396 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



symptom of danger. Oh, Venice ! " exclaimed the 

 Proveditore, his fine countenance assuming an expres- 

 sion of extreme bitterness, as he gazed mournfully at 

 the portraits of his ancestors, including more than one 

 Doge, which were suspended round the walls of the 

 apartment " Venice ! thou art indeed degenerate, 

 when peril so remote can blanch the cheek of thy 

 patrician youth." 



He strode twice up and down the hall, then return- 

 ing to his son, bade him fetch the picture which he 

 was so desirous of destroying. Antonio, downcast 

 and abashed by these reproaches, which, however, 

 were insufficient to awaken nobler aspirations in his 

 weak and irresolute nature, hurried to his chamber, 

 and presently returned with a roll of canvas in his 

 hand, which he unfolded and spread before the Pro- 

 veditore then, dreading to encounter his father's 

 ridicule, he shrunk back out of the firelight. But 

 the effect produced upon Marcello by the portrait of 

 the old woman was very different from that antici- 

 pated by his son. Scarcely had he cast his eyes upon 

 the unearthly visage, when he started back with an 

 exclamation of horror and astonishment. 



"By all the saints, Antonio," cried he in an altered 

 voice, " that is a fearful portrait ! Alas, poor wretch ! 

 thou art long since in thy grave," continued he, 

 addressing the picture, and with looks and tones 

 strangely at variance with his usually stern and im- 

 perturbable deportment. "The worms have preyed 



