We allude to that most undeservedly-persecuted race, the Jews--a race endowed with many virtues and generous qualities, but whose characters have been blackened by a host of writers whose narrow minds and illiberal prejudices have induced them to preserve all the exaggerations and misrepresentations which tradition hands down in the Christian world relative to the cruelly-treated Israelite.

The enlightened commercial policy of those merchant princes, the Medici, had, during the primal glories of their administrative sway in the Florentine Republic, relaxed the severity of the laws against the Jews, and recognizing in the persecuted Israelites those grand trading and financial qualities which have ever a.s.sociated the idea of wealth with their name, permitted them to follow unmolested their specific pursuits.

But at the time of which we are writing--the year 1521--the prince who had the reins of the Florentine Government, had yielded to the representations of a bigoted and intolerant clergy, and the Jews had once more become the subjects of persecution. The dissipated n.o.bles extorted from them by menace those loans which would not have been granted on the security proffered; and the wealthy members of the "scattered race" actually began to discover that they could repose greater confidence in the refuse of the Florentine population than in the brilliant aristocracy, or even in the famous sbirri themselves. Thus had many rich Jews established themselves in the quarter of Alla Croce; and by paying a certain sum to the syndic, or magistrate of this suburb--a functionary elected by the inhabitants themselves, and in virtue of a law of their own enactment--the persecuted Israelites enjoyed comparative security and peace.

We now return to the man we left plunging into the suburbs of which we have afforded a short and necessary account.

This individual was dressed in simple attire, but composed of excellent materials. His vest was of dark velvet, slashed, but not embroidered; and on his breast he wore a jazeran, or mailed cuira.s.s, which was not only lighter than a steel corselet, but was equally proof against poniard or pike. In his broad leather belt were stuck two pairs of pistols, and a long dagger; a heavy broadsword also hung by his side.

His black boots came up nearly to the knee--in contravention of the prevailing fashion of that age, when these articles of dress seldom reached above the swell of the leg. A large slouched hat, without plumage or any ornament, was drawn down as much as possible over his features; and the broad _mantello_, or cloak, was gathered round the body in such a manner that it covered all the left side and the weapons fastened in the belt, but left the sword arm free for use in any sudden emergency.

Behind the wayfarer stretched the magnificent city of Florence, spreading over the deep vale, on both sides of the Arno, and, as usual, brilliant with light, like a world of stars shining in mimic rivalry of those that studded the purple vault above.

Before him were the mazes of the Alla Croce, the darkness of which suburb was only interrupted by a few straggling and feeble lights gleaming from houses of entertainment, or from huts whose poverty required not the protection of shutters to the cas.e.m.e.nts.

And now, as one of those faint lights suddenly fell upon the wayfarer's countenance, as he pa.s.sed the abode in which it shone--let us avail ourselves of the opportunity afforded by that glimpse, to state that this man's features were handsome, but coa.r.s.e, bearing the traces of a dissolute life. His age was apparently forty; it might even have been a few years more matured--but his coal-black hair, mustachio, and bushy whiskers, unstreaked by silver, showed that time sat lightly on his head, in spite of the evident intimacy with the wine-cup above alluded to.

Having threaded the greater portion of the suburb, which was almost knee-deep in mud--for it had been raining nearly all day, and had only cleared up after sunset--the individual whom we have been describing stopped at the corner of a street, and gave a shrill whistle.

The signal was immediately answered in a similar fashion, and in a few minutes a man emerged from the darkness of a by-street. He also was well-armed, but much more plainly dressed than the other; and his countenance was such as would not have proved a very friendly witness in his favor in a court of justice.

"Lomellino?" said the first individual whom we have described in this chapter.

"Captain Stephano!" responded the other.

"All right, my fine lad," returned the bandit-captain. "Follow me."

The two robbers then proceeded in silence until they reached a house larger and stronger in appearance than any other in the same street. The shutters which protected the cas.e.m.e.nts were ma.s.sive and strengthened with iron bars and huge nails, somewhat after the fashion of church doors.

The walls were of solid gray stones, whereas those of the adjacent huts were of mud or wood. In a word, this dwelling seemed a little fortress in the midst of an exposed and unprotected town.

Before this house the robbers stopped.

"Do you remain on the other side of the street, Lomellino," said the bandit-chief; "and if need be, you will answer to my accustomed signal."

"Good, captain," was the reply; and Lomellino crossed over the way to the deep shade of the houses on that side.

Stephano then gave a low knock at the door of the well-defended dwelling above described.

Several minutes elapsed; and no sounds were heard within.

"The old usurer is at home, I know," muttered Stephano to himself; for the moment he had knocked a gleam of light, peeping through a crevice in an upper cas.e.m.e.nt, had suddenly disappeared. He now rapped more loudly at the door with the handle of his heavy broadsword.

"Ah! he comes!" muttered the bandit-chief, after another long pause.

"Who knocks so late?" demanded a weak and tremulous voice from within.

"I--Stephano Verrina!" cried the brigand pompously: "open--and fear not."

The bolts were drawn back--a chain fell heavily on the stone floor inside--and the door opened, revealing the form of an old and venerable-looking man, with a long white beard. He held a lamp in his hand: and, by its fitful glare, his countenance, of the Jewish cast, manifested an expression denoting the terror which he vainly endeavored to conceal.

"Enter. Signor Stephano," said the old man. "But wherefore here so late?"

"Late, do ye call it. Signor Isaachar?" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the bandit, crossing the threshold. "Meseems there is yet time to do a world of business this night, for those who have the opportunity and the inclination."

"Ah! but you and yours turn night into day," replied the Jew, with a chuckle intended to be of a conciliatory nature: "or rather you perform your avocations at a time when others sleep."

"Every one to his calling, friend Isaachar," said the brigand chief.

"Come! have you not made that door fast enough yet? you will have to open it soon again--for my visit will be none of the longest."

The Jew having replaced the chains and fastened the huge bolts which protected the house-door, took up the lamp and led the way to a small and meanly-furnished room at the back of his dwelling.

"What business may have brought you hither to-night, good Captain Verrina?" he inquired in a tone of ill-subdued apprehension.

"Not to frighten thee out of thy wits, good Isaachar," responded Stephano, laughing.

"Ah! ha!" exclaimed the Jew, partially rea.s.sured: "perhaps you have come to repay me the few crowns I had the honor to lend you--without security, and without interest----"

"By my patron saint! thou wast never more mistaken in thy life, friend Isaachar!" interrupted the robber chief. "The few crowns you speak of, were neither more nor less than a tribute paid on consideration that my men should leave unscathed the dwelling of worthy Isaachar ben Solomon: in other words, that thy treasures should be safe at least from them."

"Well--well! be it so!" cried the Jew. "Heaven knows I do not grudge the amount in question--although," he added slowly, "I am compelled to pay almost an equal sum to the syndic."

"The syndic of Alla Croce and the captain of the banditti are two very different persons," returned Stephano. "The magistrate protects you from those over whom he has control: and I, on my side, guaranty you against the predatory visits of those over whom I exercise command. But let us to business."

"Ay--to business!" echoed the Jew, anxious to be relieved from the state of suspense into which this visit had thrown him.

"You are acquainted with the young, beautiful, and wealthy Countess of Arestino, Isaachar?" said the bandit.

The Jew stared at him in increased alarm, now mingled with amazement.

"But, in spite of all her wealth," continued Stephano, "she was compelled to pledge her diamonds to thee, to raise the money wherewith to discharge a gambling debt contracted by her lover, the high-born, handsome, but ruined Marquis of Orsini."

"How knowest thou all this?" inquired the Jew.

"From her ladyship's own lips," responded Stephano. "At least she told me she had raised the sum to accommodate a very particular friend. Now, as the transaction is unknown to her husband, and as I am well a.s.sured that the Marquis of Orsini is really on most excellent terms with her ladyship--moreover, as this same marquis did pay a certain heavy gambling debt within an hour after the diamonds were pledged to you--it requires but little ingenuity to put all these circ.u.mstances together, to arrive at the result which I have mentioned. Is it not so, Isaachar?"

"I know not the motive for which the money was raised," answered the Jew, wondering what was coming next.

"Oh! then the money was raised with you," cried Stephano, "and consequently you hold the diamonds."

"I did not say so--I----"

"A truce to this fencing with my words!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the bandit, impatiently. "I have an unconquerable desire to behold these diamonds----"

"You, good captain!" murmured Isaachar, trembling from head to foot.

"Yes, I! And wherefore not? Is there anything so marvelous in a man of my refined tastes and exquisite notions taking a fancy to inspect the jewels of one of the proudest beauties of gay Florence? By my patron saint! you should thank me that I come in so polite a manner to request a favor, the granting of which I could so easily compel without all this tedious circ.u.mlocution."

"The diamonds!" muttered the Jew, doubtless troubled at the idea of surrendering the security which he held for a very considerable loan.