towards him, telling him to stretch out his arms, and to go slowly, that the butter might not run over the book. I observed him steadily; he could not turn his eyes away from the butter, which he feared to spill. He proposed to take the dish first, and then return for the book, but I told him by so doing my present would lose half its value; he consented to take both at last, observing that it would not be his fault if the butter ran over. I followed him with my eyes as far as I could, and soon heard Balbi cough three times, the concerted signal of the success of my stratagem.' Balbi now set to work with the stiletto. Though he was young and strong, he did not labour with the same spirit which had been displayed by Casanova, to whom he often wrote complaining of the toil that he had to encounter, and expressing his fears that it would be unavailing. As, however, the floor presented but comparatively few obstacles, he had advanced so far by the middle of October, that only the last plank remained to be cut through. To push in the ceiling was all that would then be requisite to open a passage, and this, of course, was not to be done till the moment arrived for their flight. But while Casanova was exulting in the idea of speedily regaining his liberty, a formidable impediment was thrown in his way. He heard the outer door open, and instantly made the preconcerted signal to Balbi to stop working. Lorenzo entered, accompanied by two of his underlings and a prisoner, and apologized for being obliged to bring him a scoundrel as a companion. The person he thus described was a very ill-looking, small, thin man, apparently between thirty and forty, wearing a shabby dress and a round black wig. After having ordered a mattress for the new-comer, and informed him that tenpence a day was allowed for his support, the jailor took his leave. The name of Casanova's unwelcome comrade was Sorodaci. He was a common informer, and a spy of the worst class, who was sent to prison for having deceived the council by false information, while at the same time he had betrayed his own cousin. He was intensely superstitious, his only vulnerable spot, and upon this Casanova worked. To wait till he was removed would have been to relinquish all hope of escape. The last night of October was fixed for the completion of the enterprise, as the inquisitors and their secretary annually visited some villages on the mainland on the 1st of November; and Lorenzo, taking advantage of their absence, usually made himself so merry, that he did not rise till late the next morning to visit his prisoners. Casanova persuaded the wretched spy, that the Holy Virgin would easily, that he doubted not of being able to make a practicable breach in less than an hour. Returning to his own cell, he send an angel to release him, through an aperture in the ceiling, in the space of five or six days; and so thoroughly did the dupe fall into the trap pre-cut up clothes, napkins, and pared for him, that Balbi was sheets, and converted them all enabled to pursue his labours into a hundred feet of rope, the undisturbed till the 31st, when pieces of which he took special all was ready. care to noose together in the firmest manner. He then packed up his clothes, his silk mantle, and some linen. The whole party then removed to the cell of the count. Desiring Balbi to get ready his package, Casanova set to work to enlarge the opening in the roof. On looking out, he became aware that the light of the moon and the fineness of the night would not allow of their entering upon their enterprise till a later hour. St. Mark's Place was full of people, some of whom could scarcely fail to see them scrambling about the roof. In three hours the moon would set, and they could then proceed. As money was an indispensable article, the loan of fifty sequins was requested from the count, who, however, would only lend them two, with which they were compelled to remain satisfied. | The spy would not make the attempt to escape with them; his courage failed him, and Casanova gladly left him behind. The moon had now sunk below the horizon, and it was time to depart. But here we will give Casanova's own words. The inquisitors and their secretary had set out for the mainland. Lorenzo had supplied the wants of the captives, and was preparing for his carousal, and the field was thus left clear for Casanova's operations. As the clock struck twelve, Balbi began his final attack on the floor; and in a few minutes a piece of the last plank and the ceiling fell in, and was speedily followed by the worker himself. Casanova now took the stiletto, and leaving the monk with his companion, he himself passed into the upper cell to reconnoitre. At first sight he perceived that Count Asquino was not a man fitted for making perilous exertions. On being told how the escape was to be effected, the count, who was seventy years of age, replied that he had no wings, without which it would be impossible to descend from the roof. He candidly owned that he had not courage enough to face the peril which must be encountered, and would therefore stay where he was, and pray for those who had more strength and fewer fears. Casanova now examined the roof, and found it break so 'I placed on Balbi's shoulder the bundle of cord, and on the other his packet, and loaded backs were turned towards the island of St. Georgio Maggiore, and two hundred steps before us was the cupola of St. Mark's, a part of the ducal palace, wherein the chapel of the Doge is more magnificent than any king's. Here we took off our bundles. He placed his ropes between his legs; but on laying his hat upon them, it rolled down the roof and fell into the canal. He looked on this as a bad omen, and complained that he had now lost hat, gown, shirts, and manuscript; but I remarked to him that it was fortunate the hat had fallen to the right and not to the left, for otherwise it would have alarmed the sentinel in the arsenal. myself in the same manner. We then dressed in our vest only, and with our hats on our heads, looked through the opening I had made. I went first. Not withstanding the mist, every object was visible enough. Kneeling and creeping, I thrust my weapon between the joints of the lead plates; holding with one hand by that, and with the other by the plank on which the lead plate had lain, which I had removed, I raised myself on the roof. Balbi, in following me, grasped my band behind, so I resembled a beast of burden, which must draw as well as carry; in this manner I had to ascend a steep and slippery roof side. When we were halfway up this dangerous place, Balbi desired me to stop a 'After looking about me a moment, for that one of his little, I bid the monk remain bundles had fallen off, and had quite still here till my return, probably only rolled down to the and climbed along the roof, my gutter. My first thought was dagger in my hand. I crept to give him a push that would in this manner for an hour, trysend him after it, but Heavening to find a place to which I enabled me to contain myself; might fasten my rope to enable the punishment would have me to descend; but all the places fallen upon me as well as him, I looked down into were enfor without his help I could do closed ones, and there were nothing. I asked if the bundle insuperable difficulties in getting was gone; and when I heard to the canonica on the other that it contained his black gown, side of the church; yet everytwo shirts, and a manuscript, I thing must be attempted, and I consoled him for its loss; he must hazard it without allowing sighed and followed me, still myself to think too long on the holding by my clothes. danger. But about two-thirds of the way down the side of the roof I observed a dormer window, which probably led to some passage, leading to the dwelling-places not within the 'After I had climbed over about sixteen lead plates, I reached the ridge of the roof; I set myself astride on it, and the monk imitated me. Our limits of the prisons, and I thought I should find some of the doors going out of it open at daybreak. If any one should meet us, and take us for state prisoners, he would find, I determined, some difficulty in detaining us. With this consideration, with one leg stretched out towards the window, I let myself gently slide down till I reached the little roof of it that ran parallel to the great one, and set myself upon it. I then leaned over, and by feeling discovered it to be a window, with small round panes of glass cased in lead, behind a grating. To penetrate this required a file, and I had only my stiletto. Bitterly disappointed, and in great embarrassment, I seemed incapable of coming to a determination, when the clock of St. Mark's striking midnight awakened my fainting resolution. I remembered that this sound announced the beginning of All Saints' Day: when misfortune drives a strong mind to devotion, there is always a little superstition mingled with it; that bell aroused me to action, and promised me victory. Lying on my stomach, and stretching over, I struck violently against the grating with my dagger in the hope of forcing it in. In a quarter of an hour four of the wooden squares were broken, and my hand grasped the wood-work; the panes of glass were speedily demolished, for I heeded not the cutting of my hand. 'I now returned to the top of the roof, and crept back to my companion. I found him in a dreadful rage, cursing me for having left him two hours; he at last 'thought I must have fallen over, and was about to return to his prison. He asked me what were my intentions. "You will soon sce," I said; and packing our bundles on our necks, I bid him follow me. When we reached the roof of the window, I explained to him what I had done, and what I intended to do. I asked his advice as to the best mode of getting in at it. It would be easy for the first man, as the second would hold the rope; but what would this last one do? In leaping down from the window to the floor he might break a leg; for we knew nothing of the space between. The monk instantly proposed I should let him down first, and afterwards think how I should get in myself. I was sufficiently master of myself to conceal my indignation at this proposal, and to proceed to execute his wish. I tied a rope round my companion, and sitting astride of the window roof, let him down to the window, telling him to rest on his elbows on the roof, and to put his feet through the hole I had made. I then lay down again on the roof, and told him to be satisfied that I would hold the rope fast. 'Balbi came safely down upon the floor, untied himself, and I drew the rope back to me; but in doing this I found that the the window, which diminished its weight considerably. But it was necessary to push it in two feet more; I then should only have to climb back to the window roof, and by means of the line draw it entirely in. To effect this I was compelled to raise myself on my knees; while doing so they slipped off the gutter, and I lay with my whole breast and elbows upon space from the window to the 'I exerted all my strength to draw my body up again, and' lay myself on the gutter. I had fortunately no trouble with the ladder; it was now three feet in the window, and did not move. As soon as I found that I lay firm, I endeavoured to raise my right knee up to the level of the gutter. I had nearly succeeded, when the effort gave me a fit of the cramp, as paralyzing as it was painful. What a moment! I lay for two minutes motionless; at length the pain subsided, and I succeeded in raising one knee after the other upon the marble again; I rested a few minutes, and then pushed the ladder still farther into the window. Sufficiently experienced in the laws of equilibrium by this adventure, I returned to the window roof, and drawing the ladder entirely in, my companion received the end of it, and secured it; I then threw in the rope and bundle, and soon rejoined him after brief congratulations, I felt about to examine the dark and narrow place we were in. |
