If the old man could have had
vision of Jacopo's life, and could have suddenly known what the
beautiful woman in black was to the patrician, Contarini's chance of
going home alive that day would have been small indeed, for Beroviero
might have strangled him where he stood, and perhaps Aristarchi would
have discreetly turned his back while he was doing it. For a few minutes
they had all been very near together, the deceivers and the deceived,
and it was not likely that they should ever all be so near again.
Contarini had never seen the Greek, and Arisa was not aware that he was
in the church. When Beroviero and Marietta were gone, Jacopo turned his
back on the slave for a moment as if he meant to walk further up the
church. Aristarchi watched them both, for in spite of all he did not
quite trust the Georgian woman, and he had never seen her alone with
Jacopo when she was unaware of his own presence. Yet he was afraid to go
nearer, now, lest Arisa should accidentally see him and betray by her
manner that she knew him.
Jacopo turned suddenly, when he judged that he could leave the church
without overtaking Beroviero, and he walked quietly down the nave. He
passed close to Arisa, and Aristarchi guessed that their eyes met for a
moment.
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