have some hot spiced wine
ready, by the time I have changed, for I am nearly frozen."

The embers of a fire, outside the tent, were soon stirred together, and
in a few minutes the wine was prepared. In the meantime, Francis had
been telling Rufino the incidents of his trip. In half an hour, the
message came that the gondola was again in the water, and Francis was
soon on his way back to the city.

"I was beginning to be anxious about you," was Pisani's greeting, as,
upon being informed of his return, he sprang from the couch, on which
he had thrown himself for an hour's sleep, and hurried downstairs. "I
reckoned that you might have been back an hour before this, and began
to think that you must have got into some scrape. Well, what have you
discovered?"

"The Genoese have no idea that you are going to put to sea. Their ships
and galleys are, as usual, moored off the quays of Chioggia. The
entrance to the Canal of Lombardy, and the Brondolo passage, are both
quite open, and there appear to be no troops anywhere near; but between
Pelestrina and Brondolo they have rowboats watching the entrance, but
no craft of any size. There are a few troops there, but, so far as I
could judge by the number of fires, not more than two hundred men or
so."

"Your news is excellent, Francisco. I will not ask you more, now. It is
three o'clock already, and at five I must be up and doing; so get off
to bed as soon as you can. You can give me the details in the morning."

The gondola was still waiting at the steps, and in a few minutes
Francis arrived at the Palazzo Polani. A servant was sleeping on a
bench in the hall. He started up as Francis entered.

"I have orders to let my master know, as soon as you return, signor."

"You can tell him, at the same time, that I have returned without hurt,
and pray him not to disturb himself, as I can tell him what has taken
place in the morning."

Polani, however, at once came to Francis' room.

"Thank Heaven you have returned safe to us, my boy!" he said. "I have
just knocked at the girls' doors, to tell them of your return, and, by
the quickness with which they answered, I am sure that they, like
myself, have had no sleep. Have you succeeded in your mission?"

"Perfectly, signor. I have been to Chioggia itself, and to the
entrances of the three passages, and have discovered that none of them
are guarded by any force that could resist us."

"But how did you manage to pass through their gal