"i suppose you never have such nights as these in that misty island of yours, francisco?"

"yes, we have," the other said stoutly. "i have seen just as bright nights on the thames. i have stood down by paul's stairs and watched the reflection of the moon on the water, and the lights of the houses on the bridge, and the passing boats, just as we are doing now.

"but," he added honestly, "i must confess that we do not have such still, bright nights very often, while with you they are the rule, though sometimes even here a mist rises up and dims the water, just as it does with us."

"but i have heard you say that the stars are not so bright as we have them here."

"no, i do not think they are, matteo. i do not remember now, but i do know, when i first came here, i was struck with the brightness of the stars, so i suppose there must have been a difference."

"but you like this better than england? you are glad that your father came out here?"

francis hammond did not answer at once.

"i am glad he came out," he said after a pause, "because i have seen many things i should never have seen if i had stayed at home, and i have learned to speak your tongue. but i do not know that i like it better than home. things are different, you see. there was more fun at home. my father had two or three apprentices, whom i used to play with when the shop was closed, and there were often what you would call tumults, but which were not serious. sometimes there would be a fight between the apprentices of one ward and another. a shout would be raised of 'clubs!' and all the 'prentices would catch up their sticks and pour out of the shops, and then there would be a fight till the city guard turned out and separated them. then there used to be the shooting at the butts, and the shows, and the mayday revels, and all sorts of things. the people were more merry than you are here, and much more free. you see, the barons, who are the same to us that your great families are to you, had no influence in the city. you are a nation of traders, and so are we; but in london the traders have the power, and are absolute masters inside their own walls, caring nothing for the barons, and not much for the king. if anyone did wrong he got an open and fair trial. there was no fear of secret accusations. everyone thought and said as he pleased. there was no lion's mouth, and no council of ten."

"hush! hush! francisco," the other said, grasping his arm. "do not say a word against the council. there is no saying who may be listening."

and he looked nervously round to see if anyone was within earshot.

"there it is, you see," his companion said. "so long as we have a safe conscience, in london we are frightened at nothing, whereas here no one can say with certainty that he may not, before tomorrow morning, be lying in the dungeons of st. mark, without the slightest idea in the world as to what his crime has been."

"there, there, francisco," matteo said uneasily. "do talk about other things. your notions may do very well in england, but are not safe to discuss here. of course there are plenty here who would gladly see a change in some matters, but one cannot have everything; and, after all, when one has so much to be proud of, one need not grumble because everything is not just as one would like."

"yes, you have much to be proud of," francis hammond agreed. "it is marvellous that the people of these scattered islets should be masters of the sea, that their alliance should be coveted by every power in europe, that they should be the greatest trading community in the world. if i were not english i should like to be venetian."

the speakers were standing at the edge of the water in front of the palace of st. mark. in the piazza behind them a throng of people were walking to and fro, gossiping over the latest news from constantinople, the last rumour as to the doings of the hated rival of venice, genoa, or the purport of the letter which had, as everyone knew, been brought by the bishop of treviso from the pope to the seignory.

the moon was shining brightly overhead, and glittering in the waters of the lagoon, which were broken into innumerable little wavelets by the continual crossing and recrossing of the gondolas dotting its surface. there was a constant arrival and departure of boats from the steps, fifty yards to the right of the spot where the speakers were standing; but where they had stationed themselves, about halfway between the landing steps and the canal running down by the side of the ducal palace, there were but few people about.

francis hammond was a lad between fifteen and sixteen years old. his father was a merchant of london. he was a man of great enterprise and energy, and had four years before determined to leave his junior partner in charge of the business in london, and to come out himself for a time to venice, so as to buy the eastern stuffs in which he dealt at the headquarters of the trade, instead of paying such prices as the agents of the venetian traders might demand in london.

he had succeeded beyond his expectations. in venice there were constantly bargains to be purchased from ships returning laden with the spoils of some captured genoese merchantman, or taken in the sack of some eastern seaport. the prices, too, asked by the traders with the towns of syria or the black sea, were but a fraction of those charged when these goods arrived in london. it was true that occasionally some of his cargoes were lost on the homeward voyage, captured either by the genoese or the moorish pirates; but even allowing for this, the profits of the trade were excellent.

the english merchant occupied a good position in venice. the promptness of his payments, and the integrity of his dealings, made him generally respected; and the fact that he was engaged in trade was no drawback to his social position, in a city in which, of all others, trade was considered honourable, and where members of even the most aristocratic families were, with scarcely an exception, engaged in commerce. there were many foreign merchants settled in venice, for from the first the republic had encouraged strangers to take up their residence there, and had granted them several privileges and advantages.

between venice and england there had always been good feeling. although jealous of foreigners, england had granted the venetians liberty to trade in london, southampton, and some other towns as far back as the year 1304; and their relations had always been cordial, as there were no grounds for jealousy or rivalry between the two peoples; whereas the interference of france, germany, austria, and hungary in the affairs of italy, had frequently caused uneasiness to venice, and had on several occasions embroiled her with one or other of the three last named powers. france had as yet taken a very minor part in the continual wars which were waged between the rival cities of italy, and during the crusades there had been a close alliance between her and venice, the troops of the two nations fighting together at the siege of constantinople, and causing the temporary overthrow of the greek empire of the east.

the rise of venice had been rapid, and she owed her advancement to a combination of circumstances. in the first place, her insular position rendered her almost impervious to attack, and she had therefore no occasion to keep on foot any army, and was able to throw all her strength on to the sea, where genoa was her only formidable rival. in the second place, her mercantile spirit, and her extensive trade with the east, brought in a steady influx of wealth, and her gold enabled her to purchase allies, to maintain lengthy struggles without faltering, and to emerge unscathed from wars which exhausted the resources, and crippled the powers, of her rivals.

the third source of her success lay in the spirit of her population. like rome in her early days, she was never cast down by reverses. misfortune only nerved her to further exertions, and after each defeat she rose stronger than before. but the cause which, more than all, contributed to give to venice her ascendancy among the cities of italy, was her form of government. democratic at first, as among all communities, it had gradually assumed the character of a close oligarchy, and although nominally ruled by a council containing a large number of members, her destinies were actually in the hands of the doge, elected for life, and the council of ten, chosen from the great body of the council. thus she had from the first been free from those factions which were the bane of genoa and florence. some of the great families had from time to time come more prominently to the front than others, but none had attained predominant political power, and beyond a few street tumults of slight importance, venice had not suffered from the popular tumults and uprisings which played so prominent a part in the history of her rivals.

thus, undisturbed by discord at home, venice had been able to give all her attention and all her care to her interests abroad, and her affairs, conducted as they were by her wisest citizens, with a single eye to the benefit of the state, had been distinguished by a rare sagacity. her object had been single and uniform, to protect her own interests, and to prevent any one city on the mainland attaining such a preponderance as would render her a dangerous neighbour. hence she was always ready to ally herself with the weaker against the stronger, and to aid with money and men any state struggling against an ambitious neighbour. acting on this principle she by turns assisted padua against verona, and verona against padua, or either of them when threatened by the growing power of milan, and at the end of a war she generally came out with an increased territory, and added importance.

it is probable that no community was ever governed, for hundreds of years, with such uniform wisdom and sagacity as was venice; but the advantage was not without drawbacks. the vigilance of the council of ten in repressing plots, not unfrequently set on foot by the enemies of the republic, resulted in the adoption of a hateful system of espionage. the city was pervaded with spies, and even secret denunciations were attended to, and the slightest expression of discontent against the ruling authorities was severely punished. on the other hand, comparatively slight attention was paid to private crime. assassinations were of frequent occurrence, and unless the victim happened to be very powerfully connected, no notice was taken when a man was found to be missing from his usual place, and his corpse was discovered floating in the lagoon. consequently crimes of this kind were, in the great majority of cases, committed with impunity, and even when traced, the authors, if possessed of powerful protectors, seldom suffered any greater punishment than temporary banishment.

after standing for some time on the piazzetta, the two lads turned and, entering the square of saint mark, mingled with the crowd. it was a motley one. nobles in silks and satins jostled with fishermen of the lagoons. natives of all the coasts and islands which owned the sway of venice, greeks from constantinople, tartar merchants from the crimea, tyrians, and inhabitants of the islands of the aegean, were present in considerable numbers; while among the crowd, vendors of fruit and flowers from the mainland, and of fresh water or cooling drinks, sold their wares. the english lad's companion--matteo giustiniani--belonged to one of the leading families of venice, and was able to name to francis most of the nobles and persons of importance whom they passed.

"there is pisani," he said. "of course you know him. what a jolly, good-tempered looking fellow he is! the sailors would do anything for him, and they say he will have command of the next fleet that puts to sea. i wish i was going with him. there is sure to be a fierce fight when he comes across the genoese. his father was one of our greatest admirals.

"that noble just behind him is fiofio dandolo. what a grand family they have been, what a number of great men they have given to the republic! i should like to have seen the grand old doge who stormed the walls of constantinople, and divided the eastern empire among the crusading barons. he was a hero indeed.

"no; i don't know who that young noble in the green velvet cap and plum coloured dress is. o yes, i do, though; it is ruggiero mocenigo; he has been away for the last two years at constantinople; he was banished for having killed polo morosini--he declared it was in fair fight, but no one believed him. they had quarrelled a few days before over some question of the precedence of their families, and morosini was found dead at the top of the steps close to the church of saint paolo. some people heard a cry and ran up just as mocenigo leapt into his gondola, but as it rowed off their shouts called the attention of one of the city guard boats which happened to be passing, and it was stopped. as his sword was still wet with blood, he could not deny that he was the author of the deed, but, as i said, he declared it was in fair fight. the morosinis asserted that polo's sword was undrawn, but the mocenigo family brought forward a man, who swore that he was one of the first to arrive, and pick up the sword and place it in its scabbard to prevent its being lost. no doubt he lied; but as mocenigo's influence in the council was greater than that of the morosini, the story was accepted. however, the public feeling was so strong that they could not do less than sentence ruggiero to two years' banishment. i suppose that has just expired, and he has returned from constantinople. he had a bad reputation before this affair took place, but as his connections are so powerful, i suppose he will be received as if nothing had happened. there are plenty of others as bad as he is."

"it's a scandalous thing," francis hammond said indignantly, "that, just because they have got powerful connections, men should be allowed to do, almost with impunity, things for which an ordinary man would be hung. there ought to be one law for the rich as well as the poor."

"so there is as far as the state is concerned," his companion replied. "a noble who plots against the state is as certain of a place in the lowest dungeons as a fisherman who has done the same; but in other respects there is naturally some difference."

"why naturally?" francis retorted. "you belong to a powerful family, giustiniani, and my father is only a trader, but i don't see that naturally you have any more right to get me stabbed in the back, than i have to get you put out of the way."

"naturally perhaps not," matteo laughed; "but you see it has become a second nature to us here in venice. but seriously i admit that the present state of things has grown to be a scandal, and that the doings of some of our class ought to be put down with a strong hand."

"well, i shall say goodnight now," the english boy said. "my father doesn't like my being out after ten. he keeps up his english habits of shutting up early, and has not learned to turn night into day as you do here in venice."

"the bell has just tolled the hour, francis," his father said as he entered.

"i didn't think it was quite so late, father; the piazza is crowded. i really do not think there is one person in venice who goes to bed so early as we do. it is so pleasant in the moonlight after the heat of the day."

"that is true enough, francis, but men are meant to sleep at night and to work in the day. i think our fathers carried this too far when they rang the curfew at eight; but ten is quite late enough for any honest man to be about in the streets, and the hours of the early morning are just as pleasant and far more healthy than those of the evening, especially in a place like this where the mists rise from the water, to say nothing of the chance of meeting a band of wild gallants on their way homewards heated with wine, or of getting a stab in the back from some midnight assassin. however, i do not blame venice for enjoying herself while she can. she will have more serious matters to attend to soon."

"but she is at peace with every one at present, father. i thought when she signed the treaty with austria after a year's fighting, she was going to have rest for a time."

"that was only the beginning of the trouble, francis, and the council knew it well; that was why they made such terms with austria as they did. they knew that austria was only acting in accord with hungary, and padua, and genoa. the others were not ready to begin, so austria came on her own account to get what booty and plunder she could. but the storm is gathering, and will burst before long. but do not let us stand talking here any longer. it is high time for you to be in bed."

but though francis retired to his room, it was more than an hour before he got into bed. his window looked down upon one of the canals running into the grand canal. gondolas lighted by lanterns, or by torches held by servitors, passed constantly backwards and forwards beneath his window, and by leaning out he could see the passing lights of those on the grand canal. snatches of song and laughter came up to him, and sometimes the note of a musical instrument. the air was soft and balmy, and he felt no inclination for sleep.

francis thought over what his father had said of the probability of war, as he sat at his window, and wished that he were a couple of years older and could take part in the struggle. the venetian fleet had performed such marvels of valour, that, in the days when military service was almost the sole avenue to distinction and fortune, the desire to take part in a naval expedition, which promised unusual opportunities of gaining credit and renown, was the most natural thing possible for a boy of spirit.

francis was a well built lad of nearly sixteen. he had, until he left london when about twelve years old, taken his full share in the rough sports which formed so good a training for the youths of england, and in which the citizens of london were in no way behind the rest of the kingdom. he had practised shooting with a light bow and arrows, in company with boys of his own age, in the fields outside the city walls; had engaged in many a rough tussle with light clubs and quarterstaffs; and his whole time--except for an hour or two daily which he had, as the son of a well to do citizen, spent in learning to read and write--had been occupied in games and exercises of one kind or other.

since his arrival in venice he had not altogether discontinued his former habits. at his earnest solicitation, his father had permitted him to attend the school of arms, where the sons of patricians and well-to-do merchants learned the use of sword and dagger, to hurl the javelin, and wield the mace and battleaxe; and was, besides, a frequenter of some of the schools where old soldiers gave private lessons in arms to such as could afford it; and the skill and strength of the english lad excited no slight envy among the young venetian nobles. often, too, he would go out to one of the sandy islets, and there setting up a mark, practise with the bow. his muscles too, had gained strength and hardness by rowing. it was his constant habit of an evening, when well away from the crowded canals in the gondola, with giuseppi, the son and assistant of his father's gondolier, to take an oar, for he had thoroughly mastered the difficult accomplishment of rowing well in a gondola; but he only did this when far out from the city, or when the darkness of evening would prevent his figure from being recognized by any of his acquaintances, for no venetian of good family would demean himself by handling an oar. francis, however, accustomed to row upon the thames, could see no reason why he should not do the same in a gondola, and in time he and his companion could send the boat dancing over the water, at a rate which enabled them to overtake and distance most pair-oared boats.

after breakfast next morning he went down to the steps, where beppo and giuseppi, in their black cloth suits with red sashes round their waists, were waiting with the gondola in which mr. hammond was going out to malamocco, to examine a cargo which had the day before arrived from azoph. giuseppi jumped ashore.

"i have heard of just the gondola to suit you, messer francisco, and you can get her a bargain."

"what is she like, giuseppi?"

"she belongs to a man out at lido. she was built for the race two years ago, but her owner fell sick and was unable to start. he has not got strong again, and wants to sell his boat, which is far too light for ordinary work. they say she is almost like an eggshell, and you and i will be able to send her along grandly. she cost four ducats, but he will sell her for two."

"that is capital, giuseppi. this gondola is all well enough for my father, but she is very heavy. this evening we will row over to lido and look at her."

a few minutes later mr. hammond came down. beppo and his son took off their jackets, and in their snow white shirts and black trousers, set off by the red scarf and a red ribbon round their broad hats, took their places on the bow and stern. mr. hammond sat down on the cushions in the middle of the boat, and with an easy, noiseless motion the gondola glided away from the stairs. francis, with a little sigh, turned away and strolled off for a couple of hours' work with the preceptor, with whom he had continued his studies since he came to venice.

this work consisted chiefly of learning various languages, for in those days there was little else to learn. latin was almost universally spoken by educated men in southern europe, and greeks, italians, spaniards, and frenchmen were able to converse in this common medium. french francis understood, for it was the language in use in the court and among the upper classes in england. italian he picked up naturally during his residence, and spoke it with the facility of a native. he could now converse freely in latin, and had some knowledge of german. at the same school were many lads of good venetian families, and it was here that he had first made the acquaintance of matteo giustiniani, who was now his most intimate friend.

matteo, like all the young nobles of venice, was anxious to excel in military exercises, but he had none of the ardour for really hard work which distinguished his friend. he admired the latter's strength and activity, but could not bring himself to imitate him, in the exercises by which that strength was attained, and had often remonstrated with him upon his fondness for rowing.

"it is not seemly, francisco, for a gentleman to be labouring like a common gondolier. these men are paid for doing it; but what pleasure there can be in standing up working that oar, till you are drenched with perspiration, i cannot understand. i don't mind getting hot in the school of arms, because one cannot learn to use the sword and dagger without it, but that's quite another thing from tugging at an oar."

"but i like it, matteo; and see how strong it has made my muscles, not of the arm only, but the leg and back. you often say you envy me my strength, but you might be just as strong if you chose to work as i do. besides, it is delightful, when you are accustomed to it, to feel the gondola flying away under your stroke."

"i prefer feeling it fly away under some one else's stroke, francisco. that is pleasant enough, i grant; but the very thought of working as you do throws me into a perspiration. i should like to be as strong as you are, but to work as a gondolier is too high a price to pay for it."

that evening, francis crossed the lagoon in the gondola with giuseppi, to inspect the boat he had heard of. it was just what he wanted. in appearance it differed in no way from an ordinary gondola, but it was a mere shell. the timbers and planking were extremely light, and the weight of the boat was little more than a third of that of other craft. she had been built like a working gondola, instead of in the form of those mostly used for racing, because her owner had intended, after the race was over, to plank her inside and strengthen her for everyday work. but the race had never come off, and the boat lay just as she had come from the hands of her builder, except that she had been painted black, like other gondolas, to prevent her planks from opening. when her owner had determined to part with her he had given her a fresh coat of paint, and had put her in the water, that her seams might close up.

"i don't like parting with her," the young fisherman to whom she belonged said. "i tried her once or twice, and she went like the wind, but i got fever in my bones and i am unlikely to race again, and the times are hard, and i must part with her."

francis and giuseppi gave her a trial, and were delighted with the speed and ease with which she flew through the water. on their return francis at once paid the price asked for her. his father made him a handsome allowance, in order that he might be able to mix, without discomfort, with the lads of good family whom he met at his preceptor's and at the schools of arms. but francis did not care for strolling in the piazza, or sitting for hours sipping liquors. still less did he care for dress or finery. consequently he had always plenty of money to indulge in his own special fancies.

as soon as the bargain was completed, giuseppi took his place in the old gondola, while francis took the oar in his new acquisition, and found to his satisfaction that with scarcely an effort he could dart ahead of his companion and leave him far behind. by nightfall the two gondolas were fastened, side by side, behind the gaily painted posts which, in almost all venetian houses, are driven into the canal close to the steps, and behind which the gondolas belonging to the house lie safe from injury by passing craft.

"i have bought another gondola, father," francis said the next morning. "she is a very light, fast craft, and i got her cheap."

"i don't see what you wanted another gondola for, francis. i do not use mine very much, and you are always welcome to take it when i do not want it."

"yes, father, but you often use it in the evening, and that is just the time when one wants to go out. you very often only take beppo with you, when you do not go on business, and i often want a boat that i could take with giuseppi. besides, your gondola is a very solid one, and i like passing people."

"young people always want to go fast," mr. hammond said. "why, i can't make out. however, francis, i am not sorry that you have got a boat of your own, for it has happened several times lately, that when in the evening i have gone down intending to row round to the piazzetta, i have found the boat gone, and have had to walk. now i shall be able to rely on finding beppo asleep in the boat at the steps. in future, since you have a boat of your own, i shall not be so particular as to your being in at ten. i do not so much mind your being out on the water, only you must promise me that you will not be in the streets after that hour. there are frequent broils as the evening gets on, not to mention the danger of cutthroats in unfrequented lanes; but if you will promise me that you will never be about the streets after half past nine, i will give you leave to stay out on the water till a later hour; but when you come in late be careful always to close and bar the door, and do not make more noise than you can help in coming up to your room."

francis was much pleased with this concession, for the obligation to return at ten o'clock, just when the temperature was most delightful and the grand canal at its gayest, had been very irksome to him. as to the prohibition against being in the streets of venice after half past nine, he felt that no hardship whatever, as he found no amusement in strolling in the crowded piazza.