Sassi, as an old Roman, predicted that the weather would improve in the afternoon.  Malipieri advised him nevertheless to keep the hood of his cab raised when he brought Sabina to the palace.  To this Sassi answered that he should of course get a closed carriage from a livery stable, and an argument followed which took some time.  In the opinion of the excellent old agent, it would be almost an affront to fetch the very noble Donna Sabina in a vehicle so plebeian as a cab, and it was with the greatest difficulty that Malipieri made him understand that a cab was much safer on such an occasion.

What was important was that the weather should be fine, for otherwise the Baroness might not go out, and the whole scheme would fail.  In that case, it must be arranged for the following day, and Malipieri would find an excuse for putting off Volterra’s visit.

He left the house on foot.  So far, he had not allowed himself to think too much of the future, and had found little time for such reflection.  He was a man who put all his energy into what he was doing, and was inclined to let consequences take care of themselves rather than waste thought in providing for them.  He believed he was doing what was just and honourable, and if there was a spice of adventure and romance in it, that only made it the more easy to do.  The only danger he could think of was that Sabina might slip in one of the difficult passages and hurt her foot a little, or might catch cold in the damp vaults.  Nothing else could happen.

He congratulated himself on having got Toto in his power, since Toto was the only man who understood the ways of the “lost water.”  If he had before suspected that there was any one at large in Rome who knew as much he would have hesitated.  But he had made the discovery of the man and had taken him prisoner at the same moment, and all danger in that quarter seemed to be removed.

As for the material difficulty, he and Masin could smooth the way very much in two or three hours, and could substitute a solid wooden ladder for the one of rope in the well.  Sabina was young, slight, and probably active, and with a little help she would have no difficulty in reaching the inner chamber.  It might be well to cover the skeletons.  Young girls were supposed to be sensitive about such things, and Malipieri had no experience of their ways.  Nevertheless he had an inward conviction that Sabina would not go into hysterics at the sight.

Old Sassi might not be able to get up the ladder, but once beyond the reach of social observation, he would trust Sabina to Malipieri and Masin for a quarter of an hour, and he could wait in the outer cellar.  Malipieri had prepared him for this, and he had made no objection, only saying that he should like to see the treasure himself if it could possibly be managed.  In his heart, Malipieri hoped that it would prove too much for the old man and that he might have the pleasure of showing Sabina what he had found without having the old agent at his elbow.  Toto would be locked in, upstairs, for the day.  He could not get out by the door, and he would not risk breaking his legs by jumping from the window.  The intermediate story of the Palazzo Conti was far too high for that.