It was an old story; false witnesses, a prejudiced jury, and
a judge who, though willing to put his prejudices aside, had little
choice but to convict.
Masin had been sent to Elba to the penitentiary, had been a "good-
behaviour man" from first to last, and his term had been slightly
abridged in consequence. When he was discharged, he went back to the
north. Malipieri had found him working as a mason when some repairs
were being made in the cathedral of Milan, and had taken a fancy to
him. Masin had told his story simply and frankly, explaining that he
found it hard to get a living at all since he had been a convict, and
that he was trying to save enough money to emigrate to New York.
Malipieri had thought over the matter for a week, speaking to him now
and then, and watching him, and had at last proposed to take him into
his own service. Later, Masin had helped Malipieri to escape, had
followed him into exile, and had been of the greatest use to him
during the excavations in Carthage, where he had acted as body-
servant, foreman, and often as a trusted friend.
He was certainly not an accomplished valet, but Malipieri did not care
for that. He was sober, he was honest, he was trustworthy, he was cool
in danger, and he was very strong. Moreover, he was an excellent and
experienced mason, a fact of little or no use in the scientific
treatment of shoes, trousers, silk hats, hair-brushes and coffee, but
which had more than once been valuable to Malipieri during the last
few years.
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