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Over the bridges of San Cristoforo and San Gregorio, through the deserted Calle di Mezzo, my friend and I walk in darkness, pass the marble basements of the Salute, and push our way along its Riva to the point of the Dogana. We are out at sea alone, between the Canalozzo and the Giudecca. A moist wind ruffles the water and cools our forehead.
The beautiful bridge of St. Angelo, constructed entirely of square blocks of stone, leads across the Tiber to the castle of the same name, the tomb of Hadrian. The emperor caused this large round building to be erected for his future mausoleum. It is built of immense stone blocks, and now serves as a fortress and state-prison. The temple of Marcus Aurelius is converted into the Dogana.
By what force of authority I know not, one of the fellows triumphed; he turned to me with a satisfied smile, and presented his wife. "Mia sposa, signore!" The crowd and I followed to the dogana, close by, where as vigorous a search was made as I have ever had to undergo. I puzzled the people; my arrival was an unwonted thing, and they felt sure I was a trader of some sort.
He was travelling by the diligence, which always used to remain a good hour or more at Acquapendente, for the transaction of passport and dogana work.
And ever the water dances and there are hints of the great sea, of which the Grand Canal, on the other side of the Dogana, is ignorant. The pavement of the Zaterre, though not so broad as the Riva, is still wide, and, like the Riva, is broken by the only hills which the Venetian walker knows the bridges.
At length they came to an omnibus. The admiral beckoned to Merrihew to step in. The luggage was thrown on top. "I am very grateful to you," said Merrihew, offering his hand. The admiral shook it somewhat doubtfully, tipped his cap, and went hurriedly back to the dogana, or custom-house. Shortly after Hillard appeared. "We shan't go up in the omnibus," he said. "We'll take a carriage."
At Ventimiglia we had all to turn out to undergo the inspection of the Italian dogana. My friend's valise was his sole luggage, and I noticed, rather to my surprise, that he gave the custom-house official a very large bribe two or three gold pieces to make his inspection of it purely nominal, and forego the opening of either of the inside compartments.
And whatever it might mean, Miss Abbott's presence spoilt the comedy: she would do nothing funny. During this short meditation he had walked through the city, and was out on the other side. "Where does Signor Carella live?" he asked the men at the Dogana. "I'll show you," said a little girl, springing out of the ground as Italian children will.
The Dogana men admitted them with an air of gracious welcome, and they clattered up the narrow dark street, greeted by that mixture of curiosity and kindness which makes each Italian arrival so wonderful. He was stunned and knew not what to do. At the hotel he received no ordinary reception.
Even the wells dried up completely. The land fort remained untouched; the sea fort, the dogana, and the lazaretto were partially damaged, but can be repaired in a short time. A good deal of plundering went on, the peasants and Morlacchi looking on the catastrophe as a godsend.
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