That being settled, he wished to get rid of his visitor, as Arisa was waiting for him.
"I assure you," Giovanni said, "that this miserable Zorzi is a liar, a thief and an assassin." "Yes," assented Contarini carelessly, "I have no doubt of it." "The best thing is to arrest him at once, this very night, if possible, and have him brought before the Council." "Yes." Contarini had agreed with Giovanni on this point already, and made a movement to descend, but Giovanni loved to stand still in order to talk, and he would not move.

Contarini waited for him.
"It is important that some member of the Council should be informed of the truth beforehand," he continued.

"Will you speak to your father about it, Messer Jacopo ?" "Yes," answered Contarini, and he spoke the word intentionally with great emphasis, in the hope that Giovanni would be finally satisfied and go away.
"You will be conferring a benefit on the city of Murano," said Giovanni in a tone of gratitude, and this time he began to come down the steps.
The gondolier had heard every word that had been said, as well as the servants in the lower hall; but to them the conversation had no especial meaning, as they knew nothing of Zorzi.

To the gondolier, on the other hand, who was devoted to his master and detested his master's son, it meant much, though his stolid, face did not betray the slightest intelligence.
Giovanni took leave of Contarini with much ceremony, a little too much, Jacopo thought.
"To the Grand Canal," said Giovanni as the gondolier helped him to get in, and he backed under the 'felse.' "Try and find the Governor of Murano, and if you see him, take me alongside his gondola." The sun was now low, and as the light craft shot out at last upon the Grand Canal, the breeze came up from the land, cool and refreshing.
Scores of gondolas were moving up and down, some with the black 'felse,' some without, and in the latter there were beautiful women, whose sun-dyed hair shone resplendent under the thin embroidered veils that loosely covered it.

They wore silk and satin of rich hues, and jewels, and some were clad in well-fitting bodices that were nets of thin gold cord drawn close over velvet, with lawn sleeves gathered to the fore-arm and the upper-arm by netting of seed pearls.