off my hands, young lady;
and I shall not be altogether sorry, for you have been a very
troublesome child lately."

"It has not been my fault," Maria pouted.

"Not at all, my dear. It has been your misfortune, and I am not blaming
you at all."

"But the trouble is now over, father!"

"So much the better for Rufino," the merchant said. "It will be good
news to him that you are freed from the persecution of Ruggiero. And
now, I must leave you, for I have arranged to ride over with the
governor to the other side of the island. He has to investigate the
damage which took place last evening. I hear that upwards of a score of
villas were sacked and destroyed, and that many persons were killed;
and while he is doing that I shall see what has to be done at our
place. I don't know whether the walls are standing, or whether it will
have to be entirely rebuilt, and I must arrange with some builder to to
go over from here with me, and take my instructions as to what must be
done."

On the following day the party set sail for Venice, where they arrived
without adventure. Preparations were at once begun for the marriage of
Maria with Rufino Giustiniani, and six weeks later the wedding ceremony
took place. Francis did not go to sea until this was over, for when he
spoke of a fresh voyage, a short time after their return, Maria
declared that she would not be married unless he remained to be
present.

"You have got me out of all my scrapes hitherto, Francisco, and you
must see me safely through this."

As Signor Polani also declared that it was not to be thought of, that
Francis should leave until after the marriage, he was obliged to remain
for it. He was glad, however, when it was over, for he found the time
on shore more tedious than usual. The girls were taken up with the
preparations for the ceremony, and visitors were constantly coming and
going, and the house was not like itself.

But even when the marriage was over, he was forced to remain some time
longer in Venice. The Genoese fleets were keeping the sea, and Pisani
had not, since the battle of Antium, succeeded in coming up with them.
The consequence was that commerce was at a standstill, for the risk of
capture was so great that the merchants ceased to send their ships to
sea.

"The profit would not repay us for the risk, Francisco," the merchant
said one day when they were talking over it. "If only one cargo in ten
fell into their hands the profit off the other