everywhere! But,
hi! hi! hi! Roses will spring up out of the blood--beautiful red roses
for a wreath for you--for your sweetheart. O good Lord of all, what
lovely angel of light is this, who is coming to meet you with such
grace and such a bright starry smile? Her lily-white arms are stretched
out to embrace you. O Antonio, you lucky, lucky lad! bear yourself
bravely! bear yourself bravely! And at the sweet hour of sunset
you may pluck myrtle-leaves--myrtle-leaves for the bride--for the
maiden-widow--hi! hi! hi! Myrtle-leaves plucked at the hour of sunset,
but these will not be blossoms until midnight! Do you hear the
whisperings of the night-winds? the longing moaning swell of the sea?
Row away bravely, my bold oarsman, row away bravely!" Antonio's heart
was deeply thrilled with awe as he listened to the old crone's wonderful
words, which she mumbled to herself in a very peculiar and extraordinary
way, mingled with an incessant chuckling.

They came to the pillar which bears the Lion of the Adriatic. The old
woman was going on right past it, still muttering to herself; but
Antonio, feeling very uncomfortable at the old crone's behaviour,
and being, moreover, stared at in astonishment by the passers-by,
stopped and said roughly, "Here--sit you down on these steps, old
woman, and have done with your talk; it will drive me mad. It is a
fact that you saw my sequins in the fiery images in the clouds; but,
for that very reason, what do you mean by prating about angels of
light--bride--maiden-widow--roses and myrtle-leaves? Do you want to
make a fool of me, you fearful woman, till some insane attempt hurries
me to destruction? You shall have a new hood--bread--sequins--all that
you want, but leave me alone." And he was about to make off hastily;
but the old woman caught him by the mantle, and cried in a shrill
piercing voice, "Tonino, my Tonino, do take a good look at me for once,
or else I must go to the very edge of the Square yonder and in despair
throw myself over into the sea." In order to avoid attracting more eyes
upon him than he was already doing, Antonio actually stood still.
"Tonino," went on the old woman, "sit down here beside me; my heart is
bursting, I must tell you--Oh! do sit down here beside me." Antonio sat
down on the steps, but so as to turn his back upon her; and he took out
his account-book, whose white pages bore witness to the zeal with which
he did business on the Rialto.

The old woman now whisper