in love with you from the first,
Francisco, and I was sure that you, in your dull English fashion, cared
for her. My father confided to me, long since, that he hoped it would
come about."

Francis Hammond lived for many years with his wife in Venice, paying
occasional visits to England. He was joined, soon after his marriage,
by his brother, who, after serving for some years in the business,
entered it as a partner, when Messer Polani's increasing years rendered
it necessary for him to retire from an active participation in it.

Some months after his marriage, Francis was saddened by the death of
Admiral Pisani, who never recovered from the fatigue and hardships he
suffered during the siege of Chioggia. He had, with the fleet,
recovered most of the places that the Genoese had captured, and after
chasing a Genoese fleet to Zara, had a partial engagement with them
there. In this, Corbaro, now holding the commission of admiral of the
squadron, was killed, and Pisani himself wounded. He was already
suffering from fever; and the loss of Corbaro, and the check that the
fleet had suffered, increased his malady, and he expired three days
later.

Venice made peace with Genoa, but the grudge which she bore to Padua
was not wiped out until some years later, when, in 1404, that city was
besieged by the Venetians, and forced by famine to surrender in the
autumn of the following year; after which Zeno, having been proved to
have kept up secret communications with the Lord of Padua, was deprived
of his honours and sentenced to a year's imprisonment. Thus, in turn,
the two great Venetian commanders suffered disgrace and imprisonment.

As she had been patient and steadfast in her time of distress, Venice
was clement in her hour of triumph, and granted far more favourable
terms to Padua than that city deserved.

At the death of Messer Polani, Francis returned with his wife and
family to England, and established himself in London, where he at once
took rank as one of the leading merchants. His fortune, however, was so
large, that he had no occasion to continue in commerce, and he did so
only to afford him a certain amount of occupation. His brother carried
on the business in Venice, and became one of the leading citizens
there, in partnership with Matteo Giustiniani. Every two or three years
Francis made a voyage with his wife to Venice and spent some months
there, and to the end of his life never broke off his close connection
wit