against this order; for the Doge, by thus
yielding to his anger, was outraging both the Signoria and the
populace--interfering with the privileges of the former, spoiling the
Festa for the latter. The Signoria quitted their places, Bodoeri alone
remaining, and mingling with the populace, speaking eagerly of the
bitter insult to the Chief of the State, and trying to turn all the
anger upon Steno. Falieri had not been mistaken; for it was the truth
that Steno, when ordered away from the Doge's gallery, had hurried home
and written the paper in question, which he had afterwards fastened to
the Doge's seat when all eyes were fixed on the fireworks, and then
gone away again unnoticed. He had devised this resentful trick very
artfully and maliciously; it struck at the hearts of both Doge and
Dogaressa, wounding them to the core. He at once admitted his deed,
laying all the blame on the Doge, who had insulted him so bitterly in
the first instance. The Signoria had long been dissatisfied with a
chief who, instead of fulfilling the just expectations of the State,
daily gave proof that the fiery, warlike spirit in his chilled and
enfeebled heart was too much like the train of sparks which rush
crackling out of the rocket, but immediately die away into dead,
useless spots of black charcoal. In addition to this, his marriage to
his lovely wife (it had long been discovered that it had only taken
place after his appointment as Doge), and his jealousy, made him much
more the old "_Pantalone_" than the warlike general; so that the
Signoria, nourishing all this poison in their hearts, were more
disposed to side with Steno than with the Doge. The Council of Ten
referred the matter to the Council of Forty, of which Steno was one of
the chiefs. This Council decided that Steno had suffered enough
already, and that a month's banishment was ample punishment for his
offence. And this embittered Falieri afresh, and more strongly against
a Signoria which not only did not take his side, but punished repeated
outrages upon him as offences of the most trivial kind.

"'Now, as it is wont to happen that a lover upon whom has beamed one
single ray of love-fortune goes on dreaming heavenly dreams for days,
weeks, and months, enwrapped in a golden shimmer, so could Antonio
scarce recover from his stupefaction of amazement at his instant of
bliss. The old woman had rated him soundly for his rashness, and
muttered and muttered unceasingly about the utter