saw that Michaele
Steno was in the same gallery, so placed that he had the Dogaressa
continually in his sight, and that she must necessarily see him.
Burning with wild anger and mad jealousy, Falieri screamed out
imperiously that Steno must be immediately turned out of that gallery.
Steno raised his arm at Falieri; but the guards forced him away,
gnashing his teeth in fury, and threatening vengeance with frightful
imprecations.

"'Meanwhile Antonio, whom the sight of his beloved Annunziata had set
wholly beside himself, had made his way through the crowd, and, with a
thousand torments in his heart, was pacing alone in the dark night, up
and down beside the sea. He was thinking whether it would not be better
to extinguish the flame which consumed him in the ice-cold waves than
to be slowly tortured to death by inconsolable sorrow and pain. A small
thing would have made him throw himself into the sea. He was standing
on the last of the steps which led down to it, when a voice, coming
from a little boat, cried:

"'"Ah! a fair good evening, Signor Antonio!"

"'In the light reflected from the palace, Antonio recognised the merry
Pietro, one of his former comrades, standing in the boat, feathers and
gold leaf on his shining head-dress, his new striped jacket decked with
gay ribbons, and a great, beautiful bouquet of exquisite flowers in his
hand.

"'"Good evening, Pietro," answered Antonio. "What grand folks are you
going to row to-night, that you are dressed so gaily?"

"'"Well, Signor Antonio," said Pietro, getting up, so that the boat
rocked under him, "I'm going to earn three _zecchini_. I'm bound for
the top of the tower of San Marco, and then down again, to hand those
flowers to the beautiful Dogaressa."

"'"Is not this to risk your neck, comrade Pietro?" Antonio enquired.

"'"Well," said Pietro, "of course one risks one's neck more or less.
And then, _this_ time, one has to go up in the middle of all those
confounded fireworks! The Greek _does_ say that they won't singe a hair
of one's whiskers. Still----" and Pietro gave a shrug.

"'Antonio had got into the boat beside him, and now saw that he was
close to the machinery, and the rope which rose out of the sea. Other
ropes, for moving the machinery, went disappearing off in the darkness.

"'"Listen, comrade Pietro," said Antonio, after a brief silence; "would
it not suit you better to earn ten _zecchini_, and not risk your life?"

"'"Of course," said Pietro