They sped on with a few swift, silent strokes--then, "Brondolo!" he
cried brightly; but a sudden desperate steadying of resolution was felt
in the fierce stroke which sent the gondola forward with a jerk.
The fishing-skiffs of Chioggia fluttered like gaudy butterflies before
them, dipping their wings of orange and crimson and every conceivable
sunset tint to catch the breeze; and the air was suddenly vibrant with
sounds of traffic and busy life. Men called to each other with song and
jest from heavily laden barks, while they waited the hour of sailing; or
lay at ease on the top of their wares, smoking luxurious draughts of
content from their comrade pipes,--lords of their craft, though their
couch was but a pile of cabbages or market produce,--exchanging some
whimsical comment upon the affairs of busier neighbors which brimmed
these frequent hours of _dolce far niente_ with unflagging interest.
And there, among the lighter shipping, was the brig bound to the order
of the gastaldo grande, with the yellow sails and device of the rising
sun--with the gobbo in orange doublet on the masthead for good luck, and
the gobbo on the deck to make it sure.
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