THE NINTH MAN
and though the vote was to be given secretly, they devised means by which they might keep an eye upon their own men whom they had bought and mete out punishment to them later, or beforehand fill them so full of the fear of some less easy death that they might be sure of their word.
Thus they trafficked for men's lives in men's greed. And I, as scribe, kept the lists. Much talk there was among them as to what black hatred could have possessed the soul of the cobbler's lame son, that his ballot could not be bought from him, for ever he made the same answer to Count Bartolommeo's steward, when asked his price:
"Sound legs," says he; "nothing less!" and laughs at himself.
One day Ugo da Sala asks, "Are all accounted for in your household?"
"All but the ballot of my lady," Count Bartolommeo makes reply.
"Ah!" said Count Ugo da Sala, "I did not know of hers. And her disposition of it?"
"I have my private use for it," replies my lady, and her voice sounded light of heart.
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