Giovanni's view of men, fairly founded on
a knowledge of himself, that Zorzi was experimenting with the secrets of
Paolo Godi, which he and old Beroviero had buried together somewhere in
that very room. Now, ever since the boy had told his story, Giovanni had
been revolving plans for getting the manuscript into his possession
during a few days, in order to copy it. A new scheme now suggested
itself, and it looked so attractive that he at once attempted to carry
it out.

"It seems a pity," he said, "that a great artist like yourself should
spend time on fruitless experiments. You might be making very beautiful
things, which would sell for a high price."

Without desisting from his occupation Zorzi glanced at his visitor,
whose manner towards him had so entirely changed within a little more
than a week. With a waif's quick instinct he guessed that Giovanni
wanted something of him, but the generous instinct of the brave man
towards the coward made him accept what seemed to be meant for an
advance after a quarrel. It had never occurred to Zorzi to blame
Giovanni for the accident in the glass-house, and it would have been
very unjust to do so.

"I can blow glass tolerably, sir," Zorzi answered. "But none of you
great furnace owners would dare to employ me, in the face of the law.
Besides, I am your father's man. I owe everything I know to his
kindness."

"I do not see what that has to do with it," returned Giovanni; "it does
not diminish your merit, nor affect the truth of what I was saying. You
might be doing better things. Any one can weigh out sand and kelp-ashes,
and shovel them into a crucible!"

"Do you mean that the master might employ me for other work?" asked
Zorzi, smiling at the disdainful description of what he was doing.

"My father--or some one else," answered Giovanni. "And besides your
astonishing skill, I fancy that you possess much valuable knowledge of
glass-making. You cannot have worked for my father so many years without
learning some of the things he has taken great pains to hide from his
own sons."

He spoke the last words in a somewhat bitter tone, quite willing to let
Zorzi know that he felt himself injured.

"If I have learned anything of that sort by looking on and helping, when
I have been trusted, it is not mine to use elsewhere," said Zorzi,
rather proudly.

"That is a fine moral sentiment, my dear young friend, and does you
credit," replied Giovanni sententiously. "It is impossible