"At none that I am aware of," replied Dansowich fiercely. "We dwell
there, in virtue of our compact with the Emperor, as soldiers of the
Archduke, bound to defend the post confided to us against the
aggressions of the infidel. As soldiers we have our pay, as mariners
we have our lawful booty."

"Pay and booty!" repeated the Proveditore scornfully. "Whence comes,
then, your manifest misery and poverty? Whence comes it that you turn
robbers, if in the pay of Austria? No, Dansowich, you will not deceive
us by such flimsy pretexts! Your gains, lawful and unlawful, are
wrested from you by the archducal counsellors, in whose hands you are
mere puppets. 'Twas they who prompted you to tell the Turks that you
were in league with Venice; that the republic encouraged your
misdeeds, and shared the profits of your aggressions on the subjects
of the Porte. They it was who caused the documents to be prepared,
with forged seals and signatures of the illustrious Signoria, which
were to serve as proofs of your lying assertions. Deny this, if you
can."

The beard and mustache of the old Uzcoque appeared to curl and bristle
with fury at the insulting imputations of the Proveditore. For a
moment he seemed about to fly at his interlocutor; his fingers
clutched and tore the straw upon which he was sitting; and his fetters
clanked as his whole frame shook with rage. After a brief pause, and
by a strong effort, he restrained himself, and replied calmly to the
taunting accusation of the Venetian.

"Why go so far," said he, "to seek for motives that may be found
nearer home? You seem to have forgotten how many times the Archduke
has compelled us to make restitution of booty wrested from Venetian