the bravo of venice-第13章

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But　still　the　confounded　moonshine　gleamed　through　the　window…

shutters；　and　shed　a　partial　light　through　the　room。　　〃Look　to

yourself；　Contarino；〃　thought　I；　〃if　you　are　found　here；　you　will　be

hanged　for　company；〃　and　I　drew　my　sword　and　made　a　plunge　at

Flodoardo；　but；　however　well　intended；　my　thrust　was　foiled　by　his

sabre；　which　he　whirled　around　with　the　rapidity　of　lightning。　　I

fought　like　a　madman；　but　all　my　skill　was　without　effect　on　this

occasion；　and　before　I　was　aware　of　it；　Flodoardo　ripped　open　my

bosom。　　I　felt　myself　wounded；　and　sprang　back。　　At　that　moment　two

pistols　were　fired；　and　the　flash　discovered　to　me　a　small　side

door；　which　they　had　neglected　to　beset。　　Through　this　I　stole

unperceived　into　the　adjoining　chamber；　burst　open　the　grated

window；　sprang　below　unhurt；　crossed　a　courtyard；　climbed　two　or

three　garden　walls；　gained　the　canal；　where　a　gondola　fortunately

was　waiting；　persuaded　the　boatman　to　convey　me　with　all　speed　to

the　Place　of　St。　Mark；　and　thence　hastened　hither；　astonished　to

find　myself　still　alive。　　There's　an　infernal　adventure　for　you。



Parozzi。I　shall　go　mad。



Falieri。Everything　we　design　is　counteracted；　the　more　trouble　we

give　ourselves；　the　further　we　are　from　the　goal。



Memmo。I　confess　it　seems　to　me　as　if　Heaven　gave　us　warning　to

desist。　　How　say　you？



Contarino。Pshaw；　these　are　trifles！　　Such　accidents　should　only

serve　to　sharpen　our　wits。　　The　more　obstacles　I　encounter；　the

firmer　is　my　resolution　to　surmount　them。



Falieri。Do　the　banditti　know　who　you　are？



Contarino。No；　they　are　not　only　ignorant　of　my　name；　but　suppose

me　to　be　a　mere　instrument　of　some　powerful　man；　who　has　been

injured　by　the　ducal　confederates。



Memmo。Well；　Contarino；　in　my　mind　you　should　thank　Heaven　that　you

have　escaped　so　well。



Falieri。But　since　he　is　an　absolute　stranger　in　Venice；　how　could

Flodoardo　discover　the　lurking　place　of　the　banditti？



Contarino。I　know　not；　probably　by　mere　accident　like　myself；　but

by　the　Power　that　made　me；　he　shall　pay　dearly　for　this　wound。



Falieri。Flodoardo　is　rather　too　hasty　in　making　himself　remarked。



Parozzi。Flodoardo　must　die。



Contarino　（filling　a　goblet）。May　his　next　cup　contain　poison。



Falieri。I　shall　do　myself　the　honour　of　becoming　better　acquainted

with　the　gentleman。



Contarino。Memmo；　we　must　needs　have　full　purses；　or　our　business

will　hang　on　hand　wofully。



When　does　your　uncle　take　his　departure　to　a　better　world？



Memmo。To…morrow　evening；　and　yetugh；　I　tremble。







CHAPTER　III：　　MORE　CONFUSION。







Since　Rosabella's　birthday；　no　woman　in　Venice　who　had　the　slightest

pretensions　to　beauty；　or　the　most　remote　expectations　of　making

conquests；　had　any　subject　of　conversation　except　the　handsome

Florentine。　　He　found　employment　for　every　female　tongue；　and　she

who　dared　not　to　employ　her　tongue；　made　amends　for　the　privation

with　her　thoughts。　　Many　a　maiden　now　enjoyed　less　tranquil

slumbers；　many　an　experienced　coquette　sighed　as　she　laid　on　her

colour　at　the　looking　glass；　many　a　prude　forgot　the　rules　which　she

had　imposed　upon　herself；　and　daily　frequented　the　gardens　and　walks

in　which　report　gave　her　the　hope　of　meeting　Flodoardo。



But　from　the　time　that；　placing　himself　at　the　head　of　the　sbirri；

he　had　dared　to　enter　boldly　the　den　of　the　banditti；　and　seize　them

at　the　hazard　of　his　life；　he　was　scarcely　more　an　object　of

attention　among　the　women　than　among　the　men。　　Greatly　did　they

admire　his　courage　and　unshaken　presence　of　mind　while　engaged　in　so

perilous　an　adventure；　but　still　more　were　they　astonished　at　his

penetration　in　discovering　where　the　bravoes　concealed　themselves；

an　attempt　which　foiled　even　the　keen　wits　of　the　so　much　celebrated

police　of　Venice。



The　Doge　Andreas　cultivated　the　acquaintance　of　this　singular　young

man　with　increasing　assiduity；　and　the　more　he　conversed　with　him；

the　more　deserving　of　consideration　did　Flodoardo　appear。　　The

action　by　which　he　had　rendered　the　Republic　a　service　so　essential

was　rewarded　by　a　present　that　would　not　have　disgraced　Imperial

gratitude；　and　one　of　the　most　important　offices　of　the　State　was

confided　to　his　superintendence。



Both　favours　were　conferred　unsolicited；　but　no　sooner　was　the

Florentine　apprised　of　the　Doge's　benevolent　care　of　him；　than　with

modesty　and　respect　he　requested　to　decline　the　proposed　advantages。

The　only　favour　which　he　requested　was；　to　be　permitted　to　live　free

and　independent　in　Venice　during　a　year；　at　the　end　of　which　he

promised　to　name　that　employment　which　he　esteemed　the　best　adapted

to　his　abilities　and　inclination。



Flodoardo　was　lodged　in　the　magnificent　palace　of　his　good　old

patron；　Lomellino；　here　he　lived　in　the　closest　retirement；　studied

the　most　valuable　parts　of　ancient　and　modern　literature；　remained

for　whole　days　together　in　his　own　apartment；　and　was　seldom　to　be

seen　in　public　except　upon　some　great　solemnity。



But　the　Doge；　Lomellino；　Manfrone；　and　Conari；　men　who　had

established　the　fame　of　Venice　on　so　firm　a　basis　that　it　would

require　centuries　to　undermine　it；　men　in　whose　society　one　seemed

to　be　withdrawn　from　the　circle　of　ordinary　mortals；　and　honoured　by

the　intercourse　of　superior　beings；　men　who　now　graciously　received

the　Florentine　stranger　into　their　intimacy；　and　resolved　to　spare

no　pains　in　forming　him　to　support　the　character　of　a　great　man；　it

could　not　long　escape　the　observation　of　men　like　these；　that

Flodoardo's　gaiety　was　assumed；　and　that　a　secret　sorrow　preyed　upon

his　heart。



In　vain　did　Lomellino；　who　loved　him　like　a　father；　endeavour　to

discover　the　source　of　his　melancholy；　in　vain　did　the　venerable

Doge　exert　himself　to　dispel　the　gloom　which　oppressed　his　young

favourite。　　Flodoardo　remained　silent　and　sad。



And　Rosabella？　　Rosabella　would　have　belied　her　sex　had　she　remained

gay　while　Flodoardo　sorrowed。　　Her　spirits　were　flown；　her　eyes　were

frequently　obscured　with　tears。　　She　grew　daily　paler　and　paler；

till　the　Doge；　who　doted　on　her；　was　seriously　alarmed　for　her

health。　　At　length　Rosabella　grew　really　ill；　a　fever　fixed　itself

upon　her；　she　became　weak；　and　was　confined　to　her　chamber；　and　her

complaint　baffled　the　skill　of　the　most　experienced　physicians　in

Venice。



In　the　midst　of　these　unpleasant　circumstances　in　which　Andreas　and

his　friends　now　found　themselves；　an　incident　occurred　one　morning；

which　raised　their　uneasiness　to　the　very　highest　pitch。　　Never　had

so　bold　and　audacious　an　action　been　heard　of　in　Venice；　as　that

which　I　am　going　to　relate。



The　four　banditti；　whom　Flodoardo　had　seized；　Pietrino；　Struzza；

Baluzza；　and　Thomaso；　had　been　safely　committed　to　the　Doge's

dungeons；　where　they　underwent　a　daily　examination；　and　looked　upon

every　sun　that　rose　as　the　last　that　would　ever　rise　for　THEM。

Andreas　and　his　confidential　counsellors　now　flattered　themselves

that　the　public　tranquillity　had　nothing　more　to　apprehend；　and　that

Venice　was　now　completely　purified　of　the　miscreants；　whom　gold

could　bribe　to　be　the　instruments　of　revenge　and　cruelty；　when　all

at　once　the　following　address　was　discovered；　affixed　to　most　of　the

remarkable　statues；　and　pasted　against　the　corners　of　the　principal

streets；　and　pillars　of　the　public　buildings：…





〃VENETIANS！



〃Struzza；　Thomaso；　Pietrino；　Baluzza；　and　Matteo；　five　as　brave　men

as　the　world　ever　produced；　who；　had　they　stood　at　the　head　of

armies；　would　have　been　called　HEROES；　and　now　being　called

BANDITTI；　are　fallen　victims　to　the　injustice　of　State　policy。

These　men；　it　is　true；　exist　for　you　no　longer；　but　their　place　is

supplied　by　him；　whose　name　is　affixed　to　this　paper；　and　who　will

stand　by　his　employers　with　body　and　with　soul。　　I　laugh　at　the

vigilance　of　the　Venetian　police；　I　laugh　at　the　crafty　and　insolent

Florentine；　who