was a great traveller and a tolerable sailor."

"A pirate?" inquired Arisa.

"Oh no! He was a man of the most noble and upright character, incapable
of deception! In fact he was very like me, and had nearly as many
adventures. If you understood Greek, I would repeat some verses I know
about him."

"Should you love me more, if I understood Greek?" asked Arisa softly.
"If I thought so, I would learn it."

Aristarchi laughed roughly, so that she was almost afraid lest he should
be heard far down in the house.

"Learn Greek? You? To make me like you better? You would be just as
beautiful if you were altogether dumb! A man does not love a woman for
what she can say to him, in any language."

He turned up his face, and his rough hands drew her splendid head down
to him, till he could kiss her. Then there was silence for a few
minutes.

He shook his great shoulders at last.

"Everything else is a waste of time," he said, as if speaking to
himself.

Her head lay on the cushions now, and she watched him with half-closed
eyes in the soft light, and now and then the thin embroideries that
covered her neck and bosom rose and fell with a long, satisfied sigh. He
rose to his feet and slowly paced the marble floor, up and down before
her, as he would have paced the little poop-deck of his vessel.

"I am glad you told me about that glass-blower," he said suddenly. "I
have met him and talked with him, and I may meet him again. He is old
Beroviero's chief assistant. I fancy he is in love with the daughter."

"In love with the girl whom Contarini is to marry?" asked Arisa,
suddenly opening her eyes.

"Yes. I told you what I said to the old man in his private room--it was
more like a brick-kiln than a rich man's counting-house! While I was
inside, the young man was talking to the girl under a tree. I saw them
through a low window as I sat discussing business with Beroviero."

"You could not hear what they said, I suppose."

"No. But I could see what they looked." Aristarchi laughed at his own
conceit. "The girl was doing some kind of work. The young man stood
beside her, resting one hand against the tree. I could not see his face
all the time, but I saw hers. She is in love with him. They were talking
earnestly and she said something that had a strong effect upon him, for
I saw that he stood a long time looking at the trunk of the tree, and
saying nothing. What can you make of that, except that they are in love
with each