388 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



rescue. He was forcing his way through the crowd 

 with this intention, when the object of the popular 

 fury turned her head towards him. Her veil was for 

 a moment partially drawn aside, affording a glimpse 

 of her features in profile ; and Antonio, still the slave 

 of his diseased imagination, fancied that her yellow 

 shrivelled features had been metamorphosed into a 

 countenance of regular beauty ; such a countenance, 

 in short, as befitted the graceful and symmetrical 

 form to which it belonged. Confused and bewildered, 

 the naturally weak and undecided youth stood de- 

 liberating and uncertain whether he should attempt 

 the rescue, which would have been by no means 

 difficult to accomplish by the display of a little bold- 

 ness and promptitude. Whilst he was thus hesitating, 

 there suddenly broke through the crowd a young 

 man, attired like himself in a black dress, and holding 

 a naked rapier in his hand. The new-comer had 

 probably lost his mask in the tumult and confusion, 

 for his features were uncovered, and Antonio saw, to 

 his inexpressible consternation and astonishment, that 

 they were the exact counterpart of his own. Before 

 he could recover from this neAV shock, the stranger, 

 by the aid of his fierce and determined demeanour, 

 and the rapid play of his weapon, had made his Avay 

 to the mysterious old woman, whose back was turned 

 towards him, and seizing her round the waist he 

 again forced a passage through the throng to the 

 nearest gondola, which happened to be that of the 



