Zorzi Ballarin’ is a Dalmatian who, despite Venetian laws forbidding it, learns the trade of glassblowing and becomes a master artist with dreams of having his own furnace and creating his own kinds of glass. Forbidden romance, jealousy, and bold accusations, however, contrive to complicate matters with his master in this exciting and exotic historical romance. Francis Marion Crawford (1854 – 1909) was an American writer famous for his novels set in Italy – and for his weird and wonderful stories. Other notable works by this author include: "Saracinesca" (1887), "Khaled: A Tale of Arabia" (1891), and "A Roman Singer" (1884). Many antiquarian books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive, and it is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now, in an affordable, high-quality, modern edition. It comes complete with a specially commissioned biography of the author.