With Volterra's
powerful help, Masin had been released, though poor Sassi had not
returned to consciousness, and Malipieri learned that the old man had
changed his mind at the last minute, had insisted upon trying to
follow Sabina after all, and had fallen heavily upon his head in
trying to get down into the first chamber; while Masin, behind him,
implored him to come back, or at least to wait for help where he was.
The rest needs no explanation.
Malipieri took a few things with him to the hotel, and left Masin to
collect his papers and books on the following day, instructing him to
send the scanty furniture, linen and household belongings to the
nearest auction rooms, to be sold at once. Masin, none the worse for a
night and day in prison, came back to his functions as if nothing had
happened. He and his master had been in more than one adventure
together. This one was over and he was quite ready for the next.
There was probably not another man in Italy, and there are not many
alive anywhere, who would have done what Malipieri did, out of pure
sentiment and nothing else. To him, it seemed like a natural sacrifice
to his inward honour, to refuse which would have been cowardly. He had
weakly allowed himself to fall in love with a girl whom he could not
possibly marry, and whom he respected as much as he loved.
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