“But here we are at the Piazzetta.”

A group of nobles were standing near the landing place, and Signor Polani at once went up to them, and introduced Francis to them as the gentleman who had done his daughter and their kinswoman such good service.  Francis was warmly thanked and congratulated by them all.

“Will you wait near the entrance?” Signor Polani said.  “I see that my young cousin, Matteo, has accompanied his father, and you will, no doubt, find enough to say to each other while we are with the council.”

The gentlemen entered the palace, and Matteo, who had remained respectfully at a short distance from the seniors, at once joined his friend.

“Well, Francis, I congratulate you heartily, though I feel quite jealous of you.  It was splendid to think of your dashing up in your gondola, and carrying off my pretty cousins from the clutches of that villain, Ruggiero Mocenigo, just as he was about to lay his hands on them.”

“Are you sure it was Ruggiero, Matteo?”

“Oh, there can’t be any doubt about it.  You know, he had asked for Maria’s hand, and when Polani refused him, had gone off muttering threats.  You know what his character is.  He is capable of any evil action; besides, they say that he has dissipated his patrimony, in gaming and other extravagances at Constantinople, and is deep in the hands of the Jews.  If he could have succeeded in carrying off Maria it would more than have mended his fortunes, for she and her sister are acknowledged to be the richest heiresses in Venice.  Oh, there is not a shadow of doubt that it’s he.

“You won’t hear me saying anything against your love of prowling about in that gondola of yours, since it has brought you such a piece of good fortune—­for it is a piece of good fortune, Francis, to have rendered such a service to Polani, to say nothing of all the rest of us who are connected with his family.  I can tell you that there are scores of young men of good birth in Venice, who would give their right hand to have done what you did.”

“I should have considered myself fortunate to have been of service to any girls threatened by violence, though they had only been fishermen’s daughters,” Francis said; “but I am specially pleased because they are relatives of yours, Matteo.”

“To say nothing to their being two of the prettiest girls in Venice,” Matteo added slyly.

“That counts for something too, no doubt,” Francis said laughing, “though I didn’t think of it.

“I wonder,” he went on gravely, “whether that was Ruggiero whom I struck down, and whether he came up again to the surface.  He has very powerful connections, you know, Matteo; and if I have gained friends, I shall also have gained enemies by the night’s work.”

“That is so,” Matteo agreed.  “For your sake, I own that I hope that Ruggiero is at present at the bottom of the canal.  He was certainly no credit to his friends; and although they would of course have stood by him, I do not think they will feel, at heart, in any way displeased to know that he will trouble them no longer.  But if his men got him out again, I should say you had best be careful, for Ruggiero is about the last man in Venice I should care to have as an enemy.  However, we won’t look at the unpleasant side of the matter, and will hope that his career has been brought to a close.”