to decide."

As he spoke a pretty dark-eyed girl of nineteen entered the room and
joined their council, but before they had gone very deep into the
question which Mariano had propounded, they were interrupted by the
entrance of the head of the house, Francisco Rimini, a strong portly man
of about fifty years of age, with a brown, healthy complexion, grizzled
locks, a bald pate, and a semi-nautical gait. He was followed by a
stranger, and by his eldest son, Lucien--a tall, grave, slender youth of
twenty-three, who was in many respects the opposite of his brother
Mariano, physically as well as mentally. The latter was middle-sized,
broad-shouldered, and very powerful, with short curly brown hair,
flashing eyes and sprightly disposition--active as a kitten, and rather
mischievous. Lucien was grave, gentle, and studious; elegantly rather
than powerfully formed, and disposed rather to enjoy fun by looking on
than engaging in it. Both brothers, as well as their father, possessed
kindly dispositions and resolute spirits.

"Mother," said Francisco, "let me introduce to you my friend Signor
Bacri, a merchant who goes in my vessel as a passenger to Malta. He
dines with us to-day; and that reminds me that you must hasten our
dinner, as events have transpired which oblige me to set sail two hours
earlier than I had intended; so please expedite matters, Juliet."

The stranger bowed with Oriental dignity to the little old lady, and,
seating himself by her side, entered into conversation.

Bacri was a middle-aged man of magnificent appearance. From the cast of
his features it was easy to perceive that he was of Jewish extraction,
and his proportions might have been compared to those of the ancient
enemy of his nation, Goliath. Like Saul, he was a head and shoulders
higher than ordinary men, yet he evidently placed no confidence in his
physical strength, for although his countenance was grave and his
expression dignified, he stooped a good deal, as though to avoid
knocking his head against ceilings and beams, and was singularly humble
and unobtrusive in his manners. There was a winning softness, too, in
his voice and in his smile, which went far to disarm that distrust of,
and antipathy to, his race which prevailed in days of old, and
unfortunately prevails still, to some extent, in Christendom.

With the activity of a good housewife, Juliet expedited the operations
of the cook; dinner was served in good time; Francisco, w