needlessness of what
he had done. But one day she came in skipping and dancing on her stick,
as she did when under the influence of her strange spell. She paid no
attention to Antonio's questions, went on chuckling and laughing,
lighted a little fire in the fire-place, set a little pan on it, cooked
a salve, throwing in ingredients from all sorts of phials, of various
shapes and colours, put it in a small box, and limped away with it,
snickering and laughing as she went. She did not return till late in
the evening, when she threw herself into an arm-chair, coughing and
wheezing. At last, as if coming to herself from great exhaustion, she
began:

"'"Tonino! Tonino, my dear son, where have I been, do you think? Whom
have I been seeing? Try if you can guess!"

"'Antonio stared at her, full of a strange presentiment.

"'"Well," she continued, "I come from herself, from the beautiful dove,
the lovely Annunziata!"

"'"Do not drive me frantic!" Antonio cried.

"'"What? what?" she went on. "I am always thinking of you, my Tonino!
So, this morning, as I was bargaining in the pillared passage of the
Palace, the people were murmuring about the misfortune which had
befallen the beautiful Dogaressa. I asked and asked, and then a great
uncouth, red-looking fellow, who was leaning against one of the
pillars, chewing a lemon, said: 'Why, a little young scorpion tried his
teeth on the little finger of her left hand, and, you see, that got
into her blood a bit. But Signer Dottore Giovanni Baseggio went up to
her a few minutes ago; he will have the little hand off by this time
finger and all.' And just as the big fellow was saying this a great
scream sounded from the broad staircase, and a little, very little
gentleman came rolling down it like a ball, impelled by the kicks of
the guards, right in amongst our feet, crying and lamenting. The people
gathered round him, laughing loud. He struggled and stamped with his
legs, unable to rise; but the big red fellow ran and lifted the little
doctor, took him in his arms, and made off with him as hard as he could
(he still shrieking and howling) to the canal, where he put him in his
gondola, and rowed away with him. What I thought had happened was, that
when Signor Baseggio was going to put his knife into the pretty little
hand, the Doge had had him kicked downstairs. But I thought something
else besides. 'Quick! quick!' I thought; as quick as I could off home,
make my salve, and be off wi