" Volterra reflected for a moment. "He has left, and has taken his
key by mistake," he said. "But I should think that you must have seen
him go. He would have had some luggage with him."
The porter explained that Malipieri had sent him on an errand on the
previous afternoon, and had been gone when he returned. This seemed
suspicious to Volterra, as indeed it must have looked to any one.
Considering his views of mankind generally, it was not surprising if
he thought that Malipieri might have absconded with something valuable
which he had found in the vaults. He remembered, too, that Malipieri
had been unwilling to let him visit the treasure on the previous day,
and had named the coming afternoon instead.
"Can you get a man to open the door?" he asked.
"There is Gigi, the carpenter of the palace," answered the porter. "He
is better than a locksmith and his shop is close by--but there is the
water in the cellars--"
"Go and get him," said the Baron. "I will wait here."
The porter went out, and Volterra began to walk slowly up and down
under the archway, breathing the morning air with satisfaction, and
jingling a little bunch of keys in his pocket.
There was a knock at the postern. He listened and stood still. He knew
that the porter had the key, for he had just seen him return it to his
pocket after they had both come in; he did not wish to be disturbed by
any one else just then, so he neither answered nor moved.
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