My friend Matteo Giustiniani had pointed them out to me, on one occasion, as being the daughters of Signor Polani, and connections of his.

When their gondola had passed mine, a few minutes previously, I recognized their faces by the light of the torches in their boat." "Were the torches burning brightly ?" another of the council asked; "because it may be that this attack was not intended against them, but against some others." "The light was bright enough for me to recognize their faces at a glance," Francis said, "and also the yellow and white sashes of their gondoliers." "Did you see any badge or cognizance, either on the gondola or on the persons of the assailants ?" "I did not," Francis said.

"They certainly wore none.

One of the torches in the Polani gondola had been extinguished in the fray, but the other was still burning, and, had the gondoliers worn coloured sashes or other distinguishing marks, I should have noticed them." "Should you recognize, were you to see them again, any of the assailants ?" "I should not," Francis said.

"They were all masked." "You say you struck down the one who appeared to be their leader with an oar, as he was about to leap into your boat.