travellers. The latter studied the countenance of the Genevese a moment,
and, better practised than the patron, or a more enlightened judge of
character, he fortunately refused to commit himself by offering to
purchase the officer's good-will. If there are too many who love to be
tempted to forget their trusts, by a well-managed venality, there are a
few who find a greater satisfaction in being thought beyond its influence.
The watchman of the gate happened to be one of the latter class, and, by
one of the many unaccountable workings of human feeling, the very vanity
which had induced him to suffer Il Maledetto to go through unquestioned,
rather than expose his own ignorance, now led him to wish he might make
some return for the stranger's good opinion of his honesty.

"Will you let me look again at the pass, Signore?" asked the Genevese, as
if he thought a sufficient legal warranty for that which he now strongly
desired to do might yet be found in the instrument itself.

The inquiry was useless, unless it was to show that the elder Genoese was
called the Signer Grimaldi and that his companion went by the name of
Marcelli. Shaking his head he returned the paper in the manner of a
disappointed man.

"Thou canst not have read half of what the paper contains," said Baptiste
peevishly; "your reading and writing are not such easy matters, that a
squint of the eye is all-sufficient. Look at it again, and thou mayest yet
find all in rule. It is unreasonable to suppose Signori of their rank
would journey like vagabonds, with papers to be suspected."

"Nothing is wanting but our city signatures, without which my duty will
let none go by, that are truly travellers."