"What toil?" asked Antonio. "See, here is money, and I have a quiet tongue. What toil?"
The wizard pointed to a heap of broken and bent pieces of base metal. "I was turning dross to gold," said he, in a fearful whisper.
"Can you do that?" asked Antonio, smiling.
"I can, my lord, though but slowly."
"And hate to love?" asked Count Antonio.
The wizard laughed harshly. "Let them that prize love, seek that," said he. "It is not for me."
"I would it had been; then had my errand here been a better one. For I am come to see the semblance of a maiden's face."
The wizard frowned as he said, "I had looked for a greater matter. For you have a mighty enemy, my lord, and I have means of power for freeing men of their enemies."
But Count Antonio, knowing that he spoke of some dark device of spell or poison, answered, "Enough! enough! For I am a man of quick temper, and it is not well to tell me of wicked things, lest I be tempted to anticipate Heaven's punishment."
"I shall not die at your hands, my lord," said the wizard. "Come, will you see what shall befall you?"