After eating he looked out of the window
and said rather regretfully that he thought the rain was over for the
day.
Masin took this to mean that he wished he might go out, and offered
him more wine by way of consolation. But Toto refused. He was a
moderate man. Then he asked Masin how many rooms Malipieri occupied,
and learned that the whole of the little apartment was rented by the
architect. The information did not seem to interest him much.
In the morning, when Malipieri had come back from his visit to Sassi,
he had given Masin the keys of the vaults, and had told him to buy a
stout ladder and take it into the dry well. But Toto said that this
was a useless expense.
"There is a strong ladder about the right length, lying along the wall
at the other end of the west cellar," he said. "You had better take
that."
Malipieri looked at him and smiled.
"For a prisoner, you are very obliging," he said, and he gave him a
five-franc note, which Toto took with a grunt of thanks.
Masin was gone an hour, during which time Malipieri busied himself in
the next room, leaving the door open. He went out when Masin came
back. When the two men were together Toto produced the five francs.
"Can you change?" he enquired.
"Why?" asked Masin with some surprise.
"Half is two francs fifty," answered Toto.
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