ashore.

"You did not observe anything particular about the gondola, Maria, or
you, Giulia?"

"No, father, I saw no mark or escutcheon upon it, though they might
have been there without my noticing them. I was too frightened to see
anything; it came so suddenly upon us."

"It was, as far as I noticed, a plain black gondola," Francis said.
"The men concerned in the affair were all dressed in dark clothes,
without any distinguishing badges."

"How was it you came to interfere in the fray, young gentleman? Few of
our people would have done so, holding it to be a dangerous thing, for
a man to mix himself up in a quarrel in which he had no concern."

"I should probably have mixed myself up in it, in any case, when I
heard the cry of women," Francis replied; "but, in truth, I recognized
the signoras as their gondola passed mine, and knew them to be cousins
of my friend Matteo Giustiniani. Therefore when I heard the outcry
ahead, I naturally hastened up to do what I could in the matter."

"And well you did it," Polani said heartily. "I trust that the man you
felled into the water is he who is the author of this outrage. I do not
think I need seek far for him. My suspicions point very strongly in one
direction, and tomorrow I will lay the matter before the council and
demand reparation."

"And now, signor, if you will permit me I will take my leave," Francis
said. "The hour is late, and the signoras will require rest after their
fright and emotion."

"I will see you tomorrow, sir. I shall do myself the honour of calling
early upon your father, to thank him for the great service you have
rendered me."

Signor Polani accompanied Francis to the steps, while two servants held
torches while he took his seat in the gondola, and remained standing
there until the barque had shot away beyond the circle of light.

"We seem fated to have adventures, Giuseppi."

"We do indeed, Messer Francisco, and this is more to my liking than the
last. We arrived just at the nick of time; another half minute and
those young ladies would have been carried off. That was a rare blow
you dealt their leader. I fancy he never came up again, and that that
is why we got away without being chased."

"I am of that opinion myself, Giuseppi."

"If that is the case we shall not have heard the last of it, Messer
Francisco. Only someone of a powerful family would venture upon so bold
a deed, as to try to carry off ladies of birth on the Grand Canal, a