The Lion of Saint Mark | Page 8

in the streets of Venice after half past nine, he

felt that no hardship whatever, as he found no amusement in strolling in
the crowded Piazza.
Chapter 2
: A Conspiracy.
"Who are those ladies, Matteo?" Francis asked his friend one evening,
as the latter, who was sitting with him in his gondola, while Giuseppi
rowed them along the Grand Canal, half rose and saluted two girls in a
passing gondola.
"They are distant cousins of mine, Maria and Giulia Polani. They only
returned a short time since from Corfu. Their father is one of the richest
merchants of our city. He has for the last three years been living in
Corfu, which is the headquarters of his trade. The family is an old one,
and has given doges to Venice. They are two of our richest heiresses,
for they have no brothers. Their mother died soon after the birth of
Giulia."
"They both look very young," Francis said.
"Maria is about sixteen, her sister two years younger. There will be no
lack of suitors for their hands, for although the family is not politically
powerful, as it used to be, their wealth would cause them to be gladly
received in our very first families."
"Who was the middle-aged lady sitting between them?"
"She is only their duenna," Matteo said carelessly. "She has been with
them since they were children, and their father places great confidence
in her. And he had need to, for Maria will ere long be receiving
bouquets and perfumed notes from many a young gallant."
"I can quite fancy that," Francis said, "for she is very pretty as well as
very rich, and, as far as I have observed, the two things do not go very
often together. However, no doubt by this time her father has pretty
well arranged in his mind whom she is to marry."

"I expect so," agreed Matteo.
"That is the worst of being born of good family. You have got to marry
some one of your father's choice, not your own, and that choice is
determined simply by the desire to add to the political influence of the
family, to strengthen distant ties, or to obtain powerful connections. I
suppose it is the same everywhere, Matteo, but I do think that a man or
woman ought to have some voice in a matter of such importance to
them."
"I think so, too, at the present time," Matteo laughed; "but I don't
suppose that I shall be of that opinion when I have a family of sons and
daughters to marry.
"This gondola of yours must be a fast one indeed, Francisco, for with
only one rower she keeps up with almost all the pair oared boats, and
your boy is not exerting himself to the utmost, either."
"She can fly along, I can tell you, Matteo. You shall come out in her
some evening when Giuseppi and I both take oars. I have had her ten
days now, and we have not come across anything that can hold her for a
moment."
"It is always useful," Matteo said, "to have a fast boat. It is invaluable
in case you have been getting into a scrape, and have one of the boats
of the city watch in chase of you."
"I hope I sha'n't want it for any purpose of that sort," Francis answered,
laughing. "I do not think I am likely to give cause to the city watch to
chase me."
"I don't think you are, Francisco, but there is never any saying."
"At any rate it is always useful to be able to go fast if necessary, and if
we did want to get away, I do not think there are many pair-oared
gondolas afloat that would overtake us, though a good four oar might
do so. Giuseppi and I are so accustomed to each other's stroke now, that
though in a heavy boat we might not be a match for two men, in a light

craft like this, where weight does not count for so much, we would not
mind entering her for a race against the two best gondoliers on the
canals, in an ordinary boat."
A few evenings later, Francis was returning homewards at about half
past ten, when, in passing along a quiet canal, the boat was hailed from
the shore.
"Shall we take him, Messer Francisco?" Giuseppi asked in a low voice;
for more than once they had late in the evening taken a fare.
Francis rowed, like Giuseppi, in his shirt, and in the darkness they were
often taken for a pair-oared gondola on the lookout for a fare. Francis
had sometimes accepted the offer, because it was an amusement to see
where the passenger wished to go--to guess whether he was a lover
hastening to