And still Marina was, as she had always been, the gentlest influence in
his reckless life,--to some slight extent an inspiring one,--steadying
his daring yet generous instincts into a course that was occasionally
nearer to nobility than he could ever have chanced upon without her, yet
never able to instil a higher motive power than came from pleasing her.
It was Piero who had escorted Fra Francesco to the borders of the Roman
dominions, guarding him from pitfalls and discovery until he was free to
undertake his barefooted penitential pilgrimage upon Roman soil; and
from no faith nor sympathy in the gentle friar's views, but only because
he was dear to Marina.
And through Piero's agents, established under threats as terrible as
those of the Ten themselves, had come the news which, from time to time,
he unfolded to her; while the same secret agent brought perhaps a rumor
which the gastaldo grande confided to the Ten, wherewith some convent
plotting was unmasked, or other news so greatly to the keeping of the
peace of the Serene Republic, that Piero might have bought therewith
propitiation for all those sins against it, of which the government was
happily in ignorance.
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