Masin measured him with his eye, and saw that he was a strong man,
probably much more active than he looked in his heavy, mud-plastered
clothes.
"Get up here," said Malipieri.
Toto obeyed, and in a moment he sat on the edge of the hole, his legs
dangling down into it.
"Not so bad," he said, settling himself with a grunt of satisfaction.
"I like you, Master Toto," said Malipieri. "You might have thought
that we really meant to kill you, but you did not seem much
frightened."
"There is no woman in the affair," answered Toto. "Why should you kill
me? And I can help you."
"How am I to know that you will?" asked Malipieri.
"I am a man of honour," Toto replied, turning his stony face to the
light of the lanterns.
"I have not a doubt of it, my friend," returned Malipieri, without
conviction. "Just now, the only help I need of you, is that you should
hold your tongue. How can I be sure that you will do that? Does any
one else know the way in through the drain?"
"No. I only found it to-night. If there is a day's rain in the
mountains, and the Tiber rises even a little, nobody can pass through
it. The lower part is barely above the level of the river now."
"How did you guess that you could get here by that way?"
"We know many secrets in our trade, from father to son," answered Toto
gruffly.
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