The San Francisco call., 1908-04-05
@ @ COPYRIGHT. 1903. b

naQ spoken 10 MIN Oh GOrIaS, mad tolQ
the latter that Carlo Zeno was in love
could, of course. be easily induced by
gifts to use her influence with her
master.
It must have seemed easy enough to
the astrologer, and even to Omobono.
perhaps, but 1t looked strangely i'm
possible to Zoe herself when she re-
membered her only interview with the
man whom she was now pledged to
win over.
The whole situation was known to
her A conspiracy was on foot to take
the Emperor Johannes from his prison
and restore him to the throne, impris-
oning his son Andronicus in the Amena
tower in his stead. Thousands of Johns
loyal subjects recognized each other
by passwords and talked secretly of a
great rising. in which some foresaw
vengeance for the wrongs they had
suffered, while others. like the Armen-
ian Gullabi, hoped for fortune, reward
and perhaps honor. But the body OF the
army was not with them yet. the dis
affected men lacked skill or courage to
preach the cause of the lawful en-
peror to their comrades and the revo-
luton had no guiding spirit
Before he lost his liberty the en-
peror had known Zeno had judged him
III HIS pTlSOn ne pOScCSSCQ
means OF communicating occasionally
with his friends, and ne had instructed
them to ask Zeno's help; but so far his
message had either not been delivered
or Zeno had been deaf to the appeal
Having failed to move him in all other
ways the revolutionists had seized
the unexpected opportunity that now
presented itself.
Zoe realized ii would be as hard to
induce Zeno 20 do anything he was not
inclined to do of his own accord as 1t
would be impossible to hinder him from
attempting whatever he chose to try.
AS for winning him to the cause by
gentler means the high born girl
blushed al the suggestion. He was Ger
tainly not in love with her at first
sight OF that she was as sure as that
she did not love him, either.
Yet while she was thinking she sud
denly wondered whether Gorlias had
spoken the truth about Giustina Polo.
Was she really thirty, and was her face
pitted like a cheese crater, as Gorlias
had told her. If she was ugly. why did
Zeno go to Polo's house so often?
For Zoe had no doubt that he went
there every time he was rowed up the
Golden Horn in his pretty skiff. He was
always carefully dressed when he
stepped into his boat; 1t was not for
old Polo that he wore such fine clothes.
She was very lonely now. During
the first two days she had rested her
self IN her luxurious surroundings, not
without the excitement OF expecting
another visit from Zeno, and she had
thought with satisfaction of all the
comfort her sacrifice must have
brought to her adopted mother. to the
little boys. and to poor old Nectaria-
But now she wished she could at least
~ 10 ,II -nIl
though she was rather sadly conscious
that she did not miss them as she had
thought she must During many
months she had nursed Kyria Agatha
most tenderly and had helped the old
slave to take care of the children: the
misery, the last days in the final strug-
gle with starvation and sickness, and
still she had bravely done her best.
Yet she had long felt that Kyria
Agatha had not much real affection for
her, and would let her starve herself
to death to feed her and the boys. 1t
would have been otherwise if Rhan-
gabe had lived; she would have will
ingly died of hunger for him, but he
was gone. and though she had done
and borne the impossible II had not
been for her own blood, but for the
sake Of the good and brave mans
memory. He was in peace, after the
agony of his death; his wife and his
sons were provided for. so far as Zoe
could provide by giving her freedom
and her life for them. AS far as she
could she had paid her debt of graft
tude to the dead. and the debt that was
not wiped out was due to her; those
who had murdered Rhangabe owed her
his unspeakable sufferings and every
precious drop OF his hearts blood. They
should pay
And now fate had placed within her
reach the instrument of vengeance. the
bravest, rashest, wisest, most desperate
OF mankind. Her heart had silently and
Joyfuliy drunk in every word that Cor
lias had said about the man who owned
her as he owned the carpet under her
feet, the roof over her head, and the
clothes that covered her
He was within her reach, but he was
not within her power. Not yet Her
mood had changed. and for q while, not
knowing what she dreamed Of she
wished that she were indeed one of
those eastern enchantresses of whom
she had often heard. without half un-
derstanding. who reused men to frenzy
or lulled their lovers TO sleep and ruin,
as they would.
Then the tide OF shame came back.
and she turned her face away from the
empty room, as II 1t had guessed her
thoughts; and then. to get away from
them, she. called her maids, ciappinR
her hands sharply. They came running
IN and stood before her.
GO. Yulfa." she said, IND the SEQ
retary and beg him to come to me-"
While she waited she made LucilIa
arrange her veil again so that it hid
her face. and this was scarcely done
when Omobono was ushered in by the
other girl.
What is the Kokona's pleasurer' he
asked, after a pause.
do you speak Latinr' Zoe inquired.
In that language
The little man drew himself up
proudly and cleared his throat.
'Tn my family we have been notaries
for five generations" he answered. In
language that was comprehensive. but
would have filed an average church.
man with vague uneasiness, and would
have made Cicero's ashes rattle in
their turn.
Zoe was satisfied. however, for
though her maids might understand
Italian she was quite sure that Latin
was beyond them. She herself spoke
IL far more correctly than Omobono.
though with a rather lisping Greek ac-
cent. She could not have helped say
sne ~vonus" for bonus" "evov for