The Princess had a profoundly superstitious belief in luck, and was
convinced that Sabina's and her own had turned with this first piece
of good fortune, and that on the following day Malipieri would appear
and tell her that he had caught the writer of the letter and was ready
to divorce his wife in order to marry Sabina. Secure in these hopes
she slept eight hours without waking, as she always did.
But she was destined to the most complete disappointment of her life,
and to spend one of the most horribly unpleasant days she could
remember.
Long before she was awake boys and men, with sheaves of damp papers,
were yelling the news in the Corso and throughout Rome.
"The _Messaggero!_ The great scandal in Casa Conti! The _Messaggero!_
One sou!"
CHAPTER XXIII
Toto had done it. In his heart, the thick-headed, practical fellow had
never quite believed in Gigi's ingenious scheme, and the idea of
getting a hundred thousand francs had seemed very visionary. Since
Gigi had got himself locked up it would be more sensible to realize a
little cash for the story from the _Messaggero_, saying nothing about
the carpenter. The only lie he needed to invent was to the effect that
he had been standing near the door of the palace when Sabina had come
out. The porter, being relieved from the order to keep the postern
shut against everybody had been quite willing to gossip with Toto
about the detective's visit, the closed room and Malipieri's refusal
to let any one enter it.
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