"Thou hast suffered poverty to tempt thee into grievous sin, Jacopo; but
it is never too late to call on the saints for aid, and to lay aside the
stiletto. It is not profitable for a man to be known in Venice as thy
fellow, but the friend of thy father will not abandon one who shows a
penitent spirit. Lay aside thy stiletto, and come with me to the
Lagunes. Thou wilt find labor less burdensome than guilt, and though
thou never canst be to me like the boy they have taken, for he was
innocent as the lamb! thou wilt still be the son of an ancient comrade,
and a stricken spirit. Come with me then to the Lagunes, for poverty and
misery like mine cannot meet with more contempt, even for being thy
companion."
"What is it men say, that thou treatest me thus?" demanded Jacopo, in a
low, struggling voice.
"I would they said untruth! But few die by violence, in Venice, that thy
name is not uttered."
"And would they suffer one thus marked to go openly on the canals, or
to be at large in the great square of San Marco?"
"We never know the reasons of the senate. Some say thy time is not yet
come, while others think thou art too powerful for judgment."
"Thou dost equal credit to the justice and the activity of the
inquisition. But should I go with thee to-night, wilt thou be more
discreet in speech among thy fellows of the Lido, and the islands?"
"When the heart hath its load, the tongue will strive to lighten it.
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