The engineer is poor, of course. It is of no
use to go to him."
"All engineers are starving to death," Toto answered cheerfully. "I
have seen them eat bread and onions and drink water, like us. Would
they eat onions and dry bread if they could have meat? It is when they
become contractors that they get money, by cheating the rich and
strangling the poor. I know them. They are all evil people."
"This is true," assented Gigi, "I have seen several, before this one."
"This one is the eternal father of all assassins," growled Toto. "He
talked of walling me up alive."
"That was only a joke, to frighten you into holding your tongue," said
Gigi. "And you did."
"A fine joke! I wish you had been down there, hiding beside the gold
statue instead of me, while two murderers sat by the little hole above
and talked of walling it up for a week or ten days! A fine joke. The
joke the cat makes to the mouse before eating it!"
"I can tell the Princess that the money must be sent In thousand-franc
notes," said Gigi, who was not listening. "It cannot go to the post-
office registered, because it must be addressed to a false name.
Somebody must bring it to us."
"And bring the police to catch us at the same time," suggested Toto
contemptuously. "That will not do."
"She must bring it herself, to a safe place.
Pages:
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341