“Do you think he has run away?” asked the padrone, suspiciously.
“I don’t know,” said Pietro.
“Have you any reason to think he intended to run away?”
“No,” said Pietro.
“I should not like to lose him. He brings me more money than most of the boys.”
“He may come in yet.”
“When he does,” said the padrone, frowning, “I will beat him for being so late. Is there any boy that he would be likely to tell, if he meant to run away?”
“Yes,” said Pietro, with a sudden thought, “there is Giacomo.”
“The sick boy?”
“Yes. Filippo went in this morning to speak to him. He might have told him then.”