"I suppose he lends you this apartment, as a friend," said Bruni.
"No. I pay rent for it."
Signor Bruni was becoming distinctly inquisitive, thought Malipieri,
who answered coldly. Possibly the visitor perceived the hint, for he
now finally took his leave. In spite of his protestations Malipieri
went all the way downstairs with him, and let him out himself, just as
the porter came out of his lodge at the sound of their footsteps.
Signor Bruni bowed a last time, and then walked briskly away. By force
of habit, the porter looked up and down the street before shutting the
door after him, and he was somewhat surprised to see that the two men
whom he had noticed half an hour earlier had only just finished their
argument and turned to go on as Signor Bruni passed them. Then the
porter watched them all three till they disappeared round the corner.
At the same moment, from the opposite direction, Toto reached the door
of the palace, and greeted the porter with a rough good-evening.
"I have forgotten the name of this palace," he added, by way of a
joke, meaning that he had not been called to do any work for a long
time. "Perhaps you can tell me what it is called."
"It used to be a madhouse," returned the porter in the same strain.
"Now that the madmen are gone, a mole lives here. I kept the door open
for the lunatics, and they all got out.
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