e, into all our motives, and will join us in the opinion that it
is equally unbecoming the Republic, and one of its most illustrious
citizens, to leave a ward of the former in a position that shall subject
the latter to unmerited censure. Believe me, we have thought less of
Venice in this matter than of the honor and the interests of the house
of Gradenigo; for, should this Neapolitan thwart our views, you of us
all would be most liable to be disapproved of."

"A thousand thanks, excellent Sir," returned the deposed guardian. "You
have taken a load from my mind, and restored some of the freshness and
elasticity of youth! The claim of Don Camillo now is no longer urgent,
since it is your pleasure to remove the lady for a season from the
city."

"'Twere better to hold it in deeper suspense, if it were only to occupy
his mind. Keep up thy communications as of wont, and withhold not hope,
which is a powerful exciter in minds that are not deadened by
experience. We shall not conceal from one of our number, that a
negotiation is already near a termination, which will relieve the state
from the care of the damsel, and at some benefit to the Republic. Her
estates lying without our limits greatly facilitate the treaty, which
hath only been withheld from your knowledge by the consideration, that
of late we have rather too much overloaded thee with affairs."

Again the Signor Gradenigo bowed submissively, and with apparent joy. He
saw that his secret designs had been penetrated, notwithstanding all his
practised duplicity and specious candor; and he submitted with that
species of desperate resignation, which becomes a habit, if not a
virtue, in men long accustomed to be governed despotically. When this
delicate subject, which required the utmost finesse of Venetian policy,
since it involved the interests of one who happened, at that moment, to
be in the dreaded council itself, was disposed of, the three turned
their attention to other matters, with that semblance of indifference to
personal feeling, which practice in tortuous paths of state-intrigue
enabled men to assume.

"Since we are so happily of opinion concerning the disposition of the
Donna Violetta," coolly observed the oldest senator, a rare specimen of
hackneyed and worldly morality, "we may look into our list of daily
duties--what say the lions' mouths to-night?"

"A few of the ordinary and unmeaning accusations that spring from
personal hatred," returned another.