Cook Book Chapter 4

Venice, what emotions it awakens in the Young Stranger as he reads about it in his book. He decides to pay this beautiful city a visit. Upon his arrival, he walks from the railroad station to the landing place on the Grand Canal. There the crowd watches him with amusement as he blunderingly makes his way. Pitrello, a hotel tout, sees in the awkward Young Stranger a likely mark. He seizes his baggage, hurries him into a gondola and conducts him through a network of canals and bridges to the hotel. In the meantime, the Bridegroom, a rich wine merchant, is escorting his young Bride to the church where they are to be married. She is unutterably sad because her heart is elsewhere. Suddenly her face lights up; nearby stands the Officer, her true love. And now the gondola of the Young Stranger nears the scene. He lands and, as he is looking about curiously, the bridal party passes and he is smitten with the beauty of the pale Bride. After the services the bridal party proceeds toward the hotel, the same one for which the Young Stranger is headed. The Young Bride cannot forget her Officer. She throws a rose to him as he stands below looking at her pleadingly. The Young Stranger, mistaking her intention, thinks the rose is meant for him. A merry wedding feast is held in the courtyard of the hotel. The Officer waits for stolen sweets and the Bride smiles at him. Her smiles the Young Stranger intercepts and takes for himself. Love's message meant for another. While the dancing continues, the Bride pleads sudden indisposition and retires to her room. The Young Stranger in an adjoining room goes to sleep with the rose of his romance at his lips. The events of the day had made a deep impression upon him, and now his brain, active in sleep, conjures up before him a wonderful dream. At first all the people he met during the events of the day pass before him in a shadowy dance. Then he sees the room of the Bride. Within it stands the Officer, pleading with her. There is a knock at the door. What shall she do? She hides him behind the curtains and the Bridegroom enters. He has been drinking very freely. But now Pitrello drops from the upper transom. Unseen by the Bridegroom, he stealthily creeps behind the curtain and engages in mortal combat with the Officer. He kills the Officer, but so swiftly and silently is this accomplished that only the Bride, her face turned toward the combatants, is aware of the tragedy. She renews her pleading with her husband that he leave her room for the night. He yields to her request. The criminal Pitrello had, in the meantime, escaped. Terror-stricken, the Bride hides the dead body in her own bed. From the Young Stranger's room the Bride hears a song of love. An idea occurs to her. She will ask him to dispose of the body for her. He sees her, dresses rapidly and follows. The Young Stranger pleads his love. Suddenly the Bride horrifies him by showing him the corpse. She entreats him to help her. At first he is reluctant, but finally he consents. The Young Stranger drags the body to the balcony. Pitrello, however, dogs his every step and frustrates his intentions. Here is an opportunity, the deep well. Into its depth the dead body will go. But no, Pitrello squats upon the lid and the Young Stranger drags the corpse to a boat. He boards the boat with his dreadful charge, so does Pitrello. For the far-off shores of the Island of the Dead he steers and there he throws the body into the silent waters of the lagoon. At last he is free to rejoin the Bride. But Pitrello leaps into the waters and drags the body back to shore. Then he conjures up three more bodies. He sets them up, one after another, like so many nine-pins and the Young Stranger recoils from the ghastly sight. Outlined in shadow, the little craft re-crosses the waters of the lagoon. When the Young Stranger lands, however, he is again confronted with peril. The Officer, come to life, rushes at him, sword in hand. They fence and the Young Stranger is victorious. Another Officer, however, leaps toward him. Another scuffle. Thus he struggles with the four and kills them. But he has reckoned without Pitrello. His Evil Genius breathes hack the spark of life into them. They arise and pursue the fleeing Young Stranger. A vast mob brandishing weapons follows after. But the Young Stranger manages to reach the Bride's room. There he relates his fearful misadventures. She listens to him sadly and at last rewards him with a kiss. The drinking and dancing had continued in the lobby of the hotel all through the night. The Bridegroom, drunk, is conducted by the servants, under the leadership of Pitrello, into the Young Stranger's room. They deposit the Bridegroom in the Young Stranger's bed. But the Young Stranger soon begins to feel the weight of his little bed partner. At first he imagines that the hand he holds belongs to the Bride, but he is soon disillusioned. In disgust, he wriggles his way out of bed, dresses and gets ready for departure. The Bride has come out smiling and inquires after her husband. There is much commotion among the servants working eagerly for the much coveted tips. Pitrello, ever quick, has stirred into action even the lazy fellow, who, tired from the revelry of last night, is sleeping on the stairs. All is bustle and hurry-scurry as the bridal party leaves in a gondola. Poor Young Stranger. His dream of love cannot stand the daylight of reality. Sadly he notes how the Bride has made room in the gondola for the Officer. The fat Bridegroom is too stupid to know her real feelings, but the Young Stranger understands. He presses to his lips the cherished rose of sweet romance, and as the bridal party glides under the bridge on which he is standing, he showers its petals upon her.

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