y, unless we meet in public. At the 'Sign of
the Angel' we are all brothers. Yes--yes--of course! You are a poor
artist. When I expected to be obliged to cut your throat awhile ago, I
really hoped that I might be able to fulfil some last wish of yours."

"I appreciated your goodness." Zorzi laughed a little nervously, now
that the danger was over.

"I meant it, my friend, I do assure you. And I mean it now. One
advantage of the fellowship is that one may offer to help a brother in
any way without insulting him. I am not as rich as I was--I was too fond
of those things once"--he pointed to the dice--"but if my purse can
serve you, such as it is, I hope you will use it rather than that of
another."

It was impossible to be offended, sensitive though Zorzi was.

"I thank you heartily," he answered.

"It would be a curiosity to see money do good for once," said Venier,
languidly looking towards the players. "Contarini is losing again," he
remarked.

"Does he generally lose much at play?" Zorzi asked, trying to seem
indifferent.

Venier laughed softly.

"It is proverbial, 'to lose like Jacopo Contarini'!" he answered.

"Tell me, I beg of you, are all the meetings of the brotherhood like
this one?"

"In what way?" asked Venier indifferently.

"Do you merely tell each other the news of the day, and then play at
dice all night?"

"Some play cards." Venier laughed scornfully. "This is only the third of
our secret sittings, I believe, but many of us meet elsewhere, during
the day."

"Our host said that the society made a pretence of play in order to
conspire against the State," said Zorzi. "It seems to me that this is
making a pretence of conspiracy, with the chance of death on the
scaffold, for the sake of dice-playing."

"To tell the truth, I think so too," answered the patrician, leaning
back in his chair and looking thoughtfully at the young glass-blower.
"It is more interesting to break a law when you may lose your head for
it than if you only risk a fine or a year's banishment. I daresay that
seems complicated to you."

Zorzi laughed.

"If it is only for the sake of the danger," he said, "why not go and
fight the Turks?"

"I have tried to do my share of that," replied Venier quietly. "So have
some of the others."

"Contarini?" asked Zorzi.

"No. I believe he has never seen any fighting."

While the two were talking the play had proceeded steadily, and almost
in silence. Contarini had lost heavil