Somebody was moving in the vault.
"You had better stay where you are," said Malipieri, speaking down.
"If you show yourself I will drop a stone on your head."
A hollow voice answered him from the depths.
"Are you Christians," it asked, "to wall a man up alive?"
"That is what we are going to do," Malipieri answered coolly. "Have
you anything to say? It will not take us long to do the job, so you
had better speak at once. How did you get in?"
"If I am to die without getting out, why should I tell you?" enquired
the voice.
Malipieri looked at Masin.
"There is a certain sense in what the man says, sir," Masin said
thoughtfully.
"My good man," said Malipieri, speaking down, "we do not want anybody
to know the way to this place for a few days, and as you evidently
know it better than we do, we intend to keep you quiet."
"If you will let me out, I can serve you," answered the man below.
"There is nobody in Rome who can serve you as I can."
"Who are you?" asked Malipieri.
"Are you going to let me out, Signor Malipieri?" enquired the man. "If
you are, I will tell you."
"Oh, you know my name, do you?"
"Perfectly. You are the engineer engaged by the Senator Volterra to
find the treasure."
"Yes. Quite right. What of that?"
"You have found it," answered the other.
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