wn by her side and kissed her frequently, and suffered not his
friend's remonstrances. Force was for the captain, having brought
himself into this scrape, that he should now seek refuge by the nearest
way from justice. Therefore he hoved gently from the bank, and plied his
oar, and brought the gondola apace into the open waters. Gerardo still
clasped Elena, dying husband by dead wife. But the sea-breeze freshened
towards daybreak, and the Captain, looking down upon that pair, and
bringing to their faces the light of his boat's lantern, judged their
case not desperate at all. On Elena's cheek there was a flush of life
less deadly even than the pallor of Gerardo's forehead. Thereupon the
good man called aloud, and Gerardo started from his grief; and both
together they chafed the hands and feet of Elena; and, the sea-breeze
aiding with its saltness, they awoke in her the spark of life.

Dimly burned the spark. But Gerardo, being aware of it, became a man
again. Then, having taken counsel with the captain, both resolved to
bear her to that brave man's mother's house. A bed was soon made ready,
and food was brought; and after due time, she lifted up her face and
knew Gerardo. The peril of the grave was past, but thought had now to be
taken for the future. Therefore Gerardo, leaving his wife to the
captain's mother, rowed back to the galley and prepared to meet his
father. With good store of merchandise and with great gains from his
traffic, he arrived in that old palace on the Grand Canal. Then having
opened to Messer Paolo the matters of his journey, and shown him how he
had fared, and set before him tables of disbursements and receipts, he
seized the moment of his father's gladness. "Father," he said, and as he
spoke he knelt upon his knees, "Father, I bring you not good store of
merchandise and bags of gold alone; I bring you also a wedded wife, whom
I have saved this night from death." And when the old man's surprise was
quieted, he told him the whole story. Now Messer Paolo, desiring no
better than that his son should wed the heiress of his neighbour, and
knowing well that Messer Pietro would make great joy receiving back his
daughter from the grave, bade Gerardo in haste take rich apparel and
clothe Elena therewith, and fetch her home. These things were swiftly
done; and after evenfall Messer Pietro was bidden to grave business in
his neighbour's palace. With heavy heart he came, from a house of
mourning to a house of g