo, though long experience has taughtus to put full faith in his reports. "

"How! Is Jacopo, then, an agent of the police!"

"Of that more at our leisure, Signor Soranzo. At present we must look tothis attempt on the life of one protected by our laws. "

The Three then entered into a serious discussion of the case of the twodelinquents. Venice, like all despotic governments, had the merit ofgreat efficiency in its criminal police, when it was disposed to exertit. Justice was sure enough in those instances in which the interests ofthe government itself were not involved, or in which bribery could notwell be used. As to the latter, through the jealousy of the state, andthe constant agency of those who were removed from temptation, by beingalready in possession of a monopoly of benefits, it was by no means asfrequent as in some other communities in which the affluent were lessinterested. The Signor Soranzo had now a fair occasion for the exerciseof his generous feelings. Though related to the house of Gradenigo, hewas not backward in decrying the conduct of its heir. His first impulseswere to make a terrible example of the accused, and to show the worldthat no station brought with it, in Venice, impunity for crime. Fromthis view of the case, however, he was gradually enticed by hiscompanions, who reminded him that the law commonly made a distinctionbetween the intention and the execution of an offence. Driven from hisfirst determination by the cooler heads of his colleagues, the younginquisitor next proposed that the case should be sent to the ordinarytribunals for judgment. Instances had not been wanting in which thearistocracy of Venice sacrificed one of its body to the seemliness ofjustice; for when such cases were managed with discretion, they ratherstrengthened than weakened their ascendency. But the present crime wasknown to be too common, to permit so lavish an expenditure of theirimmunities, and the old inquisitors opposed the wish of their youngercolleague with great plausibility, and with some show of reason. It wasfinally resolved that they should themselves decide on the case. 

The next question was the degree of punishment. The wily senior of thecouncil began by proposing a banishment for a few months, for GiacomoGradenigo was already obnoxious to the anger of the state on moreaccounts than one. But this punishment was resisted by the SignorSoranzo with the ardor of an uncorrupted and generous mind. The lattergradually prevailed, his companions taking care that their complianceshould have the air of a concession to his arguments. The result of allthis management was, that the heir of Gradenigo was condemned to tenyears' retirement in the provinces, and Hosea to banishment for life. Should the reader be of opinion that strict justice was not meted out tothe offenders, he should remember, that the Hebrew ought to be glad tohave escaped as he did. 

"We must not conceal this judgment, nor its motive, " observed theInquisitor of the Ten, when the affair was concluded. "The state isnever a loser for letting its justice be known. "

"Nor for its exercise, I should hope, " returned the Signor Soranzo. "Asour affairs are ended for the night, is it your pleasures, Signori, thatwe return to our palaces?"

"Nay, we have this matter of Jacopo. "

"Him may we now, surely, turn over to the ordinary tribunals!"

"As you may decide, Signori; is this your pleasure?"

Both the others bowed assent, and the usual preparations were made fordeparture. 

Ere the two seniors of the Council left the palace, however, they held along and secret conference together. The result was a private order tothe criminal judge, and then they returned, each to his own abode, likemen who had the approbation of their own consciences. 

On the other hand, the Signor Soranzo hastened to his own luxurious andhappy dwelling. For the first time in his life he entered it with adistrust of himself. Without being conscious of the reason, he felt sad, for he had taken the first step in that tortuous and corrupting path, which eventually leads to the destruction of all those generous andnoble sentiments, which can only flourish apart from the sophistry andfictions of selfishness. He would have rejoiced to have been as light ofheart as at the moment he handed his fair-haired partner into thegondola that night; but his head had pressed the pillow for many hours, before sleep drew a veil over the solemn trifling with the most seriousof your duties, in which he had been an actor. 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

 "Art thou not guilty! No, indeed, I am not. " ROGERS. 

The following morning brought the funeral of Antonio. The agents of thepolice took the precaution to circulate in the city, that the Senatepermitted this honor to the memory of the old fisherman, on account ofhis success in the regatta, and as some atonement for his unmerited andmysterious death. All the men of the Lagunes were assembled in thesquare at the appointed hour, in decent guise, flattered with the noticethat their craft received, and more than half disposed to forget theirformer anger in the present favor. Thus easy is it for those who areelevated above their fellow-creatures by the accident of birth, or bythe opinions of a factitious social organization, to repair the wrongsthey do in deeds, by small concessions of their conventionalsuperiority. 

Masses were still chanted for the soul of old Antonio before the altarof St. Mark. Foremost among the priests was the good Carmelite, who hadscarce known hunger or fatigue, in his pious desire to do the offices ofthe church in behalf of one whose fate he might be said to havewitnessed. His zeal, however, in that moment of excitement passedunnoticed by all, but those whose business it was to suffer no unusualdisplay of character, nor any unwonted circumstance to have place, without attracting their suspicion. As the Carmelite finally withdrewfrom the altar, previously to the removal of the body, he felt thesleeve of his robe slightly drawn aside, and yielding to the impulse, he quickly found himself among the columns of that gloomy church, alonewith a stranger. 

"Father, thou hast shrived many a parting soul!" observed, rather thanasked, the other. 

"It is the duty of my holy office, son. "

"The state will note thy services; there will be need of thee when thebody of this fisherman is committed to the earth. "

The monk shuddered, but making the sign of the cross, he bowed his paleface, in signification of his readiness to discharge the duty. At thatmoment the bearers lifted the body, and the procession issued upon thegreat square. First marched the usual lay underlings of the cathedral, who were followed by those who chanted the offices of the occasion. Among the latter the Carmelite hastened to take his station. Next camethe corpse, without a coffin, for that is a luxury of the grave even nowunknown to the Italians of old Antonio's degree. The body was clad inthe holiday vestments of a fisherman, the hands and feet being naked. Across lay on the breast; the grey hairs were blowing about in the air, and, in frightful adornment of the ghastliness of death, a bouquet offlowers was placed upon the mouth. The bier was rich in gilding andcarving, another melancholy evidence of the lingering wishes and falsedirection of human vanity. 

Next to this characteristic equipage of the dead walked a lad, whosebrown cheek, half-naked body, and dark, roving eye, announced thegrandson of the fisherman. Venice knew when to yield gracefully, and theboy was liberated unconditionally from the galleys, in pity, as it waswhispered, for the untimely fate of his parent. There was the aspiringlook, the dauntless spirit, and the rigid honesty of Antonio, in thebearing of the lad; but these qualities were now smothered by a naturalgrief; and, as in the case of him whose funeral escort he followed, something obscured by the rude chances of his lot. From time to timethe bosom of the generous boy heaved, as they marched along the quay, taking the route of the arsenal; and there were moments in which hislips quivered, grief threatening to overcome his manhood. 

Still not a tear wetted his cheek, until the body disappeared from hisview. Then nature triumphed, and straying from out the circle, he took aseat apart and wept, as one of his years and simplicity would be apt toweep, at finding himself a solitary wanderer in the wilderness of theworld. 

Thus terminated the incident of Antonio Vecchio, the fisherman, whosename soon ceased to be mentioned in that city of mysteries, except onthe Lagunes, where the men of his craft long vaunted his merit with thenet, and the manner in which he bore away the prize from the best oarsof Venice. His descendant lived and toiled, like others of hiscondition, and we will here dismiss him, by saying, that he so farinherited the native qualities of his ancestor, that he forbore toappear, a few hours later, in the crowd, which curiosity and vengeancedrew into the Piazzetta. 

Father Anselmo took boat to return to the canals, and when he landed atthe quay of the smaller square it was with the hope that he would now bepermitted to seek those of whose fate he was still ignorant, but in whomhe felt so deep an interest. Not so, however. The individual who hadaddressed him in the cathedral was, apparently, in waiting, and knowingthe uselessness as well as the danger of remonstrance, where the statewas concerned, the Carmelite permitted himself to be conducted whitherhis guide pleased. They took a devious route, but it led them to thepublic prisons. Here the priest was shown into the keeper's apartment, where he was desired to wait a summons from his companion. 

Our business now leads us to the cell of Jacopo. On quitting thepresence of the Three, he had been remanded to his gloomy room, where hepassed the night like others similarly situated. With the appearance ofthe dawn the Bravo had been led before those who ostensibly dischargedthe duties of his judges. We say ostensibly, for justice never yet waspure under a system in which the governors have an interest in the leastseparated from that of the governed; for in all cases which involve theascendency of the existing authorities, the instinct ofself-preservation is as certain to bias their decision as that of lifeis to cause man to shun danger. If such is the fact in countries ofmilder sway, the reader will easily believe in its existence in a statelike that of Venice. As may have been anticipated, those who sat injudgment on Jacopo had their instructions, and the trial that hesustained was rather a concession to appearances than a homage to thelaws. All the records were duly made, witnesses were examined, or saidto be examined, and care was had to spread the rumor in the city thatthe tribunals were at length occupied in deciding on the case of theextraordinary man who had so long been permitted to exercise his bloodyprofession with impunity even in the centre of the canals. During themorning the credulous tradesmen were much engaged in recounting to eachother the different flagrant deeds that, in the course of the last threeor four years, had been imputed to his hand. One spoke of the body of astranger that had been found near the gaming-houses frequented by thosewho visited Venice. Another recalled the fate of the young noble who hadfallen by the assassin's blow even on the Rialto, and another went intothe details of a murder which had deprived a mother of her only son, andthe daughter of a patrician of her love. In this manner, as one afteranother contributed to the list, a little group, assembled on the quay, enumerated no less than five-and-twenty lives which were believed tohave been taken by the hand of Jacopo, without including the vindictiveand useless assassination of him whose funeral rites had just beencelebrated. Happily, perhaps, for his peace of mind, the subject of allthese rumors and of the maledictions which they drew upon his head, knewnothing of either. Before his judges he had made no defence whatever, firmly refusing to answer their interrogatories. 

"Ye know what I have done, Messires, " he said haughtily. "And what Ihave not done, ye know. As for yourselves, look to your own interests. "

When again in his cell he demanded food, and ate tranquilly, though withmoderation. Every instrument which could possibly be used against hislife was then removed, his irons were finally and carefully examined, and he was left to his thoughts. It was in this situation that theprisoner heard the approach of footsteps to his cell. The bolts turned, and the door opened. The form of a priest appeared between him and theday. The latter, however, held a lamp, which, as the cell was again shutand secured, he placed on the low shelf that held the jug and loaf ofthe prisoner. 

Jacopo received his visitor calmly, but with the deep respect of one whoreverenced his body office. He arose, crossed himself, and advanced asfar as the chains permitted, to do him honor. 

"Thou art welcome, father, " he said; "in cutting me off from earth, theCouncil, I see, does not wish to cut me off from God. "

"That would exceed their power, son. He who died for them, shed hisblood for thee, if thou wilt not reject his grace. But--Heaven knows Isay it with reluctance! thou art not to think that one of thy sins, Jacopo, can have hope without deep and heartfelt repentance!"

"Father, have any?"

The Carmelite started, for the point of the question, and the tranquiltones of the speaker, had a strange effect in such an interview. 

"Thou art not what I had supposed thee, Jacopo!" he answered. "Thy mindis not altogether obscured in darkness, and thy crimes have beencommitted against the consciousness of their enormity. "

"I fear this is true, reverend monk. "

"Thou must feel their weight in the poignancy of grief--in the--" FatherAnselmo stopped, for a sob at that moment apprised them that they werenot alone. Moving aside, in a little alarm, the action discovered thefigure of the shrinking Gelsomina, who had entered the cell, favored bythe keepers, and concealed by the robes of the Carmelite. Jacopo groanedwhen he beheld her form, and turning away, he leaned against the wall. 

"Daughter, why art thou here--and who art thou?" demanded the monk. 

"'Tis the child of the principal keeper, " said Jacopo, perceiving thatshe was unable to answer, "one known to me, in my frequent adventures inthis prison. "

The eye of Father Anselmo wandered from one to the other. At first itsexpression was severe, and then, as it saw each countenance in turn, itbecame less unkind, until it softened at the exhibition of their mutualagony. 

"This comes of human passions!" he said, in a tone between consolationand reproof. "Such are ever the fruits of crime. "

"Father, " said Jacopo, with earnestness, "I may deserve the word; butthe angels in Heaven are scarce purer than this weeping girl!"

"I rejoice to hear it. I will believe thee, unfortunate man, and glad amI that thy soul is relieved from the sin of having corrupted one soyouthful. "

The bosom of the prisoner heaved, while Gelsomina shuddered. 

"Why hast thou yielded to the weakness of nature, and entered the cell?"asked the good Carmelite, endeavoring to throw into his eye a reproof, that the pathos and kindness of his tones contradicted. "Didst thou knowthe character of the man thou loved?"

"Immaculate Maria!" exclaimed the girl--"no--no--no--no!"

"And now that thou hast learned the truth, surely thou art no longer thevictim of wayward fancies!"

The gaze of Gelsomina was bewildered, but anguish prevailed over allother expression. She bowed her head, partly in shame, but more insorrow, without answering. 

"I know not, children, what end this interview can answer, " continuedthe monk. "I am sent hither to receive the last confession of a Bravo, and surely, one who has so much cause to condemn the deception he haspractised, would not wish to hear the details of such a life?"

"No--no--no--" murmured Gelsomina again, enforcing her words with a wildgesture of the hand. 

"It is better, father, that she should believe me all that her fancy canimagine as monstrous, " said Jacopo, in a thick voice: "she will thenlearn to hate my memory. "

Gelsomina did not speak, but the negative gesture was repeatedfranticly. 

"The heart of the poor child hath been sorely touched, " said theCarmelite, with concern. "We must not treat so tender a flower rudely. Hearken to me, daughter, and consult thy reason, more than thyweakness. "

"Question her not, father; let her curse me, and depart. "

"Carlo!" shrieked Gelsomina. 

A long pause succeeded. The monk perceived that human passion wassuperior to his art, and that the case must be left to time; while theprisoner maintained within himself a struggle more fierce than any whichit had yet been his fate to endure. The lingering desires of the worldconquered, and he broke silence. 

"Father, " he said, advancing to the length of his chain, and speakingboth solemnly and with dignity, "I had hoped--I had prayed that thisunhappy but innocent creature might have turned from her own weaknesswith loathing, when she came to know that the man she loved was a Bravo. But I did injustice to the heart of woman! Tell me, Gelsomina, and asthou valuest thy salvation deceive me not--canst thou look at me withouthorror?"

Gelsomina trembled, but she raised her eyes, and smiled on him as theweeping infant returns the earnest and tender regard of its mother. Theeffect of that glance on Jacopo was so powerful that his sinewy frameshook, until the wondering Carmelite heard the clanking of his chains. 

"'Tis enough, " he said, struggling to command himself, "Gelsomina, thoushalt hear my confession. Thou hast long been mistress of one greatsecret, none other shall be hid from thee. "

"Antonio!" gasped the girl. "Carlo! Carlo! what had that aged fishermandone that thy hand should seek his life?"

"Antonio!" echoed the monk; "dost thou stand charged with his death, myson?"

"It is the crime for which I am condemned to die. "

The Carmelite sank upon the stool of the prisoner, and sat motionless, looking with an eye of horror from the countenance of the unmoved Jacopoto that of his trembling companion. The truth began to dawn upon him, though his mind was still enveloped in the web of Venetian mystery. 

"Here is some horrible mistake!" he whispered. "I will hasten to thyjudges and undeceive them. "

The prisoner smiled calmly, as he reached out a hand to arrest thezealous movement of the simple Carmelite. 

"'Twill be useless, " he said; "it is the pleasure of the Three that Ishould suffer for old Antonio's death. "

"Then wilt thou die unjustly! I am a witness that he fell by otherhands. "

"Father!" shrieked Gelsomina, "oh! repeat the words; say that Carlocould not do the cruel deed!"

"Of that murder, at least, he is innocent. "

"Gelsomina!" said Jacopo, struggling to stretch forth his arms towardsher, and yielding to a full heart, "and of every other!"

A cry of wild delight burst from the lips of the girl, who in the nextinstant lay senseless on his bosom. 

We draw the veil before the scene that followed. Near an hour must passbefore we can again remove it. The cell then exhibited a group in itscentre, over which the lamp shed its feeble light, marking thecountenances of the different personages with strong tints and deepshadows, in a manner to bring forth all the force of Italian expression. The Carmelite was seated on the stool, while Jacopo and Gelsomina kneltbeside him. The former of the two last was speaking earnestly, while hisauditors caught each syllable that issued from his lips, as if interestin his innocence were still stronger than curiosity. 

"I have told you, father, " he continued, "that a false accusation ofhaving wronged the customs brought my unhappy parent under the Senate'sdispleasure, and that he was many years an innocent inhabitant of one ofthese accursed cells, while we believed him in exile among the islands. At length we succeeded in getting such proof before the Council, asought to have satisfied the patricians of their own injustice. I amafraid that when men pretend that the chosen of the earth exerciseauthority, they are not ready to admit their errors, for it would beproof against the merit of their system. The Council delayed a wearytime to do us justice--so long, that my poor mother sank under hersufferings. My sister, a girl of Gelsomina's years, followed hersoon--for the only reason given by the state, when pressed for proof, was the suspicion that one who sought her love was guilty of the crimefor which my unhappy father perished. "

"And did they refuse to repair their injustice?" exclaimed theCarmelite. 

"They could not do it, father, without publishing their fallibility. Thecredit of certain great patricians was concerned, and I fear there is amorality in these Councils which separates the deed of the man fromthose of the senators, putting policy before justice. "

"This may be true, son; for when a community is grounded on falseprinciples, its interests must, of necessity, be maintained by sophisms. God will view this act with a different eye!"

"Else would the world be hopeless, father! After years of prayers andinterest, I was, under a solemn oath of secresy, admitted to my father'scell. There was happiness in being able to administer to his wants--inhearing his voice--in kneeling for his blessing. Gelsomina was then achild approaching womanhood. I knew not their motive, though afterthoughts left it no secret, and I was permitted to see my father throughher means. When they believed that I was sufficiently caught in theirtoils, I was led into that fatal error which has destroyed my hopes, andbrought me to this condition. "

"Thou hast affirmed thy innocence, my son!"

"Innocent of shedding blood, father, but not of lending myself to theirartifices. I will not weary you, holy monk, with the history of themeans by which they worked upon my nature. I was sworn to serve thestate, as its secret agent, for a certain time. The reward was to be myfather's freedom. Had they taken me in the world, and in my senses, their arts would not have triumphed; but a daily witness of thesufferings of him who had given me life, and who was now all that wasleft me in the world, they were too strong for my weakness, Theywhispered to me of racks and wheels, and I was shown paintings of dyingmartyrs, that I might understand the agony they could inflict. Assassinations were frequent, and called for the care of the police; inshort, father"--Jacopo hid his face in the dress of Gelsomina--"Iconsented to let them circulate such tales as might draw the eye of thepublic on me. I need not add, that he who lends himself to his owninfamy will soon attain his object. "

"With what end was this miserable falsehood invented?"

"Father, I was applied to as a public Bravo, and my reports, in moreways than one, answered their designs, That I saved some lives is atleast a consolation for the error or crime into which I fell!"

"I understand thee, Jacopo. I have heard that Venice did not hesitate touse the ardent and brave in this manner. Holy St. Mark! can deceit likethis be practised under the sanction of thy blessed name!"

"Father, it is, and more. I had other duties connected with theinterests of the Republic, and of course I was practised in theirdischarge. The citizens marvelled that one like me should go at large, while the vindictive and revengeful took the circumstance as a proof ofaddress. When rumor grew too strong for appearances, the Three tookmeasures to direct it to other things; and when it grew too faint fortheir wishes it was fanned. In short, for three long and bitter yearsdid I pass the life of the damned--sustained only by the hope ofliberating my father, and cheered by the love of this innocent!"

"Poor Jacopo, thou art to be pitied! I will remember thee in myprayers. "

"And thou, Gelsomina?"

The keeper's daughter did not answer. Her ears had drunk in eachsyllable that fell from his lips, and now that the whole truth began todawn on her mind, there was a bright radiance in her eye that appearedalmost supernatural to those who witnessed it. 

"If I have failed in convincing thee, Gelsomina, " continued Jacopo, "that I am not the wretch I seemed, would that I had been dumb!"

She stretched a hand towards him, and dropping her head on his bosom, wept. 

"I see all thy temptations, poor Carlo, " she said, softly; "I know howstrong was thy love for thy father. "

"Dost thou forgive me, dearest Gelsomina, for the deception on thyinnocence?"

"There was no deception; I believed thee a son ready to die for hisfather, and I find thee what I thought thee. "

The good Carmelite regarded this scene with eyes of interest andindulgence; tears wetted his cheeks. 

"Thy affection for each other, children, " he said, "is such as angelsmight indulge. Has thy intercourse been of long date?"

"It has lasted years, father. "

"And thou, daughter, hast been with Jacopo in the cell of his parent?"

"I was his constant guide on these holy errands, father. "

The monk mused deeply. After a silence of several minutes he proceededto the duties of his holy office. Receiving the spiritual confession ofthe prisoner he gave the absolution with a fervor which proved howdeeply his sympathies were enlisted in behalf of the youthful pair. Thisduty done, he gave Gelsomina his hand, and there was a mild confidencein his countenance as he took leave of Jacopo. 

"We quit thee, " he said; "but be of heart, son. I cannot think that evenVenice will be deaf to a tale like thine! Trust first to thy God, andbelieve that neither this faithful girl nor I will abandon thee withoutan effort. "

Jacopo received this assurance like one accustomed to exist in extremejeopardy. The smile which accompanied his own adieux had in it as muchof incredulity as of melancholy. It was, however, full of the joy of alightened heart. 

CHAPTER XXX. 

 "Your heart is free, and quick with virtuous wrath to accuse Appearances; and views a criminal In innocence's shadow. " WERNER. 

The Carmelite and Gelsomina found the keepers in waiting, and when theyquitted the cell its door was secured for the night. As they had nofurther concerns with the jailors they passed on unquestioned. But whenthe end of the corridor which led towards the apartments of the keeperwas reached, the monk stopped. 

"Art thou equal to a great effort, in order that the innocent shall notdie?" he suddenly asked, though with a solemnity that denoted theinfluence of a high and absorbing motive. 

"Father!"

"I would know if thy love for the youth can sustain thee in a tryingscene; for without this effort he will surely perish!"

"I would die to save Jacopo a pang!"

"Deceive not thyself, daughter! Canst thou forget thy habits; overstepthe diffidence of thy years and condition; stand and speak fearlessly inthe presence of the great and dreaded?"

"Reverend Carmelite, I speak daily without fear, though not without awe, to one more to be dreaded than any in Venice. "

The monk looked in admiration at the gentle being, whose countenancewas glowing with the mild resolution of innocence and affection, and hemotioned for her to follow. 

"We will go, then, before the proudest and the most fearful of earth, should there be occasion, " he resumed. "We will do our duty to bothparties, to the oppressor and the oppressed, that the sin of omissionlie not on our souls. "

Father Anselmo, without further explanation, led the obedient girl intothat part of the palace which was known to be appropriated to theprivate uses of the titular head of the Republic. 

The jealousy of the Venetian patricians on the subject of their Doge ismatter of history. He was, by situation, a puppet in the hands of thenobles, who only tolerated his existence, because the theory of theirgovernment required a seeming agent in the imposing ceremonies thatformed part of their specious system, and in their intercourse withother states. He dwelt in his palace like the queen-bee in the hive, pampered and honored to the eye, but in truth devoted to the objects ofthose who alone possess the power to injure, and perhaps we might add, like the insect named, known for consuming more than a usual portion ofthe fruits of the common industry. 

Father Anselmo was indebted to his own decision, and to the confidenceof his manner, for reaching the private apartments of a prince, thussecluded and watched. He was permitted to pass by various sentinels, whoimagined, from his holy calling and calm step, that he was some friaremployed in his usual and privileged office. By this easy, quiet methoddid the Carmelite and his companion penetrate to the very ante-chamberof the sovereign, a spot that thousands had been defeated in attemptingto reach, by means more elaborate. 

There were merely two or three drowsy inferior officers of the householdin waiting. One arose quickly at the unexpected appearance of theseunknown visitors, expressing, by the surprise and the confusion of hiseye, the wonder into which he was thrown by so unlooked-for guests. 

"His Highness waits for us, I fear?" simply observed Father Anselmo, whohad known how to quiet his concern, in a look of passive courtesy. 

"Santa Maria! holy father, you should know best, but----"

"We will not lose more time in idle words, son, when there has alreadybeen this delay--show us to the closet of his Highness. "

"It is forbidden to usher any, unannounced, into the presence----"

"Thou seest this is not an ordinary visit. Go, inform the Doge that theCarmelite he expects, and the youthful maiden, in whom his princelybosom feels so parental an interest, await his pleasure. "

"His Highness has then commanded----"

"Tell him, moreover, that time presses; for the hour is near wheninnocence is condemned to suffer. "

The usher was deceived by the gravity and assurance of the monk. Hehesitated, and then throwing open a door, he showed the visitors into aninner room, where he requested them to await his return. After this, hewent on the desired commission to the closet of his master. 

It has already been shown that the reigning Doge, if such a title can beused of a prince who was merely a tool of the aristocracy, was a manadvanced in years. He had thrown aside the cares of the day, and, in theretirement of his privacy, was endeavoring to indulge those humansympathies that had so little play in the ordinary duties of hisfactitious condition, by holding intercourse with the mind of one of theclassics of his country. His state was laid aside for lighter ease andpersonal freedom. The monk could not have chosen a happier moment forhis object, since the man was undefended by the usual appliances of hisrank, and he was softened by communion with one who had known how tomould and temper the feelings of his readers at will. So entire was theabstraction of the Doge, at the moment, that the usher entered unheeded, and had stood in respectful attention to his sovereign's pleasure, neara minute before he was seen. 

"What would'st thou, Marco?" demanded the prince, when his eye rose fromthe page. 

"Signore, " returned the officer, using the familiar manner in whichthose nearest to the persons of princes are permitted to indulge--"hereare the reverend Carmelite, and the young girl, in waiting. "

"How sayest thou? a Carmelite, and a girl!"

"Signore, the same. Those whom your Highness expects. "

"What bold pretence is this!"

"Signore, I do but repeat the words of the monk. 'Tell his Highness, 'said the father, 'that the Carmelite he wishes to see, and the younggirl in whose happiness his princely bosom feels so parental aninterest, await his pleasure. '"

There passed a glow, in which indignation was brighter than shame, overthe wasted cheek of the old prince, and his eye kindled. 

"And this to me--even in my palace!"

"Pardon, Signore. This is no shameless priest, like so many thatdisgrace the tonsure. Both monk and girl have innocent and harmlesslooks, and I do suspect your Highness may have forgotten. "

The bright spots disappeared from the prince's cheeks and his eyeregained its paternal expression. But age, and experience in hisdelicate duties, had taught the Doge of Venice caution. He well knewthat memory had not failed him, and he at once saw that a hidden meaninglay concealed beneath an application so unusual. There might be a deviceof his enemies, who were numerous and active, or, in truth, there mightbe some justifiable motive to warrant the applicant in resorting to ameasure so hardy. 

"Did the Carmelite say more, good Marco?" he asked, after deepreflection. 

"Signore, he said there was great urgency, as the hour was near when theinnocent might suffer. I doubt not that he comes with a petition inbehalf of some young indiscreet, for there are said to be several youngnobles arrested for their follies in the carnival. The female may be asister disguised. "

"Bid one of thy companions come hither; and when I touch my bell, dothou usher these visitors to my presence. "

The attendant withdrew, taking care to pass into the antechamber bydoors that rendered it unnecessary to show himself too soon to those whoexpected his return. The second usher quickly made his appearance, andwas immediately dispatched in quest of one of the Three, who wasoccupied with important papers in an adjoining closet. The senator wasnot slow to obey the summons, for he appeared there as a friend of theprince, having been admitted publicly, and with the customary honors. 

"Here are visitors of an unusual character, Signore, " said the Doge, rising to receive him whom he had summoned in precaution to himself, "and I would have a witness of their requests. "

"Your Highness does well to make us of the Senate share your labors;though if any mistaken opinion of the necessity has led you to conceiveit important to call a councillor each time a guest enters thepalace----"

"It is well, Signore, " mildly interrupted the prince, touching the bell. "I hope my importunity has not deranged you. But here come those Iexpect. "

Father Anselmo and Gelsomina entered the closet together. The firstglance convinced the Doge that he received strangers. He exchanged lookswith the member of the secret council, and each saw in the other's eyethat the surprise was mutual. 

When fairly in the presence, the Carmelite threw back his cowl, entirelyexposing the whole of his ascetic features; while Gelsomina, awed by therank of him who received them, shrank abashed, partly concealed by hisrobes. 

"What means this visit?" demanded the prince, whose finger pointed tothe shrinking form of the girl, while his eye rested steadily on that ofthe monk, "and that unusual companion? Neither the hour, nor the mode, is customary. "

Father Anselmo stood before the Venetian sovereign for the first time. Accustomed, like all of that region, and more especially in that age, tocalculate his chances of success warily, before venturing to disburdenhis mind, the monk fastened a penetrating look on his interrogator. 

"Illustrious prince, " he said, "we come petitioners for justice. Theywho are thus commissioned had need be bold, lest they do their owncharacter, and their righteous office, discredit. "

"Justice is the glory of St. Mark, and the happiness of his subjects. Thy course, father, is not according to established rules and wholesomerestraints, but it may have its apology--name thy errand. "

"There is one in the cells, condemned of the public tribunals, and hemust die with the return of day, unless your princely authorityinterfere to save him. "

"One condemned of the tribunals may merit his fate. "

"I am the ghostly adviser of the unhappy youth, and in the execution ofmy sacred office I have learned that he is innocent. "

"Didst thou say, condemned of the common judges-father?"

"Sentenced to die, highness, by a decree of the criminal tribunals. "

The prince appeared relieved. So long as the affair had been public, there was at least reason to believe he might indulge his love of thespecies, by listening further, without offence to the tortuous policy ofthe state. Glancing his eye at the motionless inquisitor, as if to seekapprobation, he advanced a step nearer to the Carmelite, with increasinginterest in the application. 

"By what authority, reverend priest, dost thou impeach the decision ofthe judges?" he demanded. 

"Signore, as I have just said, in virtue of knowledge gained in theexercise of my holy office. He has laid bare his soul to me, as onewhose feet were in the grave; and, though offending, like all born ofwoman, towards his God, he is guiltless as respects the state. "

"Thinkest thou, father, that the law would ever reach its victim, werewe to listen only to self-accusations? I am old, monk, and have longworn that troublesome cap, " pointing to the horned bonnet, which laynear his hand, the symbol of his state, "and in my day, I do not recallthe criminal that has not fancied himself the victim of untowardcircumstances. "

"That men apply this treacherous solace to their consciences, one of myvocation has not to learn. Our chief task is to show the delusion ofthose, who, while condemning their own sins by words of confession andself-abasement, make a merit of humility; but, Doge of Venice, there isstill a virtue in the sacred rite I have this evening been required toperform, which can overcome the mounting of the most exalted spirit. Many attempt to deceive themselves at the confessional, while, by thepower of God, few succeed. "

"Praised be the blessed mother and the incarnate son, that it is so!"returned the prince, struck by the mild faith of the monk, and crossinghimself reverently. "Father, thou hast forgotten to name the condemned?"

"It is a certain Jacopo Frontoni;--a reputed bravo, " The start, thechanging color, and the glance of the prince of Venice, were full ofnatural surprise. 

"Callest thou the bloodiest stiletto that ever disgraced the city, theweapon of a reputed bravo? The arts of the monster have prevailed overthy experience, monk!--the true confession of such a wretch would be buta history of bloody and revolting crimes. "

"I entered his cell with this opinion, but I left it convinced that thepublic sentiment has done him wrong. If your Highness will deign hearhis tale, you will think him a fit subject for your pity, rather thanfor punishment. "

"Of all the criminals of my reign, this is the last in whose favor Icould have imagined there was aught to be said!--Speak freely, Carmelite; for curiosity is as strong as wonder. "

So truly did the Doge give utterance to his feelings, that hemomentarily forgot the presence of the inquisitor, whose countenancemight have shown him that the subject was getting to be grave. 

The monk ejaculated a thanksgiving, for it was not always easy, in thatcity of mystery, to bring truth to the ears of the great. When men liveunder a system of duplicity, more or less of the quality gets interwovenwith the habits of the most ingenuous, although they may remainthemselves unconscious of the taint. Thus Father Anselmo, as heproceeded with the desired explanation, touched more tenderly on thepractices of the state, and used more of reserve in alluding to thoseusages and opinions, which one of his holy calling and honest nature, under other circumstances, would have fearlessly condemned. 

"It may not be known to one of your high condition, sovereign prince, "resumed the Carmelite, "that an humble but laborious mechanic of thiscity, a certain Francesco Frontoni, was long since condemned for fraudsagainst the Republic's revenue. This is a crime St. Mark never fails tovisit with his heavy displeasure, for when men place the goods of theworld before all other considerations, they mistake the objects whichhave brought them together in social union. "

"Father, thou wert speaking of a certain Francesco Frontoni?"

"Highness, such was his name. The unhappy man had taken into hisconfidence and friendship, one who, pretending to his daughter's love, might appear to be the master of his secrets. When this false suitorstood on the verge of detection, for offences against the customs, helaid a snare of deception, which, while he was permitted to escape, drewthe anger of the state on his too confiding friend. Francesco wascondemned to the cells, until he might reveal facts which never had anexistence. "

"This is a hard fate, reverend friar, could it be but proved!"

"'Tis the evil of secresy and intrigue, great Doge, in managing thecommon interests!--"

"Hast thou more of this Francesco, monk?"

"His history is short, Signore; for at the age when most men are activein looking to their welfare, he was pining in a prison. "

"I remember to have heard of some such accusation; but it occurred inthe reign of the last Doge, did it not, father?"

"And he has endured to near the close of the reign of this, Highness!"

"How? The Senate, when apprised of the error of its judgment, was notslow to repair the wrong!"

The monk regarded the prince earnestly, as if he would make certainwhether the surprise he witnessed was not a piece of consummate acting. He felt convinced that the affair was one of that class of acts, which, however oppressive, unjust, and destructive of personal happiness, hadnot sufficient importance to come before them, who govern under systemswhich care more for their own preservation than for the good of theruled. "Signor Doge, " he said, "the state is discreet in matters thattouch its own reputation. There are reasons that I shall not presume toexamine, why the cell of poor Francesco was kept closed, long after thedeath and confession of his accuser left his innocence beyond dispute. "

The prince mused, and then he bethought him to consult the countenanceof his companion. The marble of the pilaster, against which he leaned, was not more cold and unmoved than the face of the inquisitor. The manhad learned to smother every natural impulse in the assumed andfactitious duties of his office. 

"And what has this case of Francesco to do with the execution of theBravo?" demanded the Doge, after a pause, in which he had in vainstruggled to assume the indifference of his counsellor. 

"That I shall leave this prison-keeper's daughter to explain. Standforth, child, and relate what you know, remembering, if you speak beforethe Prince of Venice, that you also speak before the King of Heaven!"

Gelsomina trembled, for one of her habits, however supported by hermotives, could not overcome a nature so retiring without a struggle. Butfaithful to her promise, and sustained by her affection for thecondemned, she advanced a step, and stood no longer concealed by therobes of the Carmelite. 

"Thou art the daughter of the prison-keeper?" asked the prince mildly, though surprise was strongly painted in his eye. 

"Highness, we are poor, and we are unfortunate: we serve the state forbread. "

"Ye serve a noble master, child. Dost thou know aught of this Bravo?"

"Dread sovereign, they that call him thus know not his heart! One moretrue to his friends, more faithful to his word, or more suppliant withthe saints, than Jacopo Frontoni, is not in Venice!"

"This is a character which art might appropriate, even to a bravo. Butwe waste the moments. What have these Frontoni in common?"

"Highness, they are father and son. When Jacopo came to be of an age tounderstand the misfortunes of his family, he wearied the senators withapplications in his father's behalf, until they commanded the door ofthe cell to be secretly opened to a child so pious. I well know, greatprince, that they who rule cannot have all-seeing eyes, else could thiswrong never have happened. But Francesco wasted years in cells, chilland damp in winter, and scorching in summer, before the falsehood of theaccusation was known. Then, as some relief to sufferings so littlemerited, Jacopo was admitted. "

"With what object, girl?"

"Highness, was it not in pity? They promised too, that in good time theservice of the son should buy the father's liberty. The patricians wereslow to be convinced, and they made terms with poor Jacopo, who agreedto undergo a hard service that his father might breathe free air beforehe died. "

"Thou dealest in enigmas. "

"I am little used, great Doge, to speak in such a presence, or on suchsubjects. But this I know, that for three weary years hath Jacopo beenadmitted to his father's cell, and that those up above consented to thevisits, else would my father have denied them. I was his companion inthe holy act, and will call the blessed Maria and the saints------"

"Girl, didst thou know him for a bravo?"

"Oh! Highness, no. To me he seemed a dutiful child, fearing God andhonoring his parent. I hope never to feel another pang, like that whichchilled my heart when they said, he I had known as the kind Carlo washunted in Venice as the abhorred Jacopo! But it is passed, the Mother ofGod be praised!"

"Thou art betrothed to this condemned man?"

The color did not deepen on the cheek of Gelsomina at this abruptquestion, for the tie between her and Jacopo had become too sacred forthe ordinary weaknesses of her sex. 

"Highness, yes; we were to be married, should it have pleased God, andthose great senators who have so much influence over the happiness ofthe poor, to permit it. "

"And thou art still willing, knowing the man, to pledge thy vows to onelike Jacopo?"

"It is because I do know him to be as he is, that I most reverence him, great Doge. He has sold his time and his good name to the state, inorder to save his imprisoned father, and in that I see nothing tofrighten one he loves. "

"This affair needs explanation, Carmelite. The girl has a heated fancy, and she renders that obscure she should explain. "

"Illustrious prince, she would say that the Republic was content togrant the son the indulgence of visiting the captive, with someencouragement of his release, on condition that the youth might servethe police by bearing a bravo's reputation. "

"And for this incredible tale, father, you have the word of a condemned, criminal!"

"With the near view of death before his eyes. There are means ofrendering truth evident, familiar to those who are often near the dyingpenitents, that are unknown to those of the world. In any case, Signore, the matter is worthy of investigation. "

"In that thou art right. Is the hour named for the execution?"

"With the morning light, prince. "

"And the father?"

"Is dead. "

"A prisoner, Carmelite!"

"A prisoner, Prince of Venice. "

There was a pause. 

"Hast thou heard of the death of one named Antonio?"

"Signore, yes. By the sacred nature of my holy office, do I affirm thatof this crime is Jacopo innocent! I shrived the fisherman. "

The Doge turned away, for the truth began to dawn upon him, and theflush which glowed on his aged cheek contained a confession that mightnot be observed by every eye. He sought the glance of his companion, buthis own expression of human feeling was met by the disciplined featuresof the other, as light is coldly repelled from polished stone. 

"Highness!" added a tremulous voice. 

"What would'st thou, child?"

"There is a God for the Republic, as well as for the gondolier! YourHighness will turn this great crime from Venice?"

"Thou art of plain speech, girl!"

"The danger of Carlo has made me bold. You are much beloved by thepeople, and none speak of you, that they do not speak of your goodness, and of your desire to serve the poor. You are the root of a rich andhappy family, and you will not--nay, you cannot if you would, think it acrime for a son to devote all to a father. You are our father, and wehave a right to come to you, even for mercy--but, Highness, I ask onlyfor justice. "

"Justice is the motto of Venice. "

"They who live in the high favor of Providence do not always know whatthe unhappy undergo. It has pleased God to afflict my own poor mother, who has griefs that, but for her patience and Christian faith, wouldhave been hard to bear. The little care I had it in my power to show, first caught Jacopo's eye, for his heart was then full of the duty ofthe child. Would your Highness consent to see poor Carlo, or to commandhim to be brought hither, his simple tale would give the lie to everyfoul slander they have dared to say against him. "

"It is unnecessary--it is unnecessary. Thy faith in his innocence, girl, is more eloquent than any words of his can prove. "

A gleam of joy irradiated the face of Gelsomina, who turned eagerly tothe listening monk, as she continued--

"His Highness listens, " she said, "and we shall prevail! Father, theymenace in Venice, and alarm the timid, but they will never do the deedwe feared. Is not the God of Jacopo my God, and your God?--the God ofthe senate and of the Doge?--of the Council and of the Republic? I wouldthe secret members of the Three could have seen poor Jacopo, as I haveseen him, coming from his toil, weary with labor and heart-broken withdelay, enter the winter or the summer cell--chilling or scorching as theseason might be--struggling to be cheerful, that the falsely accusedmight not feel a greater weight of misery. Oh! venerable and kindprince, you little know the burden that the feeble are often made tocarry, for to you life has been sunshine; but there are millions who arecondemned to do that they loathe, that they may not do that they dread. "

"Child, thou tell'st me nothing new. "

"Except in convincing you, Highness, that Jacopo is not the monster theywould have him. I do not know the secret reasons of the councils forwishing the youth to lend himself to a deception that had nigh proved sofatal; but all is explained, we have naught now to fear. Come, father;we will leave the good and just Doge to go to rest, as suits his years, and we will return to gladden the heart of Jacopo with our success, andthank the blessed Maria for her favor. "

"Stay!" exclaimed the half-stifled old man. "Is this true that thoutellest me, girl:--Father, can it be so!"

"Signore, I have said all that truth and my conscience have prompted. "

The prince seemed bewildered, turning his look from the motionless girlto the equally immovable member of the Three. 

"Come hither, child, " he said, his voice trembling as he spoke. "Comehither, that I may bless thee. " Gelsomina sprang forward, and knelt atthe feet of her sovereign. Father Anselmo never uttered a clearer ormore fervent benediction than that which fell from the lips of thePrince of Venice. He raised the daughter of the prison-keeper, andmotioned for both his visitors to withdraw. Gelsomina willinglycomplied, for her heart was already in the cell of Jacopo, in theeagerness to communicate her success; but the Carmelite lingered to casta look behind, like one better acquainted with the effects of worldlypolicy, when connected with the interests of those who pervertgovernments to the advantage of the privileged. As he passed through thedoor, however, he felt his hopes revive, for he saw the aged prince, unable any longer to suppress his feelings, hastening towards his stillsilent companion, with both hands extended, eyes moistening with tears, and a look that betrayed the emotions of one anxious to find relief inhuman sympathies. 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

 "On--on-- It Is our knell, or that of Venice. --On. " MARINO FALIERO. 

Another morning called the Venetians to their affairs. Agents of thepolice had been active in preparing the public mind, and as the sun roseabove the narrow sea, the squares began to fill. There were present thecurious citizen in his, cloak and cap, bare-legged laborers in wonderingawe, the circumspect Hebrew in his gaberdine and beard, maskedgentlemen, and many an attentive stranger from among the thousands whostill frequented that declining mart. It was rumored that an act ofretributive justice was about to take place, for the peace of the townand the protection of the citizen. In short, curiosity, idleness, andrevenge, with all the usual train of human feelings, had drawn togethera multitude eager to witness the agonies of a fellow-creature. 

The Dalmatians were drawn up near the sea, in a manner to inclose thetwo granite columns of the Piazzetta. Their grave and disciplined facesfronted inwards towards the African pillars, those well known landmarksof death. A few grim warriors of higher rank paced the flags before thetroops, while a dense crowd filled the exterior space. By special favormore than a hundred fishermen were grouped within the armed men, witnesses that their class had revenge. Between the lofty pedestals ofSt. Theodore and the winged lion lay the block and the axe, the basketand the saw-dust; the usual accompaniments of justice in that day. Bytheir side stood the executioner. 

At length a movement in the living mass drew every eye towards the gateof the palace. A murmur arose, the multitude wavered, and a small bodyof the Sbirri came into view. Their steps were swift like the march ofdestiny. The Dalmatians opened to receive these ministers of fate intotheir bosom, and closing their ranks again, appeared to preclude theworld with its hopes from the condemned. On reaching the block betweenthe columns the Sbirri fell off in files, waiting at a little distance, while Jacopo was left before the engines of death attended by hisghostly counsellor, the Carmelite. The action left them open to the gazeof the throng. 

Father Anselmo was in the usual attire of a bare-footed friar of hisorder. The cowl of the holy man was thrown back, exposing his mortifiedlineaments and his self-examining eye to those around. The expression ofhis countenance was that of bewildered uncertainty, relieved by frequentbut fitful glimmerings of hope. Though his lips were constant in prayer, his looks wandered, by an irrepressible impulse, from one window of theDoge's palace to another. He took his station near the condemned, however, and thrice crossed himself fervently. 

Jacopo had tranquilly placed his person before the block. His head wasbare, his cheek colorless, his throat and neck uncovered from theshoulders, his body in its linen, and the rest of his form was clad inthe ordinary dress of a gondolier. He kneeled with his face bowed to theblock, repeated a prayer, and rising he faced the multitude with dignityand composure. As his eye moved slowly over the array of humancountenances by which he was environed, a hectic glowed on his features, for not one of them all betrayed sympathy in his sufferings. His breastheaved, and those nearest to his person thought the self-command of themiserable man was about to fail him. The result disappointedexpectation. There was a shudder, and the limbs settled into repose. 

"Thou hast looked in vain among the multitude for a friendly eye?" saidthe Carmelite, whose attention had been drawn to the convulsivemovement. 

"None here have pity for an assassin. "

"Remember thy Redeemer, son. He suffered ignominy and death for a racethat denied his Godhead, and derided his sorrows. "

Jacopo crossed himself, and bowed his head in reverence. 

"Hast thou more prayers to repeat, father?" demanded the chief of theSbirri; he who was particularly charged with the duty of the hour. "Though the illustrious councils are so sure in justice, they aremerciful to the souls of sinners. "

"Are thy orders peremptory?" asked the monk, unconsciously fixing hiseye again on the windows of the palace. "Is it certain that the prisoneris to die?"

The officer smiled at the simplicity of the question, but with theapathy of one too much familiarized with human suffering to admit ofcompassion. 

"Do any doubt it?" he rejoined. "It is the lot of man, reverend monk;and more especially is it the lot of those on whom the judgment of St. Mark has alighted. It were better that your penitent looked to hissoul. "

"Surely thou hast thy private and express commands! They have named aminute when this bloody work is to be performed?"

"Holy Carmelite, I have. The time will not be weary, and you will dowell to make the most of it, unless you have faith already in theprisoner's condition. "

As he spoke, the officer threw a glance at the dial of the square, andwalked coolly away. The action left the priest and the prisoner againalone between the columns. It was evident that the former could not yetbelieve in the reality of the execution. 

"Hast thou no hope, Jacopo?" he asked. 

"Carmelite, in my God. 

"They cannot commit this wrong! I shrived Antonio--I witnessed his fate, and the Prince knows it!"

"What is a Prince and his justice, where the selfishness of a few rules!Father, thou art new in the Senate's service. "

"I shall not presume to say that God will blast those who do this deed, for we cannot trace the mysteries of his wisdom. This life and all thisworld can offer, are but specks in his omniscient eye, and what to usseems evil may be pregnant with good. --Hast thou faith in thy Redeemer, Jacopo?"

The prisoner laid his hand upon his heart and smiled, with the calmassurance that none but those who are thus sustained can feel. 

"We will again pray, my son. "

The Carmelite and Jacopo kneeled side by side, the latter bowing hishead to the block, while the monk uttered a final appeal to the mercy ofthe Deity. The former arose, but the latter continued in the suppliantattitude. The monk was so full of holy thoughts that, forgetting hisformer wishes, he was nearly content the prisoner should pass into thefruition of that hope which elevated his own mind. The officer andexecutioner drew near, the former touching the arm of Father Anselmo, and pointing towards the distant dial. 

"The moment is near, " he whispered, more from habit than in anytenderness to the prisoner. 

The Carmelite turned instinctively towards the palace, forgetting in thesudden impulse all but his sense of earthly justice. There were forms atthe windows, and he fancied a signal to stay the impending blow wasabout to be given. 

"Hold!" he exclaimed. "For the love of Maria of most pure memory, be nottoo hasty!"

The exclamation was repeated by a shrill female voice, and thenGelsomina, eluding every effort to arrest her, rushed through theDalmatians, and reached the group between the granite columns. Wonderand curiosity agitated the multitude, and a deep murmur ran through thesquare. 

"'Tis a maniac!" cried one. 

"'Tis a victim of his arts!" said another, for when men have areputation for any particular vice, the world seldom fails to attributeall the rest. 

Gelsomina seized the bonds of Jacopo, and endeavored frantically torelease his arms. 

"I had hoped thou would'st have been spared this sight, poor Gessina!"said the condemned. 

"Be not alarmed!" she answered, gasping for breath. "They do it inmockery; 't is one of their wiles to mislead--but they cannot--no, theydare not harm a hair of thy head, Carlo!"

"Dearest Gelsomina!"

"Nay, do not hold me; I will speak to the citizens, and tell them all. They are angry now, but when they know the truth they will love thee, Carlo, as I do. "

"Bless thee--bless thee!--I would thou hadst not come. "

"Fear not for me! I am little used to such a crowd, but thou wilt seethat I shall dare to speak them fair, and to make known the truthboldly. I want but breath. "

"Dearest! Thou hast a mother--a father to share thy tenderness. Duty tothem will make thee happy!"

"Now I can speak, and thou shalt see how I will vindicate thy name. "

She arose from the arms of her lover, who, notwithstanding his bonds, released his hold of her slight form with a reluctance greater than thatwith which he parted with life. The struggle in the mind of Jacoposeemed over. He bowed his head passively to the block, before which hewas kneeling; and it is probable, by the manner in which his hands wereclasped, that he prayed for her who left him. Not so Gelsomina. Partingher hair over her spotless forehead with both hands, she advancedtowards the fishermen, who were familiar to her eye by their red capsand bare limbs. Her smile was like that which the imagination wouldbestow on the blessed, in their intercourse of love. 

"Venetians!" she said, "I cannot blame you; ye are here to witness thedeath of one whom ye believe unfit to live----"

"The murderer of old Antonio!" muttered several of the group. 

"Aye, even the murderer of that aged and excellent man. But when youhear the truth, when you come to know that he whom you have believed anassassin, was a pious child, a faithful servant of the Republic, agentle gondolier, and a true heart, you will change your bloody purposefor a wish for justice. "

A common murmur drowned her voice, which was so trembling and low as toneed deep stillness to render the words audible. The Carmelite hadadvanced to her side, and he motioned earnestly for silence. 

"Hear her, men of the Lagunes!" he said; "she utters holy truth. "

"This reverend and pious monk, with Heaven, is my witness. When youshall know Carlo better, and have heard his tale, ye will be the firstto cry out for his release. I tell you this, that when the Doge shallappear at yon window and make the signal of mercy, you need not beangry, and believe that your class has been wronged. Poor Carlo----"

"The girl raves!" interrupted the moody fishermen. "Here is no Carlo, but Jacopo Frontoni, a common bravo. "

Gelsomina smiled, in the security of the innocent, and regaining herbreath, which nervous agitation still disturbed, she resumed--

"Carlo or Jacopo--Jacopo or Carlo--it matters little. "

"Ha! There is a sign from the palace!" shouted the Carmelite, stretching both his arms in that direction, as if to grasp a boon. Theclarions sounded, and another wave stirred the multitude. Gelsominauttered a cry of delight, and turned to throw herself upon the bosom ofthe reprieved. The axe glittered before her eyes, and the head of Jacoporolled upon the stones, as if to meet her. A general movement in theliving mass denoted the end. 

The Dalmatians wheeled into column, the Sbirri pushed aside the throngon their way to their haunts; the water of the bay was dashed upon theflags; the clotted saw-dust was gathered; the head and trunk, block, basket, axe, and executioner disappeared, and the crowd circulatedaround the fatal spot. 

During this horrible and brief moment neither Father Anselmo norGelsomina moved. All was over, and still the entire scene appeared to bedelusion. 

"Take away this maniac!" said an officer of the police, pointing toGelsomina as he spoke. 

He was obeyed with Venetian readiness, but his words proved propheticbefore his servitors had quitted the square. The Carmelite scarcebreathed. He gazed at the moving multitude, at the windows of thepalace, and at the sun which shone so gloriously in the heavens. 

"Thou art lost in this crowd!" whispered one at his elbow. "ReverendCarmelite, you will do well to follow me. "

The monk was too much subdued to hesitate. His conductor led him by manysecret ways to a quay, where he instantly embarked in a gondola for themain. Before the sun reached the meridian the thoughtful and tremblingmonk was on his journey towards the States of the Church, and ere longhe became established in the castle of Sant' Agata. 

At the usual hour the sun fell behind the mountains of the Tyrol, andthe moon reappeared above the Lido. The narrow streets of Venice againpoured out their thousands upon the squares. The mild light fell athwartthe quaint architecture and the giddy tower, throwing a deceptive gloryon the city of islands. 

The porticoes became brilliant with lamps, the gay laughed, the recklesstrifled, the masker pursued his hidden purpose, the cantatrice and thegrotesque acted their parts, and the million existed in that vacantenjoyment which distinguishes the pleasures of the thoughtless and theidle. Each lived for himself, while the state of Venice held its vicioussway, corrupting alike the ruler and the ruled, by its mockery of thosesacred principles which are alone founded in truth and natural justice.