That was how
he chanced upon them, downstairs, at their last meeting."
"How do you know it was that message, and not some other?"
"Contarini told me."
"But if the boy loves her, as I am sure he does, why should he have
delivered the message?" asked; the cunning Greek. "It would have been
very easy for him to have named another hour, and Contarini would never
have seen her. Besides, he had a fine chance then to send the future
husband to Paradise! He needed only to name a quiet street, instead of
the Church, and to appoint the hour at dusk. One, two and three in the
back, the body to the canal, and the marriage would have been broken
off."
"Perhaps he does not wish it broken off," suggested Arisa, taking an
equally amiable but somewhat different point of view. "He cannot marry
the girl, of course--but if she is once married and out of her father's
house, it will be different."
"That is an idea," assented Aristarchi. "Look at us two. It is very much
the same position, and Contarini will be indifferent about her, which he
is not, where you are concerned. Between the glass-blower and me, and
his wife and you, he will not be a man to be envied. That is another
reason for helping the marriage as much as we can."
"What if the glass-blower makes her give him money?" asked the Georgian
woman.
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