"There is Pisani," he said. "Of course you know him. What a jolly,
good-tempered looking fellow he is! The sailors would do anything for
him, and they say he will have command of the next fleet that puts to
sea. I wish I was going with him. There is sure to be a fierce fight
when he comes across the Genoese. His father was one of our greatest
admirals.

"That noble just behind him is Fiofio Dandolo. What a grand family they
have been, what a number of great men they have given to the republic!
I should like to have seen the grand old Doge who stormed the walls of
Constantinople, and divided the Eastern empire among the crusading
barons. He was a hero indeed.

"No; I don't know who that young noble in the green velvet cap and plum
coloured dress is. O yes, I do, though; it is Ruggiero Mocenigo; he has
been away for the last two years at Constantinople; he was banished for
having killed Polo Morosini--he declared it was in fair fight, but no
one believed him. They had quarrelled a few days before over some
question of the precedence of their families, and Morosini was found
dead at the top of the steps close to the church of Saint Paolo. Some
people heard a cry and ran up just as Mocenigo leapt into his gondola,
but as it rowed off their shouts called the attention of one of the
city guard boats which happened to be passing, and it was stopped. As
his sword was still wet with blood, he could not deny that he was the
author of the deed, but, as I said, he declared it was in fair fight.
The Morosinis asserted that Polo's sword was undrawn, but the Mocenigo
family brought forward a man, who swore that he was one of the first to
arrive, and pick up the sword and place it in its scabbard to prevent
its being lost. No doubt he lied; but as Mocenigo's influence in the