430 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



galleys of the republic to convey you back to 

 Venice." 



At the sight of the old woman's unearthly counte- 

 nance, Antonio covered his face with his hands ; the 

 Proveditore rose from the ground deeply moved. 



"Singular being!" he exclaimed, "by this mild- 

 ness and mercy you punish me more effectually than 

 by the bloodiest revenge you could have taken for my 

 cruel treatment of you." 



" You owe me no thanks," was the reply ; " thank 

 rather the Holy Virgin, who sent the youth beside you 

 to be your guardian angel, and who delivered you 

 into the hands of the Uzcoques at a time when they 

 had need of a hostage. Surely it was by the special 

 intervention of Heaven that the murderer of the wife 

 was sent to serve as ransom for the captive husband. 

 But the atonement has come too late, the noble Danso- 

 wich was basely ensnared into an act of violence, and 

 his life paid the forfeit of his wrath he died upon 

 the rack. And now the wily counsellors at Gradiska 

 compel us to release you." 



She paused, interrupted by a flood of tears. After 

 a short silence, broken only by her sobs, she became 

 mo~re composed, and the Proveditore again addressed 

 her. 



"But what," said he, "could have driven Danso- 

 wich to an act of violencej which he must have known 

 would entail a severe punishment 1 Surely his wife's 

 safety and the lapse of years might have enabled him 



