ANTONL 70,

Poor Bartolinetto shrugeed his shoulders 1il) they reached his cars, made the most profusc apologics, and sought to pacifv us with the

CAFTIR ALY

sophism that “after all, o head wis a head. But evervone folt the hollownesst of the pleacs Smeralda called him a “wretehed old quack,” Libella threatened to make for his Hhs reproaches of ingratitude were unhceded; his sugeestion of a fee was rejected with scornful Taughter. At o sign from Libella, he was again scized by the stork, and carried back thus ignominiously () Padua.

“We now direeted our rage against cach other. Our imprecations and threats would soon have devceloped into actual violenee, had not cach feared to do a part of himsclf some injury while belabouring his antagonist. Which was now Orazio, which Antoncllo ? Which noble man, and which gondolicr? My old head pleaded its new and noble hody as the most important half;, maintiining that the hull of a ship alone determined it class, the flagwhich might happen to be hoisted at ats stern being a mere secondary detail. My opponent, on the other hand, compared himscll to a column in which the capital s the sole feature determining to what order it 15 to belong. The two fair ladies tricd o scttle our dispute —but they were themscelves

CYyes.

/117,

NCHEAD WAs A HEAD)

(FONDOLTER, 337 soon hopelessly confused, and ended by advising us to veturn to Veniee and lay our case before the magistrates.

b

“Coldly we bid them farewell and departed. Antonello-Orazio, or the peasant head on the noble trunk, threw himsell in g lazy and istinguished way on the cushions, and hauzhtily commanded Orazio-Antoncllo 1o row hack., The latter was compelled to obey, for his plebeian arms alone could ply the oars and - guide the helm o but he gnashed his Leeth, and swore 1o take dreadful vengeanee lor this insult: and so we rowed back - the arandee with the coarse red gondolier's cap sitting - on the cushions, and laughing to scorn the proud peasant in the bows with his lcathered hat and faultlessly dainty Wig,

“We landed at the piassetta. Neghigently I drew out the purse which T found in my new clothes, and tossed the rower a coin.

“EGive me back my money !’ he cried ; fgive me my rings, my watch, my head !

“OSilence, wretehed slave, T eried @ “darest thou lay hands on my inviolate person? Help, help, against this crack-hrained gondolicr ! Hlelp, help he exclaimed, “against this msolent bhoatman '~

“Acrowd had by this time asscmbled, some taking my part and some his. The Dowre who was just then walking up and down the

Vol v 4.

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