went all the way downstairs with him, and let him out himself, just as
the porter came out of his lodge at the sound of their footsteps.

Signor Bruni bowed a last time, and then walked briskly away. By force
of habit, the porter looked up and down the street before shutting the
door after him, and he was somewhat surprised to see that the two men
whom he had noticed half an hour earlier had only just finished their
argument and turned to go on as Signor Bruni passed them. Then the
porter watched them all three till they disappeared round the corner.
At the same moment, from the opposite direction, Toto reached the door
of the palace, and greeted the porter with a rough good-evening.

"I have forgotten the name of this palace," he added, by way of a
joke, meaning that he had not been called to do any work for a long
time. "Perhaps you can tell me what it is called."

"It used to be a madhouse," returned the porter in the same strain.
"Now that the madmen are gone, a mole lives here. I kept the door open
for the lunatics, and they all got out. I keep it shut for the mole,
when he does not shut it himself."

"I will come in and smoke a pipe with you," said Toto. "We will talk
of old times."

The porter shook his head, and blocked the way.

"Not if you were the blessed soul of my father come back from the
dead," he said. "The Baron's instructions are to let no one in without
the mole's orders."