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"Odysseus was not a god," answered Aristarchi, with a grin. "He was a good Christian. I have often thought that he must have been very like me. He was a great traveller and a tolerable sailor." "A pirate?" inquired Arisa. "Oh no! He was a man of the most noble and upright character, incapable of deception! In fact he was very like me, and had nearly as many adventures.
"The captain seems to know everything." "Listen to me, friend porter," Aristarchi said. "If you will take this young fellow with you I shall be obliged to you.
"I am sick of dancing with the fellow in my arms." With incredible ease Aristarchi took Zorzi round the waist, mounted the cabin table and passed him up through the hatch to the mate, who had already brought him to the Jacob's ladder at the stern before Pasquale could get there by the ordinary way. "Quick, man!" said the mate, as the old sailor climbed over the rail.
The boat shot forward at a good rate under the bending oar, and in twenty minutes Aristarchi was at the entrance to the canal of San Piero and within sight of Beroviero's house. "Easy there," said the Greek, holding up his hand. "Do you know Murano well, my man?" "As well as Venice, sir." "Whose house is that, which has the upper story built on columns over the footway?"
But he had recognised the other man who had gone up the footway first, in spite of his short cloak and hood, and he felt well assured that Charalambos Aristarchi could throw the officer and his six men into the canal without anybody's help, if he chose, though why the Greek ruffian was suddenly inspired to interfere on Zorzi's behalf was a mystery past his comprehension.
She also lit a candle and brought Aristarchi to the small coffer in which Contarini kept ready gold for play, and which was now more than half full. "The dowry of the glass-maker's daughter!" observed the Greek as he carried it off.
"If she loves him she will give him everything she has, and he will take all he can get, of course." "Of course, if she had anything to give," said Aristarchi. "But she will only have what you allow Contarini to give her. The young man knows well enough that her dowry will all be paid to her husband on the day of the marriage.
"Yes," she said, reassured. "Do that. I must know if the girl is rich before I marry him to her." "But can you make him marry her at all?" asked Aristarchi. "I can make him do anything I please. We drank to the health of the bride to-night, in a goblet made by her father! The wine was strong, and I put a little syrup of poppies into it. He will not wake for hours. What is the matter?"
When Contarini came, a few minutes later, she seemed to have fallen asleep like a child, weary of waiting for him. So far both she and Aristarchi looked upon Zorzi, who did not know of their existence, with a friendly eye, but their knowledge of his love for Marietta was in reality one more danger in his path.
"We have changed our lodgings three times since yesterday afternoon," continued Aristarchi, "and I am tired of carrying this lame bottle-blower up and down rope ladders, when the Signors of the Night are at the door. So drop him over the rail into your boat and let me lead a peaceful life." "Like an honest merchant captain as you are," added Pasquale with a grin.
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