THE PIRATES OF SEGNA. 393 



and unaccountable resemblance to himself; and it 

 must be on suspicion of his being connected with the 

 attack on the Malipieri palace, that the ministers of 

 justice were hunting him out. Nor did he see how 

 he should be able to convince his judges of his inno- 

 cence. The tale he had to tell, although the truth, 

 was still too marvellous and improbable to obtain 

 credence, and would be more likely to draw upon 

 him severe punishment, or perhaps the torture, with 

 the view of inducing him to confess its falsehood. 

 Bewildered by his terror, Antonio sat trembling, and 

 utterly incapable of deciding as to the course he 

 should adopt, when the trusty gondolier again came to 

 his rescue. 



" Cospetto ! signor ! " he exclaimed, "have you lost 

 your senses, that you run thus into the very jaws of 

 those devil's messengers 1 To one like myself flight 

 would certainly avail little ; but, with a Proveditore 

 for your father, you may arrange matters if you only 

 take time before you become their prisoner. Quick, 

 then, to the palazzo ! Don't you see old Contarini's 

 head stuck out of his window ? He is telling them 

 you are not there. They have doubtless been to your 

 father's palace, and will not be likely to return thither 

 at present." 



While the faithful fellow's tongue was thus wag- 

 ging, his arms were not idle. Intimately acquainted, 

 as became his calling, with the numerous windings 

 and intricacies of the Venetian canals, he threaded 



