She began to tell him how this was the third time that a number of
masked men had come to the house an hour after dark, and had stayed till
midnight or later, and how Contarini had told her that they came to play
at dice where they were safe from interruption, and that on these nights
the servants were sent to their quarters at sunset on pain of dismissal
if Jacopo found them about the house, but that they also received
generous presents of money to keep them silent.

"The man is a fool!" said Aristarchi again. "He puts himself in their
power."

"He is much more completely in ours," answered Arisa. "The servants
believe that his friends come to play dice. And so they do. But they
come for something more serious."

Aristarchi moved his massive head suddenly to an attitude of profound
attention.

"They are plotting against the Republic," whispered Arisa. "I can hear
all they say."

"Are you sure?"

"I tell you I can hear every word. I can almost see them. Look here.
Come with me."

She rose and he followed her to the corner of the room where the small
silver lamp burned steadily before an image of Saint Mark, and above a
heavy kneeling-stool.