On the day on which the second hearing had taken place, at Firenzuola’s suggestion to the Pope, Galileo was permitted, in consideration of his age and infirmities, to return to the hotel of the Tuscan ambassador, on oath not to leave it, not to hold any intercourse with any one but the inmates of the house, to present himself before the Holy Office whenever summoned, and to maintain the strictest silence about the course of the trial.[371] On the very next day Niccolini wrote to Cioli with great satisfaction: “Signor Galileo was yesterday sent back to my house when I was not at all expecting him, and although the trial is not yet ended.”[372] The Tuscan Secretary of State replied on 4th May, with the curt observation: “His Highness was much pleased at the liberation of Signor Galileo,” and immediately adds the ill-humoured and unworthy remark: “It appears to me that I must remind your Excellency that when I wrote to you to entertain Signor Galileo at the embassy, the time specified was one month, and the expenses of the remaining time must fall upon himself.”[373] Niccolini replied with ill-concealed indignation: “It would not become me to speak of this subject to Galileo while he is my guest; I would rather bear the expense myself, which only comes to fourteen or fifteen scudi a month, everything included; so that if Galileo should remain here the whole summer, that is six months, the outlay for him and his servant would amount to about from ninety to a hundred scudi.”[374] Galileo, who had no idea that his generous protector, Niccolini, had even had to go into unpleasant questions about his support, was entertaining the most confident hopes of a successful and speedy termination of his trial. Although his letters of this period are unfortunately not extant,[375] we see from the answers of his correspondents what sanguine accounts he sent them. Geri Bocchineri wrote on 12th May: “I have for a long time had no such consolatory news as that which your letter of the 7th brought me. It gives me well-founded hopes that the calumnies and snares of your enemies will be in vain; and in the end, the annoyances involved in the defence, maintenance, and perhaps even increase, of your reputation, can be willingly borne, as you undoubtedly have borne them, since you have gained far more than you have lost by the calamity that has fallen upon you! My pleasure is still more enhanced by the news that you expect to be able to report the end of the affair in the next letter.”[376] But many a post day was to pass over, many a letter from Galileo to be received, before his trial was to come to the conclusion he so little anticipated.