"Will you go and tell him that--Signor Fortini from Ravenna wishes
to speak with him, and would be obliged by his permission to come
into his room for a few minutes. We don't wish to disturb him more
than is necessary."
"I'll tell him--though you might as well go to him yourselves at
once for that matter; it is weary work going up the stairs so often-
-and I can hardly crawl."
And, so saying, the poor old lay-brother tottered off to one of the
numerous doorless entrances of the half-ruined mass of building, and
set himself wearily to climb a small stair, the foot of which was
just within it.
The lawyer and the Commissary looked at each other; and the latter
said, with a wink at his companion,--
"I thought it better, you see, to say nothing about the Commissary
of Police; it would have frightened the old fellow out of his wits;
and it is always time enough to let him know who we are if he won't
speak without. But I know these animals of friars, Signor
Giovacchino, I know them well; and there isn't a man or woman,
townsman or countryman, noble or peasant that I wouldn't rather have
to deal with than a monk or a friar. Let 'em so much as smell the
scent of layman in any position of authority, and it makes 'em as
obstinate and contradictious and contrary as mules, and worse. If
this old fellow here has got anything to hide, you'll see that we
shall not be able to get it out of him.
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