and parents were nullified for those who remained
faithful to the Church in acknowledging the censure, as against those
who disclaimed it--these leaflets, introduced by secret agents of the
Pontiff and interdicted by the Republic, flowed in vast numbers, but
silently, into the hands of the Ten, and were seen no more.

Meanwhile that terrible thing which the people had vaguely feared had
_not_ come upon them; though at first they paused, half-hearted, when
they passed the house of the Tintoret, where the quaint figure of
"Ser-Robia," the Pasquino of Venice, had often a bit of news that the
people cared to hear, grotesquely placarded over his broad mouth. He was
a good friend to the people, Ser-Robia, and gave them many a pleasant
bit of gossip to cheer their evening stroll; but it was wise not to
laugh until one had heard the words, and there was often a priest or a
scholar near to tell the meaning to those who could not spell it out for
themselves. Always, in these days, there was some one who could read to
the people, for this was that solemn "protest" of "Leonardo Donato, by
the Grace of God Doge of Venice," etc., wherewith the most Christian
Republic defied the interdict. Here, along the Rialto, in all the public
squares of Venice, on the doors of the churches,--wherever proclamation
was wont to be made,--the people might pause and read this consoling
word of Venice, instead, perchance, of some copy of the interdict which
had been smuggled into the city and pasted, surreptitiously, over the
Doge's "protest," but which those faithful _Signori di Notte_--the
night-watch of Venice--were sure to destroy before the morning dawned.

"To the Most Reverend the Patriarchs, Archbishops, and Bishops of our
Venetian Dominions," said this "Protest," "and to the Vicars, Abbots,
Priors, Rectors of Parochial Churches, and other Ecclesiastical
Prelates, greeting:" forthwith proceeding to declare that "the Interdict
which his Holiness was 'said' to have published was null and void, and
forbidden to be observed--not having been incurred by any fault of
Venice."

But even those who could not read soon recognized the features of that
message, which met them everywhere, hiding the scars of other messages
which they must not see.

"No, no," they said, with laughing thanks to some friendly interpreter
who stood near; "it is enough; _va bene_--we know it like our Ave
Maria!"

But sometimes a family group came back for a word, when the