'In business and commercial affairs it is better to take action at the firm's address.'
Fragalà felt a chill down his back.
'There will be no need,' he thought it necessary to say, to reassure himself. He gave back the promissory note to Don Gennaro Parascandolo, who read it over carefully, twice; then he opened another safe and took out bank-notes, and counted three hundred and eighty francs twice over: he handed them to Fragalà, saying:
'Three hundred and eighty francs. Count your money over again.'
'Three hundred and eighty only?' asked the other, again astounded.
'Twelve per cent. interest is taken off,' explained Don Gennaro.
'Is that by the year?' asked Fragalà stupidly.
'No; by the month.'
Then there was silence. While Fragalà was counting the money mechanically, he thought, but dared not say to Parascandolo, that the interest had been calculated on the first five hundred francs, too, that he, Don Gennaro, had lent him, and not the capitalist Mazzocchi. He said nothing about it, though; indeed, in the innocency of his soul, he remarked, as he got up to go away:
'Thank you!'