The Bravo Author:James Fenimore [Cooper Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: " Even so; and yet the figs are as sweet as ever, and the beccafichi as tender! The ashes of the volcano cover all!" ' " Gino," said a voice of authority, ne... more »ar the gondolier. " Signore." He who interrupted the dialogue pointed to th boat, without saying more. " A rivederti," hastily muttered the gondolier His friend squeezed his hand in perfect amity—for, in truth, they were countrymen by birth, though chance had trained the former on the canals—and, at the next instant, Gino was arranging the cushions for his master, having first aroused his subordinate brother of the oar from a profound sleep. CHAPTER JI. Hast ever swam in a gondola at Venice ? Shakspeare. Whew Don Camillo Monforte entered the gondola, he did not take his seat in the pavilion. With an arm leaning on the top of the canopy, and his cloak thrown loosely over one shoulder, the young noble stood, in a musing attitude, until his dexterous servitors had extricated the boat from the little fleet which crowded the quay, and had urged it into open water. This duty performed, Gino touched his scarlet cap, and looked at his master, a.s if to inquire the direction in which they were to proceed. He was answered by a silent gesture, that indicated th route of the great canal. " Thou hast an ambition, Gino, to show thy skill in the regatta ?" Don Camillo observed, when they had made a little progress. " The motive meritssuccess. Thou wast speaking to a stranger, when I summoned thee to the gondola?" " I was asking the news of our Calabrian hills from one who has come into port with his felucca, though the man took the name of San Gennaro to witness that his former luckless voyage should bo the last." " How does he call his felucca, and what is the name of the padrone?" " La Bella Sorrentina,...« less