You see! Of course you would not let me go alone, me, a poor
weak girl, who have never taken a step alone in my life, until to-night!
And they say that the world is so wicked! What would become of me if you
let me go away alone?"

"If I thought you meant to do that!"

He laughed again, and drew her to him, and would have kissed her; but
she held him back and looked at him earnestly.

"I mean it," she said. "That is what I will do. I swear that I will.
Yes--now you may."

And she kissed him of her own accord, but quickly withdrew herself from
his arms again.

"You have your choice," she said, "and you must choose quickly, for I
have been here too long--it must be nearly half an hour since I left my
room, and Nella is waiting for me, thinking that I am with my brother
and his wife. Promise me to do what I ask, and I will go back, and when
my father comes home I will tell him the whole troth. That is the wisest
thing, after all. Or, I will go with you, if you will take me as I am."

"No," he answered, with an effort. "I will not take you with me."

It cost him a hard struggle to refuse. There she was, resting against
his arm, in the blush and wealth of unspent love, asking to go with him,
who loved her better than his life. But in a quick vision he saw her
with him, she who was delicately nurtured and used from childhood to all
that care and money could give, he saw her with him, sharing his misery,
his hunger and his wandering, suffering silently for love's sake, but
suffering much, and he could not bear the fancied sight.

"I should be in your way," she said. "Besides, they would send all over
Italy to find me."

"It is not that," he answered. "You might starve."

She looked up anxiously to his face.

"And you?" she asked. "Have you no money?"

"No. How should I have money? I believe I have one piece of gold and a
little silver. It will be enough to keep me from starvation till I can
get work somewhere. I can live on bread and water, as I have many a
time."

"If I had only thought!" exclaimed Marietta. "I have so much! My father
left me a little purse of gold that I shall never need."

"I would not take your father's money," answered Zorzi. "But have no
fear. If I go at all, I shall do well enough. Besides, there is a man in
Venice--" He stopped short, not wishing to speak of Zuan Venier.

"You must not make any condition," she answered, not heeding the
unfinished sentence. "You must go at once."

Sh