rt he despised Contarini,
and hoped that his marriage might never take place, for he was sincerely
sorry for Marietta; but it was Jacopo's behaviour towards Zorzi that
called forth his wrath, it was the man's disdainful assumption that
because Zorzi was not a patrician, the oath to defend every companion of
the society was not binding where he was concerned; it was the insolent
certainty that the others should all be glad to be rid of the poor
Dalmatian, who after all had not troubled them over-much with his
company. On that very evening they were to meet at the house of the
Agnus Dei, and Venier was determined to speak his mind. When he chose
to exert himself, his influence over his companions was very great, if
not supreme.

He soon brought Mocenigo and Loredan to share his opinion and to promise
the support of all their many relations in Zorzi's favour, and the four
began to play, for lack of anything better to do. Before long others of
the society came in, and as each arrived Venier, who only played in
order not to seem as unsociable as he generally felt, set down the dice
box to gain over a new ally. An hour had passed when Contarini himself
appeared, even more magnificent than usual, his beautiful waving beard
most carefully trimmed and combed as if to show it to its greatest
advantage against the purple silk of a surcoat cut in a new fashion and
which he was wearing for the first time. His white hands were splendid
with jewelled rings, and he wore at his belt a large wallet-purse
embroidered in Constantinople before the coming of the Turks and adorned
with three enamelled images of saints. Hossein himself ushered him in,
as if he were the guest of honour, as the Persian merchant indeed
considered him, for none of the others had ever paid him half so many
seven weekly ducats for money borrowed in all their lives, as Jacopo had
often paid in a single year.

There are men whom no one respects very highly, who are not sincerely
trusted, whose honour is not spotless and whose ways are far from
straight, but who nevertheless hold a certain ascendancy over others, by
mere show and assurance. When Contarini entered a place where many were
gathered together, there was almost always a little hush in the talk,
followed by a murmur that was pleasant in his ear. No one paused to look
at Zuan Venier when he came into a room, though there was not one of his
friends who would not have gone to him in danger or difficulty, withou