"Here is your money.
Four trips, four pennies.

Count them and go in peace." He gave her the coppers, and she carefully tied them up in a corner of her ragged kerchief.
"And the bread ?" she asked anxiously.
Ercole went to the blackened cupboard, took out the remains of a stale loaf, drew a big clasp-knife from his pocket, and cut off a moderate slice.
"Eat," he said, as he gave it to her.
She went away grumbling, and Nino growled after her, standing on the door-step.

When she was a hundred yards from the house, he lay down with his jaw on his forepaws and continued to watch her till she was out of sight; then he gave a snort of satisfaction and immediately went to sleep.
Ercole left his home after sunset that evening.

He locked both the upper and lower doors and immediately dropped the huge key into a crevice in the stone steps, from which one might have supposed that it would not be easy to recover it; but he doubtless knew what he was about.

He might have had one of the little horses from the farm if he had wanted one, for he was a privileged person, but he preferred to walk.