"One per cent?" muttered Montevarchi. "Perhaps not more than half per cent. But is it safe?" he asked suddenly, his fears all at once asserting themselves with a force that bewildered him.
"Leave all that to me," answered Meschini confidently. "The insertion shall be made, unknown to any one, in this parchment and in the one in the Chancery. The documents shall be returned to their places with no observation, and a month or two later the Marchese di San Giacinto can institute proceedings for the recovery of his birthright. I would only advise you not to mention the matter to him. It is essential that he should be quite innocent in order that the tribunal may suspect nothing. You and I, Signor Principe, can stay at home while the case is proceeding. We shall not even see the Signor Marchese's lawyers, for what have we to do with it all? But the Signor Marchese himself must be really free from all blame, or he will show a weak point. Now, when all is ready, he should go to the Cancellaria and examine the papers there for himself. He himself will suspect nothing. He will be agreeably surprised."
"And how long will it take you to do the—the work?" asked Montevarchi in hesitating tones.
"Let me see," Meschini began to make a calculation under his breath. "Ink, two days—preparing parchment for experiments, a week—writing, twice over, two days—giving age, drying and rubbing, three days, at least. Two, nine, eleven, fourteen. A fortnight," he said aloud. "I cannot do it in less time than that. If the copy in the Chancery is by another hand it will take longer."
"But how can you work at the Chancery?" asked the prince, as though a new objection had presented itself.
"Have no fear, Excellency. I will manage it so that no one shall find it out. Two visits will suffice. Shall I begin at once? Is it agreed?"
Montevarchi was silent for several minutes, and his hands moved uneasily.
"Begin at once," he said at last, as though forcing himself to make a determination. He rose to go as he spoke.
"Twenty thousand scudi on the day the verdict is given in favour of the
Signor Marchese. Is that it?"
"Yes, yes. That is it. I leave it all to you."