n the
morrow Master Knorr told me privily that whereas my brother's lungs had
never been of the strongest, if now, in the cold December season, he
should fare north of the Alps after such long sojourning under a warmer
sky, it could not fail to do him a serious mischief, as it likewise
would to Sir Franz. Thus it must be my part to delay our homecoming; and
albeit the leech's tidings made me heavy at heart I was fain to yield,
inasmuch as that Herdegen might not appear in the presence of his
sweetheart in his present guise.

To this end we made him to believe that he might not come home in safety
unless he had performed the penance laid upon him by the Emperor;
and albeit felt it a hard matter to refrain the craving of his heart,
nevertheless he gave way to our pressing admonitions.

Now, while Gotz fared back to Venice, the galleon which carried Don
Jaime, Prince of Catalonia, as far Joppa, brought us likewise to the
Promised Land to the holy city of Jerusalem. From thence we made our
pilgrimage to many other Holy Places, under the protection of the great
fellowship of that royal Prince who ever showed us much favor.

At last we journeyed homewards, passing by Naples and Genoa; at
Damietta, in the land of Egypt, Sir Franz departed from our company to
make his way to Venice. It was with care and grief that I saw him
set forth on his way alone, and Herdegen was like-minded; in their
misfortune he had learned to mark much that was good in him, and during
our long journeying had seen that not only was he sick in body, but
likewise that a shroud hung over his soul and brain. Also, if Ursula
were yet free to work her will, the very worst might haply befall him
in Venice, by reason that the Giustinianis were of a certainty
evil-disposed towards him, and the power and dignity of that family were
by no means lessened, although, as at that time Antonio Giustiniani had
dishonored his name in Albania, and had been punished by the Forty with
imprisonment and sundry penalties. Yet his cousin Orsato was one of
the greatest and richest of the signori at Venice, and Ursula's husband
would have found in him a strong upholder, as in truth we heard at
Naples, where tidings reached us that the Pregadi, who had passed
judgment upon him, had amerced him in a penalty of no more than two
thousand ducats, which Orsato paid for him by reason that he would not
suffer that his kinsman should he in prison.

At Genoa we found many letters full o