If the old man could have had vision of Jacopo's life, and could have suddenly known what the beautiful woman in black was to the patrician, Contarini's chance of going home alive that day would have been small indeed, for Beroviero might have strangled him where he stood, and perhaps Aristarchi would have discreetly turned his back while he was doing it.

For a few minutes they had all been very near together, the deceivers and the deceived, and it was not likely that they should ever all be so near again.
Contarini had never seen the Greek, and Arisa was not aware that he was in the church.

When Beroviero and Marietta were gone, Jacopo turned his back on the slave for a moment as if he meant to walk further up the church.

Aristarchi watched them both, for in spite of all he did not quite trust the Georgian woman, and he had never seen her alone with Jacopo when she was unaware of his own presence.

Yet he was afraid to go nearer, now, lest Arisa should accidentally see him and betray by her manner that she knew him.
Jacopo turned suddenly, when he judged that he could leave the church without overtaking Beroviero, and he walked quietly down the nave.