"A friend to thee, Gelsomina," was the answer.
"Nay, here all are friends to the keepers, if words can be believed. You must name yourself, or go elsewhere for your answer."
The gondolier removed the mask a little, which had altered his voice as well as concealed his face.
"It is I, Gessina," he said, using the diminutive of her name.
The bolts grated, and the door was hurriedly opened.
"It is wonderful that I did not know thee, Carlo!" said the female, with eager simplicity; "but thou takest so many disguises of late, and so counterfeitest strange voices, that thine own mother might have distrusted her ear."
The gondolier paused to make certain they were alone; then laying aside the mask altogether, he exposed the features of the Bravo.
"Thou knowest the need of caution," he added, "and wilt not judge me harshly."
"I said not that, Carlo--but thy voice is so familiar, that I thought it wonderful thou could"st speak as a stranger."
"Hast thou aught for me?"
The gentle girl--for she was both young and gentle--hesitated.
"Hast thou aught new, Gelsomina?" repeated the Bravo, reading her innocent face with his searching gaze.
"Thou art fortunate in not being sooner in the prison. I have just had a visitor. Thou would"st not have liked to be seen, Carlo!"
"Thou knowest I have good reasons for coming masked. I might, or I might not have disliked thy acquaintance, as he should have proved."
"Nay, now thou judgest wrong," returned the female, hastily--"I had no other here but my cousin Annina."
"Dost thou think me jealous?" said the Bravo, smiling in kindness, as he took her hand. "Had it been thy cousin Pietro, or Michele, or Roberto, or any other youth of Venice, I should have no other dread than that of being known."
"But it was only Annina--my cousin Annina, whom thou hast never seen--and I have no cousins Pietro, and Michele, and Roberto. We are not many, Carlo. Annina has a brother, but he never comes. .h.i.ther. Indeed it is long since she has found it convenient to quit her trade to come to this dreary place. Few children of sisters see each other so seldom as Annina and I!"
"Thou art a good girl, Gessina, and art always to be found near thy mother. Hast thou naught in particular for my ear?"
Again the soft eyes of Gelsomina, or Gessina, as she was familiarly called, dropped to the floor; but raising them ere he could note the circ.u.mstance, she hurriedly continued the discourse.
"I fear Annina will return, or I would go with thee at once."
"Is this cousin of thine still here, then?" asked the Bravo, with uneasiness. "Thou knowest I would not be seen."
"Fear not. She cannot enter without touching that bell; for she is above with my poor bed-ridden mother. Thou can"st go into the inner room as usual, when she comes, and listen to her idle discourse, if thou wilt; or--but we have not time--for Annina comes seldom, and I know not why, but she seems to love a sick room little, as she never stays many minutes with her aunt."
"Thou would"st have said, or I might go on my errand, Gessina?"
"I would, Carlo, but I am certain we should be recalled by my impatient cousin."
"I can wait. I am patient when with thee, dearest Gessina."
"Hist!--"Tis my cousin"s step. Thou canst go in."
While she spoke, a small bell rang, and the Bravo withdrew into the inner room, like one accustomed to that place of retreat. He left the door ajar--for the darkness of the closet sufficiently concealed his person. In the meantime Gelsomina opened the outer door for the admission of her visitor. At the first sound of the latter"s voice, Jacopo, who had little suspected the fact from a name which was so common, recognised the artful daughter of the wine-seller.
"Thou art at thy ease, here, Gelsomina," cried the latter, entering and throwing herself into a seat, like one fatigued. "Thy mother is better, and thou art truly mistress of the house."
"I would I were not, Annina; for I am young to have this trust, with this affliction."
"It is not so insupportable, Gessina, to be mistress within doors, at seventeen! Authority is sweet, and obedience is odious."
"I have found neither so, and I will give up the first with joy, whenever my poor mother shall be able to take command of her own family again."
"This is well, Gessina, and does credit to the good father confessor.
But authority is dear to woman, and so is liberty. Thou wast not with the maskers yesterday, in the square?"
"I seldom wear a disguise, and I could not quit my mother."
"Which means that thou would"st have been glad to do it. Thou hast a good reason for thy regrets, since a gayer marriage of the sea, or a braver regatta, has not been witnessed in Venice since thou wast born.
But the first was to be seen from thy window?"
"I saw the galley of state sweeping towards the Lido, and the train of patricians on its deck; but little else."
"No matter. Thou shalt have as good an idea of the pageant as if thou had"st played the part of the Doge himself. First came the men of the guard with their ancient dresses--"
"Nay, this I remember to have often seen; for the same show is kept from year to year."
"Thou art right; but Venice never witnessed such a brave regatta! Thou knowest that the first trial is always between gondolas of many oars, steered by the best esteemed of the ca.n.a.ls. Luigi was there, and though he did not win, he more than merited success, by the manner in which he directed his boat. Thou knowest Luigi?"
"I scarce know any in Venice, Annina; for the long illness of my mother, and this unhappy office of my father, keep me within when others are on the ca.n.a.ls."
"True. Thou art not well placed to make acquaintances. But Luigi is second to no gondolier in skill or reputation, and he is much the merriest rogue of them all, that put foot on the Lido."
"He was foremost, then, in the grand race?"
"He should have been, but the awkwardness of his fellows, and some unfairness in the crossing, threw him back to be second. "Twas a sight to behold, that of many n.o.ble watermen struggling to maintain or to get a name on the ca.n.a.ls. Santa Maria! I would thou could"st have seen it, girl!"
"I should not have been glad to see a friend defeated."
"We must take fortune as it offers. But the most wonderful sight of the day, after all, though Luigi and his fellows did so well, was to see a poor fisherman, named Antonio, in his bare head and naked legs, a man of seventy years, and with a boat no better than that I use to carry liquors to the Lido, entering on the second race, and carrying off the prize!"
"He could not have met with powerful rivals?"
"The best of Venice; though Luigi, having strived for the first, could not enter for the second trial. "Tis said, too," continued Annina, looking about her with habitual caution, "that one, who may scarce be named in Venice, had the boldness to appear in that regatta masked; and yet the fisherman won! Thou hast heard of Jacopo?"
"The name is common."
"There is but one who bears it now in Venice. All mean the same when they say Jacopo."
"I have heard of a monster of that name. Surely he hath not dared to show himself among the n.o.bles, on such a festa!"