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He withdrew his eye quickly, as the hands pushed the key through again. Again the lock groaned, a little sob of effort, another trial, and the bolts flew back to their sockets. The prudent Temistocle, who did not wish to be a witness of what followed, pretended to exert gigantic strength in pulling the door open, and Nino, seeing him, drew back a moment to let him pass.
The order to arrest the servant if he appeared again came back at once. The consequence was that when Temistocle boldly opened the door with a ready framed excuse for his absence, he was suddenly pinioned by four strong arms, dragged into the sitting-room, and told to hold his tongue in the name of the law. And that is the last that was heard of Temistocle for some time.
"Swear to give the watch to Donna Tullia," said Del Ferice. Whereupon Temistocle swore a terrible oath, which he did not fail to break, of course. But his master had to be satisfied, and when all was completed the two parted company. "I will ask Donna Tullia to take me to Naples on her passport," said the Neapolitan. "Take care of my things, Temistoele.
I will make of him a sponge; he shall be squeezed dry, and sopped again and squeezed again. I will be his confessor." "If you find out what I want, I will give you " Del Ferice hesitated; he did not mean to give too much. "The grey trousers?" asked Temistocle, with an avaricious light in the eye which did not wander.
Fortunately it was strong, or he would have broken it in, and it would have fallen upon her. But it opened outward, and was heavily bound with iron. Nino groaned. "Has your excellency a taper?" asked Temistocle suddenly, forcing his head between Nino's body and the door, in order to be heard. "Yes. I put it out." "And matches?" he asked again. "Yes."
However that may have been, he found Temistocle asleep in the tower basement, saw the key in the lock, guessed whence the noise had come, and turned it. The movement woke Temistocle, who started to his feet, and recognised the tall figure of the baron just entering the door. Too much confused for reflection, he called aloud, and the baron disappeared down the stairs.
Temistocle listened at the top, heard distinctly the shutting and locking of the lower door, and a moment afterwards Benoni's voice, swearing in every language at once, came echoing up. "They have escaped," said Temistocle to himself. "If I am not mistaken, I had better do the same." With that he locked the upper door, put the key in his pocket, and departed on tiptoe.
He sat all day long by the open door, for he had removed the bell-handle, lest the ringing should disturb his master. He had a basket into which he dropped the cards of the visitors who called, answering each inquiry with the same unchanging words: "He is very ill, the signorino. Do not make any noise." "Where is he hurt?" the visitor would ask. Whereupon Temistocle pointed to his throat.
She had, indeed, at one time almost despaired of getting possession of them, and she had passed a terrible hour, besides having abased herself to the fruitless bribery she had practised upon Temistocle. But she had gained her end, even at the expense of permitting Del Ferice to publish her engagement to marry him.
The crazy old clock of the church tolled the hour, and a man wrapped in a nondescript garment, between a cloak and an overcoat, stole along the moonlit street to where Nino stood, in front of my lodging. "Temistocle!" called Nino, in a low voice, as the fellow hesitated. "Excellency" answered the man, and then drew back. "You are not the Signor Grandi!" he cried, in alarm.
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