One evening Francis had been strolling on the Piazza with Matteo, and
had remained out later than he had done since the night of his last
visit to San Nicolo. He took his seat in the gondola, and when Giuseppi
asked him if he would go home, said he would first take a turn or two
on the Grand Canal as the night was close and sultry.

There was no moon now, and most of the gondolas carried torches.
Giuseppi was paddling quietly, when a pair-oared gondola shot past
them, and by the light of the torch it carried, Francis recognized the
ladies sitting in it to be Maria and Giulia Polani with their duenna;
two armed retainers sat behind them. They were, Francis supposed,
returning from spending the evening at the house of some of their
friends. There were but few boats now passing along the canal.

Polani's gondola was a considerable distance ahead, when Francis heard
a sudden shout of, "Mind where you are going!"

Then there was a crash of two gondolas striking each other, followed by
an outburst of shouts and cries of alarm, with, Francis thought, the
clash of swords.

"Row, Giuseppi!" he exclaimed, leaping from his seat and catching up
the other oar; and with swift and powerful strokes the two lads drove
the gondola towards the scene of what was either an accident, or an
attempt at crime.

They had no doubt which it was when they arrived at the spot. A
four-oared gondola lay alongside that of the Polanis, and the
gondoliers with their oars, and the two retainers with their swords,