et them receive him back, appointed by the Senate to honor, as
Condottiere of the border forces"; a second Chief hastened to respond,
for the moment was grave, "and the command will most excellently fit the
gastaldo."

"And for the Lady of the Giustiniani, it matters little--Rome or
Venice," said an old senator, compassionately, as he followed his
colleagues into the Council Chamber. "She hath so spent herself in
grieving that she knoweth naught. For the Senator Marcantonio hath
vainly sought to teach her that the interdict hath been lifted; yet even
this she comprehendeth not."

"We are come, your Excellencies, for news of our Gastaldo Grande, whose
presence is verily needful for the traghetti," said the white-haired
bancalo, when an audience had been granted him.

"How many of you have come as escort?" the secretary questioned
carelessly.

"Eccellenza, we are enough," the bancalo answered fearlessly, and with a
significant pause, "_to prove the will of the people--as well Nicolotti
as Castellani_. And to escort our Gastaldo Grande with honor, since it
hath pleased your excellencies to receive him--_as a guest_--in the
Ducal Palace."

He was the eldest of the officers of the traghetti, accustomed to
respect, upheld by the united forces of the people; this man of the
people and this mouthpiece of the nobles measured each other fearlessly
as they looked into each other's faces--each coolly choosing his phrases
to carry so much as the other might count wise.

"It is well," said the secretary of the Ten, after a brief private
conference with his Chiefs, "that ye are come in numbers to do him
honor. Since the Senate hath need of his brave service and hath named
Piero Salin, for exigencies of the Republic, Condottiere, with honors
and men of artillery to do him service."

And so it chanced, that because of the stress of the time, Piero Salin
floated off in triumph to Murano, named General of the Border Forces,
with secret orders from the Ten.

XXXIII

The great bell in the tower of the arsenal told twelve of the day, and
already the broader waters near the rios which led to the high
machicolated walls surrounding this famous Venetian stronghold were
crowded with gondolas of the people and barges from the islands filled
with men, women, and children, jubilant with holiday speech and
brilliant in gala colors; for this was one of those perpetually
recurring festas which so endeared this City of the Sea to its
p