Chapter 3: On The Grand Canal.
Giuseppi, next morning, heard the announcement of the determination ofFrancis, to interfere no further in the matter of the conspiracy at SanNicolo, with immense satisfaction. For the last few nights he hadscarcely slept, and whenever he dozed off, dreamed either of beingtortured in dungeons, or of being murdered in his gondola; and no moneycould make up for the constant terrors which assailed him. In hiswaking moments he was more anxious for his employer than for himself,for it was upon him that the vengeance of the conspirators would fall,rather than upon a young gondolier, who was only obeying the orders ofhis master.
It was, then, with unbounded relief that he heard Francis had decidedto go no more out to San Nicolo.
During the next few days Francis went more frequently than usual to thePiazza of Saint Mark, and had no difficulty in recognizing there thevarious persons he had seen in the hut, and in ascertaining their namesand families. One of the citizens he had failed to recognize was alarge contractor in the salt works on the mainland. The other was thelargest importer of beasts for the supply of meat to the markets of thecity.
Francis was well satisfied with the knowledge he had gained. It mightnever be of any use to him, but it might, on the other hand, be ofimportance when least expected.
As a matter of precaution he drew up an exact account of theproceedings of the two nights on the lagoons, giving an account of themeeting, and the names of the persons present, and placed it in adrawer in his room. He told Giuseppi what he had done.
"I do not think there is the least chance of our ever being recognized,Giuseppi. There was not enough light for the man to have made out ourfeatures. Still there is nothing like taking precautions, and if--Idon't think it is likely, mind--but if anything should ever happen tome--if I should be missing, for example, and not return by thefollowing morning--you take that paper out of my drawer and drop itinto the Lion's Mouth. Then, if you are questioned, tell the wholestory."
"But they will never believe me, Messer Francisco," Giuseppi said inalarm.
"They will believe you, because it will be a confirmation of my story;but I don't think that there is the least chance of our ever hearinganything further about it."
"Why not denounce them at once without putting your name to it,"Giuseppi said. "Then they could pounce upon them over there, and findout all about it for themselves?"
"I have thought about it, Giuseppi, but there is something treacherousin secret denunciations. These men have done me no harm, and as aforeigner their political schemes do not greatly concern me. I shouldnot like to think I had sent twelve men to the dungeons and perhaps todeath."
"I think it's a pity you ever went there at all, Messer Francisco."
"Well, perhaps it is, Giuseppi; but I never thought it would turn out aserious affair like this. However, I do wish I hadn't gone now; notthat I think it really matters, or that we shall ever hear anythingmore of it. We may, perhaps, some day see the result of thisconspiracy, that is, if its objects are such as I guess them to be;namely, to form a party opposed to war with Hungary, Padua, or Genoa."
For some days after this Francis abstained from late excursions in thegondola. It was improbable that he or Giuseppi would be recognized didtheir late passenger meet them. Still, it was possible that they mightbe so; and when he went out he sat quietly among the cushions whileGiuseppi rowed, as it would be a pair-oared gondola the stranger wouldbe looking for. He was sure that the conspirator would feel uneasy whenthe boat did not come to the rendezvous, especially when they foundthat, on three successive days, figures were marked as had beenarranged on the column at the corner of the Piazzetta.
Giuseppi learned indeed, a week later, that inquiries had been madeamong the gondoliers for a boat rowed by two brothers, Giovanni andBeppo; and the inquirer, who was dressed as a retainer of a noblefamily, had offered five ducats reward for information concerning it.No such names, however, were down upon the register of gondolierslicensed to ply for hire. Giuseppi learned that the search had beenconducted quietly but vigorously, and that several young gondoliers whorowed together had been seen and questioned.
The general opinion, among the boatmen, was that some lady must havebeen carried off, and that her friends were seeking for a clue as tothe spot to which she had been taken.
One evening Francis had been strolling on the Piazza with Matteo, andhad remained out later than he had done since the night of his lastvisit to San Nicolo. He took his seat in the gondola, and when Giuseppiasked him if he would go home, said he would first take a turn or twoon the Grand Canal as the night was close and sultry.
There was no moon now, and most of the gondolas carried torches.Giuseppi was paddling quietly, when a pair-oared gondola shot pastthem, and by the light of the torch it carried, Francis recognized theladies sitting in it to be Maria and Giulia Polani with their duenna;two armed retainers sat behind them. They were, Francis supposed,returning from spending the evening at the house of some of theirfriends. There were but few boats now passing along the canal.
Polani's gondola was a considerable distance ahead, when Francis hearda sudden shout of, "Mind where you are going!"
Then there was a crash of two gondolas striking each other, followed byan outburst of shouts and cries of alarm, with, Francis thought, theclash of swords.
"Row, Giuseppi!" he exclaimed, leaping from his seat and catching upthe other oar; and with swift and powerful strokes the two lads drovethe gondola towards the scene of what was either an accident, or anattempt at crime.
They had no doubt which it was when they arrived at the spot. Afour-oared gondola lay alongside that of the Polanis, and thegondoliers with their oars, and the two retainers with their swords,had offered a stout resistance to an armed party who were trying toboard her from the other craft, but their resistance was well nigh overby the time Francis brought his gondola alongside.
One of the retainers had fallen with a sword thrust through his body,and a gondolier had been knocked overboard by a blow from an oar. Thetwo girls were standing up screaming, and the surviving retainer wasbeing borne backwards by three or four armed men, who were slashingfuriously at him.
"Quick, ladies, jump into my boat!" Francis exclaimed as he camealongside, and, leaning over, he dragged them one after the other intohis boat, just as their last defender fell.
With a fierce oath the leader of the assailants was about to springinto the gondola, when Francis, snatching up his oar, smote him withall his strength on the head as he was in the act of springing, and hefell with a heavy splash into the water between the boats.
A shout of alarm and rage rose from his followers, but the gondolaswere now separated, and in another moment that of Francis was flyingalong the canal at the top of its speed.
"Calm yourselves, ladies," Francis said. "There is no fear of pursuit.They will stop to pick up the man I knocked into the canal, and by thetime they get him on board we shall be out of their reach."
"What will become of the signora?" the eldest girl asked, when theyrecovered a little from their agitation.
"No harm will befall her, you may be sure," Francis said. "It wasevidently an attempt to carry you off, and now that you have escapedthey will care nothing for your duenna. She seemed to have lost herhead altogether, for as I lifted you into the boat she clung so fast toyour garments that I fancy a portion of them were left in her grasp."
"Do you know where to take us? I see you are going in the rightdirection?" the girl asked.
"To the Palazzo Polani," Francis said. "I have the honour of being afriend of your cousin, Matteo Giustiniani, and being with him one daywhen you passed in your gondola, he named you to me."
"A friend of Matteo!" the girl repeated in surprise. "Pardon me,signor, I thought you were two passing gondoliers. It was so dark thatI could not recognize you; and, you see, it is so unusual to see agentleman rowing."
"I am English, signora, and we are fond of strong exercise, and soafter nightfall, when it cannot shock my frie
nds, I often take an oarmyself."
"I thank you, sir, with all my heart, for my sister and myself, for theservice you have rendered us. I can hardly understand what has passed,even now it seems like a dream. We were going quietly along home, whena large dark gondola dashed out from one of the side canals, and nearlyran us down. Our gondolier shouted to warn them, but they ranalongside, and then some men jumped on board, and there was a terriblefight, and every moment I expected that the gondola would have beenupset. Beppo was knocked overboard, and I saw old Nicolini fall; andthen, just as it seemed all over, you appeared suddenly by our side,and dragged us on board this boat before I had time to think."
"I am afraid I was rather rough, signora, but there was no time tostand on ceremony. Here is the palazzo."
The boat was brought up by the side of the steps. Francis leapt ashoreand rang the bell, and then assisted the girls to land. In a minute thedoor was thrown open, and two servitors with torches appeared. Therewas an exclamation of astonishment as they saw the young ladies alonewith a strange attendant.
"I will do myself the honour of calling tomorrow to inquire if you areany the worse for your adventure, signora."
"No, indeed," the eldest girl said. "You must come up with us and seeour father. We must tell him what has happened; and he will be angryindeed, did we suffer our rescuer to depart without his having anopportunity of thanking him."
Francis bowed and followed the girls upstairs. They entered a large,very handsomely furnished apartment where a tall man was sittingreading.
"Why, girls," he exclaimed as he rose, "what has happened? you lookstrangely excited. Where is your duenna? and who is this younggentleman who accompanies you?"
"We have been attacked, father, on our way home," both the girlsexclaimed.
"Attacked?" Signor Polani repeated. "Who has dared to venture on suchan outrage?"
"We don't know, father," Maria said. "It was a four-oared gondola thatran suddenly into us. We thought it was an accident till a number ofmen, with their swords drawn, leaped on board. Then Nicolini andFrancia drew their swords and tried to defend us, and Beppo and Jacopoboth fought bravely too with their oars; but Beppo was knockedoverboard, and I am afraid Nicolini and Francia are killed, and inanother moment they would have got at us, when this young gentlemancame alongside in his gondola, and dragged us on board, for we were toobewildered and frightened to do anything. One of them--he seemed theleader of the party--tried to jump on board, but our protector struckhim a terrible blow with his oar, and he fell into the water, and thenthe gondola made off, and, so far as we could see, they did not chaseus."
"It is a scandalous outrage, and I will demand justice at the hands ofthe council.
"Young sir, you have laid me under an obligation I shall never forget.You have saved my daughter from the worst calamity that could befallher. Who is it to whom I am thus indebted?"
"My name is Francis Hammond. My father is an English merchant who has,for the last four years, established himself here."
"I know him well by repute," Polani said. "I trust I shall know more ofhim in the future.
"But where is your duenna, girls?"
"She remained behind in the gondola, father; she seemed too frightenedto move."
"The lady seemed to have lost her head altogether," Francis said. "As Iwas lifting your daughters into my gondola, in a very hasty andunceremonious way--for the resistance of your servitors was all butovercome, and there was no time to be lost--she held so tightly totheir robes that they were rent in her hands."
Signor Polani struck a gong.
"Let a gondola be manned instantly," he said, "and let six of you takearms and go in search of our boat. Let another man at once summon aleech, for some of those on board are, I fear, grievously wounded, ifnot killed."
But there was no occasion to carry out the order concerning the boat,for before it was ready to start the missing gondola arrived at thesteps, rowed by the remaining gondolier. The duenna was lifted outsobbing hysterically, and the bodies of the two retainers were thenlanded. One was dead; the other expired a few minutes after beingbrought ashore.
"You did not observe anything particular about the gondola, Maria, oryou, Giulia?"
"No, father, I saw no mark or escutcheon upon it, though they mighthave been there without my noticing them. I was too frightened to seeanything; it came so suddenly upon us."
"It was, as far as I noticed, a plain black gondola," Francis said."The men concerned in the affair were all dressed in dark clothes,without any distinguishing badges."
"How was it you came to interfere in the fray, young gentleman? Few ofour people would have done so, holding it to be a dangerous thing, fora man to mix himself up in a quarrel in which he had no concern."
"I should probably have mixed myself up in it, in any case, when Iheard the cry of women," Francis replied; "but, in truth, I recognizedthe signoras as their gondola passed mine, and knew them to be cousinsof my friend Matteo Giustiniani. Therefore when I heard the outcryahead, I naturally hastened up to do what I could in the matter."
"And well you did it," Polani said heartily. "I trust that the man youfelled into the water is he who is the author of this outrage. I do notthink I need seek far for him. My suspicions point very strongly in onedirection, and tomorrow I will lay the matter before the council anddemand reparation."
"And now, signor, if you will permit me I will take my leave," Francissaid. "The hour is late, and the signoras will require rest after theirfright and emotion."
"I will see you tomorrow, sir. I shall do myself the honour of callingearly upon your father, to thank him for the great service you haverendered me."
Signor Polani accompanied Francis to the steps, while two servants heldtorches while he took his seat in the gondola, and remained standingthere until the barque had shot away beyond the circle of light.
"We seem fated to have adventures, Giuseppi."
"We do indeed, Messer Francisco, and this is more to my liking than thelast. We arrived just at the nick of time; another half minute andthose young ladies would have been carried off. That was a rare blowyou dealt their leader. I fancy he never came up again, and that thatis why we got away without being chased."
"I am of that opinion myself, Giuseppi."
"If that is the case we shall not have heard the last of it, MesserFrancisco. Only someone of a powerful family would venture upon so bolda deed, as to try to carry off ladies of birth on the Grand Canal, andyou may find that this adventure has created for you enemies not to bedespised."
"I can't help it if it has," Francis said carelessly. "On the otherhand, it will gain for me an influential friend in Signor Polani, whois not only one of the richest merchants of Venice, but closely relatedto a number of the best families of the city."
"His influence will not protect you against the point of a dagger,"Giuseppi said. "Your share in this business cannot but become public,and I think that it would be wise to give up our evening excursions atpresent."
"I don't agree with you, Giuseppi. We don't go about with torchesburning, so no one who meets us is likely to recognize us. One gondolain the dark is pretty much like another, and however many enemies Ihad, I should not be afraid of traversing the canals."
The next morning, at breakfast time, Francis related to his father hisadventure of the previous evening.
"It is a mistake, my son, to mix yourself up in broils which do notconcern you; but in the present instance it may be that your adventurewill turn out to be advantageous to your prospects. Signor Polani isone of the most illustrious merchants of Venice. His name is knowneverywhere in the East, and there is not a port in the Levant where hisgalleys do not trade. The friendship of such a man cannot but be mostuseful to me.
"Upon the other hand, you will probably make some enemies by yourinterference with the plans of some unscrupulous young noble, andVenice is not a healthy city for those who have powerful enemies; stillI think that the advantages will more than balance the risk.
/> "However, Francis, you must curb your spirit of adventure. You are notthe son of a baron or count, and the winning of honour and glory bydeeds of arms neither befits you, nor would be of advantage to you inany way. A trader of the city of London should be distinguished for hisprobity and his attention to business; and methinks that, ere long, itwill be well to send you home to take your place in the counting houseunder the eye of my partner, John Pearson.
"Hitherto I have not checked your love for arms, or your intercoursewith youths of far higher rank than your own; but I have been for sometime doubting the wisdom of my course in bringing you out here with me,and have regretted that I did not leave you in good hands at home. Theevents of last night show that the time is fast approaching when youcan no longer be considered a boy, and it will be better for you toturn at once into the groove in which you are to travel, than tocontinue a mode of life which will unfit you for the career of a citytrader."
Francis knew too well his duty towards his father to make any reply,but his heart sank at the prospect of settling down in theestablishment in London. His life there had not been an unpleasant one,but he knew that he should find it terribly dull, after the freedom andliberty he had enjoyed in Venice. He had never, however, even tohimself, indulged the idea that any other career, save that of hisfather, could be his; and had regarded it as a matter of course that,some day, he would take his place in the shop in Cheapside.
Now that it was suddenly presented to him as something which wouldshortly take place, a feeling of repugnance towards the life came overhim. Not that he dreamt for a moment of trying to induce his father toallow him to seek some other calling. He had been always taught toconsider the position of a trader of good standing, of the city ofLondon, as one of the most desirable possible. The line between thenoble and the citizen was so strongly marked that no one thought ofoverstepping it. The citizens of London were as proud of their positionand as tenacious of their rights as were the nobles themselves. Theywere ready enough to take up arms to defend their privileges and toresist oppression, whether it came from king or noble; but few indeed,even of the wilder spirits of the city, ever thought of taking to armsas a profession.
It was true that honour and rank were to be gained, by those who rodein the train of great nobles to the wars, but the nobles drew theirfollowing from their own estates, and not from among the dwellers inthe cities; and, although the bodies of men-at-arms and archers,furnished by the city to the king in his wars, always did their dutystoutly in the field, they had no opportunity of distinguishingthemselves singly. The deeds which attracted attention, and led tohonour and rank, were performed by the esquires and candidates for therank of knighthood, who rode behind the barons into the thick of theFrench chivalry.
Therefore Francis Hammond had never thought of taking to the professionof arms in his own country; though, when the news arrived in Venice ofdesperate fighting at sea with the Genoese, he had thought, to himself,that the most glorious thing in life must be to command a well-mannedgalley, as she advanced to the encounter of an enemy superior innumbers. He had never dreamed that such an aspiration could ever besatisfied--it was merely one of the fancies in which lads so oftenindulge.
Still, the thought that he was soon to return and take his place in theshop in Chepe was exceedingly unpleasant to him.
Soon after breakfast the bell at the water gate rang loudly, and aminute later the servant entered with the news that Signor Polani wasbelow, and begged an interview. Mr. Hammond at once went down to thesteps to receive his visitor, whom he saluted with all ceremony, andconducted upstairs.
"I am known to you by name, no doubt, Signor Hammond, as you are tome," the Venetian said, when the first formal greetings were over. "Iam not a man of ceremony, nor, I judge, are you; but even if I were,the present is not an occasion for it. Your son has doubtless told youof the inestimable service, which he rendered to me last night, bysaving my daughters, or rather my eldest daughter--for it was doubtlessshe whom the villains sought--from being borne off by one of the worstand most disreputable of the many bad and disreputable young men ofthis city."
"I am indeed glad, Signor Polani, that my son was able to be of serviceto you. I have somewhat blamed myself that I have let him have his ownway so much, and permitted him to give himself up to exercises of arms,more befitting the son of a warlike noble than of a peaceful trader;but the quickness and boldness, which the mastery of arms gives, wasyesterday of service, and I no longer regret the time he has spent,since it has enabled him to be of aid to the daughters of SignorPolani."
"A mastery of arms is always useful, whether a man be a peace-lovingcitizen, or one who would carve his way to fame by means of hisweapons. We merchants of the Mediterranean might give up our trade, ifwe were not prepared to defend our ships against the corsairs ofBarbary, and the pirates who haunt every inlet and islet of the Levantnow, as they have ever done since the days of Rome. Besides, it is theduty of every citizen to defend his native city when attacked. Andlastly, there are the private enemies, that every man who rises but inthe smallest degree above his fellows is sure to create for himself.
"Moreover, a training in arms, as you say, gives readiness andquickness, it enables the mind to remain calm and steadfast amidstdangers of all sorts, and, methinks, it adds not a little to a man'sdignity and self respect to know that he is equal, man to man, to anywith whom he may come in contact. Here in Venice we are all soldiersand sailors, and your son will make no worse merchant, but rather thebetter, for being able to wield sword and dagger.
"Even now," he said with a smile, "he has proved the advantage of histraining; for, though I say it not boastfully, Nicholas Polani has itin his power to be of some use to his friends, and foremost among themhe will henceforward count your brave son, and, if you will permit him,yourself.
"But you will, I trust, excuse my paying you but a short visit thismorning, for I am on my way to lay a complaint before the council. Ihave already been round to several of my friends, and PhillipoGiustiniani and some six others, nearest related to me, will go withme, being all aggrieved at this outrage to a family nearly connected. Icrave you to permit me to take your son with me, in order that he maybe at hand, if called upon, to say what he knows of the affair."
"Assuredly it is his duty to go with you if you desire it; although Iown I am not sorry that he could see, as he tells me, no badge orcognizance which would enable him to say aught which can lead to theidentification of those who would have abducted your daughter. It isbut too well known a fact that it is dangerous to make enemies inVenice, for even the most powerful protection does not avail againstthe stab of a dagger."
"That is true enough," the merchant said. "The frequency ofassassinations is a disgrace to our city; nor will it ever be put downuntil some men of high rank are executed, and the seignory show thatthey are as jealous of the lives of private citizens, as they are ofthe honour and well being of the republic."
Francis gladly threw aside his books when he was told that SignorPolani desired him to accompany him, and was soon seated by the side ofthe merchant in his gondola.
"How old are you, my friend?" the merchant asked him, as the boatthreaded the mazes of the canals.
"I am just sixteen, signor."
"No more!" the merchant said in surprise. "I had taken you forwell-nigh two years older. I have but just come from the PalazzoGiustiniani, and my young kinsman, Matteo, tells me that in the Schoolof Arms there are none of our young nobles who are your match withrapier or battleaxe."
"I fear, sir," Francis said modestly, "that I have given up more timeto the study of arms than befits the son of a sober trader."
"Not at all," the Venetian replied. "We traders have to defend ourrights and our liberties, our goods and our ships, just as much as thenobles have to defend their privileges and their castles. Here inVenice there are no such distinctions of rank as there are elsewhere.Certain families, distinguished among the rest by their long standing,wealth, influence, or the services they hav
e rendered to the state, areof senatorial rank, and constitute our nobility; but there are notitles among us. We are all citizens of the republic, with our rightsand privileges, which cannot be infringed even by the most powerful;and the poorest citizen has an equal right to make himself asproficient in the arms, which he may be called upon to wield in defenceof the state, as the Doge himself. In your country also, I believe, allmen are obliged to learn the use of arms, to practise shooting at thebutts, and to make themselves efficient, if called upon to take part inthe wars of the country. And I have heard that at the jousts, thechampions of the city of London have ere now held their own againstthose of the court."
"They have done so," Francis said; "and yet, I know not why, it isconsidered unseemly for the sons of well-to-do citizens to be too fondof military exercises."
"The idea is a foolish one," the Venetian said hotly. "I myself have, ascore of times, defended my ships against corsairs and pirates,Genoese, and other enemies. I have fought against the Greeks, and beenforced to busy myself in more than one serious fray in the streets ofConstantinople, Alexandria, and other ports, and have served in thegalleys of the state. All men who live by trade must be in favour ofpeace; but they must also be prepared to defend their goods, and thebetter able they are to do it, the more the honour to them.
"But here we are at the Piazzetta."
A group of nobles were standing near the landing place, and SignorPolani at once went up to them, and introduced Francis to them as thegentleman who had done his daughter and their kinswoman such goodservice. Francis was warmly thanked and congratulated by them all.
"Will you wait near the entrance?" Signor Polani said. "I see that myyoung cousin, Matteo, has accompanied his father, and you will, nodoubt, find enough to say to each other while we are with the council."
The gentlemen entered the palace, and Matteo, who had remainedrespectfully at a short distance from the seniors, at once joined hisfriend.
"Well, Francis, I congratulate you heartily, though I feel quitejealous of you. It was splendid to think of your dashing up in yourgondola, and carrying off my pretty cousins from the clutches of thatvillain, Ruggiero Mocenigo, just as he was about to lay his hands onthem."
"Are you sure it was Ruggiero, Matteo?"
"Oh, there can't be any doubt about it. You know, he had asked forMaria's hand, and when Polani refused him, had gone off mutteringthreats. You know what his character is. He is capable of any evilaction; besides, they say that he has dissipated his patrimony, ingaming and other extravagances at Constantinople, and is deep in thehands of the Jews. If he could have succeeded in carrying off Maria itwould more than have mended his fortunes, for she and her sister areacknowledged to be the richest heiresses in Venice. Oh, there is not ashadow of doubt that it's he.
"You won't hear me saying anything against your love of prowling aboutin that gondola of yours, since it has brought you such a piece of goodfortune--for it is a piece of good fortune, Francis, to have renderedsuch a service to Polani, to say nothing of all the rest of us who areconnected with his family. I can tell you that there are scores ofyoung men of good birth in Venice, who would give their right hand tohave done what you did."
"I should have considered myself fortunate to have been of service toany girls threatened by violence, though they had only been fishermen'sdaughters," Francis said; "but I am specially pleased because they arerelatives of yours, Matteo."
"To say nothing to their being two of the prettiest girls in Venice,"Matteo added slyly.
"That counts for something too, no doubt," Francis said laughing,"though I didn't think of it.
"I wonder," he went on gravely, "whether that was Ruggiero whom Istruck down, and whether he came up again to the surface. He has verypowerful connections, you know, Matteo; and if I have gained friends, Ishall also have gained enemies by the night's work."
"That is so," Matteo agreed. "For your sake, I own that I hope thatRuggiero is at present at the bottom of the canal. He was certainly nocredit to his friends; and although they would of course have stood byhim, I do not think they will feel, at heart, in any way displeased toknow that he will trouble them no longer. But if his men got him outagain, I should say you had best be careful, for Ruggiero is about thelast man in Venice I should care to have as an enemy. However, we won'tlook at the unpleasant side of the matter, and will hope that hiscareer has been brought to a close."
"I don't know which way to hope," Francis said gravely. "He willcertainly be a dangerous enemy if he is alive; and yet the thought ofhaving killed a man troubles me much."
"It would not trouble me at all if I were in your place," Matteo said."If you had not killed him, you may be very sure that he would havekilled you, and that the deed would have caused him no compunctionwhatever. It was a fair fight, just as if it had been a hostile galleyin mid-sea; and I don't see why the thought of having rid Venice of oneof her worst citizens need trouble you in any way."
"You see I have been brought up with rather different ideas to yours,Matteo. My father, as a trader, is adverse to fighting of allkinds--save, of course, in defence of one's country; and although hehas not blamed me in any way for the part I took, I can see that he ismuch disquieted, and indeed speaks of sending me back to England atonce."
"Oh, I hope not!" Matteo said earnestly. "Hitherto you and I have beengreat friends, Francis, but we shall be more in future. All Polani'sfriends will regard you as one of themselves; and I was even thinking,on my way here, that perhaps you and I might enter the service of thestate together, and get appointed to a war galley in a few years."
"My father's hair would stand up at the thought, Matteo; though, formyself, I should like nothing so well. However, that could never havebeen. Still I am sorry, indeed, at the thought of leaving Venice. Ihave been very happy here, and I have made friends, and there is alwayssomething to do or talk about; and the life in London would be so dullin comparison. But here comes one of the ushers from the palace."
The official came up to them, and asked if either of them was MesserFrancisco Hammond, and, finding that he had come to the right person,requested Francis to follow him.