e he has a
reddish beard that is turning white on the left side. He cultivates the
vineyard, and the owner takes half the produce; but for a consideration
the man lets the small house in the Via di Santa Sabina to persons who
are fond of vineyards and solitude. The only condition is that the
shutters of the windows looking on the road must not be opened, lest the
owner should pass that way.'

'I understand, sir,' said Tommaso, grinning again. 'I dare say the man
is deaf at night.'

'Only at night, Tommaso, but then completely so,' answered Trombin. 'You
will say that a gentleman of fortune desires the use of the little house
for a week, with the keys, from the twenty-first to the twenty-eighth of
June.'

'At one Apostolic florin a day,' put in Gambardella.

'But you must on no account let him know our names,' said Trombin. 'You
can give him two florins in hand as earnest money----'

'One is quite enough,' interrupted Gambardella.

'Be guided by your judgment, Tommaso,' said Trombin, beginning to cut a
hole in another orange. 'I take you to be a sensible and economical
person, but we must not lose the use of the house for the sake of a
florin or two. For I dare say you have guessed what we need the house
for.'

'Partly, sir, partly. No doubt I am to take the young gentleman there on
the Eve of Saint John.'

'Yes, amongst other things, you will do that. But indeed, Tommaso, you
yourself will be surprised at the extraordinary number of things you
will do on that evening, all to your great advantage. It is not in my
power to tell you everything now, my good fellow, because I am going to
enjoy this orange in my usual way, by means of suction. But you shall
know all in good time, all in good time, Tommaso!'

Therewith Trombin opened his round eyes to their fullest extent, clapped
his lips to the aperture he had cut in the peel, and grasping the fruit
firmly with both hands, he began the long and delicious process of
extracting the juice.

'And as you will have to receive the thousand gold ducats from Don
Alberto,' said Gambardella, speaking to Tommaso, 'you will have a very
substantial guarantee in hand. For though we shall never be far from you
on that evening, we shall not be able to hinder you from running away
and robbing us if you choose to do so.'

'What have I done to deserve such an insinuation?' asked the
ex-highwayman indignantly, for he felt that his honour was assailed.

'Nothing whatever,' answere