He was again silent; he bit his lips in fury, raised one emaciated
hand to heaven, and struck his forehead violently with the other.
"An assassin, the slave of cowards and rascals, the ally of the
greatest villains that the Venetian sun ever shines upon, such is
now the great Rosalvo. Fie, ah, fie on't; and yet to this wretched
lot hath fatality condemned me."
Suddenly he sprang from the ground after a long silence; his eyes
sparkled, his countenance was changed; he drew his breath easier.
"Yes, by Heaven, yes. Great as Count Rosalvo, that can I be no
longer; but from being great as a Venetian bravo, what prevents me?
Souls in bliss," he exclaimed, and sank on his knee, while he raised
his folded hands to heaven, as if about to pronounce the most awful
oath, "Spirit of my father; spirit of Valeria, I will not become
unworthy of you. Hear me, if your ghosts are permitted to wander
near me, hear me swear that the bravo shall not disgrace the origin,
nor render vain the hopes which soothed you in the bitterness of
death. No, sure as I live, I will be the only dealer in this
miserable trade, and posterity shall be compelled to honour that
name, which my actions shall render illustrious."
He bowed his forehead till it touched the earth, and his tears
flowed plenteously. Vast conceptions swelled his soul; he dwelt on
wondrous views, till their extent bewildered his brain; yet another
hour elapsed, and he sprang from the earth to realise them.
"I will enter into no compact against human nature with five
miserable cut-throats. ALONE will I make the Republic tremble, and
before eight days are flown, these murderous knaves shall swing upon
a gibbet. Venice shall no longer harbour FIVE banditti; ONE and ONE
only shall inhabit here, and that one shall beard the Doge himself,
shall watch over right and wrong, and according as he judges, shall
reward and punish. Before eight days are flown, the State shall be
purified from the presence of these outcasts of humanity, and then
shall I stand here alone. Then must every villain in Venice, who
hitherto has kept the daggers of my companions in employment, have
recourse to me; then shall I know the names and persons of all those
cowardly murderers, of all those illustrious profligates, with whom
Matteo and his companions carry on the trade of blood. And then--
Abellino! Abellino, that is the name. Hear it, Venice, hear it,
and tremble."
Intoxicated with the wildness of his hopes, he rushed out of the
garden. He summoned a gondolier, threw himself into the boat, and
hastened to the dwelling of Cinthia, where the inhabitants already
were folded in the arms of sleep.