The San Francisco call., 1908-04-12
CHAPTER TX
A slaves Advice


TT MONTH had passed, and yet to
all outward appearance. zeno's
II manner of living had under
gone no change. He attended to
his business in the morning and dined
with Sebastian Polo twice week. but
generally at home on the remaining
days. Even his own servants and
slaves hardly noticed any change in
often looked preoccupied and some
times sat on his balcony for an hour
without moving. his eyes fixed on the
towers of the Blachernae palace.
They did not know how much time he
spent with his beautiful Greek slave.
Omobono probably knew a great deal,
but he kept ii to himself and stored the
fruits of his lively curiosity to enjoy
alone the delicious sensation of the
miser gloating over his useless gold.
On the whole, therefore. life in the
Venetian merchants house had gone on
much usual for a whole month after
Zoe had hired a train which was des-
tined to produce momentous results
when ii reached the mine at last.
Zeno saw her every day now; and
often twice. and she had become a part
of his life. and necessary to him,
though he did not believe that he was
IN love with her, any more than she
would have admitted that she loved
him.
For each was possessed by one domi-
nant thought; and it Glanced as it
rarely chances in real life, that one
deed, if it could be performed, would
satisfy the hopes of both. Zeno, born
patriot and leader, saw that the whole
influence of his country in the east
was at stake in the matter of Tenedos,
Zoe thirsted to revenge the death of
~4.,1 II 4
and the idol Of her childhood.
If the imprisoned emperor Johannes
could be delivered from the Amena
tower, both would certainly obtain
what they most desired. Johannes
would give Tenedos to Venice, in
gratitude for his liberty, and the peo-
pie of Constantinople would probably
tear Andronicus TO ribbons in the hip
podrome, on the very spot where
Rhangabe had suffered.
They would rally round their lawful
sovereign if he could only be got out
Of the precincts of the palace where
the usurper was strongly guarded by
his foreign naercenaries. The people
woAld not rise of themselves to storm
Blachernae, nor would the Greek
troops revolt of their own accord but
as they all feared the soldiers of the
foreign legion, they hated them and
their master Andronicus, and the pres
ence of Johannes among them would
restore their courage and make the
issue certain.
Such a leader as Carlo Zeno might
indeed have successfully besieged An
dronicus in his palace, but he knew,
and every man and woman in Constan-
tinople knew, we'll enough, that An
dronicus would make an end of his
father and Of his two younger brothers
IN prison at the first sign of revolu-
fSon tharp rafQbt he no NJ
heir to the throne left alive but he
himself
Therefore. It was the first and the
chief object of the patriots to bring
Johannes secretly from his place of
confinement to the heart of the city, or
TO one of the islands, beyond the reach
Of danger, to make his son a prisoner
in his stead: though it was much more
probable that the latter would be sum-
marily put to death as a traitor
ALI this Zeno had understood before
Zoe had spoken to him about ID; but
he had not known that the Genoese
had demanded Tenedos of Andronicus
as the price of their protection against
the Turks; for the negotiations had
been kept very secret, and at first
Carlo had not believed the girl and
had deemed that the tale might be a
pure invention.
He had come again to see her on the
following day, and again he had vainly
tried to find out who she was, and in
what great Fanariote house she had
been brought up. 1t was impossible to
get a word from her on this subject,
and she warned him that what she had
told him must not be repeated in the
hearing of any Genoese nor of any one
connected with the court.
These injunctions of silence made
Carlo still more doubtful as to the
e he f~o, H.
told her so and demanded proof; but
she only answered as she had at first.
IF it is not true" she said. brand
me in the forehead as they brand
thieves. and sell me in the open mar
ket."
And again he was angry. and swore
that he would do so by her. indeed. If
the story was a lie; but she smiled con-
hdently and nodded her assent
If you do not save the emperor" she
said. you Venetians will be driven out
Of Constantinople before many months: