Part 7 (1/2)

”You will remember,” the doge said sternly, ”that your previous conduct gives good ground for suspicion against you. You have already been banished from the state for two years for a.s.sa.s.sination, and such reports as reached us of your conduct in Constantinople, during your exile, were the reverse of satisfactory. Had it not been so, the prayers of your friends, that your term of banishment might be shortened, would doubtless have produced their effect.”

”At any rate,” Ruggiero said, ”I can, with little difficulty, prove that I had no hand in any attempt upon Signor Polani's daughters last night, seeing that I had friends spending the evening with me, and that we indulged in play until three o'clock this morning--an hour at which, I should imagine, the Signoras Polani would scarcely be abroad.”

”At what time did your friends a.s.semble?”

”At nine o'clock,” Ruggiero said. ”We met by agreement in the Piazza, somewhat before that hour, and proceeded together on foot to my house.”

”Who were your companions?”

Ruggiero gave the names of six young men, all connections of his family, and summonses were immediately sent for them to attend before the council.

”In the meantime, Messer Francisco Hammond, you can tell us whether you recognize in the accused one of the a.s.sailants last night.”

”I cannot recognize him, your excellency,” Francis said; ”but I can say certainly that he was not the leader of the party, whom I struck with my oar. The blow fell on the temple, and a.s.suredly there would be marks of such a blow remaining today.”

As Francis was speaking, Ruggiero looked at him with a cold piercing glance, which expressed the reverse of grat.i.tude for the evidence which he was giving in his favour, and something like a chill ran through him as he resumed his seat behind Signor Polani and his friends.

There was silence for a quarter of an hour. Occasionally the members of the council spoke in low tones to each other, but no word was spoken aloud, until the appearance of the first of the young men who had been summoned. One after another they gave their evidence, and all were unanimous in declaring that they had spent the evening with Ruggiero Mocenigo, and that he did not leave the room, from the moment of his arrival there soon after nine o'clock, until they left him at two in the morning.

”You have heard my witnesses,” Ruggiero said, when the last had given his testimony; ”and I now ask your excellencies, whether it is right that a gentleman, of good family, should be exposed to a villainous accusation of this kind, on the barest grounds of suspicion?”

”You have heard the evidence which has been given, Signor Polani,” the doge said. ”Do you withdraw your accusation against Signor Mocenigo?”

”I acknowledge, your excellency,” Signor Polani said, rising, ”that Ruggiero Mocenigo has proved that he took no personal part in the affair, but I will submit to you that this in no way proves that he is not the author of the attempt. He would know that my first suspicion would fall upon him, and would, therefore, naturally leave the matter to be carried out by others, and would take precautions to enable him to prove, as he has done, that he was not present. I still maintain that the circ.u.mstances of the case, his threats to me, and the fact that my daughter will naturally inherit a portion of what wealth I might possess, and that, as I know and can prove, Ruggiero Mocenigo has been lately reduced to borrowing money of the Jews, all point to his being the author of this attempt, which would at once satisfy his anger against me, for having declined the honour of his alliance, and repair his damaged fortunes.”

There were a few words of whispered consultation between the councillors, and the doge then said:

”All present will now retire while the council deliberates. Our decision will be made known to the parties concerned, in due time.”

On leaving the palace, Signor Polani and his friends walked together across the Piazza, discussing the turn of events.

”He will escape,” Polani said. ”He has two near relations on the council, and however strong our suspicions may be, there is really no proof against him. I fear that he will go free. I feel as certain as ever that he is the contriver of the attempt; but the precautions he has taken seem to render it impossible to bring the crime home to him. However, it is no use talking about it any more, at present.

”You will, I hope, accompany me home, Signor Francisco, and allow me to present you formally to my daughters. They were too much agitated, last night, to be able to thank you fully for the service you had rendered them.

”Matteo, do you come with us.”

Three days pa.s.sed, and no decision of the council had been announced, when, early in the morning, one of the state messengers brought an order that Francis should be in readiness, at nine o'clock, to accompany him. At that hour a gondola drew up at the steps. It was a covered gondola, with hangings, which prevented any from seeing who were within. Francis took his seat by the side of the official, and the gondola started at once.

”It looks very much as if I was being taken as a prisoner,” Francis said to himself. ”However, that can hardly be, for even if Ruggiero convinced the council that he was wholly innocent of this affair, no blame could fall on me, for I neither accused nor identified him. However, it is certainly towards the prisons we are going.”

The boat, indeed, was pa.s.sing the Piazzetta without stopping, and turned down the ca.n.a.l behind, to the prisons in rear of the palace. They stopped at the water gate, close to the Bridge of Sighs, and Francis and his conductor entered. They proceeded along two or three pa.s.sages, until they came to a door where an official was standing. A word was spoken, and they pa.s.sed in.

The chamber they entered was bare and vaulted, and contained no furniture whatever, but at one end was a low stone slab, upon which something was lying covered with a cloak. Four of the members of the council were standing in a group, talking, when Francis entered. Signor Polani, with two of his friends, stood apart at one side of the chamber. Ruggiero Mocenigo also, with two of his companions, stood on the other side.

Francis thought that the demeanour of Ruggiero was somewhat altered from that which he had a.s.sumed at the previous investigation, and that he looked sullen and anxious.

”We have sent for you, Francisco Hammond, in order that you may, if you can, identify a body which was found last night, floating in the Grand Ca.n.a.l.”

One of the officials stepped forward and removed the cloak, showing on the stone slab the body of a young man. On the left temple there was an extensive bruise, and the skin was broken.