ad been
ordered to retire from the dining hall, Messer Marco, as the youngest of
the three, rose from table, and, going into another chamber, brought
forth the three shabby dresses of coarse stuff which they had worn when
they first arrived. Straightway they took sharp knives and began to rip
up some of the seams and welts, and to take out of them jewels of the
greatest value in vast quantities, such as rubies, sapphires,
carbuncles, diamonds and emeralds, which had all been stitched up in
those dresses in so artful a fashion that nobody could have suspected
the fact. For when they took leave of the Great Can they had changed all
the wealth that he had bestowed upon them into this mass of rubies,
emeralds, and other jewels, being well aware of the impossibility of
carrying with them so great an amount in gold over a journey of such
extreme length and difficulty. Now this exhibition of such a huge
treasure of jewels and precious stones, all tumbled out upon the table,
threw the guests into fresh amazement, insomuch that they seemed quite
bewildered and dumbfounded. And now they recognized that in spite of all
former doubts these were in truth those honoured and worthy gentlemen of
the Ca' Polo that they claimed to be; and so all paid them the greatest
honour and reverence. And when the story got wind in Venice, straightway
the whole city, gentle and simple, flocked to the house to embrace them,
and to make much of them, with every conceivable demonstration of
affection and respect. On Messer Maffio, who was the eldest, they
conferred the honours of an office that was of great dignity in those
days; whilst the young men came daily to visit and converse with the
ever polite and gracious Messer Marco, and to ask him questions about
Cathay and the Great Can, all which he answered with such kindly
courtesy that every man felt himself in a manner his debtor. And as it
happened that in the story, which he was constantly called on to repeat,
of the magnificence of the Great Can, he would speak of his revenues as
amounting to ten or fifteen _millions_ of gold; and in like manner, when
recounting other instances of great wealth in those parts, would always
make use of the term _millions_, so they gave him the nickname of MESSER
MARCO MILLIONI: a thing which I have noted also in the Public Books of
this Republic where mention is made of him.[6] The Court of his House,