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"Or to dash into politics," suggested Bruni carelessly, as if he had thought of trying that. Perhaps he had heard of Malipieri's republican newspaper, but if he had thought of drawing the young man into conversation about it, he was disappointed. Malipieri continued to agree with him, listening attentively to all he said without once looking bored.
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.
He showed the letter to Sabina, and it pleased her by its frank simplicity, and perfect readiness to accept Malipieri's statement without question, and without the smallest resentment. Somehow the girl had felt that this shadowy woman, who stood between her and Malipieri, would make some claim upon him, and assert herself in some disagreeable way, or criticise his action.
Reducing it to its simplest terms, it becomes clear that if the water rose, a person in the passage, or anywhere beyond the overflow shaft, could not possibly get back through the well, though he would apparently be safe from drowning if he stayed where he was; and to the best of Malipieri's knowledge there was no other way out.
But Sabina leaned forward and grasped the Signora Malipieri's hands. Her own were trembling. "You have come to help us!" she cried. "It is so easy, now that I know that you love each other." "How?" asked Sabina, breathless. "By a divorce?" "Yes." "I shall never ask for that," Malipieri said, shaking his head.
Sabina looked down modestly, as the nuns had told her to do when a young man was introduced to her. At the same moment Malipieri's eyes turned quietly and quickly to the Baron, and a look of intelligence passed between the two men. Malipieri understood that Sabina was one of the family in whose former palace he was living.
If Malipieri had refused to leave his lodging in the palace, Volterra could have answered by filling the house with people in his own employ, or by calling in government architects, archaeologists and engineers, and taking the whole matter out of Malipieri's hands. The first thing to be ascertained was, who had entered the vaults and reported the state of the work to Volterra.
In two or three days the papers were full of Malipieri's praises.
First he gave him five francs; then he informed him that his wages would be raised in future by that amount; and finally he told him that Signor Malipieri was an architect and would superintend the repairs necessary to the foundations at the north-west corner, that while the work was going on even the little postern door was to be kept shut all day, and no one was to be admitted on any condition without Signor Malipieri's express permission.
The detective sat down, pulled back the cuff of his coat, took up the pen and began his report with a magnificent flourish. "You two may go," said Malipieri to the porter and Gigi. "We shall not want you any more." "As witnesses, perhaps," said the detective, overhearing. "Pray let them stay." He went on writing, and the Baron settled himself in Malipieri's armchair, and lit a cigar.
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