father's shameful end."

"'Antonio, inspired by revenge, swore fidelity to the conspirators.
It is known that an insult which Bertuccio Nenolo received from
Dandulo--who was at the head of the naval armaments--(he struck him on
the face during an argument)--moved him to conspire, with his
son-in-law, against the Signoria. Both Nenolo and Bodoeri desired that
Falieri should be raised to the supreme power, that they might rise
along with him. The arrangement was, that a rumour should be circulated
that the Genoese fleet was close outside the Lagoons; and that then the
great bell of San Marco should be tolled, in the night, to call the
populace to an imaginary defence. At this signal, the conspirators--who
were numerous, and in all quarters of the city--were to possess
themselves of the Piazza di San Marco and the principal parts of the
place, put the chiefs of the Signoria to death, and proclaim Falieri
the sovereign ruler of Venice. But it was not the will of Heaven that
this murderous project should be accomplished, and the fundamental
constitution of the State trodden under foot by aid Falieri's arrogant
pride. The meetings at the Doge's house had not escaped the notice of
the Council of Ten, although it had been impossible to learn anything
with certainty. One of the conspirators, a furrier from Pisa, had
qualms of conscience; he wished to save his friend Niccolo Leoni, a
member of the Council of Ten. He went to him in the evening twilight,
and implored him not to leave his house that night, whatever happened.
Leoni would not let the furrier go, and managed to extract from him an
account of the whole project. In company with Giovanni Gradenigo and
Marco Cornaro, he assembled the Council of Ten at San Salvador; and
there, in less than three hours, measures were concerted for the
thwarting of all the proceedings of the conspirators.

"The duty allotted to Antonio was to go, with a troop, to San Marco,
and set the bell ringing. But when he arrived there he found the
building strongly occupied by troops from the arsenal, who stopped him
with their halberds. His followers dispersed, and he himself escaped in
the darkness. Close behind him he heard the steps of a man pursuing
him; then he felt himself seized. As he was about to run his captor
through the body, he suddenly, in the dim light, recognized him to be
Pietro, who cried--

"'"Save yourself, Antonio! get into my gondola. Everything is
discovered. Bodoeri and Nen