That was Toto's belief, and he also believed that when it was
found it would belong to the government, because the government took
everything, but that somehow, in real justice, it should belong to the
Pope. For Toto was not only a genuine Roman of the people, but had
always regarded himself as a sort of hereditary retainer of an ancient
house.
His mind worked slowly. A day passed, and he heard the steady
hammering still, and after a second night he reached a final
conclusion. The Pope must have the treasure, whatever it might be.
That, he decided, was the only truly moral view, and the only one
which satisfied his conscience. It would doubtless be very amusing to
be revenged on the masons by drowning them in a cellar, with the
absolute certainty of never being suspected of the deed. The plan had
great attractions. The masons themselves should have known better than
to accept a job which belonged by right to him, and they undoubtedly
deserved to be drowned. Yet Toto somehow felt that as there was no
woman in the case he might some day, in his far old age, be sorry for
having killed several men in cold blood. It was really not strictly
moral, after all, especially as his grandfather's death had been
properly avenged by the death of the murderer.
As for allowing the government to have a share in the profits of the
discovery, that was not to be thought of.
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