It was a relief to the stately and grim Giustinian to lose his temper in the sanctity of his home, since that freedom was beneath the dignity of a Venetian ruler in the company of others who were chafing like himself from insults they would have rejoiced to hurl back in the face of the speaker; and he was the less inclined to view favorably the efforts toward conciliation of the embassy to the Holy See, because it would have pleased him to have been named among those six of this Ambassade Extraordinary, on a mission so important, as an honor due to his ancient house.

“It is repetition ad nauseam,” he insisted hotly, “of demands for abrogation of those laws, for yielding up of those two reverend criminals to the ecclesiastical courts, of Nani’s soft replies to the quick speeches of his Holiness—­an unending farce!”

“Giustinian,” said the Lady Laura quietly, “the difficulties are great.  How can the Holy Father yield a point which touches the honor of the Church?”

“Verily, my lady, I believe thou art not responsible for thine own foolishness!” her husband exclaimed angrily.  “If that prelate cousin of Saraceni comes again to thy salon, let him be refused!  He shall not prate to thee of ‘law’ and ‘supremacy,’ who hath sought for this occasion to embroil us with the Holy See.  For the Senate hath learned to-day, through the trustworthy open mouth of our watchful Lion, with evidence irrefragable, that it is this reverend father who hath carried the tale to Rome.”

“Tell me the right of it,” she said again.  “How may the honor of the Church be saved, yet the dignity of Venice be maintained?  If there be a way, we women should speak for it.”

“Is the honor of the Church maintained by standing as a shield to crime?  It is Venice who would save the Church; the civil ruler shall purge her sacred courts of such iniquities and leave her the purer for her sons to love.  Such is the law—­ancient and just—­and a right Venice cannot yield.  And more than this,” he continued impressively, “all Europe is waiting on the issue, for the real contest is on the rights of civil rulers, and these imprisoned ecclesiastics are but the pretext for a quarrel; and ill-judged, verily, on the part of the Holy Father, since if the cases were less heinous there might have been occasion for confusion of judgment.  But now, who will dare assert that the honor of the Church is concerned in protecting men who disgrace mankind!”

“The Republic is then sure of her ground?”

“So sure we are of right that letters are already sent to every Christian court of Europe, announcing the causes of this quarrel and the stand of Venice.”

“Marina is greatly troubled,” said the Lady Laura, with a sigh.

“Let her go often to San Marco and pray for us—­the child is good for nothing else since this trouble came.”

“She hath more comfort at San Donato; and the mother superior is a noble woman and beloved by her.”