On the way he told Beppo and his son that the next
day he was leaving Venice, and was going to enter the service of Signor
Polani.
Giuseppi ceased rowing, and, throwing himself down at the bottom of the
gondola, began to sob violently, with the abandonment to his emotions
common to his race. Then he suddenly sat up.
"If you are going, I will go too, Messer Francisco. You will want a
servant who will be faithful to you. I will ask the padrone to let me
go with you.
"You will let me go, will you not, father? I cannot leave our young
master, and should pine away, were I obliged to stop here to work a
gondola; while he may be wanting my help, for Messer Francisco is sure
to get into adventures and dangers. Has he not done it here in Venice?
and is he not sure to do it at sea, where there are Genoese and
pirates, and perils of all kinds?
"You will take me with you, will you not, Messer Francisco? You will
never be so hard hearted as to go away and leave me behind?"
"I shall be very glad to have you with me, Giuseppi, if your father
will give you leave to go. I am quite sure that Signor Polani will make
no objection. In the first place, he would do it to oblige me, and in
the second, I know that it is his intention to do something to your
advantage.
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