THE PIKATES OF SEGXA. 395 



settled purpose to be mixed up in conspiracies against 

 the State." 



Antonio was still too much, preoccupied by his 

 terror to understand, or at any rate to heed, the 

 severity of his father's remark. Collecting his scat- 

 tered thoughts, he proceeded to narrate all that had 

 occurred to him, not only on that day, but since his 

 first meeting with the incognita near the church of 

 San Moyses, on the very same spot whither he had 

 conveyed her in his gondola but a short hour ago. 



"Let me destroy the painting, father!" he con- 

 cluded; "it may be found, and used as testimony 

 against me." 



The Proveditore had listened with a smile, that 

 was at once contemptuous and sorrowful, to his son's 

 narrative, and to the confession of his weakness, and 

 disobedience to the injunctions of his aged teacher. 

 When he had finished speaking, there was a minute's 

 silence, broken at last by the elder Marcello. 



" I have long been convinced," he said, " that Con- 

 tarini would never succeed in making of you a painter 

 fit to rank with those old and illustrious masters of 

 whom Venice is so justly proud. But I had not 

 thought so poorly of you, Antonio, as to believe that 

 you would want courage to defend an object, for the 

 attainment of which you scrupled not to disobey your 

 venerable instructor. "What the kind entreaties and 

 remonstrances of Contarini could not induce you to 

 abandon, you are ready to annihilate on the very first 



