Chapter 5: Finding A Clue.
"This is awful, Matteo," Francis said, when his friend had finished hisstory. "What is to be done?"
"That is just the thing, Francisco. What is to be done? My cousin hasbeen already to the city magistrates, to tell them what has takenplace, and to request their aid in discovering where the girls havebeen carried to. I believe that he is going to put up a proclamation,announcing that he will give a thousand ducats to whomsoever will bringinformation which will enable him to recover the girls. That will setevery gondolier on the canals on the alert, and some of them mustsurely have noticed a closed gondola rowed by two men, for at this timeof year very few gondolas have their covers on. It seems to be terriblenot to be able to do anything, so I came straight off to tell you."
"You had better send your gondola home, Matteo. It may be wanted. Wewill paddle out to the lagoon and talk it over. Surely there must besomething to be done, if we could but think of it.
"This is terrible, indeed, Matteo," he repeated, after they had satwithout speaking for some minutes. "One feels quite helpless andbewildered. To think that only yesterday evening we were laughing andchatting with them, and that now they are lost, and in the power ofthat villain Mocenigo, who you may be sure is at the bottom of it.
"By the way," he said suddenly, "do you know where he has taken up hisabode?"
"I heard that he was at Botonda, near Chioggia, a week ago, but whetherhe is there still I have not the least idea."
"It seems to me that the thing to do is to find him, and keep him insight. He will probably have them hidden away somewhere, and will notgo near them for some time, for he will know that he will be suspected,and perhaps watched."
"But why should he not force Maria to marry him at once?" Matteo said."You see, when he has once made her his wife he will be safe, for mycousin would be driven then to make terms with him for her sake."
"He may try that," Francis said; "but he must know that Maria hasplenty of spirit, and may refuse to marry him, threaten her as he will.He may think that, after she has been kept confined for some time, andfinds that there is no hope of escape, except by consenting to be hiswife, she may give way. But in any case, it seems to me that the thingto be done is to find Ruggiero, and to watch his movements."
"I have no doubt my cousin has already taken steps in that direction,"Matteo said, "and I feel sure that, in this case, he will receive thesupport of every influential man in Venice, outside the Mocenigo familyand their connections. The carrying off of ladies, in broad daylight,will be regarded as a personal injury in every family. The last attemptwas different. I do not say it was not bad enough, but it is not likedecoying girls from home by a false message. No one could feel safe, ifsuch a deed as this were not severely punished."
"Let us go back again, Matteo. It is no use our thinking of anythinguntil we know what has really been done, and you are sure to be able tolearn, at home, what steps have been taken."
On reaching home Matteo learned that Polani, accompanied by two membersof the council, had already started in one of the swiftest of the stategalleys for the mainland. A council had been hastily summoned, and,upon hearing Polani's narrative, had dispatched two of their number,with an official of the republic, to Botonda. If Ruggiero was found tobe still there, he was to be kept a prisoner in the house in which hewas staying, under the strictest watch. If he had left, orders were tobe sent, to every town in the Venetian dominions on the mainland, forhis arrest when discovered, and in that case he was to be sent aprisoner, strongly guarded, to Venice.
Other galleys had been simultaneously dispatched to the various ports,ordering a strict search of every boat arriving or leaving, anddirecting a minute investigation to be made as to the occupants ofevery boat that had arrived during the evening or night. The fact thata thousand ducats were offered, for information which would lead to therecovery of the girls, was also to be published far and wide.
The news of the abduction had spread, and the greatest indignation wasexcited in the city. The sailors from the port of Malamocco came overin great numbers. They regarded this outrage on the family of the greatmerchant as almost a personal insult. Stones were thrown at the windowsof the Palazzo Mocenigo, and an attack would have been made upon it,had not the authorities sent down strong guards to protect it. Personsbelonging to that house, and the families connected with it, wereassaulted in the streets, and all Venice was in an uproar.
"There is one comfort," Giuseppi said, when he heard from Francis whathad taken place. "Just at present, Mocenigo will have enough to thinkabout his own affairs without troubling about you. I have been in atremble ever since that day, and have dreamed bad dreams every night."
"You are more nervous for me than I am for myself, Giuseppi; but I havebeen careful too, for although Ruggiero himself was away his friendsare here, and active, too, as you see by this successful attempt. But Ithink that at present they are likely to let matters sleep. Publicopinion is greatly excited over the affair, and as, if I were foundwith a stab in my back, it would, after what has passed, be put down tothem, I think they will leave me alone."
"I do hope, father," Francis said at breakfast the next morning, "thatthere may be no opportunity of sending me back to England, untilsomething is heard of the Polanis."
"I have somewhat changed my mind, Francis, as to that matter. Afterwhat Signor Polani said the other day, I feel that it would be foolishfor me to adhere to that plan. With his immense trade and businessconnections he can do almost anything for you, and such an introductioninto business is so vastly better than your entering my shop in thecity, that it is best, in every way, that you should stay here for thepresent. Of course, for the time he will be able to think of nothingbut his missing daughters; but at any rate, you can remain here untilhe has leisure to pursue the subject, and to state, further than he didthe other day, what he proposes for you. My own business is a good onefor a London trader, but it is nothing by the side of the transactionsof the merchant princes at Venice, among the very first of whom SignorPolani is reckoned."
Francis was greatly pleased at his father's words. He had, ever sincePolani had spoken to him, been pondering the matter in his mind. Heknew that to enter business under his protection would be one of thebest openings that even Venice could afford; but his father was slow tochange his plans, and Francis greatly feared that he would adhere tohis original plan.
"I was hoping, father, that you would think favourably of what SignorPolani said, although, of course, I kept silence, knowing that youwould do what was best for me. And now I would ask you if you will,until this matter is cleared up, excuse me from my tasks. I shouldlearn nothing did I continue at them, for my mind would be ever runningupon Signor Polani's daughters, and I should be altogether too restlessto apply myself. It seems to me, too, that I might, as I row here andthere in my gondola, obtain some clue as to their place ofconcealment."
"I do not see how you could do that, Francis, when so many others, farbetter qualified than yourself, will be on the lookout. Still, as Iagree with you that you are not likely to apply your mind diligently toyour tasks, and as, indeed, you will shortly be giving them upaltogether, I grant your request."
Polani returned in the evening to Venice. Ruggiero Mocenigo had beenfound. He professed great indignation at the accusation brought againsthim, of being concerned in the abduction of the ladies, and protestedfuriously when he heard that, until they were found, he was to considerhimself a prisoner. Signor Polani considered that his indignation wasfeigned, but he had no doubt as to the reality of his anger at findingthat he was to be confined to his house under a guard.
Immediately after his return, Polani sent his gondola for Francis. Hewas pacing up and down the room when the lad arrived.
"Your suspicions have turned out correct, as you see, Francis. Would toHeaven I had acted upon them at once, and then this would not havehappened. It seemed to me altogether absurd, when you spoke to me, thatthe woman I have for years treated as a friend should th
us betray me.And yet your warning made me uneasy, so much so that I set off myselfto fetch them home at five o'clock, only to find that I was too late. Iscarcely know why I have sent for you, Francis, except that as I havefound, to my cost, that you were more clear sighted in this matter thanI, I want to know what you think now, and whether any plan offeringeven a chance of success has occurred to you. That they have beencarried off by the friends of Mocenigo I have no doubt whatever."
"I fear, signor," Francis said, "that there is little hope of mythinking of anything that has not already occurred to you. It seems tome hardly likely that they can be in the city, although, of course,they may be confined in the house of Mocenigo's agents. Still, theywould be sure that you would offer large rewards for their discovery,and would be more likely to take them right away. Besides, I shouldthink that it was Mocenigo's intention to join them, wherever they maybe, as soon as he learned that they were in the hands of hisaccomplices. Your fortunate discovery that they had gone, so soon afterthey had been carried off, and your going straight to him armed withthe order of the council, probably upset his calculations, for it islikely enough that his agents had not arrived at the house, and that helearned from you, for the first time, that his plans had succeeded. Hadyou arrived two or three hours later, you might have found him gone."
"That is what I calculated, Francisco. His agents had but four hours'start of me. They would, no doubt, carry the girls to the place ofconcealment chosen, and would then bear the news to him; whereas I,going direct in one of the state gondolas, might reach him before theydid, and I feel assured that I did so.
"It was nigh midnight when I arrived, but he was still up, and I doubtnot awaiting the arrival of the villains he had employed. My first stepwas to set a watch round the house, with the order to arrest any whomight come and inquire for him. No one, however, came.
"The news, indeed, of the sudden arrival of a state galley, at thathour, had caused some excitement in the place, and his agents mightwell have heard of it upon their arrival. I agree with you in thinkingthey are not in the town, but this makes the search all the moredifficult. The question is, what ought we to do next?"
"The reward that you have offered will certainly bring you news,signor, if any, save those absolutely concerned, have observed anythingsuspicious; but I should send to all the fishing villages, on theislets and on the mainland, to publish the news of the reward you haveoffered. Beyond that, I do not see that anything can be done; and I,too, have thought of nothing else since Matteo brought me the news oftheir being carried off. It will be of no use, that I can see, goingamong the fishermen and questioning them, because, with such a rewardin view, it is certain that anyone who has anything to tell will come,of his own accord, to do so."
"I know that is the case already, Francisco. The authorities have beenbusy all day with the matter, and a score of reports as to closedgondolas being seen have reached them; but so far nothing has come ofit. Many of these gondolas have been traced to their destinations, butin no case was there anything to justify suspicion. Happily, as long asMocenigo is in confinement, I feel that no actual harm will happen tothe girls; but the villain is as crafty as a fox, and may elude thevigilance of the officer in charge of him. I am going to the council,presently, to urge that he should be brought here as a prisoner; butfrom what I hear there is little chance of the request being compliedwith. His friends are already declaiming on the injustice of a manbeing treated as a criminal, when there is no shadow of proofforthcoming against him; and the disturbances last night have angeredmany who have no great friendship for him, but who are indignant at theattack of the populace upon the house of a noble. So you see that thereis but faint chance that they would bring him hither a prisoner."
"I think, sir, that were I in your case, I should put some trusty mento watch round the house where he is confined; so that in case heshould escape the vigilance of his guards they might seize upon him.Everything depends, as you say, upon his being kept in durance."
"I will do so, Francisco, at once. I will send to two of my officers atthe port, and tell them to pick out a dozen men on whom they can rely,to proceed to Botonda, and to watch closely everyone who enters orleaves the house, without at the same time making themselvesconspicuous. At any rate, they will be handy there in case Mocenigo'sfriends attempt to rescue him by force, which might be done withsuccess, for the house he occupies stands at a short distance out ofthe town, and the official in charge of Mocenigo has only eight menwith him.
"Yes, your advice is excellent, and I will follow it at once. Shouldany other idea occur to you, pray let me know it immediately. You savedmy daughters once, and although I know there is no reason why it shouldbe so, still, I feel a sort of belief that you may, somehow, beinstrumental in their again being brought back to me."
"I will do my best, sir, you may depend upon it," Francis saidearnestly. "Were they my own sisters, I could not feel more stronglyinterested in their behalf."
Francis spent the next week almost entirely in his gondola. Startingsoon after daybreak with Giuseppi, he would row across to the villageson the mainland, and make inquiries of all sorts there; or would visitthe little groups of fishermen's huts, built here and there on postsamong the shallows. He would scan every house as he passed it, with thevague hope that a face might appear at the window, or a hand be wavedfor assistance. But, during all that time, he had found nothing whichseemed to offer the slightest clue, nor were the inquiries set on footby Signor Polani more successful. Every piece of information whichseemed to bear, in the slightest degree, upon the affair wasinvestigated, but in no case was it found of the slightest utility.
One evening he was returning late, tired by the long day's work, anddiscouraged with his utter want of success, when, just as he had passedunder the Ponto Maggiore, the lights on the bridge fell on the faces ofthe sitters in a gondola coming the other way. They were a man and awoman. The latter was closely veiled. But the night was close andoppressive, and, just at the moment when Francis' eyes fell upon her,she lifted her veil for air. Francis recognized her instantly. For amoment he stopped rowing, and then dipped his oar in as before.Directly the other gondola passed through the bridge behind him, andhis own had got beyond the circle of light, he swept it suddenly round.
Giuseppi gave an exclamation of surprise.
"Giuseppi, we have luck at last. Did you notice that gondola we metjust now? The woman sitting in it is Castaldi, the woman who betrayedthe signoras."
"What shall we do, Messer Francisco?" Giuseppi, who had become almostas interested in the search as his master, asked. "There was only asingle gondolier and one other man. If we take them by surprise we canmaster them."
"That will not do, Giuseppi. The woman would refuse to speak, andthough they could force her to do so in the dungeons, the girls wouldbe sure to be removed the moment it was known she was captured. We mustfollow them, and see where they go to. Let us get well behind them, sothat we can just make them out in the distance. If they have asuspicion that they are being followed, they will land her at the firststeps and slip away from us."
"They are landing now, signor," Giuseppi exclaimed directly afterwards."Shall we push on and overtake them on shore?"
"It is too late, Giuseppi. They are a hundred and fifty yards away, andwould have mixed in the crowd, and be lost, long before we should getashore and follow them. Row on fast, but not over towards that side. Ifthe gondola moves off, we will make straight for the steps and try tofollow them, though our chance of hitting upon them in the narrow lanesand turnings is slight indeed.
"But if, as I hope, the gondola stops at the steps, most likely theywill return to it in time. So we will row in to the bank a hundredyards farther up the canal and wait."
The persons who had been seen in the gondola had disappeared when theycame abreast of it, and the gondolier had seated himself in the boat,with the evident intention of waiting. Francis steered his gondola at adistance of a few yards from it as he shot past, but did not abate hisspeed, an
d continued to row till they were three or four hundred yardsfarther up the canal. Then he turned the gondola, and paddlednoiselessly back until he could see the outline of the boat he waswatching.
An hour elapsed before any movement was visible. Then Francis heard thesound of footsteps, and could just make out the figures of personsdescending the steps and entering the gondola. Then the boat moved outinto the middle of the canal, where a few boats were still passing toand fro. Francis kept his gondola close by the bank, so as to be in thedeep shade of the houses. The boat they were following again passedunder the Ponto Maggiore, and for some distance followed the line ofthe Grand Canal.
"Keep your eye upon it, Giuseppi. It is sure to turn off one way or theother soon, and if it is too far ahead of us when it does so, then itmay give us the slip altogether."
But the gondola continued its course the whole length of the canal, andthen straight on until, nearly opposite Saint Mark's, it passed closeto a larger gondola, with four rowers, coming slowly in the otherdirection; and it seemed to Francis that the two boats paused whenopposite each other, and that a few words were exchanged.
Then the boat they were watching turned out straight into the lagoon.It was rather lighter here than in the canal, bordered on each side byhouses, and Francis did not turn the head of his gondola for a minuteor two.
"It will be very difficult to keep them in sight out here without theirmaking us out," Giuseppi said.
"Yes, and it is likely enough that they are only going out there inorder that they may be quite sure that they are not followed, beforestriking off to the place they want to go to. They may possibly havemade us out, and guess that we are tracking them. They would be sure tokeep their eyes and ears open."
"I can only just make them out now, Messer Francisco, and as we shallhave the buildings behind us, they will not be able to see us as wellas we can see them. I think we can go now."
"We will risk it, at any rate, Giuseppi. I have lost sight of themalready, and it will never do to let them give us the slip."
They dipped their oars in the water, and the gondola darted out fromthe shore. They had not gone fifty strokes when they heard the sound ofoars close at hand.
"To the right, Giuseppi, hard!" Francis cried as he glanced over hisshoulder.
A sweep with both oars brought the gondola's head, in a moment, almostat right angles to the course that she had been pursuing; and the nextsent her dancing on a new line, just as a four-oared gondola swept downupon them, missing their stern by only three or four feet. Had theybeen less quick in turning, the iron prow would have cut right throughtheir light boat.
Giuseppi burst into a torrent of vituperation at the carelessness ofthe gondoliers who had so nearly run into them, but Francis silencedhim at once.
"Row, Giuseppi. It was done on purpose. It is the gondola the otherspoke to."
Their assailant was turning also, and in a few seconds was in pursuit.Francis understood it now. The gondola they had been following hadnoticed them, and had informed their friends, waiting off Saint Mark's,of the fact. Intent upon watching the receding boat, he had paid nofurther attention to the four-oared craft, which had made a turn, andlay waiting in readiness to run them down, should they follow in thetrack of the other boat.
Francis soon saw that the craft behind them was a fast one, and rowedby men who were first-rate gondoliers. Fast as his own boat was flyingthrough the water, the other gained upon them steadily. He was headingnow for the entrance to the Grand Canal, for their pursuer, in thewider sweep he had made in turning, was nearer to the Piazza than theywere, and cut off their flight in that direction.
"Keep cool, Giuseppi," he said. "They will be up to us in a minute ortwo. When their bow is within a yard or two of us, and I say, 'Now!'sweep her head straight round towards the lagoon. We can turn quickerthan they can. Then let them gain upon us, and we will then turnagain."
The gondola in pursuit came up hand over hand. Francis kept lookingover his shoulder, and when he saw its bow gliding up within a few feetof her stern he exclaimed "Now!" and, with a sudden turn, the gondolaagain swept out seaward.
Their pursuer rushed on for a length or two before she could sweepround, while a volley of imprecations and threats burst from three menwho were standing up in her with drawn swords. Francis and Giuseppiwere now rowing less strongly, and gaining breath for their nexteffort. When the gondola again came up to them they swept round to theleft, and as their pursuers followed they headed for the Grand Canal.
"Make for the steps of Santa Maria church. We will jump out there andtrust to our feet."
The two lads put out all their strength now. They were some threeboats' lengths ahead before their pursuers were fairly on their track.They were now rowing for life, for they knew that they could hardlysucceed in doubling again, and that the gondola behind them was so wellhandled, that they could not gain on it at the turnings were they toventure into the narrow channels. It was a question of speed alone, andso hard did they row that the gondola in pursuit gained but slowly onthem, and they were still two lengths ahead when they dashed up to thesteps of the church.
Simultaneously they sprang on shore, leaped up the steps, and dashedoff at the top of their speed, hearing, as they did so, a crash as thegondola ran into their light craft. There was a moment's delay, as themen had to step across their boat to gain the shore, and they werefifty yards ahead before they heard the sound of their pursuers' feeton the stone steps; but they were lightly clad and shoeless, andcarried nothing to impede their movements, and they had thereforelittle fear of being overtaken.
After racing on at the top of their speed for a few minutes, theystopped and listened. The sound of their pursuers' footsteps died awayin the distance; and, after taking a few turns to put them off theirtrack, they pursued their way at a more leisurely pace.
"They have smashed the gondola," Giuseppi said with a sob, for he wasvery proud of the light craft.
"Never mind the gondola," Francis said cheerfully. "If they had smasheda hundred it would not matter."
"But the woman has got away and we have learned nothing," Giuseppisaid, surprised at his master's cheerfulness.
"I think we have learned something, Giuseppi. I think we have learnedeverything. I have no doubt the girls are confined in that hut on SanNicolo. I wonder I never thought of it before; but I made so sure thatthey would be taken somewhere close to where Mocenigo was staying, thatit never occurred to me that they might hide them out there. I ought tohave known that that was just the thing they would do, for while thesearch would be keen among the islets near the land, and the villagesthere, no one would think of looking for them on the seaward islands.
"I have no doubt they are there now. That woman came ashore to reportto his friends, and that four-oared boat which has chased us was inwaiting off Saint Mark's, to attack any boat that might be followingthem.
"We will go to Signor Polani at once and tell him what has happened. Isuppose it is about one o'clock now, but I have not noticed the hour.It was past eleven before we first met the gondola, and we must havebeen a good deal more than an hour lying there waiting for them."
A quarter of an hour's walking took them to the palazzo of Polani. Theyrang twice at the bell at the land entrance, before a face appeared atthe little window of the door, and asked who was there.
"I wish to see Signor Polani at once," Francis said.
"The signor retired to rest an hour ago," the man said.
"Never mind that," Francis replied. "I am Francis Hammond, and I haveimportant news to give him."
As soon as the servitor recognized Francis' voice, he unbarred thedoor.
"Have you news of the ladies?" he asked eagerly.
"I have news which will, I hope, lead to something," Francis replied.
A moment later the voice of Polani himself, who, although he hadretired to his room, had not yet gone to sleep, was heard at the top ofthe grand stairs, inquiring who it was who had come so late; foralthough men had been arriving a
ll day, with reports from the variousislands and villages, he thought that no one would come at this hourunless his news were important.
Francis at once answered:
"It is I, Signor Polani, Francis Hammond. I have news which I think maybe of importance, although I may be mistaken. Still, it is certainlynews that may lead to something."
The merchant hurried down.
"What is it, Francisco? What have you learned?"
"I have seen the woman Castaldi, and have followed her. I do not knowfor certain where she was going, for we have been chased by a largegondola, and have narrowly escaped with our lives. Still, I have a clueto their whereabouts."
Francis then related the events of the evening.
"But why did you not run into the boat and give the alarm at once,Francisco? Any gondolas passing would have given their assistance, whenyou declared who she was, for the affair is the talk of the city. Ifthat woman were in our power we should soon find means to make herspeak."
"Yes, signor; but the moment she was known to be in your power, you maybe sure that they would remove your daughters from the place where theyhave been hiding them. I thought, therefore, the best plan would be totrack them. No doubt we should have succeeded in doing so, had it notbeen for the attack upon us by another gondola."
"You are right, no doubt, Francisco. Still, it is unfortunate, for I donot see that we are now any nearer than we were before, except that weknow that this woman is in the habit of coming into the city."
"I think we are nearer, sir, for I had an adventure some time ago thatmay afford a clue to their hiding place."
He then told the merchant how he had, one evening, taken a man out toSan Nicolo, and had discovered that a hut in that island was used as ameeting place by various persons, among whom was Ruggiero Mocenigo.
"I might have thought of the place before, signor; but, in fact, itnever entered my mind. From the first, we considered it so certain thatthe men who carried off your daughters would take them to some hidingplace where Mocenigo could speedily join them, that San Nicolo neverentered my mind. I own that it was very stupid, for it seems now to methat the natural thing for them to do, would be to take them in thevery opposite direction to that in which the search for them would bemade."
The story had been frequently interrupted by exclamations of surpriseby Polani. At its conclusion, he laid his hand on Francis' shoulder.
"My dear boy," he said, "How can I thank you! You seem to me to be bornto be the preserver of my daughters. I cannot doubt that your suspicionis correct, and that they are confined in this hut at San Nicolo. Howfortunate that you did not denounce this conspiracy--for conspiracy nodoubt it is--that you discovered, for, had you done so, some otherplace would have been selected for the girls' prison."
"I would not be too sanguine, sir. The girls may not be in this hut,still we may come on some clue there which may lead us to them. If not,we will search the islands on that side as closely as we have donethose on the mainland."
"Now, shall I send for the gondoliers and set out at once? There areten or twelve men in the house, and it is hardly likely that they willplace a guard over them of anything like this strength, as of coursethey will be anxious to avoid observation by the islanders."
"I do not think I would do anything tonight, sir," Francis said. "Thegondola that chased us will be on the alert. They cannot, of course,suspect in the slightest that we have any clue to the hiding place ofyour daughters. Still, they might think that, if we were reallypursuing the other gondola, and had recognized the woman Castaldi, wemight bring the news to you, and that a stir might be made. They maytherefore be watching to see if anything comes of it; and if they saw abustle and gondolas setting out taking the direction of the island,they might set off and get there first, for it is a very fast craft,and remove your daughters before we reach the hut.
"I should say wait till morning. They may be watching your house now,and if, in an hour or two, they see all is quiet, they will no doubtretire with the belief that all danger is at an end. Then, in themorning, I would embark the men in two or three gondolas, but I wouldnot start from your own steps, for no doubt your house is watched. Letthe men go out singly, and embark at a distance from here, and not atthe same place. Once out upon the lagoon, they should row quietlytowards San Nicolo, keeping a considerable distance apart, the menlying down in the bottom as the boats approach the island, so that ifanyone is on watch he will have no suspicion.
"As I am the only one that knows the position of the hut, I will bewith you in the first gondola. We will not land near the hut, but passby, and land at the other end of the island. The other gondolas willslowly follow us, and land at the same spot. Then three or four men cango along by the sea face, with orders to watch any boats hauled up uponthe shore there, and stop any party making down towards them. The restof us will walk straight to the hut, and, as it lies among sand hills,I hope we shall be able to get quite close to it before our approach isdiscovered."
"An excellent plan, Francisco, though I am so impatient that the nightwill seem endless to me; but certainly your plan is the best. Even ifthe house is watched, and you were seen to enter, if all remainsperfectly quiet they will naturally suppose that the news you broughtwas not considered of sufficient importance to lead to any action. Youwill, of course, remain here till morning?"
"I cannot do that, sir, though I will return the first thing. There is,lying on my table, a paper with the particulars and names of thepersons I saw meet in this hut, and a request to my father that, if Ido not return in the morning, he will at once lay this before thecouncil. I place it there every day when I go out, in order that, if Ishould be seized and carried off by Mocenigo's people, I should havesome means of forcing them to let me go.
"Although I know absolutely nothing of the nature of the conspiracy,they will not know how much I am aware of, or what particulars I mayhave given in the document; and as I could name to them those present,and among them is the envoy of the King of Hungary, now in the city,they would hardly dare harm me, when they knew that if they did so thisaffair would be brought before the council."
"It was an excellent precaution, Francisco. Why, you are as prudent andthoughtful as you are courageous!"
"It was not likely to be of much use, sir," Francis said modestly. "Iwas very much more likely to get a stab in the back than to be carriedoff. Still, it was just possible that Mocenigo might himself like tosee his vengeance carried out, and it was therefore worth my whileguarding against it. But, as you see, it will be necessary for me to beback sometime before morning."
"At any rate, Francisco, you had better wait here until morning breaks.Your room is not likely to be entered for some hours after that; sowhile I am preparing for our expedition, you can go out and make yourway to the Grand Canal, hail an early gondola, and be put down at yourown steps, when, as you have told me, you can enter the house withoutdisturbing anyone. Then you can remove that paper, and return here inthe gondola. We will start at seven. There will be plenty of boatsabout by that time, and the lagoon will be dotted by the fishermen'scraft, so that our gondolas will attract no attention."
"Perhaps that will be the best plan, signor; and, indeed, I should notbe sorry for a few hours' sleep, for Giuseppi and I have been in ourboat since a very early hour in the morning, and were pretty well tiredout before this last adventure began."