One day--it seemed as if purely by accident, but those old
Venetians were both shrewd and far-seeing--Uncle Andrea, talking
of the glories of Venice, showed to King Giacomo a picture of his
niece, Catarina Cornaro, then a beautiful girl of fourteen.
King Giacomo came of a house that was quick to form friendships
and antipathies, loves and hates. He "fell violently in love with
the picture,"--so the story goes,--and expressed to Andrea
Cornaro his desire to see and know the original.
"That face seemeth strangely familiar, Messer Cornaro," he said.
He held the portrait in his hands, and seemed struggling with an
uncertain memory. Suddenly his face lighted up, and he exclaimed
joyfully:
"So; I have it! Messer Cornaro, I know your niece."
"You know her, sire?" echoed the surprised Uncle Andrea.
"Ay, that indeed I do," said the king. "This is the same fair and
brave young maiden who delivered me from a rascal rout of boys on
the Grand Canal at Venice, on St. Mark's Day, scarce two years
ago." And King Giacomo smiled and bowed at the picture as if it
were the living Catarina instead of her simple portrait.
Here now was news for Uncle Andrea.
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