But he is well marked among us of the port,
and we never see the man but we begin to think of our sins, and of
penances forgotten. I marvel much that the inquisitors do not give him
to the devil on some public ceremony, for the benefit of small
offenders!"
"Are his deeds so notorious that they might pronounce on his fate
without proof?"
"Go, ask that question in the streets! Not a Christian loses his life in
Venice without warning; and the number is not few, to say nothing of
those who die with state fevers, but men see the work of his sure hand
in the blow. Signor Roderigo, your canals are convenient graves for
sudden deaths!"
"Methinks there is contradiction in this. Thou speakest of proofs of the
hand that gave it, in the manner of the blow, and then thou callest in
the aid of the canals to cover the whole deed. Truly, there is some
wrong done this Jacopo, who is, haply, a man slandered."
"I have heard of slandering a priest, for they are Christians, bound to
keep good names for the church's honor, but to utter an injury against a
bravo would a little exceed the tongue of an avocato. What mattereth it
whether the hand be a shade deeper in color or not, when blood is on
it."
"Thou sayest truly," answered the pretended Roderigo, drawing a heavy
breath. "It mattereth little indeed to him condemned, whether the
sentence cometh of one or of many crimes."
"Dost know, friend Roderigo, that this very argument hath made me less
scrupulous concerning the freight I am called on to carry, in this
secret trade of ours.
Pages:
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132