"--but which nothing would induce me to examine," continued Giovanni
with perfect coolness, "there must be many others of my father's own,
which you have learned by watching him. I respect you for your
discretion. Why did you start and look at me when I said that the
manuscript was in my keeping?"
The question was well put, suddenly and without warning, and Zorzi was
momentarily embarrassed to find an answer. Giovanni judged that his
surprise proved the truth of the boy's story, and his embarrassment now
added certainty to the proof. But Zorzi rarely lost his self-possession
when he had a secret to keep.
"If I seemed astonished," he said, "it may have been because you had
just given me the impression that the master did not trust you, and I
know how careful he is of the manuscript."
"You know more than that, my friend," said Giovanni in a playful tone.
Zorzi had now filled the crucible and was replacing the clay rings which
narrow the aperture of the 'bocca.' He plastered more wet clay upon
them, and it pleased Giovanni to see how well he knew every detail of
the art, from the simplest to the most difficult operations.
"Would anything you can think of induce you to leave my father?"
Giovanni asked, as he had received no answer to his last remark.
Pages:
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244