"Give me the reward which I require," said he, "and I promise, on
the word of a man of honour, that after this night the Procurator,
Conari, shall give you no further trouble. Exalt him to heaven, or
imprison him in hell, I'll engage to find and stab him."
What could they do? Abellino was not a man to be easily beat down
in his demands. The Cardinal was impatient to attain the summit of
his wishes; but his road lay straight over Conari's grave!
Abellino received the sum demanded; the next day the venerable
Conari, the Doge's best and dearest friend, the pride and safeguard
of the Republic, was no longer numbered among the living.
"'Tis a terrible fellow, this Abellino!" cried the conspirators,
when the news reached them, and celebrated the Procurator's death in
triumph at the Cardinal's midnight feast.
The Doge was almost distracted with terror and astonishment. He
engaged to give ten thousand sequins to any one who should discover
by whom Conari had been removed from the world. A proclamation to
this effect was published at the corner of every street in Venice,
and made known throughout the territories of the Republic. A few
days after this proclamation had been made, a paper was discovered
affixed to the principal door of the Venetian Signoria.
"VENETIANS!
"You would fain know the author of Conari's death. To spare you
much fruitless trouble, I hereby acknowledge that I, Abellino, was
his assassin.
"Twice did I bury my dagger in his heart, and then sent his body to
feed the fishes. The Doge promises TEN thousand sequins to him who
shall discover Conari's murderer; and to him who shall be clever
enough to SEIZE him, Abellino hereby promises TWENTY. Adieu,
Signors. I remain your faithful servant, "ABELLINO."