re
he went on his journey," continued the lad. "I am one of the night boys
in the laboratory, and I saw with my eyes while the others were asleep,
for we had been told to wait till we were called."

Giovanni looked about, to see whether any one was within hearing. They
were still in the covered footway above which the first story of the
house was built, but were near the end, and the shutters of the lower
windows were closed.

"Tell me what you saw," said Giovanni, "but do not speak loud."

At this moment the other two boys came running up with noisy
lamentations. With the wisdom of their kind they had patiently watched
to see whether their companion would get a hearing of the master, and
judging that he had been successful at last, they came to enjoy the
fruit of his efforts.

"We also have been beaten!" they wailed, but they bore no outward and
visible signs of ill-treatment on them.

The elder boy turned upon them with righteous fury, and to their
unspeakable surprise began to drive them away with kicks and blows. They
could not stand against him, and after a brief resistance, they turned
and ran at full speed. The victor came back to Giovanni's side.

"They are cowardly fellows," he said, with disdain. "They are ignorant
boys. What do you expect? But they will not come back."

"Go on with your story," said Giovanni impatiently, "but speak low."

"It was on Sunday night, sir. The master came to talk with Zorzi in the
laboratory. I was in the garden, at the entrance of the other passage.
When the door opened there was not much light, and the master was
wrapped in his cloak, and he turned a little, and went in sideways, so
I knew that he had something under his arm, for the door is narrow."

"He was probably bringing over some valuable materials," said Giovanni.

"I believe he was bringing the great book," said the boy confidently,
but almost in a whisper.

"What great book?"

The lad looked at Giovanni with an expression of cunning on his face, as
much as to say that he was not to be deceived by such a transparent
pretence of ignorance.

"He was afraid to leave it in his house," he said, "lest you should find
it and learn how to make the gold as he does. So he took it over to the
laboratory at night."

Giovanni began to understand, though it was the first time he had heard
that the boys, like the common people, suspected Angelo Beroviero of
being an alchemist. It was clear that the boy meant the book