But
the day was one to banish every hint of failure, making him more
conscious of his power than he had ever been before, and he felt himself
floating toward attainment--whatever the difficulties might be. But with
his first step upon the Piazzetta he forgot the glory of the sunshine
flashing over the blue waters, and a sudden sense of fate possessed him,
as his father made an almost imperceptible pause in his grave progress
toward the Ducal Palace, and with the slightest possible movement of
his hand seemed to direct his son's attention to the great granite
columns which bore the emblems of the patron saints of Venice.
A hundred times, in crossing the Piazzetta, Marcantonio had been vaguely
aware of them as appropriate emblems of barbaric force and splendor and
allegoric Christian allegiance; but suddenly they stood to him for
historic records--the echoes of dread deeds avenged there rolled forth
from the space between the columns, and the jeweled eyes of the terrible
winged Lion flashed defiance upon any who questioned, in the remotest
way, the will or the act of the Republic.
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