families, are waiting our leisure, not to speak of foot-sore pilgrims and
other worthy adventurers, who are impatient in their hearts, though
respect for their superiors keeps them tongue-tied, while we are losing
the best of the breeze."

"By San Francesco! the varlet is right;" said the Genoese, hurriedly
erasing the marks of his recent weakness from his cheeks. "We are
forgetful of all these worthy people while joy at our meeting is so
strong, and it is time that we thought of others. Canst thou aid me in
dispensing with the city's signatures?"

The Baron de Willading paused; for well-disposed at first to assist any
gentlemen who found themselves in an unpleasant embarrassment, it will be
readily imagined that the case lost none of its interest, when he found
that his oldest and most tried friend was the party in want of his
influence. Still it was much easier to admit the force of this new and
unexpected appeal than to devise the means of success. The officer was, to
use a phrase which most men seem to think supplies a substitute for reason
and principle, too openly committed to render it probable he would easily
yield. It was necessary, however, to make the trial, and the baron,
therefore, addressed the keeper of the water-gate more urgently than he
had yet done in behalf of the strangers.

"It is beyond my functions; there is not one of our Syndics whom I would
more gladly oblige than yourself, noble baron," answered the officer; "but
the duty of the watchman is to adhere strictly to the commands of those
who have placed him at his post."

"Gaetano, we are not the men to complain of this! We have stood together
too long in the same trench, and have too often slept soundly, in