\"Peace, then, with thy babble!\"
\"See, then, the holy water is quite safe; I saw our padre cross himself by that first basin. Thou hast done well,— hein Luigi,—to bring me from Burano, if there are no fish to-morrow at the Ave Maria; for now we can sleep in peace! They told such tales of I Gesuiti, one thought the devils were having a holiday—Santa Maria!\"
\"The women are worse for chattering,\" Luigi retorts, with a forcible imprecation. \"Here cometh the Consultore—hold thy tongue.\"
\"No, no, Luigi; it is only a frate from the Servi; Fra Paolo is a great man, with a robe like the Serenissimo; he might wear a crown if he liked! Ah, to be great like that!\"
But Fra Paolo and his secretary wore the grave garb of their order, to the great disappointment of the younger women, who had been attracted by the expectation of some pomp.
\"Word hath reached the Contarini secretly from Rome,\" said one senator to another, as the Consultore passed them, \"that they have found themselves a new diversion before the palace of the Vatican, and that some of our great ones here are burned in effigy to instruct the populace. A pile of Fra Paolo''''s writings doth light the funeral pyre; and all that he hath written or may hereafter write is placed upon the Index.\"
\" Davvero ! his words would make me wrathful if I held the views of his Holiness, who may well fear the incontrovertibility of his wit. But our Consultore looketh a simple man to have been shown such honor!\"
\"He beareth honors bravely,\" the other answered, with due appreciation of the humor; \"but lately, when the master Galileo was before the Senate with his telescope, he had a pretty tale of Gian Penelli and Ghetaldo, wherewith in Padua Fra Paolo hath won the title of ''''the miracle of the century.''''\"
\"I heard it not; some commission held me at the arsenal; San Marco be thanked that it is over!\"
\"Ebbene, old Penelli—gouty so that he can scarce move—hath a visit from our great mathematician Ghetaldo, who findeth with our magnificent patron of letters a friar to whom Penelli showeth such honor—limping to the door with him, as if he were a prince—that Ghetaldo, wrathful at this foolish waste over a friar, asketh his name with scorn. And is not better pleased when Penelli telleth that Fra Paolo is the ''''miracle of the age in every science.'''' ''''So, I will prove it,'''' saith Penelli, ''''for verily the world knoweth the great Ghetaldo for a mathematician! Come, then, with problems the most difficult thou canst prepare, on a day it may please thee to name, and meet Fra Paolo at my table, without warning to him.'''' Ecco ! Penelli is subtle; great satisfaction and much labor on the part of our mathematician. Enter Fra Paolo,—simple, unadvised,—solves the propositions at a hearing. ''''Miraculous!'''' cries the superb Ghetaldo, gentle as a lamb! A friendship for life, and Fra Paolo is the teacher! But it is more wonderful to hear the tales of how he preacheth to the people here, in the Gesuiti. Let us follow, for he giveth them not many minutes, for fear of wearying them. We need lift our mantles high, for the pavement is like a market garden of Mazzorbo, with broken bits from the women''''s baskets—Faugh!\"
The splendid senators seldom mingled in such a crowd, except at guarded distances, to make a pageant for it; it was picturesque, shabby, malodorous, composed chiefly of young women with bright-eyed babies and baskets emitting unctuous savors of frittola and garlic; now and then an old peasant who could not be tranquil until she had heard Fra Paolo speak was escorted by a rebellious grandson, bribed to quiet by the promise of a soldo for his little game of chance; occasionally a man, impatient to have done with it all and get out on the canal again, moved restlessly from place to place; only here and there the dim light showed a face pathetic in its questioning, to whom the answer meant life or death.
\"What hath a man of such rare powers and learning to do with these simple ones—a man whose time is precious to the State?\"
The noble senators withdrew a little from the crowd to watch the scene, as they put the question to each other; their servants brought them chairs within the shadow of a column.
They did not know that few are great enough in an age of superstition to hold a conscience uncontrolled by traditions, and a primitive faith simple as a child''''s, with the tenacity of a strong man; there had been nothing in his labors at the Senate to call forth this most sacred side of his reserved nature, and they did not understand that it was to this he owed much of the marvelous poise of will and judgment which kept him unspoiled in spite of intellectual gifts that would have ruined him without his absolute dependence on the One Supreme. But on this sacred side alone was there any entrance to his emotions.
Fra Paolo was not speaking from the pulpit; he stood beside a table that had been placed in the nave, and the people gathered close about him, as children near a father, while he opened a great vellum-bound volume with massive golden clasps, which his secretary had brought from the library of the Servi.
\"Come nearer,\" he called to them simply, beckoning with his hand, \"so that all may hear; put the old people and the little ones nearest.\"
He looked around him, not smiling, but very quiet and patient, as if he were waiting for the slight confusion to subside; for at first they pushed each other rudely to get closer.
\"There is room for all,\" he said, \"in God''''s house;\" and as he looked into their faces each felt that it was a word to him, and held his breath to listen—which suddenly seemed quite easy! The smaller children nestled contentedly on their mothers'''' arms, munching some dainty brought to keep them quiet, and fascinated by the low, clear voice, watched with round, solemn eyes to see if he would smile; while two or three who were tall enough to reach just over the edge of the table steadied themselves by clutching it with their chubby hands, dropping their hold of their mothers'''' mantles—for the pages were full of pretty colors, and the voice of the padre was like a lullaby to keep them still, and they were not afraid—at all.
Fra Paolo never gave the people many words, but sometimes they were strong and beautiful, like an old poem, and in their own Venetian—not in the Latin which had been made for the great ones.
\"It was a wonderful book, written long ago,\" he told them; \"before the Many of them did not know there was anything so old as that! They looked at each other and began to think.
\"And it was written for the comfort of every one who loveth God, our They looked at each other, hesitating. \"Si, si—yes—\" timidly. \"No, no,\" more bravely.
Fra Paolo smiled.
\"No!\" they said, distinctly.
\"If any of you are afraid,\" Fra Paolo said, looking full into their faces as they pressed nearer, \"because the fathers of this church have gone away and left you, there are words in this old book—written long ago, before there was any Venice—to condemn those who would close the churches. ''''Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture,'''' saith the Lord. ''''Behold, I will visit upon them the evil of their doings, saith the Lord.'''' ''''Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?''''\"
\"And here are some words that are written for you—whom they have deserted. ''''Thus saith the Lord: again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate , the voice of joy and the voice of gladness; the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord.'''' It is all very simple. Love God and pray to him, and be faithful in your duty. And he will keep you happy and safe from harm.\"
The ringing treble of children''''s voices sounded through the open door of the sacristy and distracted the attention of the congregation, who turned to watch the choristers as they came in sight, by twos and twos, chanting the canticle, \"Praise the Lord of Hosts; for the Lord is good; for His mercy endureth forever!\"
While Fra Paolo slipped away unnoticed.