e water-gate of the Doge's palace," she
said, slipping a piece of silver into the hand of the boatman.

"You shall be served, Bella Donna. But--Diamine! I marvel that a girl of
thy wit should not scent the treasures in yonder felucca!"

"Dost thou mean the Sorrentine?"

"What other padrone brings as well flavored liquors within the Lido!
Quiet thy impatience to land, daughter of honest old Maso, and traffic
with the padrone, for the comfort of us of the canals."

"How! Thou knowest me, then?"

"To be the pretty wine-seller of the Lido. Corpo di Bacco! Thou art as
well known as the sea-wall itself to us gondoliers."

"Why art thou masked? Thou canst not be Luigi!"

"It is little matter whether I am called Luigi, or Enrico, or Giorgio; I
am thy customer, and honor the shortest hair of thy eyebrows. Thou
knowest, Annina, that the young patricians have their frolics, and they
swear us gondoliers to keep secret till all danger of detection is over;
were any impertinent eyes following me, I might be questioned as to the
manner of having passed the earlier hours."

"Methinks it would be better to have given thee gold, and to have sent
thee at once to thy home."

"To be followed like a denounced Hebrew to my door. When I have
confounded my boat with a thousand others it will be time to uncover.
Wilt thou to the Bella Sorrentina?"

"Nay, 'tis not necessary to ask, since thou takest the direction of
thine own will?"

The gondolier laughed and nodded his head, as if he would give his
companion to understand that he was master of her secret wishes. Annina
was hesitating in what manner she should make him change his purpose,
when the gondola touched the felucca's side.

"We will go up and speak to the padrone," whispered Jacopo.

"It is of no avail; he is without liquors."

"Trust him not; I know the man and his pretences,"

"Thou forgettest my cousin."

"She is an innocent and unsuspecting child."

Jacopo lifted Annina, as he spoke, on the deck of the Bella Sorrentina,
in a manner between gallantry and force, and leaped after her. Without
pausing, or suffering her to rally her thoughts, he led her to the cabin
stairs, which she descended, wondering at his conduct, but determined
not to betray her own secret wrongs on the customs to a stranger.

Stefano Milano was asleep in a sail on deck. A touch aroused him, and a
sign gave him to understand that the imaginary Roderigo stood before
him.

"A thousand pardons