enemies."

"This seems somewhat scanty ground for an accusation of such gravity,"
Ruggiero said sneeringly. "If every suitor who grumbles, when his offer
is refused, is to be held responsible for every accident which may take
place in the lady's family, methinks that the time of this reverend and
illustrious council will be largely occupied."

"You will remember," the doge said sternly, "that your previous conduct
gives good ground for suspicion against you. You have already been
banished from the state for two years for assassination, and such
reports as reached us of your conduct in Constantinople, during your
exile, were the reverse of satisfactory. Had it not been so, the
prayers of your friends, that your term of banishment might be
shortened, would doubtless have produced their effect."

"At any rate," Ruggiero said, "I can, with little difficulty, prove
that I had no hand in any attempt upon Signor Polani's daughters last
night, seeing that I had friends spending the evening with me, and that
we indulged in play until three o'clock this morning--an hour at which,
I should imagine, the Signoras Polani would scarcely be abroad."

"At what time did your friends assemble?"

"At nine o'clock," Ruggiero said. "We met by agreement in the Piazza,
somewhat before that hour, and proceeded together on foot to my house."

"Who were your companions?"

Ruggiero gave the names of six young men, all connections of his
family, and summonses were immediately sent for them to attend before
the council.

"In the meantime, Messer Francisco Hammond, you can tell us whether you
recognize in the accused one of the assailants last night."

"I cannot recognize him, your excellency," Francis said; "but I can say
certainly that he was not the leader of the party, whom I struck with
my oar. The blow fell on the temple, and assuredly there would be marks
of such a blow remaining today."

As Francis was speaking, Ruggiero looked at him with a cold piercing
glance, which expressed the reverse of gratitude for the evidence which
he was giving in his favour, and something like a chill ran through him
as he resumed his seat behind Signor Polani and his friends.

There was silence for a quarter of an hour. Occasionally the members of
the council spoke in low tones to each other, but no word was spoken
aloud, until the appearance of the first of the young men who had been
summoned. One after another they gave their evidence, and all wer