Arethusa

in vain to catch some words of the whispered conversation. The maids had been dismissed. From time to time Gorlias spoke aloud, poin

th, and after her companion had been speaking some time she bent down and answered in his ea

em to carry it out, but they had met with no success, for he either did not understand, or he would not. Messer Sebastian Polo, whose house he frequented, was a timid man,

have been surprised to learn that he had not u

f Sebastian Polo's

ud, 'and in trine aspect to Mars, signifies fine horses and a retinue of servants.'

ce I came,' said Zo?, bending to his ea

s face towards he

ore he bought you, Kokón

, in

might have had the smallpox

from far away. It was the first time she had laughed naturally since many weeks. The astro

aloud. 'You will be fortunate in love.' Then he whispered again, 'I wi

edly, with something tha

nswered. 'If you will help us, you shall hav

rty?

he had tempted her

our help with Messer C

hat is not mine to g

the planets, in a tone loud enough to be heard by the maids

and forlorn hope to victory, both in Italy and Greece, who has the

oldier,' Zo? answered,

eover, I can tell you, Kokóna, that this is no small matter. If he succe

attentively at the astrologer throug

' Gorlias answered, 'but lest you shoul

ething he held gathered in his palm. Cleverly turning the sheet of paper on which he had shown his astrological fi

aloud, 'the beneficent influences a

speaking he let the pearls slip down upon the skirts of

. 'You shall have a hundred st

ed, 'not to me! If you are in earnest make

d Gorlias, as if

ar as she whispered the question, and she

l fixedness of his expression was momentaril

ated, with strong emphas

ter,' he ans

fresh,' she rep

d at her veil

e things?' He glanced suspiciously at Omobono, who, as

ook he

r your message is delivered. What I can do, I will do, and there is no more to say

informing Zo? that if she wished to know the smaller details of her wonderful future, she

' he said, rising, 'Messer Omobono

of pearls, he had made his obeisance and was at the doo

bosom. For she would not allow the maids to see it, and was already debating how she should hide it till she could find an opportunity of gi

ould, of course, be easily induced by gifts to use her influence with her master. For Zeno's past deeds had already woven a sort of legend about his name, so that even the soldiers talked of him among themselves, and told stories of the desperate bra

rhaps; but it looked strangely impossible to Zo? herself, when she rememb

y passwords, and talked secretly of a great rising, in which some foresaw vengeance for the wrongs they had suffered, while others, like the Bokharian Rustan, hoped for fortune, reward, and perhaps honour. But the body of the army was not with them yet, the dis

he had instructed them to ask Zeno's help; but so far his message had either not been delivered or Zeno had been deaf to the appeal, perhaps judging that the time was not come for the a

generally has something in his face that is not to be mistaken; but to influence Carlo was another matter, as she had understood when he had supped with her. It would be as hard to induce him to do anything he was not inclined to do of his own accord as it would be impos

cheese-grater, as Gorlias had told her? If she was ugly, why did Zeno go to Polo's house so often? For Zo? had no doubt but that he went there every time he was r

ost tenderly, and had helped the old slave to take care of the children; the last weeks had been spent in abject misery, the last days in the final struggle with starvation and sickness, and still she had bravely done her best. Yet she had long felt that Kyría Agatha had not much real affection for her, and would let her starve herself to death to feed her and the boys. It would have been otherwise if Rhangabé had lived; she would have willingly died of hunger for him, but he was gone, and though she had done and borne the impossible, it h

erate of mankind. Her heart had silently and joyfully drunk in every word that Gorlias had said about the man

tanding, who roused men to frenzy, or lulled their lovers to sleep and ruin, as they would; she wished she were that wicked Antonina, for whom brave, pure-hearted Belisarius had humbled himself in the dust; she wished she were Theodora, shamelessly grea

m, as if it had guessed her thoughts; and then, to get away from them, she called

'find the secretary and

id her face, and this was scarcely done when Omobono was ushered in by

's pleasure?' he as

in?' Zo? enquired

imself up proudly, an

anguage that was comprehensible but would have filled an average Churchman w

as beyond them. She herself spoke it far more correctly than Omobono, though with a rather lisping Greek a

quired, so suddenly that the secret

gone out,'

esser Sebastian Polo. He goes t

y's face with amusement;

r,' he said, in a wondering tone, 'a

eautiful,' observed Zo?, who apparently d

e expressed a qualified a

rty, that her complexion resembles the dust w

'Giustina Polo is not supremely beautiful, but

or,' suggested Zo?.

stian Polo is as prosperous as any in Constantinople! He is

o marry his daughter,' Zo? replied, as if s

y into a state of excitement in whic

t is altogether a lie! Who

ses, and very rich,' said Zo?, rec

es

dine in her father's hou

rha

invite the master so often unles

aps n

would wilfully decei

re you

Carolus is going to

tell

I am,' interrupted Zo?, with crushing lo

t then. He spread out his hands and looked up t

t is the master going to do with me?

's equanimity it was this question. His g

. 'He will do what he thin

ions of notaries. What right had she to cross-examine him? He was the more angry with her for as

w very well what the master means to do. Now I ask you sol

tary, in sudden distress.

been told what you have to expect if yo

ast words in a way t

feebly, though he had not th

er, beginning at the tips of your fingers till there is n

nees knocke

r your head and your living heart will be cut

er of those who knew the magic words that he tur

e now,' he faltered, 'I could not

at it was

anage that he shall come here to-day as

that you have a

does not believe it, he had better come and see how I am. He will probably take your advice.

said the secre

ou went to find Rustan about buying me, you came upon him in the beggars' quarter, near the church of

dering how she knew

people are, and where they live, if they have left that house. I am sure the master is charitable, and will let you give them s

n must be a great astrologer! I will go mysel

y on his help in anything she decided to do; for it was clear that whenever Zeno was absent, the secretary was in charge of the whole

, for as she sat in her window she saw him go down to wait for his master at the marble

he open window as if she were very tired, and she did not move from this position as the boat came near. Zeno was leaning back in the stern, and could not help seeing h

ashore, and asked permission to say a few words to

?' he asked, glancing

d up and down, while Omobono spoke in a low tone, but though she could not hear t

doctor. Do you take me for one? Send for old Solomon the Jewish physician. He is the best, and he is an

, which Zo? could not hear disti

ense than a cackling hen! Never think! It is not your strong po

ce was heard again,

she has probably heard every word of it herself, from the window. It is u

ant her to hear what he was saying, but she felt the more deeply insulted. Her cheek burned, and she drew back her veil to feel the cool air. So he had no intention of coming to see her again! A Jewish doctor and an airing in the boat, with Omobon

ed her, till she felt that she wanted to box their ears, and wished she had the negress's whip in her belt. Then, without any apparent reason, she threw her arms ro

f cold water at a draught; and all the time she w

for this, he shal

we are angry, or in love, or broken-hearted, or otherwise beside ourselves, it plays its absurd little tunes at us till we are ready to go mad. I

h her movements; she walked slower-faster, but it made no differ

oughts till her temper was beginning to subside; then she suddenly felt how utterly helpless she was, and her wrath boiled up again. T

e. And the day after to-morrow he would go again to see Giustina Polo in her father's house,

membered Zeno's words to Omobono. 'Never think, for it is not your strong point,' he had said to his secretary; but he had of course mean

, shut up between four walls?-with a tyrant downstairs who did not even take the trouble to come and look a

re sweetmeats, whole boxes of sweetmeats of every sort. Twice already they had been emptied and refilled with fresh ones, since she had been brought to the house. Th

r lips were a little parted, and her nostrils quivered now and then

she said, 'and tell h

stupidly, for she had never

t matter which. I am sick of doing nothing. Tell him

floor. He was in a bad humour too, but in his case it took the form of digni

k?' he asked, in a dreary tone

little maid timidly; 'and she told m

to take from the shelf above his head a good-sized volume bound in soft brow

id, thrusting the book

ith his figures again; but each time he added up a column the sum seemed t

d really read, though she spoke Latin fluently, had sent an old volume of accounts in answer to her request. There were pages and pages of entries and col

fell over the edge and lay face downwards and open on t

pay me f

ad been Friday, and to-day was Wednesday; five days had gone by. Counting Friday there were six, and six days

pay me f

d anything she had ever suffered, beyond cold, starvation, and misery. Or if she remembered it at all, she told herself that the

till she could reach the account-book to pick it up. O

old of the cover and had drawn the volume over the

h a sort of angry curiosity, half expecting to find an entry concerning slaves boug

nothing which could possibly be interpreted to mean that Zeno had dealt in humanity, as most of the Venetians who lived in Constantinople certainly did. Sebastian Polo's name occurred very often. Large sums had bee

w. On the contrary, she made herself believe that Zeno dealt with Polo solely in order to make an excuse for seeing m

pped he

ing the book to Yulia. 'Tell him I am not a merc

had gone out. She would not leave the book with them, for she had a superstitiously exaggerated idea of the value of all written things;

frightened and told him the whole story, explaining that Zo? seemed to be in a bad temper, and would be angry with her for bringing back the account-book, but that it

r; she hinted that all the other servants in the house were in league to do evil, and that she only was r

he observed, when she

book with him and leaving Yulia considerably disconcerted. She looked at the curtain disconsolatel

r, and Lucilla opened, for Yulia was still explaining to Zo? what had happened. The maid stood aside to let the mast

y amuse you. The man died more than fifty years ago, and I fancy he was mad; but there must be something in his poe

he was a little shy in her presence. If she changed colour at all he did not see it, for though he glanced at her two or thr

ster would at last come in person; at all events she felt a little thrill of triumph when he was before he

sweetly. 'Will it please y

companion to sit down in a corner. Zeno thought she had sent them out of the

away?' asked Zo?,

he felt that they might be if they understood, but no

hich Zo? opened the manuscript an

you, here,' said

affected to answer absently, w

er. Have you read the poetry? The paintings are very pretty, I see. There is much more life in Italian painting than in our stiff pictures with their gilt backgrounds. Of course, there is a certain childlike simplic

ooking up as she asked a question without waiting for a reply. By the

t you would like Florence better. The

ot seen the

ings. This man Alighieri describes some

n, but there was none. He looked at her tender mouth; and in the strong glare he could have detected the least roughness on her lips, if they had not been as smooth as fresh fruit. Moreover, the line from her ear to her neck was really as perfect as it had seemed at first sight. Her nervous, high-bred young hand lay on the folds of her over-garment, within his reach, and he felt much inclined to take it and hold it. He did not remember that any woman's n

hero,' Zo? observed, without

a little maliciously, he fancied, as if she

for her question had broken the ice-or perhaps had que

answered Zo?, laughin

'They are all like me, I assure you. One s

des, I know of your deeds in Italy and Greece, and how you fo

ed. 'But that is all in the past. I am a sober, pe

, peace-loving Venetian merchant,'

is too hard wo

h magnificent calm, 'I have always heard

l into t

n astonishment. 'How

ed at hi

th perfect gravity, 'but from your manner,

naturally and quietly that he could

ty-nine in Augus

surprise. 'I should have thought you we

m quite sure. But I suppos

She nodded grave

een, are you no

n age, sir? And if we knew it, do you think that any of us could speak the truth, except under torture? It would not be worth while to disloca

ou have! Imagine tortu

looked at it. She made a very slight instinctive movemen

ing at once! I should never make a good conspirator. I suppose you must have b

wered, and she drew it back an

nothing at all, if one is badly wounded in the head, for one is stunned at once; it is the headache afterwards that really hurts. If one is wounded in the lungs, one feels nothing, but one is choked by the blood, and on

What a catalogue! How do you

er,' Zeno ans

in all those different

smi

derstand now why

that I was not. You need only look at your

ing taken for a man of fifty,' Ze

ge could make any difference to you. It was silly of me-only, for

r, since my fighti

the sentence for him. 'But are you so very sure, my lord? Would nothing m

ot affect my honour

e?' She turned to him, to watch his fa

ve a wise man mad,-wi

ons us in good company. But th

h. 'Why should I do for a woman wh

e never tempted y

aughed

. It was only when the books were gone that I turned soldier, and learned the greatest game o

id not forget, and recognised when she saw it again. It was subtle, and might have passed unnoticed among men, but it spoke

uld tempt you, if nothing els

erhaps,' he an

though ever so slight, and

I care to

r the water,' Zo? suggested, emphasising

meant not

home, in Venice, you mean. Yes, if Venice ne

his fact tallied with what the astrologer had told her in the morning as to his

moment ago at the mere thought of battle. What did women do, to make men love them? There is an age when girls believe that love need only be called, like a tame dove, and that he will fly in at the window; and there is an age when he comes to them uncalled-for. If only the ages were the same for all, much trouble might be spared. Z

an unexpected speech which roughl

has even sent me messages, begging me to help him to escape. Why? What difference can it make to me whether he or his son dies in

for his voluntary declaration had dashed th

e very cause for which she had wished to win his love. But this state of mind did not l

had set herself to play the part of the slave. 'You o

nd the two little maids, whom he had forgotten in their corner behind him, stared

the Genoese and the Turks have set on the throne. Johannes is your friend and your country's friend, though he is a weak man and always will be. An

in a loud and ang

is seat as he bent forwards and seized her wrist

protection, and they will force him to give it to them. But it may

sked Zeno, still holding her wris

I am not telling you the truth,

I am not telling you the truth,

,' swore Zeno, 'yo