Her husband sprang to her aid, tenderly supporting her, but as instantly
she seemed to recover her strength, smiling upon him graciously, while
she gently disengaged herself from his hold, leaving the little one with
him, and gliding rapidly forward, looked around her with unrecognizing
eyes.
It had pleased the whim of the Republic to make some ecclesiastical
parade on this festa of Venice which followed so closely upon the
prosaic closing scene of the quarrel with Rome, wherein no churchly pomp
had been permitted; and as Marina's bewildered gaze steadied itself upon
the noble group of the Signoria, with whom to-day, in great state, sat
the Patriarch of Venice with mitre and hierarchical robes and all the
attendant group of Venetian bishops, a look of intense relief suddenly
flashed over the trouble in her eyes--as if that which she had sought
with such long suffering no longer eluded her.
"Madre Beatissima!" she cried, clasping her crucifix closely to her
breast, and raising her eyes to heaven, "I thank thee!"
The light grew upon her face.
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