Arethusa

in the Golden Horn on fine days. He attended to his business in the morning, and dined with Sebastian Polo twice a week, but gener

ly observed that he often looked preoccupied, and sometimes sat on his balcony f

mobono probably knew a good deal, but he kept it to himself, and stored the fruits of his lively curiosity to enjoy alone the delicious sensation of the miser gloating over his useless gold. On the whole

his life, and necessary to him; though he did not believe that he was in

rmed, would satisfy the hopes of both. Zeno, born patriot and leader, saw that the whole influence of his country in the East was at s

y most desired. Johannes would give Tenedos to Venice, in gratitude for his liberty, and the people of Constanti

ircassians, Mingrelians, Avars, and Slavonians. The people would not rise of themselves to storm Blachern?, nor would the Greek troops revolt of their own accord; but as they all fe

d woman in Constantinople knew well enough, that Andronicus would make an end of his father and of his two younger brothers

o the heart of the city, or to one of the islands, beyond the reach of danger, till the revolution should be over and his

nded Tenedos of Andronicus as the price of their protection against the Turks; for the negotiations had been kept

is subject; and she warned him that what she had told him must not be repeated in the hearing of any Genoese, nor of any one connected with the Court. The Genoese meant that no one should know of the treaty till

s to the veracity of Zo?'s story, and he frankly told her so

me in the forehead, as they brand th

do so by her indeed if the story was a lie; bu

driven out of Constantinople before many months; and if Genoa onc

e and went, turning over the great question in his brain; and she awaited his coming gladly, because she saw that he was roused, and because the longing for just revenge was upperm

for the secretary to complain that her existence was dull; she no longer wa

hich was built almost exactly like a modern Venetian gondola without the hood, and the slave-girl sat in the bottom at her mistress's feet. Zo?, the adopted daughter of the Protosparthos, had gone abroad with uncovered face, but Arethusa, the slave, was closely veiled, though that was not the general custom. And often, as she glided along in the spring a

ged girl he had seen bending over the sick woman's bed in the beggars' quarter. She had enjoined upon him the greatest discretion in case he found the little family, and with Omobono such an injunction was quite unnecessary, for outward discretion

ndy-legged sacristan of Saint Bacchus had helped him to this conclusion by informing him that Rustan Karaboghazji had not come to pe

who displayed the horrors of their loathsome diseases at the doors of the churches all over Constantinople. The physician was skilful in his way, and though he preferred a real cripple, or a real sore for his art to improve upon, he could produce the semblance of either on sound limbs and a whole skin, though the process was expensive. Yet that increased cost was balanced by the ability of his healthy patients to go alone to a great distance, and thus to vary the scene of their indu

lothes and plenty to eat. The sacrifice had been very terrible at first,-it did not seem so now; and she knew that on that very afternoon

time to spend in searching for unusual merchandise, nor, when there was any to be had, would it have been to his advantage to be seen often in its neighborhood. So he paid the sacristan to quarter the ground continually for him, while he was engaged elsewhere. It is to the credi

ll came to the church, but they had sold their miserable clothes and their wretched belongings. The last time the girl had come, she had been alone, and she had worn a blanket over her shoulders to keep her warm. That had been at dusk. Then Rustan had bought her, and soon afterwards they must have gone away, si

uded that she was either quite heartless, or was in love with Zeno, or both. He inclined to the latter theory. Love, he told himself wi

t was a small palace, a hundred yards below the gardens of Blachern?, and it had marble steps, like those at Zeno's house. A girl with dyed hair sat in the shade in an upper balcony; her hair was red auburn, like that of the Venetian women,

ce, and they were very high-perhaps a hundred palms, perhaps fifty-Zeno would know. Could he get up there by a rope? She wondered, and she thought of what she should feel if she herself were hanging there in mid-air by a single rope against th

climb up to get in. The pier below the tower sloped to the stream, and its base ran out so far that no man could have jumped clear of it from above-even if he dared the desper

nes, which was perpendicular. His brown legs were bare far above the knee, he wore a brown fisherman's coat of a woollen stuff, not woven but fulled like felt; a

near him, and she saw that he was watching her,

ting the drops. The man instantly replied by waving his rod over the water thrice, and he cast his short line each time. She had seen his mouth and chin and scanty beard

ether he was much changed by his long confinement. But instead of the handsome bearded face the secretary remembered, a woman appeared and looked towards Pera for a moment, and drew back hastily as she caught sight of the skiff; she was rather a

s carried on through Gorlias, and that by him a message could be sent directly to the Emperor. She did not spea

d, 'do you remember him? W

ere was silence for a while, and the skiff slipped along upstream

o-morrow. I will tell him

asked, in s

stian Polo comes to dine with the maste

guest comes to dinner?'

rather timidly, 'that he w

him, then?' Zo? felt that she

ary said smoothly; 'but the

towards him

y are in the house,' she said. 'I shall receive through y

'Rather than put you to such inconvenience I am sure the mast

prised her, and wounded her self-respect. She understood for the first time how jealous she was, and that she could feel no such jealousy if she were not in love. She was not a child, and but for misfortune she would have been married at least two

lf from him more completely, and she did not speak again for a long time. On his side, the secretary understood, and instead of feel

ome by land instead of by water; the secretary had only argued that he would request them to do so, to avoid their seeing Zo? if she happened to be at her window. O

o the main entrance was quite impassable, though a narrow passage had been left to the door of the kitchen for the servants and slaves. The secretary had suddenly discovered that the road was

th annoyance, 'I told you that Messer Sebastian and his daughter

uests always come by water, they dine on that side of the house, and they

re, or believed that he did. But when Omobono had gone to his own room Zeno sent for the running footmen and bade them go to each of

up with her. As soon as he entered the room and saw her he felt that something

g himself in his big chair, and rubbing his hands, like a man who h

lf. She was legally his chattel, and if he chose he might lock her up in a room on the other side of the house for a few hours, or in the cellar. He told himself this; and for the hundredth time he recalled her own story of her birth and bringing up, which was logica

jealous of Giustina Polo; she mentally added that she would no more think of sitting at the window to see her go by, than of looking at her through a keyhole. Also, she wished Zeno would sit where he was for an ho

able, was also resolved to

he observed. 'I hope you had a

answered, an

aging, but Zeno was

moments he

ind my secretary ver

re till the slave-girls came with the supper. While they brought the small table and set it between the two, he leaned back in his carved chair, crossed one shapely leg over the other, and drummed a noiseless tattoo with the end of his fingers on his knee, the picture of un

in silence, without paying any attention to Zeno. That is one way of showing indiff

er with you?' Zen

be surprised and

gry, I suppose. I have been in

nother mouthful, a

, watching her. 'I

e said nothing and seemed very busy with the fish. Carlo took another piece, swallowed som

ed,' he said at last

rised interest. 'What?' she

eplied with a shade of sternness, f

when she hears a man's tone change suddenly,

erstand you, my lord,' she said

le enough. I find y

facility in interrupting a man just at the right moment for h

smiled sweetly at her plate, leaving him to prove

ive with,' he observed blun

alad!' suggested Zo?. '

any attention to her recommendation,

a salad exactly like this,' answ

e fare to Omobono. It is about ano

sly. 'I know what you are going to

ow you can gues

ee me and you are going to order me not to loo

less--' Zeno

ll most certainly look out of the window, unless you lock me up in a

h she was placing him. And indeed, he did not at firs

'Or perhaps you fancy they may be friends-you think that if they recognise you-but that is absurd.

again and became

'I want to see the people you like. Is that so unnatural

e, and I do not care to let them get a mista

n amongst them,' Zo? add

d Zeno, as if to cut

ed and grieved to learn that you have bought a pretty Greek slave. After all, you came near being a priest, did you not? They naturally associate you in their minds with the

alive who would risk saying that

?' asked Zo?, with a sor

Zeno answe

ll I be beaten, or put in chains and starved, or turned out of your house and sold

reek,' said Z

face from him to hide her smile, 'you w

rha

wise precaution

enough to compass his destruction at the hands of Andronicus if she betrayed him, but he did not believe

l not beat you, I shall not starve you, and I shall not

proudly and met hi

trouble-if I ever bet

other to die!' Zeno laughed rather incredul

answered, in a different

e quiet air, for the evenings were still and cool, and the windows were shut and curtained; through the curtains and the shutters the song of a

rds. She clasped her hands tightly over her knee,

as the eyes of the

ls of her eyes the

s both salt

my love, this nigh

y she could not hear the voice at all, yet she strained her ears for a few

e had passed within sight of the Amena tower, but not until to-day had she seen a solitary fisherman sitting at the pier's edge below it, and he had waved his rod thrice over the water when she passed by. And now in a flash of intuition she guessed t

lia. 'Open the large window wide for a

ickly. The nigh

Zeno looked at her, 'that fellow has a f

as opened, the song was hea

she is awake to-night, I se

rk, but to-morrow I shall

your eyes, I shall look

lue water, the water

of oars told Zo? that the message was all delivere

for unfamiliar words sung to such ancient melodies can only be caught by native-born ears, and

Zeno asked, glad in reality that th

d an Italian fisherman, I suppose. The man gave you

He laughe

e Arethusa to keep away from the window to-mor

Zeno smiled. 'But then he only said

lady of Constantinople in the same case if she took oath on the four Gospels! Im

r?' asked Zeno,

spring. Her hair is like that

er, why are you so anx

I knew it! She is coming

what of it?' asked

e, I do not care to see her at all. I w

making him impatient, uneasy, angry, and forgiving by turns, within a quarter of an hour. A few minutes ago he had been so exasperated that he had rudely longed to box her little ears; and now he felt much more inclined to kiss her, and did not care to think how very

st at the right moment, and it never dripped. Zeno had often seen the wife of the Emperor Charles eating stewed prunes with her fingers, which was not neat or pleasant to see, though it might be imperial, since she was a genuine empress. But it was neither Zo?'s grace nor her delicate ways that pleased him and puzzled him mo

y and inclination it chanced that on that night, of all nights, he could not stay where he was to idle away two or three hours in careless talk, till it should be time to go downstairs and sleep. The habit of spending his evenings in that way had gr

fort, and with som

said, standing beside

rise when he left his sea

you go alread

keep an appointm

rlo,' answered Zo? sof

d the expression, with the tone in which it was uttered, arrested his attention and stopped hi

up to him with one of those half-pathetic, hesitating little smiles th

you see I was annoyed

foolish, you would n

training of a few minutes' conversation with the serpent she was an accomplished temptress, and her rustic taste for apples has sent untold millions down into unquenchable fire. It was a mere coincidence tha

no said. 'But indeed I have a

important,

houses of Pera, and those that were near the water's edge made tiny paths over the black stream. After his eyes had grown used to the gloom Zeno could make out that there was a boat near the marble s

fter the interval, 'it is very important. I

un a thread across the chasms of improbability, and ran along the fairy bridge to the regions of the impossible beyond. He was to be betrothed to Giustina to-morrow, he was going now to settle some urgent matter of business connec

ity, her lip quivered, and she was a little pale

a,' he said in a ton

' for that was what they might me

ringing to her feet and slipping he

he answered. 'But you ma

sked in great anxiety. 'Not

he replied gravel

s wrist and tu

ied,' she said in a low v

red with empha

her eyes asked him the next question with eager anxiety, but he would

ight-Ar

y it; she was not guessing his meaning now. But

ered. 'If you are goin

n the last word had passed them, and though the tears seemed to be

id, as one says who g

in she had been taught suddenly that she truly loved him more than her soul, and in the same instant he was leaving her for a lon

cried. 'Oh, do not go aw

of three

e said. 'If I am aliv

' Her hand tightened on his

the swelling pulse in his throat. He had not guessed before to-night that she loved him; he was too simple, and far too sure that he himself could not love a slave. Even now he did not li

me with you!' she repeated,

her words or to her passionate entreaty. Words had lost sense and value, as they do in battle, an

hroat, almost violently, and turned her face up to his;

t mean to

d took his wrists, but not to free herself; instead, she presse

now!' she cried, in a trem

t, as a strong man shakes a child in play,

' she almost whispered, '

ee each other any longer. Her head sank back from his upon his arm, for she was almost fainting

t to love you,'

leaves at dewfall, and her eyes glistened a

rry?' she a

t mean to

wn throat and round it, and drew him, to press the kiss closer; and then it

' she said. 'You are not really goin

ut she would not let him, and she pushed him away till she coul

ravely. 'I have made an appointment, and I have give

and sat down on the broad d

,' she said. 'You may not

, and answered in

peditions. Besides, I have guests to-morrow-

o his loose belt. She took the other, which h

ase do not g

ous look came into her eyes while they appealed to his in vain, and sudd

rget that I am only

nd the sentence was broken by a

ugh my own mother begged

hout lifting it, and lo

n in her tone. 'If it were only for yourself, for your plea

wn the room, but he said nothing in rep

for your count

is pace. Zo? waited a moment before she spoke again, looked down, thoughtfully pinched

I would not hinder you then. I mean, I would not even

en she spoke them. The last syllable had not died away on the quiet air and he already held her up in his arms, lifted clear fro

gain and again softly, rough

er whole body quiver with delight, and each oft-repeated syllable of the three whispered words rang like a silv

without a ticket-of-leave and a policeman, followed by a detective to watch both; but that a man should assert any corresponding right to watch the dear object of his affections thro

he house of Sebastian Polo. This, at least, is how it strikes the story-teller in the bazaar; but the truth is that no man ever really understood any woman. It is uncertain whether any one woman understands any other woman; it is dou

inced that he did not even know the passwords of those who called themselves conspirators, but who had done nothing in two years beyond inventing a few signs and syllables by which to recognise each other. Whether he knew them o

, when he let her speak. 'Tell

and a rope,

in the bottom. I will watch; no o

autiful

ms, with a small laugh that meant many things-that she was happy, and that she loved him, but that a kiss

!' she r

red. 'Besides, it is the work

watch below,'

e surprises us in the tower, I can get away; but if I am caught b

r,' Zo? repeated, more

onger, nor again beg to be taken. She went with him to the door of the vesti

u!' she said,

nce more, she was already gone within, and the quiet