"At length, recovering from his stupor, his eyes sparkled with an avaricious light at the divided treasure on the ground, and his skinny fingers opened and shut convulsively. Then gazing furtively over each shoulder, he put his finger to his lip, winked, and whispered hoarsely, 'My friends, the secret of your newly-acquired wealth is as yet only known to us three. I think you will find it to your interest that it should not be known to more, as in that case it might come to the ears of the arch-priest, who would be sure to deprive you of every penny of it, in consideration of its being found in his church. Reflect well, my friends; there is but one way to swear me to secrecy.' "'And that is?' asked I. "'To let me have an equal share of the treasure,' said he, impudently. 'What other way would you buy my silence?' "We both violently opposed this proposition, considering it no less than an act of brigandage, and however Peppe and I might differ in opinion on many subjects, we both agreed that this was a piece of extortion to which we were not bound to submit. I said that I would sooner await the decision of the arch-priest, which would perhaps, after all, not be such as he--the sacristan--represented it, and Peppe swore that he would knock his dastardly brains out in the middle of the church before he would let him touch a _baiocco_. "'Think again, my friends,' said the sacristan, exchanging his customary look of sanctity for one of deep cunning and malignity. 'Think again, and decide quickly. In another minute the arch-priest will enter the church to perform mass. All the inhabitants of the village will be pouring in. There is no time to be lost. Either let me have a third of the treasure, or I shall swear by all the saints to the arch-priest that I caught _you_, Signor Antonio, in the act of robbing the alms-box, and that the Madonna wrought a miracle before my very eyes by raising _you_, Signor Guiseppe, from the dead in order to chastise the burglar for his sacrilege.' "'He will not believe thee, thou imp of Satan!' roared Peppe. "'We shall see,' rejoined the sacristan, with a malicious chuckle, and rubbing his hands. "At this moment the arch-priest entered, attired in his robes, and all the congregation at his heels. "'Oh, Signor Arch-priest!' began the sacristan, in a loud voice, before the assembled multitude, rolling up his eyes and crossing himself with mock devotion, 'I have witnessed this morning a miracle with these very eyes.' "'A miracle!' exclaimed the arch-priest and all the congregation in chorus.