o make your
preparations for the journey at your leisure. Where shall I find you
three days hence, gentlemen?'

'At Benediction in the Church of the Frari, my lord, for the day will be
a Sunday. If you desire it, we will call for paper and pen and set down
the terms of our agreement at once.'

'That will not be necessary, sir,' replied the Senator, who did not care
to put his name to such a document. 'I have confidence in you.'

Trombin at once raised his head and fastened his eyes on Pignaver.

'As between gentlemen, my lord,' he observed, 'it would be more fitting
to say that we have confidence in each other. With your permission I
shall complete your statement by saying that we are willing to trust you
without any written promise. We will leave such sordid dealings to the
lawyers and notaries. You give your word, we give ours, and the matter
is safer for accomplishment than if a contract were engrossed on a dozen
sheepskins and sealed with the Fisherman's Ring!'

'Certainly, certainly,' assented the Senator, who did not like the
Bravo's eyes. 'You have my word, I have yours, and that is enough.'

'My lord,' said Trombin, his manner suddenly becoming extremely affable,
'I have the honour to drink your health!'

'Your health, Count,' responded Pignaver, raising his glass.

'Your health,' said Gambardella, bowing politely, and then sipping his
wine with all the caution required to keep his long nose out of it.

Having settled matters in this way and, moreover, satisfied his appetite
with a good supper, Pignaver took leave of the Bravi with considerable
ceremony, for he perceived that they were as exigent and punctilious as
to all points of courtesy as any noble in Italy, France, or Spain; and
it would not be good to fall out with such touchy gentlemen on a point
of manners. Indeed, as he retraced his steps to the office of the
Signors of the Night, where his gondola was waiting, he really
congratulated himself on having escaped without a quarrel, and hoped
that the next interview would pass off as well.

The three days went by, and at noon on Sunday he received a note from
the Signor of the Night informing him that the runaway pair and the
serving-woman had been in Padua early on the morning after they left
Venice, and had immediately taken an extra post to Rovigo and Ferrara.
They had excited no suspicion, and the spy who had brought the news had
not obtained the information without considerable difficulty, f