The four men, bound hand and foot, were laid in the bottom of the ship's boat; the gouvernante was made to take her place there also, and the sailors were told to follow closely behind the gondola, which was rowed at a very slow pace.
On the way, Polani told his daughters of the manner in which Francis had discovered the place of concealment.
"Had it not been for him, my dears, we should certainly not have found you, and that villain would have carried out his plans, sooner or later.

He would either have given his guards the slip, or, when no evidence was forthcoming against him, they would have been removed.

He would then have gone outside the jurisdiction of the republic, obtained a ship with a crew of desperadoes, sailed round to the seaward side of San Nicolo, and carried you off.

Nothing could have saved you, and your resistance would, as that woman told you, have been futile." "We shall be grateful to you all our lives, Francisco," Maria said.

"We shall pray for you always, night and morning.
"Shall we not, Giulia ?" "Yes, indeed," the young girl said simply.