Part 23 (2/2)

”We are gla.s.s-blowers' sons, sir, we are not poor people,” he said with theatrical pride, for he would have taken the coin without remark if he had not felt that he possessed a secret of great value, which might place Giovanni in his power before long.

Giovanni was surprised.

”What do you want, then?” he asked.

”I am old enough to be an apprentice, sir.”

”Very well,” answered Giovanni. ”You shall be an apprentice. But hold your tongue about what you saw. You told me everything, did you?”

”Yes, sir. And I thank you for your kindness, sir. If I can help you, sir-” he stopped.

”Help me!” exclaimed Giovanni. ”I do not work at the furnaces! Wash your face and come by and by to my gla.s.s-house, and you shall have an apprentice's place.”

”I shall serve you well, sir. You shall see that I am grateful,” answered the boy.

He touched Giovanni's sleeve and kissed his own hand, and ran back to the steps before the front door. There he knelt down, leaning over the water, and washed his face in the ca.n.a.l, well pleased with the price he had got for his bruising.

Giovanni did not look at him, but turned to go on, past the corner of the house, in deep thought. From the narrow line into which the back door opened, Marietta and Nella emerged at the same moment. Nella had made sure that Giovanni had gone out, but she could not foresee that he would stop a long time to talk with the boy in the covered footway. She ran against him, as he pa.s.sed the corner, for she was walking on Marietta's left side. The young girl's face was covered, but she knew that Giovanni must recognise her instantly, by her cloak, and because Nella was with her.

”Where are you going?” he asked sharply.

”To church, sir, to church,” answered Nella in great perturbation. ”The young lady is going to confession.”

”Ah, very good, very good!” exclaimed Giovanni, who was very attentive to religious forms. ”By all means go to confession, my sister. You cannot be too conscientious in the performance of your duties.”

But Marietta laughed a little under her veil.

”I had not the least intention of going to confession this morning,” she said. ”Nella said so because you frightened her.”

”What? What is this?” Giovanni looked from one to the other. ”Then where are you going?”

”To the gla.s.s-house,” answered Marietta with perfect coolness.

”You are not going to the laboratory? Zorzi is living there alone. You cannot go there.”

”I am not afraid of Zorzi. In the first place, I wish to know how he is. Secondly, this is the hour for making the tests, and as he cannot stand he cannot try the gla.s.s alone.”

Giovanni was amazed at her a.s.surance, and immediately a.s.sumed a grave and authoritative manner befitting the eldest brother who represented the head of the house.

”I cannot allow you to go,” he said. ”It is most unbecoming. Our father would be shocked. Go back at once, and never think of going to the laboratory while Zorzi is there. Do you hear?”

”Yes. Come, Nella,” she added, taking her serving-woman by the arm.

Before Giovanni realised what she was going to do, she was walking quickly across the wooden bridge towards the gla.s.s-house, holding Nella's sleeve, to keep her from lagging, and Nella trotted beside her mistress like a frightened lamb, led by a string. Giovanni did not attempt to follow at first, for he was utterly nonplussed by his sister's behaviour. He rarely knew what to do when any one openly defied him. He stood still, staring after the two, and saw Marietta tap upon the door of the gla.s.s-house. It opened almost immediately and they disappeared within.

As soon as they were out of sight, his anger broke out, and he made a few quick steps on the bridge. Then he stopped, for he was afraid to make a scandal. That at least was what he said to himself, but the fact was that he was afraid to face his sister, who was infinitely braver and cooler than he. Besides, he reflected that he could not now prevent her from going to the laboratory, since she was already there, and that it would be very undignified to make a scene before Zorzi, who was only a servant after all. This last consideration consoled him greatly. In the eyes of the law, and therefore in Giovanni's, Zorzi was a hired servant. Now, socially speaking, a servant was not a man; and since Zorzi was not a man, and Marietta was therefore gone with one servant to a place, belonging to her father, where there was another servant, to go thither and forcibly bring her back would either be absurd, or else it would mean that Zorzi had acquired a new social rank, which was absurd also. There is no such consolation to a born coward as a logical reason for not doing what he is afraid to do.

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